At Camp Bow Wow, the initial interview/trial day is always free. The interview takes about 15-20 minutes of the guardian's time and consists of reviewing important paperwork (Camper Application and vet records) and a quick meet-and-greet with your dog. At this time, the Camp Counselor also will look over your dog for any possible issues, such as fleas and ticks and for any existing injuries that may worsen when playing with other dogs.

After our counselors are comfortable with your dog and are confident that your dog feels secure in the environment, your pup will be introduced into an appropriate play area based on its size, temperament and activity level. Your dog then must stay and play a minimum of three hours. Please be aware that if we do have issues with your dog, we may need to contact you to pick up him/her early if the interview doesn't work out.

Although we do our best to minimize any chance of injury, a dog may get small scratches, nicks and/or lose small patches of fur during normal play. Although rare, it is possible for more serious injuries to occur.

We quickly assess the situation to determine what plan of action to take. Our concern is always what is best for our canine camper. Depending on the situation, we will either rush the camper to the closest vet or, in non-emergency situations, we will make the effort to use the family's vet. We always try to contact the owner to get permission for our chosen course of action.

If your dog does not like other dogs, then no, your dog may not like this environment. Every dog is different, but part of our interview process is to assess whether your dog enjoys this environment. At the end of the interview day, we provide a report card and are available to talk to you about how your dog interacted with the other campers. We want your dog to be happy as much as you do and promise to be honest with you if we feel this isn't the best possible environment for him/her.

This will depend on your dog. We have many older campers that love the interaction with other dogs. Part of the way we separate dogs into our various play areas is dependent upon activity level, so a larger, older dog may be placed with other older, mellow dogs of his similar size. The interview process will also help us determine if our environment is right for your dog. Our Camp Counselors are constantly evaluating each camper's behavior, and if they view your dog as overwhelmed or tired, they will place your dog in one of our spacious cabins for a short break.

There are certain illnesses that don't mix well in a social environment. State law mandates that our Camp Counselors cannot give your dog injections; therefore we cannot accept diabetic dogs. We also cannot accept dogs with communicable diseases or parasites. There are other health issues, such as ear infections, arthritis, glaucoma and cancer, which we usually are able to accommodate. It is best to discuss any possible issues with a Camp Counselor beforehand.

Yes, we separate dogs into our play areas based on size, temperament and activity level.

This is one of the great benefits of day camp! Your dog gets to play all day so, naturally, pups are tired at the end of the day. Often, when you take your camper home, he/she will curl up and go to sleep. Rest assured, if your dog becomes overly tired during the day, we will provide a nap in a comfy cabin. Furthermore, boarding dogs receive three meals and/or nap breaks per day.

For our overnight campers, we require a mid-day nap. Many of our day campers enjoy a mid-day nap as well, but it is not required.  Please discuss your camper’s needs at check-in. We are not closed during nap time on weekdays.

Water is available at all times in all of our play areas and cabins. Playing hard all day is just as strenuous as working out. Even though water is available, after a car ride home, it probably will be time for your camper to drink some more water to help re-hydrate after a hard day of play.

No. When we have visitors, the dogs often get very excited, and you can hear and see this excitement. There is always playing and some barking going on, but the dogs settle down quite a bit after a new dog is introduced into a play area and our human visitors leave. Our campers become very accustomed to our Camp Counselors and typically settle in quickly if well socialized.

No. We do not have a person that spends the night with the dogs, but we do have 24-hour fire, security and temperature-control monitoring. Studies show that the dogs sleep better at night without a human present. In our environment, where the dogs are active all day, getting a good night's rest is important. Also, be aware that in traditional kennels that do have a human on site, that person is not interacting with the dogs, and the dogs are not let out to use the bathroom. In kennels with indoor/outdoor runs, the outdoor section is closed off at night for security purposes. If your dog requires overnight monitoring, the best options to look at are in-home pet care or medical boarding (provided by most veterinary hospitals).

Bring your food, as it is best to stay on the diet with which you are accustomed. Your favorite toy, blanket or stuffed animal is always nice to curl up with at night! Rawhide bones (or anything that may be a choking hazard) are not permitted in our cabins for safety reasons.

We strongly suggest bringing your dog’s food from home. We will happily feed your pup our food, but it is best for them to not change foods rapidly. If you would rather we feed your dog our house food, we can do so at no charge.

Reservations are not required for daycare but highly recommended for boarding to guarantee your camper a spot. Don't fur-get...your pup needs to pass a free interview/trial day before reservations can be made! Our camp fills up quickly around holidays, summer vacations and local events. Early booking is highly recommended!

Under our "Pricing" tab, sniff out the Day Camp and Overnight Camp links for our cancellation policies.

It is best to eat 1.5 hours prior to coming to camp to prevent Bloat, which can be caused by playing too quickly after eating. To be safe, if you have eaten in less than 1.5 hours, you'll be placed in a cabin until the proper amount of time has passed.

Yes, Camp Bow Wow requires that all dogs wear a quick-release collar with an ID tag.

Our Camper Care Specialists are certified in Pet First Aid & CPR. We will take excellent care of your dog if anything comes up. You will be contacted and, in the event of an emergency, your dog will be taken to a vet immediately.

No, it is very common that your dog's pads will be sore after playing at camp. Most dogs are not used to playing all day. Rest assured, it is only temporary and improves over time.