FAQS

You’ve Got Questions. We’ve Got Answers.

What are the benefits of daycare?

Alleviates boredom and loneliness- an excellent outlet for pent up energy (happy pets = happy pet parents!)
Helps your dog maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle
Allows your dog to socialize with other dogs and people in a supervised environment
Can help with dogs who suffer from separation anxiety while their humans are away (and protect your home from any destructive behaviours)

Should every dog attend daycare?

While many dogs enjoy daycare, it is not for everyone. Some dogs just aren't comfortable socializing with a large group of other dogs and that's okay! For some senior dogs the daycare environment can be overstimulating and exhausting.

Our team will always maintain an open and honest conversation with our pet parents. If we feel that your dog is not adjusting well to our daycare or not enjoying themselves we will be sure to let you know. Some dogs may just need a longer adjustment period and a few extra visits to really get comfortable but we want everyone at the Red River Doghouse to want to be there and we will communicate if we don't think your dog feels that way.

How are the dogs supervised?

While in our care, our daycare dogs are supervised by staff at all times. Safety of our dogs and team members is our number one priority and staff to dog ratios don't exceed 15 dogs per staff member. This is an almost 50% increase in mandatory supervision from City of Winnipeg by-laws on the subject. Keeping our staff to dog ratios smaller allows for greater control of our dogs as well as easier integration of new dogs into the group safely.

Do you accept aggressive dogs?

The Red River Doghouse does not accept any dogs that show aggressive behaviours toward people or other dogs. We will not take on any dogs that require "rehabilitation" or extensive one-on-one training to enjoy the daycare safely. All our daycare dogs must be reasonably social in a mixed dog setting as we want all of our clients to have the chance to enjoy themselves and have fun!

How do I get my dog started in daycare?

All dogs over 6 months of age must first come in for a free meet & greet appointment with a member of our staff. This allows us a chance to meet your dog and see how they respond to us as well as being near the other dogs. It also allows you to ask any questions you may have and take a brief tour of the facility. Meet and greet appointments are generally short and if we feel your dog is a good candidate for daycare we will schedule a first visit for them from there.

Clients will also need to fill out a personalized registration form for each of their dogs as well as provide proof of vaccinations before the dog may attend daycare.

Do I need to pre-book my dog for daycare?

Once your dog has been through our meet and greet process and accepted as a daycare client you are welcome to book them for daycare during any of our business days (Monday - Friday), however, our staff may have a recommendation of a good day for your dog to attend based on their energy level and the other dogs in attendance that day.

While pre-booking your dog for daycare is not necessarily mandatory we do highly recommend it whenever possible as walk-ins may be turned away if we have already reached our capacity for the day. We do recognize that schedules can change on a dime and can often accommodate a last minute booking when needed.

How can I check on my dog during their stay?

We welcome you to email us at howl@redriverdoghouse.ca at any time during your pet's stay with us and one of our staff members will get back to you as quickly as possible with an update on your dog.

The Red River Doghouse also posts photos of their dogs at the end of every day on their social media pages so you can see how much fun they had and check out what kind of friends your dog made that day!

My pet has a special diet. Can their needs be accommodated?

Absolutely! We know that many dogs have allergies or keep a specialized diet. Your dog will never be fed anything by our staff that has not been provided or approved by you.

Can you administer medication to my dog?

We are happy to administer any oral or topical medications to your dog provided you bring them either in the original prescribed packaging or a sealed container with detailed information including the name of your dog, the name of the medication, the time it is to be given (if it needs to be given with food then you must also bring a meal for your dog), as well as the dosage. Unfortunately, we cannot administer any injectable medications such as insulin.