Small Scale Dog Boarding
Training Unhoused Dogs & Providing Atypical Boarding
Frequently Asked Questions
What does my dog need in order to come to Mutt Heads?
All new clients must attend a day trial to ensure they are comfortable in our environment. All dogs must be spayed or neutered (6 months and older), be up-to-date on vaccines (DHPP, rabies and bordetella) that have been administered by a veterinary professional (or have titre testing done with a letter/results from a veterinarian), be on a flea preventative and be free of parasites. We require vaccine certificates from a vet prior to confirming your pet's day trial or boarding stay. Dogs must be in good health for their boarding stay. We cannot accept dogs that are in cones or surgical onesies.
What are Mutt Heads' business hours?
Check-in and check-out appointments are available in 10 minute increments from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. and from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. Please respect your appointment time.
My dog goes to daycare or has previously been boarded, why do they need a day trial?
Boarding isn't a "one size fits all" service. There are many different styles of boarding and all facilities are run differently. We want to make sure that your dog is comfortable in our set-up and with our schedule. We run very different than a daycare, which is usually an all-day open concept play session. We have designated play time where we bring the dog(s) out to play. We will buddy up dogs if we have matches (or they will have solo time with us if we don't) but it rotates. We have found that some dogs that are used to daycare have trouble being left out and they struggle if they aren't included. This allows us to have a safe space for dogs that would not do well in a daycare like setting, as there are lots of different options for daycare style boarding. We are completely open and honest with how your dog does in our set-up and we want to make sure they are comfortable if they are boarded with us. If we don't think they would do well here we will let you know as well as suggest some other facility options. All dogs must receive a "Fear, Anxiety & Stress" assessment score of 3 or lower to stay at our facility. This indicates that your dog is not severely stressed staying here.
My dog has some separation anxiety, would they be a fit for Mutt Heads?
Separation anxiety can come in various levels. We understand that it might take a little bit of time for dogs to decompress, especially when they are first dropped off. We are usually able to tell from the day trial how well a dog will do for a boarding stay. If your dog does have separation anxiety we recommend talking with your vet about "chill protocol" medication for their stay. All dogs needs to be able to settle in the kennel to some extent. We do not take dogs that are destructive and trying to break out of their kennel run, or dogs that are so anxious that they continuously pace in their run. This is not fair to any parties involved and there are better options for dogs that are this stressed out.
My dog is not dog social, would they be a fit for Mutt Heads?
Dogs do not need to be dog social to stay here. We are able to accommodate individual outside play time. Dogs do need to be okay in a building with other dogs and settle in the kennel runs.
Does my dog get to play with other dogs? Does my dog have to play with other dogs?
We do not require dogs to be dog-social to stay here. We fully understand that most dogs are not "dog park social" and usually just have a couple of doggy friends that they enjoy. We have structured playtime. We are not a daycare style facility. If you are okay having your dog out with other dogs and they do well with the dogs we currently have staying with us, we will try and run a play group consisting of 2-3 dogs that have a similar play-style and are a good size for each other. As we are a small scale boarding kennel we only have a few other dogs staying here, which does make it a bit difficult to have a similar play-style/size match. If having your dog out with other dogs is a top priority then we would suggest boarding at a facility that operates as open concept/daycare. Dogs must already be dog social to participate in play groups. All play is done outside, we do not have indoor space for play.
My dog is unsure of new people, would they be a fit for Mutt Heads?
There are various levels of stress and anxiety, so this is very much dog dependent. Sometimes dogs just need a little bit of time to get to know new people and they need time to decompress. Being small scale we are usually able to provide this level of care and support. Sometimes new people and a boarding environment is just too much for the dog and they are above threshold. This is unfair for all parties involved. We need to be able to touch, harness, leash and enter the kennel run with the dog in order for them to stay here. If this cannot be accomplished during the day trial we are unable to accept the dog for boarding as we will not be able to provide an appropriate level of care.
What is Mutt Heads' cancellation policy?
We do require a 25% non-refundable booking deposit for boarding stays. More information on our cancellation policy can be found in the booking agreement/waiver when you send in your boarding inquiry.