It's time to pack for your dog's vacation! Remember to pack:
Leash & Collar with ID (no harnesses please but a head harnesses or prong collar is welcome for preventing pulling while walking your dog inside)
Pre-bagged Food - All the food that your dog will need for the length of his stay, pre-bagged for us either by meal or by day and brought in a reusable grocery bag or tote. We will hang your dog's reusable grocery bag or tote bag on a carabiner hook above the outside of his sleeping suite and we reach in to grab a baggie at each feeding time, therefore, we ask that food is pre-bagged in Ziploc type bags (resealable, disposable bags) either by meal or by day (we can divide it in half between breakfast and dinner) to make feeding time seamless and foolproof for us. We will give you back your empty food baggies for you to reuse next time. Doing the food this way ensures that we are feeding each dog the exact right amount that you want us to and that you are including the right amount of food for your dog during his stay so he doesn't run out. If breakfast and dinners are different in some way, please label the baggies with "AM" and/or "PM". If you have a multiple dog home and the food baggies are different for each dog then please label the baggies with each dog's name.
Any medications needed Please put medications in a pill planner box or pill organizer box to ensure no missed doses or incorrect dosages. If your dog eats all his food on time you may include supplements and/or medications in the food baggies along with the food.
Specialty treats for dogs with allergies, food sensitivities, etc. I have communal treats here but if your dog needs to have a specific type of treat you may include a baggie of those for their stay.
We provide treats, bones, crates, beds, blankets, bowls, toys, slow-feeders, and everything else needed for your dog’s stay. Please do not include any of these items with your dog as we will not need/use them and I need to be able to store everything into your dog’s tote bag while staying here.

We love showing off our space but we stopped doing in person tours when COVID started because of having 2 young children who cannot be vaccinated and traveling clients. Since then we have expanded and now it has proven to be too disruptive to our busy schedule and too chaotic to try to bring a stranger in our home and yards with all the guest dogs. As you can imagine they all go nuts when seeing a stranger enter! Please reach out to me and we would be happy to discuss further with you, send you additional photos, etc. We plan to have a new tour video soon!

Since the dogs are free to play as much as they want with their new furfriends during the day, they are ready for alone time to rest at night! We provide clean and spacious accommodations for each dog's sleeping space. Each dog (or family of dogs from the same home) sleep in one of our 5'x6' suites with an orthopedic kuranda cot that is assigned to them for the length of their stay. We also have some crates available in our dog playroom for certain dogs that prefer it (we assess each dog's needs and determine if this is necessary). Our sleeping spaces ensure each dog's safety and comfort. Most dogs love having their own suite or crate that they feel secure in, and view as their “private den” for sleeping at night. All suites and crates have orthopedic memory foam beds in them that are clean, waterproof, and chewproof. Dogs are also fed in their individual suites to eliminate food aggression, dogs eating another dog’s food, and so we can monitor everyone's intake. The Suites are in the Doggie Penthouse right in our backyard which is climate controlled with heat, A/C, exhaust fan, dehumidifier, ceiling fans, automatic waterers, orthopedic Kuranda cots, and CCTV security cameras. The crates are in our climate controlled “Dog Bedroom” inside the house. We use top of the line IMPACT crates that are destruction and escape proof and among the safest crates available along with Primo Pad orthopedic waterproof and chew proof beds.

Since we run Fido's Fun Place from home we are typically both here all day with the dogs and can adjust according to each dog's needs. If the weather is good and the dogs are happy we let them get as much outdoor playtime as possible during the day. There is always shade, outdoor orthopedic cots, and fresh water available in all of our play yards. If a dog wants to come back inside, we let him. When weather is bad dogs can be free in the indoor playroom or in their individual suites with multiple potty breaks throughout the day. While this is just a guideline and we are flexible depending on each dog's needs/routine at home, the weather, and our own personal schedule, here is an example of a typical day for us...
6:30am - Wake up, all dogs outside for morning POTTY
7:00am - All dogs brought inside and fed BREAKFAST separately and a little time for food to settle. AM Meds given if needed.
7:30-12pm - Outside for PLAYTIME (this is typically when dogs want to explore, sniff, and play more with each other – tug, chase, wrestling, etc.) Older dogs may just sunbathe or relax on a cot in the shade and enjoy watching the younger guys.
12pm – Everyone inside for a break. Lunch for any dogs who get it (usually young puppies), Treats and Nylabone or a toy for everyone and if the weather is hot or cold then the dogs enjoy an indoor warm up/cool down/naptime.
2pm - Outside Play. If the weather is nice this is typically when the dogs want to dig in the dirt pit, play in the kiddie pool, interact and play more with me - playing fetch, tug, etc. If the weather is too extreme hot/cold then we just do a potty break.
5:30pm - All dogs fed DINNER separately and a little time for food to settle
6-9pm - Outside for after dinner POTTY BREAK and PLAYTIME while I make and eat my own dinner, get kids to bed, etc.
9:30pm – Last call for outside potty break before BEDTIME. All dogs put up for the night for sleep. “Tucked in” before bedtime with a belly rub, head scratching, and a goodnight treat.

