Before your dog’s first visit to Dakotah’s, you will need to register with us. The easiest way to register your dog is to do it online by clicking here:
When you register, you will be asked to provide proof of vaccinations. We require the following:
- Current rabies vaccination
- Current bordetella (kennel cough) vaccination
- Current distemper vaccination
You can upload a copy of the records when you register, or take a picture of them with your phone and email the picture(s) to dakotah@dddhs.net. If you don’t have a copy of your dog’s vaccination records, we will contact your vet when you make your first online booking.
Once you have registered, you will be sent an email with your login credentials. Simply click the LOGIN link at the top of our website. All your bookings for daycare, grooming, and boarding can be made online. You can also book a daycare visit or overnight stay, and add grooming services to be done during your dog’s visit.
We don’t have any breed restrictions. Dogs are like people. How they are raised, not their breed, determines their behavior.
If you have an unaltered dog, there are a couple things you’ll need to know. We may kennel an intact male if their behavior or their hormones is causing a commotion in the daycare. If you have an intact female, you may want to keep her at home. We do not separate our playgroups by gender or intact vs. neutered. If you inform us that your female is in heat, we will do our best to her away from intact males including keeping her in a kennel, but cannot guarantee that she won’t become pregnant. Dogs are determined creatures, and some have learned to open doors, climb fences, and even pull the locking pins out of kennel doors! We will not be held responsible if your intact female becomes pregnant while visiting our facility.
If you have a dog that is dog-aggressive, we will still allow you to bring them in for the day or for overnight boarding. These dogs will get private walks and one-on-one playtime with our staff, but they will be kenneled the rest of the time and will not be allowed into any playgroups, or in any circumstances where they could come in contact with other dogs. If you wish, we offer individualized training with a professional dog behaviorist who may be able to help with this issue.
Want to change or cancel a booking? No problem. Go online or call us. Unlike other places, Dakotah’s never charges a fee for a booking change or a cancellation. You always book risk-free.
When you bring your dog to Dakotah’s, we provide everything they need for a fun, safe stay. Just make sure they are wearing a collar with a name tag.
If they are boarding overnight, we recommend you bring your dog’s food (in Ziploc bags), as some dogs have stomach troubles when they suddenly switch food. Please don’t bring beds or bedding. We provide everything your dog needs, and your dog gets maid service every morning where all their linens are replaced with fresh linens and their bed is thoroughly cleaned.
All new dog guests go through our acclimation process. We want to ensure that each dog is comfortable before entering group play. Dogs in need of socialization are our specialty. Other places may give your dog a “temperament test.” We don’t believe in them. Almost every dog that fails a temperament test does so because they haven’t been properly acclimated to other dogs and to group play. We work with each new dog individually, investing the time and effort needed to socialize your dog and halp them to acclimate to our environment and group play.
From time to time, it’s necessary to give dogs a “time-out” when they become overstimulated. Your dog may be placed in a holding area, or kenneled to give them time to relax.
Lastly, it’s important to understand that there are inherent risks with bringing your dog to a daycare or boarding facility. Just like at a child’s school, a dog can catch an illness from another dog. Dogs can also become injured, particularly when they are roughhousing. All of our playgroups are supervised by trained staff, but injuries can happen. Dakotah’s is not responsible for any medical bills resulting from a dog’s visit.