734-222-0655

Make a Reservation

Getting Started

Initial Questionnaire

To begin, complete our New Client Questionnaire and email it back to us. The questionnaire helps us understand your dog, determine fit, and schedule a Welcome Visit as efficiently as possible.

Once we receive it, your dog joins our Welcome Visit waitlist.

Step 1 — Welcome Visit

Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM  |  Fee: one-time $25  |  Minimum age: 16 weeks Every dog starts here. The Welcome Visit is a full day that lets us:
  • Introduce your dog to the environment
  • Begin building comfort and trust
  • Evaluate group fit
  • Learn your dog’s play style and social comfort level

Step 2 – Trial Daycare

After a successful Welcome Visit, your dog enters a trial daycare period of roughly 4-8 visits. During this stretch, dogs:

  • Build familiarity with our staff
  • Learn the daily routine
  • Adjust to group play
  • Develop confidence and comfort in the environment

Our team continues assessing each dog’s fit, comfort, and social success throughout. Once approved for daycare, additional services–baths, nail trims, and enrichment–become available.

Step 3 – Consistent Daycare

Consistent daycare is the foundation for everything that follows. Regular visits help dogs build confidence, develop calm behavior, form positive relationships with staff and other dogs, and come to see The Doghouse as a familiar home away from home.

Dogs typically become boarding-eligible after:

  • 1-2 months of regular daycare, and
  • Approximately 4-6 daycare visits per month

Ongoing daycare is required to maintain boarding eligibility–the relationships and routine are what make overnight stays successful.

Step 4 – Trial Overnight

Trial overnights are scheduled only after the daycare trial period is complete and our team confirms your dog is ready.

  • Days: Monday-Thursday only
  • Drop-off: before 10:00 AM
  • Pick-up: the next day, before 10:00 AM

A trial overnight helps us confirm your dog is comfortable, relaxed, and successful overnight before any longer boarding stay.

Step 5 – Boarding Eligible

Once your dog is comfortable and successful in both daycare and an overnight trial, they become eligible for boarding. From here on, The Doghouse is truly their second home, and boarding becomes a calm, positive experience built on familiarity and trust

How long does the whole thing take?

Most dogs become boarding-eligible within 1-3 months of starting daycare, depending on how often they attend. Combined with the typical 2-3 month waitlist for a Welcome Visit, it’s worth planning ahead, especially if you have travel coming up and want boarding to be an option.

What your dog needs before starting

To participate in any Doghouse program, dogs must be current on all required vaccines and testing:

  • Rabies
  • Distemper combination (DHPP)
  • Leptospirosis
  • Canine Influenza (CIV)
  • Bordetella (every 6 months)
  • Negative fecal test (every 6 months)

Spayed & neutered: All dogs over 1 year of age must be spayed or neutered. Females must be spayed after their first heat cycle. Puppies are welcome beginning at 16 weeks, including intact males.

Ready to Begin?

Download our New Client Questionnaire and send it our way fully filled out, and we will place you on our waitlist.