Do you provide overnight dog boarding?

No, we focus on providing excellent weekday dog daycare. Bringing your dog to daycare will help socialize them in preparation for being boarded though!

What is dog daycare and what does a typical day look like?

Dog daycare is a way for your dog to exercise and socialize in a controlled, well supervised environment. We help your dog learn how to play appropriately with other dogs and how to interact with humans. At Mindful Paws your dog’s day starts with an introduction through the fence to any dogs that are new to them, and then they join a play group in one of our outdoor yards or indoor playroom. Once the dogs have all played for a while and are starting to get tired they come into our kennel room for a nap in their own separate cubbies. Each cubby has an elevated bed, a water bucket, and your dog will receive a yummy filled & frozen bone to chew on if they don’t feel like napping. Once nap time is over (usually after about two hours) and the dogs start waking up they go back outside for more play time. If the group gets tired again they might come in for another nap, or if they’re still having fun they’ll keep playing until you come to pick them up. Our pups are always good and tired when they head home!

How do I get started?

The first step is a Meet & Greet with us and your dog. This is a half hour tour of the facility while we talk about your dog daycare needs, your dog’s likes and dislikes, and see how they react to a neutral dog. This ensures that we’re a good fit for you and your dog is a good fit for daycare. Once you and your dog join Mindful Paws you’ll be added to our booking system and able to book online.

We’re currently at full capacity but you can join our waitlist here.

How does booking work?

Booking is easy with our online system! Once your profile is complete you’re able to book up to a month ahead. Just select the day(s) you’d like to book, the times you’d like to drop off and pick up, and you’ll get a confirmation email of your booking within the next few hours. Our online system requires you to book at least 2 days in advance (ie. if today is Monday, the next day you can book would be Wednesday), but if anything comes up last minute you can always call, text, or email, and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Does my dog need to come on the same day(s) every week?

Nope! How many days you book and what days your dog comes is completely up to you. We do see that the dogs who come more regularly adjust quicker and get into the fun more easily. The majority of our clients come at least once a week.

My dog is intact, can they still come to daycare?

We do accept intact dogs of all ages, with these exceptions: Females in heat are not allowed to attend until their cycle is complete (usually about 3 weeks). They must have had a bath before returning to daycare. Intact males will be monitored for any sign of behavior issues such as continual posturing or attempted fighting or excessive mounting. We may require them to be neutered and trained before returning to daycare.

What is your minimum age and how old are most of your daycare clients?

Your dog must be at least five months old, but your vet may recommend waiting longer - we always defer to vet recommendations. Most of our dogs are 6 months to 2 years old and they tend to be high energy players. Play groups are fully supervised and we do our best to make sure every dog is comfortable with each other’s play style. Older dogs are welcome and do very well if they enjoy participating and/or hanging out with us while observing the young dogs playing. Daycare is a nice change of pace for an adult dog who may be a bit bored at home.

How do I know if daycare is right for my dog? Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you decide:

How does your dog feel about meeting new people? How does your dog act when they see new dogs? Are there types of dogs or people that they find offensive or very scary? If they are happy to meet new people and dogs or are neutral about them, then they will probably do well in daycare. If they are scared, trying to run away or hide or act aggressively then we suggest working on that with a trainer before considering daycare. 

How often does your dog want to play actively, ie running, chasing, fetching, tugging? Is your dog always into something? Bored? Barking for attention? Chewing everything? Active dogs do very well in daycare and daycare helps alleviate problems caused by excessive energy and boredom. Dogs who prefer sleeping most of the day may find day care a bit overwhelming.

Are you hiring?

No, all three owners live and work on the property and we don’t have any need for employees at this time.