Please reach us at 678.218.5201 or email info@dogmomindecatur.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Daycare reservations are required and are highly recommended to secure your dog’s spot. Notifications about required reservations surrounding holidays will be communicated a month in advance via email. To ensure safety during holiday periods, we limit the playgroup sizes and only admit reserved dogs on full-capacity days.
Boarding reservations are required for all overnight boarding, with potential last- minute accommodation for existing clients. Please note: We are usually fully booked a month in advance of major holidays, please allow ample time for your dog to complete our required evaluation day. Please note that an evaluation daycare day is mandatory for all dogs before confirming any reservation.
Our experienced staff provides constant supervision in all playgroups, maintaining a ratio of approximately 4 dogs. The number of staff assigned to each playgroup ranges from 1 to 2, depending on the size and number of dogs present. Our open floor plan facilitates effective communication among team members. Our staff members are passionate about their work with dogs, and most are dog owners themselves, allowing them to bring their own pets to the workplace. While we occasionally allow the dogs to socialize freely with one another, our team remains present in the play area to ensure safety and engagement. Our staff dedicates significant time to interacting with the dogs and developing a deep understanding of their individual personalities and needs. This commitment fosters a rewarding experience akin to that of a teacher nurturing their students.
Certainly! If a family suite is available, your dogs can be boarded together. However, please note that they will be separated during mealtimes to monitor their food intake.
Yes, we can administer any form of standard oral medication that is presented at drop-off with detailed instructions. Note: please bring pills in their original container, avoiding any glass. And please do not mix them in with your dog’s food. To protect the safety of all dogs, we keep all medications in a secure location in the facility and its administration is tightly monitored and controlled.
Our daycare playgroups usually accommodate between 3 to 4 dogs, including overnight boarders. We ensure that each dog has ample space to enjoy their activities.
We kindly request that your dog remain with us for a minimum of four hours on their evaluation day. This duration allows us to assess how they adapt to a full day in our environment without your presence. There is no need for you to stay during this time; you may simply drop off your dog in the morning and return later in the day. We will contact you around midday to provide you with an update on how your dog is doing. After the four-hour period and once you have received our midday call, you are welcome to pick up your dog at your convenience before we close for the day.
Yes, an evaluation day is required for every dog attending Dog Mom in Decatur. Just as children’s behavior can vary based on their surroundings, a dog’s behavior may change depending on the environment. While your dog may feel at ease at home, in your neighborhood, at the dog park, or even at another daycare, we cannot predict how they will respond in our facility until they have experienced it. Doggie daycare can present a high-stimulation environment, which may be overwhelming for some dogs. Additionally, a dog’s behavior might differ when you are present compared to when you are not. We aim to ensure that your dog is comfortable in our playgroups without your presence before confirming any reservations.
The charges for overnight boarding depend on the time of drop-off. Overnight boarding is billed per night and includes care for up to 24 hours. For instance, if you drop off your pet at 10 AM, the boarding will cover care until 10 AM the following day. Therefore, if you pick up your pet at 6 PM the next day, you will be charged for one night of boarding along with one day of daycare.
Please ensure to bring your dog’s leash, food, treats, and medication. There is no need to include your dog’s food or water bowl, as we provide stainless-steel bowls at no charge. These bowls are safe and are cleaned and sanitized daily. Additionally, there is no requirement to bring your dog’s bedding, as we offer soft house bedding that is also cleaned and sanitized each day at no extra cost. We recommend that you refrain from bringing any items of sentimental or significant value, as there is always a possibility of loss or damage while your dog is boarding with us. For safety reasons, we cannot accept items made of glass, ceramic, or any material that may shatter or splinter. If you have a special toy or any other item that you believe would enhance your dog’s comfort during their stay, please feel free to reach out to us. We will do our best to accommodate your request. Our primary objective is to ensure that your dog’s stay with us is safe and comfortable.
Every dog must meet certain admission requirements before being accepted, including attending a trial day and going through a “temperament test,” during which we evaluate their behavior to see how well suited they are to our type of environment. Since doggie daycare is a high-stimulation environment, it may not be suitable for all dogs.
Our staff members are trained to read canine body language and look for signs of potential aggression, which allows them to step in before an incident happens, and to use humane and effective preventative measures such as redirection of focus, positive reinforcement, audible correction, squirts of water, or time-outs when needed. Please note: Our staff members are prohibited from using corporal punishment of any kind. Please do not ask us to “smack” or “pop” your dog if they misbehave. We will not do it.
We are proactive in keeping owners up to date on their dog’s behavior. We inform owners immediately if we notice any behavioral changes or have any other behavioral concerns and recommend obedience and/or behavior modification training as needed. Dogs should at least have good name recognition/recall before entering a group play situation. We do not have trainers on staff, but we do try to reinforce basic commands and obedience. Specific behavior-modification training must take place outside of the daycare environment.
We turn away any dog that we deem a risk to itself or others. This includes dogs that display repeated, excessive, unprovoked, or unpredictable aggression.
We place all dogs in an appropriate playgroup based on size, age, temperament, and physical condition.
Just your dog on their leash! However, if you would like to bring lunch or a midday snack, please feel free to.
We are a cashless business. We accept Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover and Zelle.
We are pleased to accommodate your pets overnight, and you can collect them the following day as soon as we open. In the event that you are unable to pick up your dog, please be assured that they will receive proper care, including food, water, and bedding throughout the night. Please note that our standard boarding rate will apply.
Daycare dogs may be dropped off as early as our opening time, but no later than 1:00 PM. Please note that by mid-afternoon, the dogs in our playgroups will have been socializing for several hours and will have established a social hierarchy.
Daycare and Boarding dogs may be picked up at any time prior to closing.