At Fido’s Funplace we do not allow dogs to jump on us, beg for food, rush the gate/door, chew on things that are not for dogs, act aggressive or bully other dogs, jump up on doors or counters, consistently bark, or get up on furniture unless invited (we only allow dogs up on our couch or bed that are - allowed on furniture at home, under 25lbs, and do not shed).

We do not have room for every owner to bring their dog bed. Often the beds people try to bring have been covered in dog fur and slobber. It heightens the risk of bringing in things such as fleas. Other dogs may smell your dog’s bed and try to mark it by peeing on it, or may try to chew it up. Most of the time dogs will not even use their own bed from home because they love lying in a “new” bed, which is what I have for them - plenty of comfortable, extra large, orthopedic dog beds of all shapes and sizes all over my house, in all the play yards, and in every dog suite and crate. We also have blankets for any dogs who want them. I promise your dog will love my dog beds!

No, please provide food from home that your dog is used to. This reduces the risk of your dog getting an upset stomach, diarrhea or food allergy.

I take preventive measures by always having the dogs supervised when playing together, not accepting aggressive dogs or male dogs that are intact, by pairing dogs up with other dogs of similar age and/or energy for playtimes, feeding dogs separately, having several water pails available, not leaving bones and toys lying around when the dogs are all together for dogs to get possessive over, showing calm, assertive energy when the dogs are all together in a pack to reduce jealousy or anxiety, introducing new dogs slowly and calmly, and by closely supervising all dogs and taking note of even small changes in body language. Occasionally dogs while playing may start to play too rough, may get irritated if another dog tries to hump or dominate them, or similar situations. Dogs communicate to each other by warning signs and sometimes biting. There is always the risk of dogs biting each other when they are all together. The large majority of the time these are very small warnings and the scuffle is over in an instant. Dogs get over things very quickly and are forgiving of each other. We could learn a lot from them in that area. If any dogs shows any signs of not liking each other I keep them separate. If dogs do get into a scuffle that escalates, I am properly trained how to break up a dog fight. We are prepared with water hoses, air horns, citronella spray, dog catchers hook etc.

This depends on the bookings I get, the size and temperament of the dogs we have at any given time, how many dogs are from the same home, and our personal schedule on any given week. We have 22 suites in the Penthouse and once those spots are filled then we are fully booked. We may take less if some dogs require more than usual attention or we have more going on that week in our personal life. We never take on more dogs than we can handle and we limit the number so that each dog receives the same level of care, individual affection, exercise, and playtime. The guest dogs are divided up between our 3 largest play yards (we call them Blue, Red, and Green Yards) so that each yard will have a playgroup of approx 5-10 dogs when we are fully booked. During Peak Season and Holidays we usually book out and we prepare for the extra busy time by clearing our personal schedule as much as possible so we can concentrate on caring for the dogs during those busy times.

No, we do not accept dogs that are not up to date on their vaccinations, adult males that are intact (not neutered), females that are in heat or about to go in heat, dogs that have multiple serious behavioral issues, dogs that are known to be aggressive to people or other dogs, dogs who have such serious separation anxiety they cannot be left alone for any period of time, or dogs that show any sign of contagious illness, fleas, mites, etc. We reserve the right to refuse to board any dog we deem unfit even as late as at the time of drop off.

Sorry, but no. We have found that most people do not know how to properly interact with a pack of dogs. This can cause anxiety, jealousy, over hyper-activity, possessiveness over owner, barrier frustration, redirected aggression, and other problems with the dogs that are otherwise great, well-behaved dogs. This may remind you of when you have seen on “The Dog Whisperer”, Cesar tell people before they enter the pack, “no touch, no talk, no eye contact”. My main job is to care for and protect the dogs I am boarding, so you can rest easy knowing, that just as I am not letting you go in and interact with other guest dogs, I am also not letting other clients come in and interact with your dog - sending your dog confusing/mixed signals, letting children roughhouse your dog, etc. You will see lots of pictures of your dog playing with others and having a great time during his stay. Even dogs who have not been socialized a lot or are a little nervous do a whole lot better at gaining confidence and getting comfortable with the other dogs if their owner is not there to scoop them up at unnecessary times or nurture their nervous energy. I always introduce dogs slowly and calmly. I have had a lot of experience at assessing the situation between dog introductions and know how to read the dog’s body language to help them with a smooth transition.

