*Boarding* For doggos staying with us, we require an Introduction Ritual at our home before we (you, me, the dogs) all agree our home is a good and safe fit for your doggo to hang out at while you're away. I do a pack walk around the block (more if necessary) to ensure a safer and easier transition for you pup, and ours, into our territory. You ever walk into a room blindly? I like dogs to be prepared. After the walk, I slowly move into the yard, then the backyard, and pretty soon, my dog and yours will be like long-lost friends. As I said above, we ensure the safety of your pup by eliminating daytime encounters with The Girls. We don't do this because it's necessary but just to make sure that on the off-chance a squirmish occurs an adult is there to handle the situation. During the day, pups get outside as specified by you. Bathroom break once an hour? You got it. An 30 minutes or an hour to bask in the sunshine once or twice before I get home? No problem. Water breaks from the hard day's napping? Obviously. Stay hydrated, beautiful. We have a fenced yard (stockade) where doggos safely romp and play. There are plenty of shading areas to cool down and take a nap in the soft breeze. There are several water stations where I keep the fresh libations flowing (don't worry. They're virgin H2Os). They are not left unattended in the backyard for more than 5 minutes at a time. This is to ensure someone doesn't have play misinterpreted and a doggie throw-down occurs. The Girls are herders. They start play with new friends by poking the other's sides with the occasional haunch nip. These are not painful (I can vouch for this) and really almost never occur. Arya's kind of a dingbat and gets overly excited sometimes. We all know that one person, right? Once the recipient understands this is play, the rolling and romping begins. To ensure food aggression does not occur, everyone eats their two meals in their crates. Except Sansa, because she's an OG, and, coincidentally, Queen in the North. (When it's hot and muggy, we can all dream.) She also loses her composure in a crate. Stay wild, Moon Child. Starting out, doggos are crated at night and when we leave the house. If we determine pups are non-destructive, they will not be crated at night. When we are gone, crating is necessary to prevent ruff-housing (see what I did there?) while the cat's away. We will never be gone more than a few hours, if it all. Our outings usually only include errands such as grocery shopping, running to Ace Hardware to get something for a project, or going down the street to the farmer's market. In the evenings, we lounge around and watch TV. Doggos lay around with us, chewing on bones or getting their last wrestling match in. This usually makes for sound sleeping. **For your pet's safety,** please provide a harness and/or collar that prevents your pup from backing out of the collar during a walk (such as a Martingale collar). If you prefer that you pup is not walked, then those are not needed. They get a lot of exercise playing in the backyard. Leash required regardless. *A note on Sansa* Sansa is a dogs, dog. People? Not so much. As previously stated, she is queen. Per her breed, she is very protective over the realm and her people. The introductory pack walk does more for her in regards to getting to know her new friend's people are safe, just as much as it helps her get to know her new friend. When meeting Sansa, do not make eye contact or attempt to pet her. Ignore her completely. She will let you know by sniffing you if or when she is ready to gradually begin knowing you. I know that sounds like "Whoa, no thank you," but she really just wants her space and respect. She runs a well-oiled realm, I assure you. Ignore her, and she'll ignore you. Arya, on the other hand, might give you the keys to the castle and help you load your wagon with our goods. We can't all be perfect.