Boarding & Daycare

Can I view my dog on your CCTV cameras?

No, we have CCTV camera's for our safety and security not to remotely monitor our guests as our facility is staffed 24/7



Where does my dog sleep when they stay overnight?

We run a kennel/crate free boarding enviroment. Each dog will be allocated a room (3sqm) where their things will be kept but they won't be locked in their room (unless they prefer to be) instead they will have the choice to sleep in the main area with the other dogs, or retire back to their room. Either way we have a Pet Whisperer on hand overnight to help them settle in.



Does my dog have to be neutered?

We require small/medium dogs to be neutered by 9 months and large/XL by the age of 12 months. Bitches do not have to be neutered but we are unable accept them in season.



Is someone with my dog overnight?

Yes, our facility is staffed 24/7 so somebody will caring for your dogs with whatever they need whenever they need it!



Can I drop my dog off any time?

No, we have strict drop of and collection windows. This is so the dogs do not repeatedly get interupted. New dogs joining half way through the day can cause stress to the other dogs.



What does the behaviour assesement involve?

Please see here for information of our assessment



Will my dog be supervised at all times?

Yes. Your dog will be under constant supervision by our team of Pet Whisperers at the day care centre, and will never be left unsupervised.



I have a puppy, can he come to the Day Care Centre?

Yes. At OPW we welcome new puppies. The day care centre is the perfect environment for your puppy to grow and socialise. We accept puppies from as young as 12 weeks old or once they are out of their vaccination period, and before that time we can help with our Puppy Visits. We also provide a Puppy Play School for puppies.



What should I bring with me?

You just need to bring your happy dog along with their usual collar and lead. We don’t need toys, bowls or beds for day care. All our equipment is hygienically cleaned daily with pet safe cleaning products, reducing any risk of contamination.



What should I bring?

Please bring the following items; - Their Food (making sure that the 'dietary' information is filled out on the app). - A lead and collar/harness with an up to date I.D tag. - Their bed/blanket. (Please note that currently we do not have facilities to wash this bedding prior to collection and their beds may get messy during their stay) - Their coat or Equafleece (in the colder months). We provide comfy beds for all of our overnight guests. However, if you want them to have something soft and snuggly from home, you can bring in a bed or favorite blanket. We do not recommend toys as we have plenty in the mix. If you do bring toys, we do our best to return all of them, but we are not responsible if a toy is lost or destroyed. You can also feel free to bring your own treats, but no rawhide please.



Does my dog need to be vaccinated?

Yes, by law your dog needs to have up to date vaccinations for the following in order to attend day care or boarding at any licenced premises: - Canine Distemper - Canine Parvovirus - Infectious Canine Hepatitis - Leptospirosis - Bordetella (the vaccine for kennel cough). If the Bordetella vaccine has never been given, or if it has expired, we recommend a seven-day waiting period after the administration, as this may provide your dog with extra protection.



Can my dog stay for half a day?

Currently we do not offer half days. You could drop your dog at 9.30am and collect at 4pm but this is still charged at the daily rate.



Does my dog get walked during daycare / boarding?

If you wish to purchase additional walking this can be arranged. However, we have 900 sq m of space and lots of stimulating and enriching environments both indoors and outdoors, and filtered clean air. What more could they need? We monitor the dogs to ensure we don't over exercise and over stiumlate your dogs (as this can lead to behavioural issues) so a walk does not come as part of the daycare/boarding service because we provide all that they need from our secure and controlled centre.



Can I pop down and have a look around?

No. We close our reception outside of the drop off and collection times and for the welfare of our dogs and as a result of coronavirus have provided an online video tour. All information about our centre can be found on our website should you just be enquiring in case of need in the future.



Boarding, can I have 12 noon to 12 noon (24hrs)

No. ALL boarding bookings must commence in the morning drop off window. This ensures they settle well in the evening and helps keep the energy of all our dogs at a similar level throughout the day. Collection can be AM or PM but again must be within our collection windows.



Walks

How many dogs do you walk at one time?

Up to 3. All our policies and procedures are made the ensure the safety of your dogs and our staff and we believe anything more than 3 increases the risks. Dogs love to be walked with other dogs, it helps them socialise and makes the walk much more fun and enriching so we try to add a friend to the walk.



Does the same person walk my dog each time?

We aim to have two different people walk your dog. This means that if we need to cover sickness or holiday your dog will still be walked by someone who they know and who knows them. When training new staff, and as we expand our area further then new people may be introduced to your dog, but you certainly wont have lots of different people every week walking your dog.



Why do you need two keys to my home?

We keep one key at our office and one with the assigned dog walker for that week. The second key is kept securely at our office incase the dog walkers breaks down, or is ill and we're unable to get hold of the first key. That way we can make sure we still provide the same service we promised. All keys are locked away securely and have no identifying tag linking the key to your address.



