Frequently Asked Questions about DogBoy's
1. What is DogBoy's Dog Ranch?
2. Who is DogBoy?
3. Where is DogBoy's Ranch?
4. What's different about DogBoy's?
5. What do the dogs do all day?
6. What are your rates?
7. What are your hours?
8. Do I have to pickup or drop off by a certain time?
9. If I make a reservation for boarding, do I need to reserve day care,
too, so that they get playtime?
10. What do I need to do before signing my dog up for boarding / daycare?
11. How do I make a reservation?
12. How soon do you fill up?
13. What kennels do you recommend if you’re full?
14. Are there any restrictions on dogs you will accept for boarding or daycare?
15. What shots do you require for boarding and daycare?
16. What do you do in bad weather, or on days when it’s very hot or very cold?
17. Do you offer long-term boarding discounts?
18. Do you provide pick-up and drop-off services?
19. What kind of training do you offer?
20. What kind of dog food do you use?
21. Can I bring food for my dog?
22. What kind of toys can I bring?
23. Do you provide bedding?
24. Can I tour your facility?
25. What is your cancellation policy?
26. Is someone there with the dogs overnight?
27. Are you licensed or insured?
28. What do you do if a dog gets sick or injured?
1. What is DogBoy's Dog Ranch?
DogBoy's is a boarding, day care and training facility for dogs on 15 beautiful acres in Pflugerville, Texas.
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2.Who is DogBoy?
DogBoy is Bart Emken, who owns DogBoy's with his wife, Courtney "DogGirl" Emken. DogBoy and DogGirl live on the Ranch, with their two children and two dogs.
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3.Where is DogBoy's Ranch?
We're located at 2615 Crystal Bend Drive in Pflugerville. Click here for a map and driving directions.
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4.What's different about DogBoy's?
We accept only spayed or neutered dogs (with a few exceptions. Click here for more information about our policy). Our pricing includes playtime, feeding (we're happy to feed our food or yours), medication administration, and other special needs! We promote only positive dog training, . Most importantly, at DogBoy's friendly pets play together off and on all day, after being placed in compatible playgroups.
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5.What do the dogs do all day?
When dogs come to Dog Boys, we want them to be outside playing as much as possible. Our kennel staff begins bright and early at 6:30am, at which time they administer any morning meals and medications, and begin running our boarders into playgroups. On weekdays, our daycare dogs join the boarding dogs - when appropriate - in playgroups throughout the property. We group dogs in playgroups based on their behavior, age, size, gender, and health. Depending on all of those factors, some dogs may go to their own playgroup if they do better on their own, some may go to smaller groups with 1 or 2 other dogs, and others may get to join big group hikes.
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6.What are your rates?
View our boarding and training prices page for more information.
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7. What are your hours?
Office hours are Monday* through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Mondays we are closed from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00p.m. Hours surrounding the holidays vary, and we are closed (to customers only) on most major holidays.
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8. Do I have to pickup or drop off by a certain time?
No. You are free to pick up or drop off your dog whenever the office is open (see above). We charge for boarding by the night, so as long as you pick up your dog during business hours, you are not charged for your pick up day. When dropping off, it is best if you can drop off before 3pm. This gives your dog(s) time to play a little before dinnertime.
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9. If I make a reservation for boarding, do I need to reserve day care, too, so that they get playtime?
No. Dogs who board get the same amount of playtime as day care dogs. Playtime is included with both services. In fact, compatible boarding and daycare dogs get to play together.
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10.What do I need to do before signing my dog up for boarding / daycare?
We require a completed New Client Form for each dog that will be coming in, along with records showing your dog(s) is up to date on Rabies, Distemper and Bordetella vaccinations. Check out the Forms Page for all forms and other handouts.
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11. How do I make a reservation?
We take reservations by email (reservations@dogboys.com), or phone (512-251-7600). Boarding and daycare are by reservation only and you do not have a reservation until we respond to your request and confirm it.
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12. How soon do you fill up?
For Christmas and New Years, we start taking reservations on January 2, and we frequently fill up 9 to 10 months in advance for green cards (even sooner for orange and red cards). We generally fill our Thanksgiving slots 7 to 8 months in advance for green cards. For other holidays, including spring break, it is a good idea to reserve your dates 2 to 3 months ahead of time. Summer dates frequently fill up about a month to six weeks in advance.
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13. What kennels do you recommend if you’re full?
Our kennel manager and members of our kennel staff check out our competition from time to time, to make sure we’re serving our customers well. We also like to refer people to other kennels if we are booked. The following are kennels we recommend:
Stay ‘n’ Play Pet Ranch, Dripping Springs—(512) 894-7387
Dog Camp, Driftwood—(512) 858-9227
Action Pack Dog Center, Round Rock—(512) 341-0229
If you are looking for a boarding facility in the Dallas/Plano area, we can also recommend Tail Waggers. Their toll-free number is (877) 774-3647.
