Here at Dogdom, we are absolutely all about dogs – no children, just dogs. My husband and I have always had a little pack of our own, but since 2007 have been fostering for a rescue group. The experience gained from fostering has taught us how to incorporate new dogs into our pack safely, manage a multi dog household - and the result is that everyone can have a great time here at Dogdom!
If you bring your dog(s) here to Dogdom, they will definitely have room to run as we have a 1.25 acre yard which is fully fenced. We have double gates at the entrance to our driveway to keep everyone safely inside if people and/or cars are coming or going. We do live in a very woodsy area and our yard has a lot of vegetation, trees, shrubs, etc. to explore. In fact, there is so much space that we may initially leash walk your dog until we have established a relationship and are confident of recall. We also have a smaller fenced portion that may serve as an intermediate area for them to run as we get to know each other.
My husband works Monday through Friday, but I mostly get to stay home and enjoy your dog(s) and see that their stay with us is safe and fun. Each day we will take a minimum of 6 to 8 walks about the yard, but once a level of trust and comfort are achieved, your dog may have freedom to use our dog doors. There is plenty of opportunity inside for fun with toys, playing with other dogs and napping in the air conditioning. If there are activities your dog especially enjoys engaging in, we will do our best to incorporate them.
At night, dogs may sleep in their own beds in our bedroom, on a couch or chair if they prefer, or if your dog is more comfortable sleeping in a crate we have plenty of small to medium crates already set up. If your dog(s) sleeps with you in your bed and will not accept any alternate arrangement, then our home set up may not be the place for your dog...but that depends on their size and ability to be comfortable with our other dogs. Some of our dogs sleep in dog beds and some in crates, but some on our bed.
We have the ability to close off parts of our home to separate rooms where compatible dogs can congregate together. Every guest’s wellness and safety, as well as our own K9's are our utmost concern. We find that feeding time is best done using separate spaces and crates. We feed twice a day and treats at bedtime.
We will require that your dog(s) be up to date on all vaccinations including Bordetella. We will consider most any breed, but cannot accept dogs that have any aggressive tendencies, nor can we accept any male dogs that have not been neutered. We may have difficulty with very large males, but would be happy to at least have a meet and greet and give it a try. Proper introductions in the beginning can make a world of difference, so we would definitely need a pre-visit to spend some time with you and your dog here at Dogdom in order to know if a more lengthy stay is possible.
We are no strangers to special needs dogs from incontinence issues to a diabetic dog who required twice daily insulin shots. We are prepared and willing to welcome special needs dogs as guests here at Dogdom.
Dogdom can provide lots of freedom for our guests, but we also have outdoor kennels which we occasionally use for our own dogs and also for our foster dogs when we need to leave them alone for a few hours and need to know they are safe and contained. The kennels have a concrete floor, a roof, a dog house, and a raised Kuranda bed. There are two kennels measuring 10’ x 10’ and one 5’ x 10’. All three are adjacent and located on the shady side of our back yard. Kenneled dogs are provided plenty of comfy blankets, toys and special food treats to make the experience positive. Food treats can be kibble balls (Buster Ball, Wobble Kong, etc.) or hollow bones stuffed with chicken, barley and yogurt and frozen.
We would certainly be willing to discuss any special requirements or wishes you might have for your dog(s) while you are away, and will do our best to accommodate you if we can. I hope we will have an opportunity to enjoy and love your dog for you while you are away!