One of the best benefits about boarding your dog with us is our flexible drop off and pick up times. All drop offs and pick ups are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. We accept drop offs and pick ups within the following hours: Mon-Fri 8am-6:30pm, Sat 1-3pm, Sun 1-6:30pm. If you want to come outside of those hours then you may request to do so and we will try to comply. There may be an additional charge (half-day or extra night charge depending on time and circumstance) for coming outside of our business hours.

All boarding facilities are different with some being better than others but the following are some of the common concerns with typical kennels vs. us:
Potty Breaks – Most kennels offer 2 short walks or potty breaks per day or you can pay extra if you want more. They often have long hours in between nightly closing and the next morning opening that the dogs may attempt to “hold it”. Here we let the dogs out first thing in the morning, then very regularly all throughout the day whenever they want and make sure they also get a potty break last thing before bed at night. We DO NOT want the dogs having accidents indoors here for us to have to clean up so regular outdoor time is a priority to us.
Social Interaction – In a typical kennel, dogs are isolated in concrete kennel runs or rooms getting little interaction with other dogs or humans, you have to pay extra for a short playtime with other dogs. I have even seen where they want you to pay extra for them to give your dog a “hug” or tuck them in at night. First off, how do I even know I am getting what I am paying for? And secondly, do the dogs whose owners don’t pay for this get passed over with no affection? The human interaction is inconsistent, as it will be a different human interacting with your dog each time depending which employee is on shift. I personally do not want a slew of different employees handling my dog. Dogs get to know us individually as people and build trust. Here it is always our family handling the dogs and interacting with them all throughout the day. My guest dogs know and remember us for life. They also get lots of playtime with other dogs all day long.
Rest- Some dogs have trouble resting in a typical kennel because there are countless dogs (many have over 100) barking throughout the night because they are anxious from not getting enough play and interaction during the day or they need to potty. Here I have a limited number of dogs. We do not want dogs barking and keeping us up at night either so if someone is barking or whining we address the problem. We check on the dogs multiple times after bedtime with our CCTV security system linked up right in our kitchen to make sure everyone is sleeping sound! They are typically tired and happy from playing all day and have no problem resting in their private sleeping space.
Feeding- a lot of kennels offer to feed your dog their house food advertising that they are “all inclusive” in that way. We ask that you please bring your dogs food from home that they are used to. The vast majority of dogs get an upset stomach when their food is abruptly changed or they could have an allergic reaction. They are having to deal with enough changes while boarding – they should not have to also deal with changing foods and getting an upset stomach or allergies.
Exercise- Instead of having to pay extra for a short session of playtime with others or a walk, the dogs here are exercised all day long. We have huge play yards that they can run full speed in as much as they want during the day weather permitting. On bad weather days we still have an indoor playroom.
Hours of Operation- Unlike other kennels we have no check in or check out times. All drop offs and pickups are by appointment only. We are very flexible and work with you, your schedule, and your needs. Even holidays, weekends, early mornings, and late nights. This ends up saving you money and time. We charge by the day up to a 24-hour period which we feel is the most fair to you and to us.
Pictures- We take pictures of the dogs playing every few days throughout the stay and send them to you along with updates. You are welcome to check in with us at any time. No, we do not dress your dog up in weird costumes like some kennels– owners may find that amusing but trust me, the dogs do not, it makes them anxious and confused. We show the dogs respect here.
Issues/Emergencies – Since it is just us getting to know your dog we can quickly detect when something is off with their behavior and something may be wrong. We are here even at night since this is our home so we are ready to respond in case of an emergency.
Petsitters - With having a pet sitter come into your home is the risk of something happening at your house. We personally do not like having people in and out of our home while we are away, especially strangers. We had many over the years and when we came home there was always something at our house that made us scratch our heads as to what exactly was going on while we were gone. These pet sitter visits are usually very short and the dog typically is alone a lot. They have much more fun here with us.
As long as your dog meets our requirements, then we think we are the best option for your needs!