Requirements
The rules, written down
Every lodge has rules. Here are ours, with the reasons, including the part most places leave vague: what happens when a dog gets hurt, and who pays the vet.
01 · Vaccines
Records from your vet, 48 hours ahead
Email them to hello@goodcompany.example or upload them in the booking form. We check every record at every visit, not just the first. An expired vaccine means we cannot take your pet that day, even if you are on the way to the airport, so we send a reminder two weeks before anything runs out.
Dogs
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Rabies Required
Required by Montana law
Current, as your vet gave it (1-year or 3-year).
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DHPP (or DAPP) Required
Distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, parainfluenza
Current. We accept a titer test letter from your vet instead.
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Bordetella Required
The main kennel cough vaccine
Every 12 months, given at least 5 days before the first visit.
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Canine influenza Recommended
H3N2 and H3N8
Recommended, not required. Ask your vet.
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Flea and tick prevention Required
Any vet-approved product
Current, all year.
Cats
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Rabies Required
Required by Montana law
Current, as your vet gave it.
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FVRCP Required
Feline distemper and two respiratory viruses
Current.
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Flea prevention Required
Any vet-approved product
Current.
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FeLV test Recommended
Feline leukemia
Recommended for cats who have been outdoors. Not required.
About kennel cough. The Bordetella vaccine lowers the risk, it does not remove it. Kennel cough can spread anywhere dogs meet, a bit like a cold at school. If a dog coughs at drop-off, they go home. If a cough starts here, we separate them and call you the same hour.
02 · Temperament day
A free half day before group play
Every dog does one before daycare or a boarding stay with group play. It runs Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m., takes about four hours and costs nothing. It is not a test your dog can fail. It is how we find the right group, or learn that private play suits them better.
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01
A quiet hello
Twenty minutes with Rosa or another playgroup lead in the lobby room. We let your dog come to us.
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02
One calm dog, through a fence
A steady helper dog on the other side of a fence. We watch body language, not just whether they bark.
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03
Side by side, on leash
A short walk together in the back field. Most dogs relax here.
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04
A small group
Three or four dogs from the group we think fits. We stay close and keep it short.
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05
An honest answer
By pick-up you hear one of three things: group play, group play in a smaller group, or private play. All three are fine.
03 · Age and spay/neuter
Who can join which group
- Puppies join Puppy Social from 12 weeks, once they have had their second round of DHPP and Bordetella. Rabies by 16 weeks or when your vet gives it.
- Dogs over 7 months need to be spayed or neutered for group play. Intact dogs are welcome to board and to do private play.
- Females in heat cannot stay. If that happens before a booking, we move it at no charge.
- Seniors are welcome at any age. Many prefer the Small Yard and extra rest, and we will say if we think group play has stopped being fun for them.
04 · Health on the day
A quick check at the door
Eyes, nose, cough and energy, every visit. Please keep your dog home if, in the last 48 hours, they have had:
- Coughing, sneezing or nasal discharge
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- A new medication that might make them drowsy or unsettled
- Surgery or stitches that have not been cleared by your vet
On days over 85°F the yards close from 1 to 4 p.m. and play moves inside, where the floors are cooled.
05 · What to bring
Pack light, label everything
- Your pet's food, pre-portioned in labeled bags if you can (we can also scoop)
- Medications in the original pharmacy bottles, with written instructions
- A bed or blanket that smells like home (labeled)
- A flat collar with ID tags. No prong, choke or shock collars
- Your vet's name and phone number, and an emergency contact in town
Daycare dogs only need a flat collar with tags. Lunch only if your vet says so or your dog is under six months.
06 · If something happens
Our incident policy, honestly
Dogs playing in groups will sometimes get scrapes, nicked ears, sore pads or an upset stomach. Rarely, a dog bites. Good supervision makes these rare. It cannot make them impossible, and any lodge that says otherwise is not being straight with you. Here is exactly what we do.
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1
We stop the play
The attendant splits the dogs, moves the group out of the yard and checks every dog involved.
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2
First aid on the spot
Every attendant renews pet first aid and CPR training every two years. The kit is in every yard.
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3
We call you within 30 minutes
For anything beyond a small scuff, you get a phone call, not an email at pick-up.
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4
Photos and a written report, the same day
What happened, who saw it, what we did and what we are changing.
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5
We review the group
Dogs involved in a bite sit out group play until a playgroup lead has reviewed what happened.
07 · Emergency vet
Who drives, who stays, who pays
- During your vet's hours, we call you and your vet, and drive your dog there if they need to be seen.
- After hours, we drive to the 24-hour animal hospital on North 19th Avenue, about nine minutes away. A staff member stays with your dog until you or your vet takes over.
- If an injury came from normal play, the vet bill is yours. If it came from our mistake (a gate left open, a health check we missed), we pay it. We tell you which one, in writing.
- Sign the emergency authorization at your first visit, with a dollar limit you choose. We will still call before spending a cent above it.
08 · Cancellations
Plans change. Here is how it works
- Daycare day
- Cancel by 7 p.m. the night before and the day goes back on your pack.
- Boarding
- Deposit (one night) refundable up to 7 days before check-in. Inside 7 days it moves to another stay within 12 months.
- Holiday boarding
- Deposit refundable up to 14 days before check-in. Inside 14 days it moves to another stay within 12 months.
- We cancel
- If we have to cancel (illness on our side, a weather closure), you get a full refund, not a credit.
Book a stay
Records ready? Book the meet-and-greet.
Upload vaccine records in the booking form or email them in. We check them within one business day and tell you if anything is missing.