Doggy Daycare
Doggy Daycare is a service for dog owners who are away during the day, or who just need a little help providing extra activity and socialization for their best friends. Jollytails focuses on a fun and safe environment for dogs to meet new friends, burn off some energy, and maybe even learn a few tricks along the way.
Jollytails provides a supervised place for pets to exercise and play. Our spacious facility allows dogs the freedom to interact with other pets and people, cool off in the pools, or just relax and enjoy the fun. Dog daycare is a great way to relax your pet. Exercise and socialization can curb undesirable boredom-driven behaviors such as destruction and incessant barking. Dogs, much like people, can become frustrated and a little “shack-whacky” when they don’t get the exercise and stimulation they need. Unlike dog parks and pet-sitting in the home, doggy day care ensures a consistent, fully supervised way to alleviate boredom, stimulate and socialize pets so they are more relaxed and content at home with you (which means that you are more relaxed and content too!). Our goal is to send your dog home tired and happy!
Our facilities provide a generous indoor and outdoor playspace. The entire outdoor areas are covered in a soft thick high quality artificial turf, both highly drainable and durable. This gives the look and feel of grass (along with the comfort!). This allows dogs to use the bathroom outside on grass rather than being forced to go inside. Plus, our dogs love to take a little play break and have an outdoor snooze on the turf, either in the shade or the sun.
Our indoor surface is sealed with an increased-tread epoxy flooring. In addition to providing great traction for play time, this surface allows us to fully clean after each day and wash everything down our built in floor drain. No bacteria to get caught in tiling or between cracks! In addition we have several anti-fatigue mats for dogs to rest on when they are tired.
Outdoor turf is cleaned and pressure washed daily. Indoor is vacuumed, mopped and drained daily as well. We take cleanliness very seriously!
Our guests spend the vast majority of their time relaxing in our huge open play area – we only confine dogs temporarily so they can eat and digest fully in peace!
Jollytails staff are highly experienced and go through a continued training process that enables them to understand dog language and play styles, which enables them to respond effectively to signals and behaviours before play escalates. Owners are kept fully aware of how their dogs enjoyed their day with a daily report by email each day their dog attends Jollytails.
The Jollytails Difference
We believe we are the safest and most fun daycare in town!
Jollytails strives to create a positive, stress-free play environment for all our guests. We are unique from other daycares for the following reasons:
- We provide (and highly recommend) food for dogs at lunch time. Dogs are crepuscular animals (active at dawn and dusk) and naturally want to rest during the afternoon. Allowing them alone time with food greatly reduces stress and keeps their energy levels up. We carry many top Canadian-made brands and can talk to you about the food that is right for your dog. A hungry dog is an unhappy dog!
- Our dogs are assessed and accepted carefully. We have a zero tolerance policy for aggressive dogs and some dogs may even be refused an assessment based on their history and intake form.
- We have SPACE! The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends 75-100 square feet per dog in a daycare facility. Our facilities have plenty of space and we keep our numbers well below the 100sqft/dog recommendation. Dogs are allowed to naturally use the bathroom outside at all times and have space to run and play without being stuck in a crowded room. Overcrowding leads to fighting and stress.
- We are honest and upfront on your dog’s behaviour. We provide daily report cards to your email and will discuss any concerns we have with you. Training plans can be recommended where required.
How to Become a Jollytails Resort Guest
To stay and play at Jollytails Resort, dogs must be over 16 weeks of age and spayed/neutered (if at least 6 months old). You must provide proof of core vaccines (DHLPP - Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza as well as Rabies) and a yearly vaccine for Bordetella (canine cough). Your dog must be flea and tick free and must pass our assessment interview. Dogs in daycare must wear a regular, quick release collar free of dog tags.
Assessment:
When you first contact Jollytails Resort you will be asked to fill out our detailed assessment form which gathers history and information on your dog. If we believe your dog is a good fit for daycare based on the form, we will then schedule an interview where you and your dog will meet our staff and some of our staff dogs.
If all initial meetings go well, your dog will be introduced to one of our playgroups. If your dog is successful, you can leave your dog for a half day or full day. At the end of the day we will let you know how your dog enjoyed playing and meeting all the other dogs. After that, you’re welcome to come back anytime! Owners should plan to stay for roughly half an hour to ensure their dog enjoys the playgroup. If at any point the dog is deemed unacceptable, owners will be asked to leave with their dog. Please note that your assessment day is charged at the regular half day or full day rate.
Please note: Customers who do not attend daycare during a period of three months may be subject to a re-assessment process. We recommend dogs attend daycare at a minimum of once bi-weekly to fully enjoy daycare.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will my dog do at Jollytails Resort?
Dogs at Jollytails Resort enjoy interacting with our staff and all the other dogs in our fabulous indoor and outdoor play areas. We believe in providing a large amount of space for dogs so they don’t feel cramped or restricted. Our two large doors allow dogs to come and go from both the indoor and outdoor play areas with lots of interesting things to interact with including pools, shaded areas, resting mats, and of course, our staff and other dogs!
