Slow Introductions

 

When you first get a new puppy or dog, introduce him to your household slowly. Many pairs of hands petting him at once can be frightening. Later, introduce neighbors, regular visitors, and other family members. 

Green Beans for Dogs!

 

Be cautious of which human foods you feed to your dog! Green beans are safe for dogs and full of essential vitamins and minerals. They can provide a healthy, low-fat alternative to dog biscuits. 

Comforting Your Older Dogs

 

Provide your older dog with special accommodations too. For instance, dogs with arthritis might benefit from soft bedding in the form of a special dog bed or towels/blankets on which to sleep. 

Puppy Safe Room

 

When you get a new puppy, buy a baby gate or two so you can block off rooms where you don’t want him until he is housetrained. You can’t supervise your pup 24 hours a day, so having a ‘puppy-safe’ room for him to be in is a good idea.

Your Dog's Separation Anxiety

 

The best way to cope with a dog’s separation anxiety is to prevent it from starting. Many dogs just sleep when they're alone, but they’re not going to if you don’t tire them out first. Try taking them to the dog park or on a walk before you leave!

Grooming Services

Grooming services are offered Monday through Saturday.

We offer complete and gentle grooming services Monday through Saturday. This includes stylish clips/trims with a soothing bath using a variety of all natural products, such as flea treatments, whiteners, and conditioning oatmeal. Get a pedicure (nail trim) and for fun or fashion have your dog’s nails painted or hair dyed.

We also offer the option of having your pet bathed and groomed before being picked up from boarding with us. Bathing is done 7 days a week, but only for the boarders on Sunday!

We have gentle and experienced groomers for all breeds, large and small. Grooming services are also offered for cats, Meow! As a special service we also offer painless and permanent I.D. tattooing.

Boarding services are offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! Our award-winning Boarding is clean, comfortable, and most of all a safe place for your dogs. With a sincere love of animals, each pet and their owner is treated with the utmost respect and diligence. 
 

Prescription Dog Food – When is it a Good Idea?

 

Most dogs can eat any of a number of over the counter foods and thrive. Dog foods that follow AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) regulations and are labeled as being nutritionally complete and balanced will meet the needs of “typical” pets… as long as they are healthy.
But when disease strikes, over the counter foods may no longer be a dog’s best option. Pet food manufacturers produce a wide range of what are often called prescription diets. These foods are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of sick or injured pets.
Here’s a sampling of some of the most commonly recommended prescription diets for dogs.

Foods for Kidney Failure
Dogs suffering from kidney failure need to eat a food that contains moderate amounts of protein that is of the highest possible quality to reduce the formation of toxic metabolites and support muscle maintenance. Reduced phosphorous and sodium levels are also important.

Foods for Food Allergy/Intolerance
Dogs with an allergy or intolerance to certain ingredients commonly used in pet food will experience relief from their symptoms when they eat an appropriate prescription food. Options include novel protein formulations (e.g., venison and green pea) or hydrolyzed diets.

Foods for Gastrointestinal Conditions
Some gastrointestinal disorders can be managed with a highly digestible diet. These are often low in fiber and fat. Other conditions improve when dogs eat high fiber foods. Picking the right gastrointestinal diet depends on what specific disease a dog has been diagnosed with and sometimes a bit of trial and error.

Foods for Joint Disease
Foods that are enriched with omega 3 fatty acids, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and antioxidants can promote joint health. These foods should also not be so calorie rich as to encourage weight gain.

Foods for Weight Loss/Maintenance
Some dogs lose weight quickly when fed a high fiber diet. The fiber adds bulk to the food, making dogs feel full without adding calories. However, other dogs do better when they eat a high protein/low carbohydrate diet. The only way to know which will work best for you and your dog is to try each and monitor the results.

Foods for Brain Changes Associated with Aging
Foods with high levels of omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants can help protect the brain against the damage caused by free radicals and optimize an older dog’s mental functions.

Foods for Lower Urinary Tract Disease
Dogs who have a history of urinary crystals and stones are at high risk for recurrence. Feeding them a food that promotes the formation of dilute urine (canned is best) and an optimal urinary pH and contains reduced amounts of the substances that form crystals and stones can help with prevention.

Happy New Year

Now is the time to make change, to begin again, and to create positive intentions.

Dogs – Positive Reinforcement Training

Remember how happy you were if your parents gave you a dollar for every A on your report card? They made you want to do it again, right? That's positive reinforcement.

