Choosing the right stay for your pet

Whether it is dog boarding with suites, a traditional kennel, cageless boarding, a pet hotel or dog sitting, we all need care for our pets. When looking for place to take your dog when you are away, always insist on a few basics. One they must have vaccination requirements. People who home sit dogs often keep them with their own pets who may or may not be current on vaccinations.

Ask how long they have been providing service. We have been doing this for 15 years, so we know what we are doing. Of course we have made mistakes along the way, but we always learn from them, via changes in staff, changes in process or changes in who we permit to return. Experience matters.

Ask them if they have insurance and a city permit. Lots of places board dogs without following the rules. The city has standards of health and safety that we follow to ensure your dogs stay safe while having fun with us.

Read the reviews, the bad as well as the good. If you have questions, ask the business/person about them. Reviews tell one side of every story allow the business to tell its side, hopefully they can own their history.

Ask if they have a way to look in. We have cameras so you can see what is happening because we want you to know what your dog is up to. Sure its not always exciting but you can look in any time.

Ask what is extra. Our rate is higher than some and lower than most others because we include the basics but always want to be a good value. We separate dogs into separate rooms at night to keep your cost down but we don’t have anyone on site, we do have security and building monitoring, and alerts that tell us if anything is happening that shouldn’t be.

Ask if they walk dogs outside and if they charge for the walk. We do walk but don’t charge. But we do offer extra walks at a low extra cost if you think your dog needs more.

Plan ahead, if your puppy has never been to a dog hotel or day camp, get them in for a visit before leaving them for an extended stay. And always book your boarding reservations when you book your flights. We book up three months in advance for many holidays.

Puppy camp is fun. It isn’t dog prison. Dogs are pack animals and while they love you, they grew up in litters for ages, so they will find a good groove in one of our groups and will have good time.

Fog City Dogs has been providing dogs a fun place for daycare and boarding for 15 years in San Francisco and we plan to serve the Bay Area for many more. Check us out in Bernal Heights/Bayview or the Marina for Doggie Daycare.