What your dog needs before their first day

Every dog who comes to us shares space with other dogs in our home. That shapes what we ask for. Two of these are Massachusetts law; the rest are ours, because a small group in a house needs a higher bar than a dog who mostly stays home.

Required before the first visit

Rabies certificate MA law
The certificate itself, not a receipt or a reminder card.
Massachusetts requires it and we require it without exception. Your dog wears the rabies tag on their collar while they are with us.
Town dog license MA law
Any dog six months or older. Renews every year.
Also state law. Your town clerk issues it, and the license tag goes on the collar too.
Distemper and parvo House rule
The DHPP or DAPP combination shot.
Parvo can live in soil for months, which matters more in a backyard than on a floor that can be scrubbed.
Bordetella House rule
Kennel cough. Every six to twelve months, nasal spray version where possible.
This is the one that actually goes around, and one case turns into everyone coughing. The oral-only form leaves out a second respiratory virus that travels with it.
A veterinarian on file House rule
Clinic name and phone.
We cannot make a good decision in an emergency without somewhere to call.
Puppies: 18 to 20 weeks House rule
With the full puppy series finished.
Younger puppies are the most vulnerable dogs we could admit and the most likely to bring something in.
The law behind those chips: Ollie's Law

And a Meet & Greet before the first paid day

This matters more to us than any vaccine on the list. Vaccines lower the odds of your dog getting sick. Meeting your dog first is how we make sure the group is right for them and they are right for the group. It is free, it is low pressure, and it is not optional.

Request one

What we recommend

Leptospirosis
The one we most want you to talk to your vet about. It spreads through urine, so a shared yard is a real route, and it can pass to people. Time in daycare is a recognized risk factor for it.
Canine influenza
Ask for the version covering both strains. Dog flu comes in waves rather than being always present, so it is worth revisiting with your vet rather than deciding once.
A yearly fecal test including giardia
Not just the basic float. Monthly prevention does not cover giardia. We ask for one a year; your vet may suggest twice, and they are not wrong.
Flea and tick prevention
Kept current. Ours is a house, not a kennel. Please help us keep it that way.
Lyme vaccine
Massachusetts has among the highest rates of Lyme exposure in dogs in the country, and Sharon is exactly the wooded suburban spot ticks like. We do not require it, because Lyme does not pass from dog to dog. It needs a tick. That makes it a conversation with your vet about your dog, not something we should mandate. Good tick prevention does more here than anything else.
Spay or neuter
Generally for dogs over seven to twelve months. We do welcome intact dogs. We just want to meet them first and talk it through.

When dogs get sick

Any place where dogs play together carries some risk of something going around. We would rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise.

What we do about it

We turn away dogs showing signs of illness, even when it is inconvenient and even when it is probably nothing. If something does get through, we tell every family whose dog may have been exposed, we follow veterinary guidance on how long a dog stays home, and we close if closing is what it takes.

You will never be charged a cancellation fee for a closure we called.

What we ask of you

If your dog is coughing, sneezing, vomiting, has had diarrhea in the last day or so, or just seems off, keep them home and tell us. You will not be penalized for it.

It is the single most useful thing you can do for every other dog here.

Our full illness and exclusion policy is available any time. Just ask.

Questions?

The FAQ covers the ones we hear most, starting with the most common of all: my vet says my dog does not need all this. We would rather walk you through it than have you guess.

Read the FAQ