
Below are some answers to frequently asked questions. Please take a look at our House Rules and Services Agreement for more information. If you are planning an overnight stay or a play day at The Local Bark, fill out a Guest Profile before coming to The Local Bark. You can also Send a Message with any questions.
Stay
All first time dog guests of The Local Bark will be given a thorough personality and behavioral assessment before being provided service. Dogs exhibiting desirable and acceptable behaviors towards people and other dogs will be allowed to stay, play, and learn at The Local Bark. Dogs who display aggressive behavior towards people or other dogs may be denied service. Some dogs who display mild aggressive behavior towards people or other dogs may be allowed to stay and play at The Local Bark only in our Special Care program. Additional charges will apply for guests using our Special Care program.
Dogs visiting The Local Bark and using our services must be current in the following vaccinations and screenings:
• Distemper/Parvo or proof of titers
• Rabies if over 5 months of age
• Bordatella vaccine current as reported by your veterinarian.
• Negative result from fecal test within past 12 months
Bordatella must be administered no closer than 14 days prior to check-in.
| See our House Rules and Services Agreement for more infomation |
The Local Bark provides Eukanuba premium dog food at no additional charge. At no additional charge, we are more than happy to feed your dog any food that you provide. Please bring any medications your dog may need during his stay. We do not allow toys or bedding. We provide comfortable mats in all of our guest rooms. Premium bed upgrades are also available for an additional charge. Plenty of toys will be available during playtime.
We understand the important social needs of dogs. If it has been determined that your dog plays well with other dogs, is not possessive of toys, and is friendly towards people, he will be able to join one of our playgroups for nearly the whole day. He will be in his room two times per day for meal times and he will be in his room if it is determined he would benefit from a little quiet time. Only during peak times will we rotate dogs in and out of playcare and their rooms to keep the number of dogs in playcare at a safe and manageable number. Other than that, if it’s daytime, it’s playtime!
Play
Dogs passing our personality and behavioral assessment are welcome to come for our playcare service. We want all of our guests to have a positive, fun, and safe experience. Inappropriate behavior will result in termination of our playcare services for your dog. Inappropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to, bullying another dog, biting, fighting, or any other behavior endangering the safety of our team members or other guests. We will discuss all situations and concerns candidly with you and recommend training options that may remedy any undesirable behavior.
| See our House Rules and Services Agreement for more infomation |
We let them decide! Our play yards allow dogs to come inside and go out as they please. The Local Bark may temporarily limit your dog’s access to portions of our facility during meal times, for cleaning purposes, and for safety reasons.
Absolutely! We understand the body language and communication between dogs. We are there with the play groups to interact and play right along with them! We will do our best to keep all of our guests safe, so if your dog is acting inappropriately, he will be enrolled in our Special Care program for the duration of his stay. Additional fees will apply.
We love dogs large and small! We have state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate dogs of all sizes. We have indoor play areas as well as outdoor play yards exclusively for smaller dogs. Your smaller sized dog can play in comfort knowing he is not going to be bullied by bigger dogs.
Learn
The Local Bark Dog Training Philosophy is based on a balanced approach to dog training. Our trainers are very current and skilled in a wide variety of training techniques. We understand each dog is unique and responds to different things; therefore, we use a variety of training techniques in order to achieve the fastest and best results with each dog. We are experts at determining the right type of training for you and your dog. Our techniques span the spectrum, from clicker and treat-based motivation to firm boundaries and appropriate discipline. The decision of which tool and training method is appropriate for your dog is based on our clear understanding of dog psychology and pack leadership.
We use a variety of training techniques and training tools in our programs. There are times during training when a remote electronic training collar is the best way to achieve the desired results. We never use remote collars without your knowledge, and we prefer to use collars that stimulate your dog with a vibration as opposed to a shock. Our trainers are experienced, certified, and have the knowledge on the proper use of remote collars. We only suggest dog owners use remote collars after first having proper training on how to use and train with these collars. We can help you determine if this is the right tool for your dog.
We offer free training evaluations to help you determine the training program that is best for you and your dog. To help us determine an appropriate training program, we take into consideration the history of your dog, your dog’s behavior, as well as methods or training classes you have tried in the past. Using our experience and comprehensive evaluation, we map out a plan to help you get the trained dog you have been dreaming of! Our trainers are always ready to provide you and your dog with a free evaluation.
We prefer that you allow your dog to focus his time and energy on learning during our Stay and Learn training programs. We will contact you during training and keep you informed about the progress of your dog’s learning. Due to our schedules, we ask that you wait until your dog’s training is complete before we begin YOUR training!