Do you have set times for walks?

We work in time blocks for our walks and these are: Morning: 9am - 11am Mid day: 11am - 3pm Late afternoon: 2pm - 5pm We work in time blocks because we are unable to promise a set time, we will always try our best to get closest to a specific time if you have a preference (put it in the notes when you book) but we schedule our walks based on who your dog may be best walked with a logistically to reduce the amount of time any dog may spend in a car.



Do you take bicthes in season?

No, unfortunately we don't. Purely for the safety of your dog, we want to make sure she is not attacked or put under any undue stress during her season. Instead we would suggest scheduling a visit from us. For either the 30 mins or an hour you book our Pet Whisperer will come and exercise, entertain and enrich your dog in your garden or home without any risk of aggression/unwanted attention from roaming male dogs.



Where will my dog be walked?

All of our walks have been tried, tested and inspected by us prior to taking a new dog there. This ensures that the parks, green spaces, or country walks are all safe interesting and stimulating places for you dog to have a great time. We try to vary the locations in order to provide variety for your dog, but as you will know there are many many places in your local area that we can go.



My dog is a puppy, can they just be walked for 15 minutes?

We charge for walks by 30 and 60 minutes but yes we can arrange the walk so your puppy is not physically walking for longer than the time you want, and increase to 30 minutes when it is required.



Visits

What happens at a puppy visit?

Our Pet Whisperers will come to your home, let your puppy out to the toilet, clean up any accidents, give them lunch, cuddles and lots of playtime. That's the short version.Puppy visits are really important for your dog if you're unable to nip home yourself when you first get your pup. As puppies they need lots of sleep, but also they can't usually hold their toilet needs for as long so need to be let outside often. We also continue any basic training that you may have started with them. Mastering the art of sit, wait/stay and here etc at an early age will make yours and their lives much easier as they get older. However it can't all be learning so lots of games, tug of war and human attention before tucking them back up in bed ready for you to return home. You can choose the amount time the visit last (30 minute blocks)



Will you park your car outside my house?

At OPW we will never park any branded vehicles outside your home, we always remain discreet when entering and leaving your property.



Other

Are you insured?

Yes, you can see our insurance here.



Are your staff DBS checked?

Yes, all our staff have their background check upon employment.



My dog isn't very friendly with other dogs, can I still use any of your services?

Only Visits. Unfortunatly we don't offer solo walks as a service and only take friendly dogs into day care. Whilst we do have the facilities to seperate dogs, we want to keep a happy, sociable group and so only take dogs who have never shown signs of aggression. There are local kennels and companies who offer solo walks who we would be happy to put you in touch with if required.



What is the no bark policy?

Dogs mainly communicate through body language, and barking increases tension and stress between dogs so we want to keep it to a minimum, ensuring we have a fun, calm and relaxed environment. If a dog barks in order to tell another dog off, because they are being too friendly for example then this is ok, we would manage the situation and call the 'annoying' dog away and distract them. A short 'no' bark from the dog in this instance is of course ok. If a dog barks for other reasons then straight after the bark we put the dog in a time out. A time out is like the naughty step for dogs, they spend 30 seconds to 2 minutes in a crate and are given lots of praise when they come out. The dogs very quickly learn that being quiet gets them praise and the barking stops. If you have concerns over your dog being crate trained, please get in touch. We will never cause any dog undue stress.



What happens in an emergency?

First we will assess the situation and call you to discuss. If we can’t get hold of you and urgent medical attention is required, we will take your dog to your nominated veterinary practice or, depending on the circumstance, the nearest veterinary practice.



Do you a offer collection/drop off service?

We have ensured our facility is convieniently located 5 minutes from Didcot Parkway, 10 Minutes from the A34 and have sufficient parking onsite so unfortunately we do not offer this service yet, but are considering doing so in the future. We will always work with you to find a solution so feel free to get in touch to discuss your needs.



I am getting married and would love my pet to be at the wedding. Would you be able to bring my pet along on my special day?

Of course, we would love to be able to help make your pet part of your special day. It can be tailor-made to your day, please contact us for further details - subject to availability.



Are you a Franchise?

No, we are a small company thinking big.



Grooming

Can my dog be groomed while they are at daycare?

Yes absolutely at Oxford Pet Whisperers we aim to be as convenient as we can so wouldn't it be great if instead of trying to arrange grooming appointments on your one free Saturday this month, this could all be taken care of for you while they were at daycare during the week? We thought so too, so we have Tails and Tweed, a professional grooming service inside Oxford Pet Whisperers daycare centre to help free up your weekends for long countryside dog walks. From puppies to the old dogs, a fresh cut or deep clean is available to all.



Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any more questions about our new dog day care, dog walks, Dog Boarding or any other services please get in touch.