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14. Are there any restrictions on dogs you will accept for boarding or daycare?
Dogs over the age of 6 months must be spayed or neutered, with a few exceptions. Unlike some kennels, we do not have any age restrictions -- elderly dogs like to play too, and we are careful to put them with other dogs who play quietly. We also accept puppies as long as they have had their first two rounds of vaccinations.
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15. What shots do you require for boarding and daycare?
We require Rabies, Distemper, and Bordetalla annually based on your veterinarian's recommendations.
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16. What do you do in bad weather, or on days when it’s very hot or very cold?
As much as we hate to keep dogs inside, safety always comes first. If severe storms or heavy rain is imminent, we bring all boarding and daycare dogs indoors to ensure their well-being. Dogs may also have restricted playtime if temperature or heat index is forecast to be 95° or above, or below 40° with wind chill.
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17. Do you offer long-term boarding discounts?
We offer a 10% discount on stays of 30 nights or more, if the cost is paid in advance.
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18. Do you provide pick-up and drop-off services?
On a very limited basis. We provide this service when staff is available, except for the days surrounding major holidays. Click here for more information on prices.
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19. What kind of dog training do you offer?
We offer both private lessons for up to three family members with their dog, and a variety of group classes. We promote all-positive training, and believe in a reward system to motivate your dog. We keep our classes small so you receive more individual attention. We also offer on-site training during dogs' daycare and boarding stays.
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20. What kind of dog food do you use?
We feed our boarding dogs Horizon Pulsar Grain Free Chicken, at no additional charge. You are welcome to bring your dog's own food. For more on why we recommend this food, and why we believe what your dog eats is so important, click here.
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21. Can I bring food for my dog?
Yes. We know that some dogs are on prescription or other special diets (or are just picky!) and we are happy to accommodate that.
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22. What kind of toys can I bring?
We ask that you not bring tennis balls or toys of a smaller size—they may accidentally fall into our drain and clog our septic system. We also do not allow rawhide bones, as they present a choking hazard. You are welcome to bring any other types of toy for your dog’s stay, although most dogs are uninterested in their toys after a long day of play. If your dog is a chewer, we have Nylabones available for use or you can bring your own.
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23. Do you provide bedding?
Yes. We provide blankets for the dogs to sleep on. You are welcome to bring your dog’s own bedding if you wish, but please no towels or Mexican-style blankets (they easily get mixed up with our own).
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24. Can I tour your facility?
Yes—we want you to be familiar with our facility and feel good about leaving your dog here. We offer “walk-in” tours every Saturday at noon. No appointments are necessary. We can do other times by appointment Monday thru Friday, subject to staff availability and how many dogs may be on the property. This tour is for humans only. Or, you can view our Virtual tour of the boarding facilities online.
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25. What is your cancellation policy?
For non-holiday reservations and minor holidays such as Memorial Day or July 4, we require 48 hours’ notice for cancelled reservations. Due to the heavy demand for Thanksgiving and Christmas boarding, a weeks’ notice is needed. Failure to give notice will result in a $50 cancellation fee being charged or forfeiture of your holiday deposit. We are willing to make allowances for special circumstances.
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26. Is someone there with the dogs overnight?
Not usually. During holidays when fireworks are expected (4th of July, New Year's), someone does stay overnight with the dogs to help anyone stressed by the fireworks. DogBoy & DogGirl live on the DogBoy's property, in case of any emergencies.
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27. Are you licensed or insured?
Licensing for boarding kennels is not required in the state of Texas, however we hold ourselves to the very highest standards in regards to our care for your pets, our cleaning procedures of their individual sleeping quarters, and our policies regarding group play. We are fully insured against injury to our clients, including dog bites. When a dog is injured, either we or in some cases, the client whose dog is responsible for the injury, take responsibility for the vet bills that are incurred.
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28. What do you do if a dog gets sick or injured?
If your pet gets sick or injured during their stay here, rest assured, we will do everything we would do with our own dogs to bring them comfort and get them the medical care they need. In case of illness, especially if your dog has a medical history that is related to the current medical situation, we will do our best to go to your vet. This way, we can get and give as much information to the doctor that knows your dog best. If the injury is minor, we normally treat (using our local vet, White Rock Animal Hospital if needed), and notify you when you return.
If the injury is major, we will seek medical help immediately, through our vet, yours, or animal emergency, and contact you or your emergency contact as soon as possible. This is why it is so important to have an emergency contact on file with us, in case you are out of the country or otherwise cannot be reached. If we cannot reach you, the boarding contract states that you have given us the right to do whatever we deem necessary for the health and well-being of your dog(s), and agree to pay for any and all expenses relating to same. This means if your dog has a life threatening illness, we will do whatever we would do for our own dogs to keep him or her alive until your return. If you do not wish for us to take these drastic measures, please let us know.
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