Dogs don't care about money. They care about praise … and food. Positive reinforcement training uses praise and/or treats to reward your dog for doing something you want him to do. Because the reward makes him more likely to repeat the behavior, positive reinforcement is one of your most powerful tools for shaping or changing your dog's behavior.

Rewarding your dog for good behavior sounds pretty simple, and it is! But to practice the technique effectively, you need to follow some basic guidelines.

Timing is Everything
Correct timing is essential when using positive reinforcement. The reward must occur immediately—within seconds—or your pet may not associate it with the proper action. For example, if you have your dog sit but reward him after he's stood back up, he'll think he's being rewarded for standing up.

Using a clicker to mark the correct behavior can improve your timing and also help your dog understand the connection between the correct behavior and the treat.

Keep it Short
Dogs don't understand sentences. "Daisy, I want you to be a good girl and sit for me now" will likely earn you a blank stare.

Keep commands short and uncomplicated. The most commonly used dog commands are:
· Watch Me
· Sit
· Stay
· Down (which means "lie down")
· Off (which means "get off of me" or "get off the furniture")
· Stand
· Come
· Heel (which means "walk close to my side")
· Leave It

Consistency is Key

Everyone in the family should use the same commands; otherwise, your dog may be confused. It might help to post a list of commands where everyone can become familiar with them. Consistency also means always rewarding the desired behavior and never rewarding undesired behavior.

When to Use Positive Reinforcement
The good:
Positive reinforcement is great for teaching your dog commands, and it's also a good way of reinforcing good behavior. You may have your dog sit:

· before letting him out the door (which helps prevent door-darting)
· before petting him (which helps prevent jumping on people)
· before feeding him (which helps teach him good meal-time manners)

Give him a pat or a "Good dog" for lying quietly by your feet, or slip a treat into a Kong®-type toy when he's chewing it instead of your shoe.

The bad:
Be careful that you don't inadvertently use positive reinforcement to reward unwanted behaviors. For example, if you let your dog outside every time he barks at a noise in the neighborhood, you're giving him a reward (access to the yard) for behavior you want to discourage.

Shaping Behavior
It can take time for your dog to learn certain behaviors. You may need to use a technique called "shaping," which means reinforcing something close to the desired response and then gradually requiring more from your dog before he gets the treat.

For example, if you're teaching your dog to "shake hands," you may initially reward him for lifting his paw off the ground, then for lifting it higher, then for touching your hand, then for letting you hold his paw, and finally, for actually "shaking hands" with you.

Types of Rewards
Positive reinforcement can include food treats, praise, petting, or a favorite toy or game. Since most dogs are highly food-motivated, food treats work especially well for training:

· A treat should be enticing and irresistible to your pet. Experiment a bit to see which treats work best for your pet.
· It should be a very small (pea-size or even smaller for little dogs), soft piece of food, so that he will immediately gulp it down and look to you for more. Don't give your dog something he has to chew or that breaks into bits and falls on the floor.
· Keep a variety of treats handy so your dog won't become bored getting the same treat every time. You can carry the treats in a pocket or fanny pack.
· Each time you use a food reward, you should couple it with a verbal reward (praise). Say something like, "Yes!" or "Good dog," in a positive, happy tone of voice. Then give your dog a treat.

If your dog isn't as motivated by food treats, a toy, petting, or brief play can be very effective rewards.

When to Give Treats
When your pet is learning a new behavior, reward him every time he does the behavior. This is called continuous reinforcement. Once your pet has reliably learned the behavior, you want to switch to intermittent reinforcement, in which you continue with praise, but gradually reduce the number of times he receives a treat for doing the desired behavior.

At first, reward him with the treat four out of every five times he does the behavior. Over time, reward him three out of five times, then two out of five times, and so on, until you're only rewarding him occasionally.

Continue to praise him every time—although once your dog has learned the behavior, your praise can be less effusive, such as a quiet but positive, "Good dog."

Use a variable schedule of reinforcement so that he doesn't catch on that he only has to respond every other time. Your pet will soon learn that if he keeps responding, eventually he'll get what he wants—your praise and an occasional treat.

Caution! Don't decrease the rewards too quickly. You don't want your dog to become frustrated. By understanding positive reinforcement, you'll see that you're not forever bound to carry a pocketful of goodies. Your dog will soon be working for your verbal praise, because he wants to please you and knows that, occasionally, he'll get a treat, too.

Cats or Dogs??

Give us a call if your dog wants to chill ❄️ 804 745 7173

We have uninterrupted 100% power 24-7, 365 days of the year, no matter what the weather brings!

