Boarding Policies

Scheduling
Drop-Off/Pick-Up times are by appointment. If the Dog Owner will not be able to arrive at the scheduled time, please let us know in advance to re-schedule. Pick-ups must be done by 8 a.m. to avoid boarding charges for that day. Drop-offs after 6pm will not incur a charge for that day. No day-of holiday drop-offs or pick-ups at this time (ex: no drop-offs or pick-ups on Christmas Day). Sunday drop-offs or pick-ups ONLY from 4pm – 7pm by appointment.

Boarding guest restrictions
WE CANNOT BOARD ANY FEMALE DOG IN HEAT. We cannot board dogs that are not potty-trained already. We cannot board puppies with incomplete vaccinations.

Personal Items
Dirigo Boarding & Training cannot guarantee that toys, blankets, or beds will be kept in the same condition as brought in. We recommend limiting or leaving excess items at home. We offer clean bedding and kennel-safe toys for our boarding guests. For safety reasons certain toys, bedding, or bones that may pose a choking risk will not be allowed with your dog unattended. These decisions may be on a case-by-case basis depending on the destructive nature of your dog at the time.

Personal Food
We require that you bring in your food and measuring cups since changing a dog’s food can cause a severe upset stomach. Please note what food your dog(s) are eating (brand and formula) and their specific feeding instructions (quantity, mix, etc) at the time of boarding. If your dog(s) run out of food, we will purchase more of their specific type of food at the Owner’s expense.

Entering the Property
All dogs must be on a fixed leash when entering or leaving the premises. Please keep retractable leashes locked – no free-reeling retractable leashes.

Vaccinations and Medications
All dogs must have current vaccinations per their veterinarian’s recommendations or state law. It is the Dog Owner’s responsibility to provide updated shot records to Dirigo Boarding & Training annually, at least 48 hours before your scheduled service, or upon request.

We are *NOT* veterinarians, and do not do medical injections. Oral or topical meds can be administered only if they are provided to us in pre-measured doses with clearly written instructions. For safety reasons, oral meds are given only in owner-provided administrative vehicles (treats, food, etc). Owners specifically agrees that Dirigo Training & Boarding will not be held responsible for any medication errors or issues.

Injury
The Dog Owner understands the risks involved with communal boarding of dogs. Our boarding dogs sometimes play both outside and inside with other dogs. Although we will offer reasonable care, the unpredictable personality of dogs can sometimes lead to injury. The Dog Owner agrees that any problem that develops with their dog will be treated as deemed best by Dirigo Training & Boarding and full financial responsibility for all expenses will be assumed by the Dog Owner. Please let us know if you prefer for your dog to be kept separate from other dogs.

Aggressive and Destructive Dogs
Due to the home-environment nature of our boarding services, and for safety/liability concerns, Dirigo Training & Boarding does not allow any aggressive or destructive dogs for boarding or daycare. Boarding, daycare, and day-boarding services are not training services. If you wish to schedule board-and-training or day training where training would be performed during your dog’s stay, please communicate this with us.

Abandonment
If we have not seen or heard from the owner or authorized personnel after 48 hours past the scheduled pick-up time, any dog left abandoned at our facility is subject to be surrendered to Metro Animal Services. We will call the owner at the scheduled time for pickup, if no response, we will attempt again an hour from then. We will then reach out to the emergency contacts listed on this agreement and the Dog Owner’s vet office listed on this agreement. If no contact is able to be made and no arrangement is agreed upon, then after that 48 hours the dog will be surrendered to Metro Animal Services. Legal action will be taken to ensure payment is rendered for services agreed upon.

Photo and Video Release
When signing up for services, the owner grants Dirigo Training & Boarding the absolute right and permission to copyright, use, re-use, publish, and republish videos, photographic portraits or pictures of the Owner’s pet(s) taken during animal behavior consultations, training sessions, and in relation to other animal-behavior contexts. The photos and videos may be used for advertising, marketing, educational, trade, or any other purposes whatsoever.

Training Policies

Evaluation
The Trainer will give periodic progress reports to the owner, and at the Transfer Session scheduled for the Dog’s go-home day, will review with the owner training to be implemented at home to maintain training goals. If Dog has not met some goals, Trainer will also review whether these goals can be met with additional training (additional cost may be required) or with follow up at home.

Maintenance
The Owner understands that the training will result in the Dog responding to the Trainer, and that the Dog may not initially respond as reliably to the Owner. To ensure Dog’s response to Owner, Owner agrees:

• To understand and apply the basic principles of training as described and demonstrated in the Go Home Session

• To use the cues (commands) supplied by Trainer

• To practice with the Dog daily (10 minutes a day, 6 days a week)

• To integrate training into daily life (as described by Trainer) so as to support behavior goals (not inadvertently punishing the good behavior and rewarding the bad.)

• To follow training and management advice as given by Trainer.

Follow-up
Board & Train services are non-refundable. Trainer will be available for phone calls and emails for a 3 month period after the Board & Train to help owner maintain training. Included in the price of the 2-week Board&Train:

• Go Home Session to show Owner Dog’s new skills, and to instruct owner how to practice and integrate those skills into daily life.

• One free hour-long Private Lesson a week after the Go Home Session.

Aggression
Owner expressly represents and warrants that Owner has disclosed to the Trainer in writing (e.g. in the Intake Form, email, etc) any aggression shown by the Dog, towards dogs or people, including but not limited to: growling, snapping, barking, hackling up, staring, lunging, chasing, and biting. Owner understands and agrees that Aggression may not be fixed in the Board &Train setting.

Liability
All behavioral advice and training suggestions are provided at the Owner’s own risk. Use of this information is voluntary and neither Dirigo, nor Trainer is responsible for injury to another human or animal. Owner expressly understands, acknowledges and agrees that Owner is at all times responsible for the actions of the Dog(s). Further, Owner, and not Dirigo, nor Trainer is responsible for any injuries or expenses resulting from socialization or training of the Dog(s). Owner further understands and acknowledges that dogs participating in physical exercises may be injured by running, jumping, chasing a ball etc. Accordingly, Owner expressly hereby promises and warrants that owner shall indemnify and hold harmless Dirigo, and Trainer for any and all such injuries.

Payments & Refunds

Refunds
Payments are non-refundable for any reason. Dirigo Training & Boarding programs form a partnership between the Owner, their dog, and the Trainer. The success of the Trainer’s work with the Owner’s dog depends on the Trainer performing the job correctly, and also on the Owner following up on the homework and strategies that Dirigo Training & Boarding have laid out for them. Every dog is an individual and a single lesson or single board-and-train service may not be enough to perfect the desired skill or overcome certain issues. Training is a continual, progressive journey. Dogs are not machines to be tuned-up once and that’s it.

Payment due
An invoice for the total of your services will be provided in email or print near the end of your stay or service schedule. The invoice will include the services you have signed up for, a description of the timeframe when the services were preformed as agreed upon, any add-on services requested, and any food purchases necessary for your dog. Payment is due in full at the time of pickup for boarding, board-and-train, or private lesson services. We can work out a custom payment schedule for frequently repeated services such as daycare, dog walking on a case-by-case basis, but if no schedule is establish, any and all services will require payment the day of completion.

Payment methods accepted
Dirigo Training & Boarding is currently accepting cash, Venmo (@dirigodogs) or checks made out to Michaela Duttweiler.