Q: Are you a "Licensed" Doggie Daycare?

A: Yes.  Although the State of MA does not yet have a procedure for licensing, regulating or inspecting dog daycare facilities, we anticipate that there will be rules in place soon.  We practice in accordance with regulations already in place in many states and as suggested by the professional daycare associations that we belong to.  South Paws is an LLC, registered as a legal business with the State of MA.  We are licensed to operate a business in The Town of Pembroke and we are fully insured for liability. 

Q: What do the dogs do all day?

A:  First period is English, followed by Mathematics, then American History.....but seriously, our cageless daycare is really a place for your dog to do what dogs do best:  Romp, fetch, sniff around, nap and play nicely with other friendly dogs.  We provide supervision, as  referees, to be sure that dogs are properly interacting with each other.  Our web cams allow you to see what's going on. You'll notice that the dogs are most active in the morning and begin to settle down for a nap towards early afternoon.  They usually find a favorite spot along the perimeter of the rooms so, at times, the daycare may look "empty" when, in fact, everyone is simply resting.  By late afternoon, the fun usually begins again and excitement builds as dogs begin to leave after a full day.  The dogs know that they will soon be picked up by their loving parents and taken home for a well earned meal.  

Q: Do you separate the big dogs from the small dogs?

A:  Yes!  Large and giant breeds are separated from small breeds.  Medium sized dogs that are shy of big dogs can play in the small dog area that we can break into two groups.  Medium dogs that play well with the bigger dogs are welcome to join the large dog group.  We have a few larger dogs who are very mellow and prefer the company of the small and medium dogs.  As long as the smaller dogs and owners approve, we allow these bigger dogs to socialize with the smaller ones to provide the small dogs the opportunity to build confidence around big dogs.

  

Q: Should I bring my dog's food and toys?

A:  No.  Because we are "cage-less" we cannot serve meals to your dog.  We ask that you feed breakfast early in the morning so your dog has time to digest and relieve them self at home.  The excitement of arriving at daycare can sometimes cause an accident if the dog has not been able to go to the bathroom at home.  Your dog should be weaned from "lunch" before beginning daycare.  If there is medication needed to be administered or a medical reason to provide a meal midday, we will try to accommodate this. The toys we play with at daycare are the property of South Paws and are shared by all the dogs throughout the day.  They are durable and easy to disinfect every night.  We do not allow any personal toys or bedding to be brought into the daycare and "clothing" needs to be removed before the dog enters the play area.  

Q: Can my dog go outside?

A:  Yes!  We have safe, securely fenced, outside areas for large dogs and small/medium dogs.  Your dog is free to go in and out at will, weather permitting.  The dogs are escorted out in a group a few times during the day to make sure everyone remembers to take care of some "business". 

Q: Do the dogs ever fight?

A: Sometimes. Dogs can and do have disagreements when playing with each other physically. We do everything we can to watch for  behavioral signs that could lead to a dog becoming aggressive to another dog.  Fights are a rarety and  minor squabbles are usually resolved by the attendant raising their voice in disapproval.  We also have squirt bottles that we use to distract dogs from offensive behaviors such as humping, jumping on humans, pulling tails and nuisance barking.  These tools are usually all we need to keep the peace but in the event that we may need to put ourselves between dogs that are fighting, we assure you that we CAN and we WILL.  We are here to provide a safe and fun experience for all the dogs and our staff is very experienced and trained to handle 15 dogs at a time effortlessly.  You may notice on the web cams that attendants rarely single out individual dogs for play, continuously move about and rarely bend down.  This is the proper way to handle a large number of dogs off-leash.  Remember, your dog is with us for exercise and socialization with other dogs.  We know that when your dogs get home, you'll be showering them with all the personal lovin' that they need!  That's not to say we don't sneak in some pats, cuddles and kisses when the time is just right;)       

Q: Are there any dogs that you do not allow in daycare?

A:  Yes :( We do have some breeds that we cannot accept because of insurance liability.  Please refer to the listed breeds on our "home" page and our "rates & info" page. It is mandatory that all dogs attending daycare be spayed or neutered by maturity.  Dogs suffering from chronic pain, hearing loss or vision loss may not do well in our active, freestyle environment.  Please feel free to openly discuss these issues with us.  If South Paws cannot provide the right environment for your particular dog, we will do everything we can to find a professional facility that can accommodate you.     

Q: Can I drop my dog off whenever I want?

A:  No.  Drop off hours are from 7:00am-9:00am for both "Full Day" and "Half Day" visits.  This policy helps us to keep everyone on a similar activity schedule and avoids disruptions to their play during the day.  We require all dogs to visit at least twice a week so that they stay familiar with the other dogs, our staff and our routines.  Pick up for "Half Day" dogs is from 12:00pm-1:00pm.  Pick up for "Full Day" dogs is from 4:00pm-6:00pm.  If your dog is not picked up by 6:00pm you will incur a late fee of $5 for each 15 minutes after 6:00pm.     

Q: Why do I have to be there so early on the tryout day?

A:  We require your dog to be at daycare by 7:00 am so that he or she can be the first dog into our cageless playroom and have some time to explore and sniff things out before the other dogs start to arrive for the day.  This procedure will allow introductions to go slowly and smoothly.

Q: Can I go into the playroom with the dogs or have a tour while the dogs are there?

A:  No!  Dogs often exhibit behaviors in the company of their owners that they may not exhibit on thier own in a group of other dogs.  By leaving your dog in our care at the reception desk, we can immediately begin our evaluation of your dogs temperament when not in your company.  It also starts a pattern of consistency that is the key making drop-offs and pick-ups run quickly and smoothly after just a few visits.  Getting dogs in and out of the play area is the trickiest part of our job and would become difficult to do safely with people who are perceived as "strangers" near the gates.  Any "new" person entering the playroom would be swarmed by the dogs and potentially scratched, nibbled on or knocked down.  Although we are always interested in enrolling new clients, the safety and security of the dogs in our care is always our main priority.  For your safety and that of the dogs, we do not allow visitors past the reception area while daycare is in session.  Please feel free to check out our live web cam to see the dogs in action and call or email us to schedule a tour of the play areas before or after daycare.

Q: Will my dog be tired after the first day of daycare?

A:  YES!  Your dog will likely be asleep prior to your pulling out of the parking space.  Other changes in your dog's behavior on the first day may include loose stools because of the excitement of meeting new friends and excessive thirst because it takes a few visits for them to get used to drinking out of our bowls and drinking enough throughout the day to compensate for extra activity.  We suggest you fill their bowl with small amounts of water and refill as needed to avoid gulping to much water and air at once.