What should I bring?
Dogs need to wear a regular quick release collar free of any tags. No harnesses or choke collars please! If you want your dog to have an afternoon meal, please bring it with you. We highly recommend dogs be fed some food during a full day stay.
When can I drop off and pick up my dog?
Our doggy daycare hours can be viewed at the very bottom of this page.
Please indicate on your reservation what time you plan to drop off your dog. We offer both full day and half day rates. Half days can be mornings or afternoons, but dogs cannot be dropped off any later than 1pm.
How do I reserve a spot?
Once you’re approved for daycare, you will be given instructions to access our online reservation system where you can see your booking history, make/cancel reservations and more. Daycare tends to fill up quickly, so reservations are strongly recommended. Unfortunately, we may have to turn away clients who arrive without a reservation if there isn’t room on that day.
When will my dog eat?
If you provide a meal we will separate your dog out into a private kennel in order to have their lunch. We allow them a chance to rest privately before returning to the play area to prevent bloat. The duration of rest will depend upon the dog’s risk for bloat. We use slow feed bowls and will not feed more than 1 cup of food at a time to minimize risk. We do not provide food for the dog since providing a different brand of food may upset your dog’s stomach and cause diarrhea. It is not mandatory to provide food but it is recommended to keep up the dog’s energy! It is also recommended to feed a high quality food for active dogs - we can help you choose a great diet for your pet.
Please do not bring your dogs meal in a glass container.
Should I feed my dog prior to dropoff?
We suggest that you feed our dog at least 1 hour before coming to minimize risk of vomiting and bloat. If your dog has just eaten upon arrival, we will place them in a kennel to allow their stomach to settle before playing.
What if my dog gets sick or injured?
Our first priority is the health and safety of your dog. If at any time our staff feel that your dog requires emergency veterinary care, we will contact you. If we are unable to reach you or your emergency contact, or if your dog appears to be in immediate distress, we will bring your dog to a veterinary hospital for treatment.
Do dogs ever get hurt?
During normal play its common for dogs to get scratches or minor injuries during play, and while we do our best to monitor all dogs it is possible for more serious injuries to occur. However, this is rare. We are proud of our expertise in dog behaviour, as our facility is not only a daycare but also a training and behaviour rehabilitation centre for dogs. We manage behaviour and play so that aggression issues do not happen.
In the event of any emergency that requires immediate attention, owners will be contacted, and if required, your dog will be brought to the nearest vet for treatment. Safety and health are our top priority.
Aggression which causes damage to a dog is not tolerated at Jollytails and any dog causing damage will be immediately banned from Jollytails.
Pet insurance is recommended for any dogs that play in groups or attend dog parks, as even minor injuries can be costly.
If my dog is sick or injured, can they come to daycare?
Dogs who are sick, whether contagious or not, should stay home and other arrangements for care should be found. Daycare is for healthy dogs to play and have fun.
What is kennel cough?
If your dog exhibits a sudden dry hacking cough or retching sound, he may be experiencing a condition referred to as kennel cough. Kennel cough is a common upper respiratory infection, comparable to a human cold. Due to its contagious nature, you should refrain from exposing other dogs to your pet if they are showing symptoms. For more information, visit http://healthypets.mercola.com/.
Will my dog like Jollytails?
If your dog likes to play with other dogs, then absolutely! Part of our detailed assessment is to determine if your dog will like our environment and play areas. We are very honest and if we feel your dog is not enjoying themselves, we will let you know. If your dog doesn’t like other dogs or is very shy, they may not like Jollytails, but unlike other daycares, we can provide behaviour training and advice on how to help you. Please chat with us about your dog so we can give you the best advice.
If my dog is currently a client at another Jollytails locations, do I need to provide a new assessment form?
Yes. Jollytails Resort does not share access to client information with other Jollytails locations. We do require a new submission of your assessment form which will enable us to create your account at Jollytails Resort, and will help us get to know your dog. The next assessment steps will be determined on a case by case basis.
Are daycare credits transferable between Jollytails Resort and other Jollytails locations?
Jollytails Resort does not have access to customer packages or loyalty information from other Jollytails locations. However, all package discounts and loyalty programs are still available to be purchased from Jollytails Resort.
How are your play groups arranged?
We have two separate indoor and outdoor playspaces. Dogs are generally divided by size, though there are sometimes exceptions. For example, we have seen smaller dogs that love to romp in the regular area, whereas more timid medium dogs sometimes do best in the small dog area. We evaluate each dog individually and assign them the play area that suits them best.
Should I bring toys for my dog?
No, there will be some fun objects to interact with including several pools. With smaller toys, dogs may defend or guard objects that are in their “mouth area”, but dogs tend not to do this with larger sized objects – especially if many similar items are available to play with.
Can my dog be groomed while in daycare?
Please contact us to ask about availability for grooming during daycare!