Our Pawlicies
At Pupper's Play & Stay, every dog receives an enormous amount of care and pampering, as well as individual attention to their unique quirks and needs!
In order for your dog to come to daycare or board with us, we require they attend an Initial Temperament Evaluation. This evaluation helps us learn about your dog’s personality, needs, play style, and socialization habits, and allows our handlers to observe how your pupper integrates into our pack.
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This evaluation is completely FREE and lasts about an hour. We'll spend a few minutes chatting with you and asking questions and you can ask us anything too! Then, we'll ask you to step out to run some errands or get a cup of coffee for an hour while we introduce your dog to the pack and see how they fit in. After we determine if they are a good fit for our facility, you will be able to book your first daycare reservation. After a dog passes their Initial Temperament Evaluation they must attend at least 2 full days (5+ hours per day) of daycare in order for any boarding reservations to be approved. If a dog struggles with acute discomfort or anxiety our handlers may require additional daycare prior to boarding.
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In order to schedule a FREE Initial Temperament Evaluation, you'll need an account on the app/website called Paw Partner. You can sign up with Paw Partner by going to www.pawpartner.com or by downloading the free app from the Google Play Store or the Apple Store. After creating a profile for you and your dog, and uploading their vaccine records, search for "Pupper's Play & Stay" in Paw Partner. Click “Make a Reservation,” select the “Daycare” option, then, in the drop down menu, click on "Initial Temperament Evaluation (60 minutes)" and choose a day and time. We schedule evaluations Monday-Friday, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If these appointment times don't work for your schedule, please reach out to us directly either by phone, email, or Paw Partner message and we'll work with you!
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In addition to the initial evaluation, the policies and vaccination requirements listed below ensure that all of our puppers remain safe and healthy.
Pupper's Play & Stay Pawlicies
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Proof of up-to-date Rabies, Bordetella, and DHLPP vaccinations are required to be on file for every dog. You can upload proof of vaccine to your dog's Paw Partner profile.
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Dogs must be spayed or neutered by the time they are 7 months old.
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Dogs must be free of fleas or illness for at least 30 days prior to visiting our facility. Dogs with skin rashes, hot spots, or other open wounds should be kept home. If a dog is found to have any of these issues while at our facility, they will be isolated until their owner can pick them up.
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Dogs that have contracted any communicable disease will require a veterinarian’s certification of health before they can return to Pupper's Play & Stay.
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We love puppies, but for safety reasons we cannot accommodate any puppies under 4 months old.
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​If you’ve recently adopted a new dog, we ask that you use the following guidelines before bringing them in for an Initial Temperament Evaluation: If your dog is under 1 year old, we ask that you have had your dog for AT LEAST 1 month; if your dog is over 1 year old, we ask that you have had your dog for AT LEAST 2 months.
Acclimating to a new home can be stressful for an adopted dog (especially one that comes from a shelter and has an unknown past). It is imperative you take the time to build comfort and trust with each other. In addition, understanding your dog’s mannerisms and behaviors will help us properly evaluate them while they integrate into the Pupper’s pack.
We STRONGLY encourage all new dog owners to take the time to allow their dog to become comfortable with their new home before bringing them to daycare. Studies show that this acclimation period can take up to 3 months, but we will evaluate newly adopted dogs following the guidelines listed above on a case-by-case basis.
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If your new family member is a recently adopted rescue, we ask that they attend a two hour long evaluation instead of one hour. We've found that our rescue pups can sometimes need a little more time to warm up, and we want to give them the time and space they need during the evaluation.
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Due to our evaluation process and for the safety of our pack, we do not accept reservations from out-of-town dogs. In other words, if you are visiting Seattle for a short-term business trip or vacation, your dog cannot play or stay at Pupper's.
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We allow same-day reservations for existing clients, but we prefer and encourage that you reserve your spot ahead of time – space can fill up quickly.
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All dogs must have a nylon collar with a quick-release buckle and a nametag. No metal buckle collars, choke chains, pinch collars, or harnesses are allowed. If you do not have a quick-release collar, we have them available for purchase in our lobby. We ask that all guests please enter and exit the building with your pup on their leash.
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​In order to approve boarding reservations, your dog must be well-integrated into the pack. Dogs who have passed their Initial Temperament Evaluation must attend at least 2 full days (5+ hours per day) of daycare before boarding reservations will be approved. If a dog struggles with acute anxiety or discomfort our handlers may require more daycare prior to approval of any boarding reservations.
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If your dog has not stayed with us in the past 6 months, we require your dog to attend either 1 full day of daycare or 2 half days of daycare prior to their boarding reservation. If your dog has not stayed with us in over 1 year, they will need to repeat an initial evaluation AND attend 2 full days of daycare prior to their boarding reservation. We want to ensure all our puppers are comfortable and safe.
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​A 50% deposit is required for all boarding reservations, and is refundable up to 7 days before your booking. Your deposit for any boarding reservations that are cancelled with less than 7 days notice will be credited to your Paw Partner account for future use.
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If you’d like us to feed your dog meals or administer any medications, please include a note with proper instructions. Refrigeration is available if needed.
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Dogs are expected to be picked up by or before 8 PM on weekdays and 7 PM on weekends. No pick-ups are allowed after 8:15 PM (7:15 PM weekends). If you are unable to pick up your pupper, they will be well taken care of overnight and you will be charged the boarding fee. If you know ahead of time you won't be able to pick up your pupper on time, give us a call and we can arrange a boarding stay (if boarding space is still available).
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Aggressive behavior will be monitored closely by our staff, and if multiple incidents are noted, we’ll ask that your dog receive professional training before returning to our facility. It’s our priority and responsibility to keep a safe, aggression-free environment for ALL dogs. **Please note that effective professional training REQUIRES the parents be present and involved for all training sessions. It's important that dogs learn to respond to commands in general, not just commands from the professional trainer.
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In the event of an incident between two or more dogs, or a dog and a handler, all parents will be notified via Paw Partner message about the details and severity of the incident, and all action taken. We use a 3 strike rule in the case of minor incidents and work hard to keep you informed and in the loop about what we're seeing at daycare. We're happy to make adjustments and changes and work with each parent on each dog's needs, and appreciate open discussion with our parents.
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Zero-tolerance bite-to-harm policy: If there are no extenuating circumstances and a dog bites either a handler or another dog hard enough to draw blood, that dog will no longer be allowed to attend daycare or board at Pupper's.
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In the case of a veterinary emergency, we’ll notify you immediately and transport your pupper to the vet. All veterinary bills are the responsibility of the dog owner. Clients will be asked to sign an online waiver in Paw Partner acknowledging this before their dog’s first day at Pupper's Play & Stay.
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