We are here for your dogs with AC in every building on the property.

Meet our Office Manager: Heather Drake

My name is Heather and I’ve been with Dog’s Day Inn since the summer of 2013. I come from a long line of dog lovers, trainers, breeders, and groomers. My mom jokes that I was born in a whelping box. I adore dogs and cats. I own and American Eskimo named Einstein, a Toy Poodle named Cinnamon, and two cats: Scarlett and Six. My life and love revolves around all of my four legged friends at home and here at Dog’s Day Inn. I look forward to meeting and spending time with all of our existing and new customers, especially their furry friends.

We Want Your Feedback!

Please leave an honest review of your experience with us here-> reviewourcompany.com/1474/Dog's-Day…

Richmond, VA Pet Groomer

  

Grooming services are offered Monday through Saturday.

We offer complete and gentle grooming services Monday through Saturday. This includes stylish clips/trims with a soothing bath using a variety of all natural products, such as flea treatments, whiteners, and conditioning oatmeal. Get a pedicure (nail trim) and for fun or fashion have your dog’s nails painted or hair dyed.

We also offer the option of having your pet bathed and groomed before being picked up from boarding with us. Bathing is done 7 days a week, but only for the boarders on Sunday!

We have gentle and experienced groomers for all breeds, large and small. Grooming services are also offered for cats, Meow! As a special service we also offer painless and permanent I.D. tattooing.

Regular grooming is not just a luxury – it’s absolutely essential for your pet’s health and well being. We’ve all mastered gentle, confident animal care and handling, as well as grooming skills that produce consistently beautiful results. In short, we make your pet look and feel great! You’ll see that we excel at providing a soothing, relaxing, therapeutic experience designed to minimize stress.

We are pleased to pamper your pet lovingly and with unmatched expertise.

Dog’s Day Inn offers high quality, specialty shampoos and conditioners to maintain your pet’s coat in optimum condition, and all grooms can be customized to your life style and preferences.

Dog's Day Inn Pricing

Cat Boarding in Richmond, VA

Boarding services are offered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! We provide a fun, safe, and loving atmosphere for your special feline friend..

For our customers with a flair for felines, our kitty boarders have a room all to themselves, away from the dogs. Each cat receives his very own three-story kitty condo, with a bottom level for the litter box, a middle level for food and water, and a top level where they can perch peacefully.

The cats are individually let out of their condos and into the “cattery” once a day for some one-on-one playtime with our staff. To stay with us, however, we do require your kitty to be fully immunized against rabies, feline leukemia, and distemper.

When you head out, it’s Dog’s Day Inn!

Our Kennels. See for yourself.

Our kennels are equipped with large indoor/outdoor runs that are heated and/or cooled. We even leave a radio on 24 hours to comfort the dogs. Each kennel has an orthopedic kennel deck at all times, and at night we have tuck-ins with blankets and cookies for everyone at no additional charge.

Each and every dog will get at least two play times a day, either alone or with “friends” or family. We feed Native Level 1 Lamb and Rice foods at no extra charge, but if your pet has a special diet or medication we can administer it.

Before boarding your pet, we must see proof of shots. For dogs, we require a current rabies, bordetella (kennel cough), and yearly booster (DHLPP).

Your dog may enjoy toys and small blankets from home, but we just can’t be responsible for lost or damaged ones!!

Grooming services are offered Monday through Saturday.

 

We offer complete and gentle grooming services Monday through Saturday. This includes stylish clips/trims with a soothing bath using a variety of all natural products, such as flea treatments, whiteners, and conditioning oatmeal. Get a pedicure (nail trim) and for fun or fashion have your dog’s nails painted or hair dyed.

We also offer the option of having your pet bathed and groomed before being picked up from boarding with us. Bathing is done 7 days a week, but only for the boarders on Sunday!

We have gentle and experienced groomers for all breeds, large and small. Grooming services are also offered for cats, Meow! As a special service we also offer painless and permanent I.D. tattooing.

Regular grooming is not just a luxury – it’s absolutely essential for your pet’s health and well being. We’ve all mastered gentle, confident animal care and handling, as well as grooming skills that produce consistently beautiful results. In short, we make your pet look and feel great! You’ll see that we excel at providing a soothing, relaxing, therapeutic experience designed to minimize stress.

We are pleased to pamper your pet lovingly and with unmatched expertise.

Dog’s Day Inn offers high quality, specialty shampoos and conditioners to maintain your pet’s coat in optimum condition, and all grooms can be customized to your life style and preferences.