EVALUATION PROCESS

All dogs participating in any service offered by K9 & Company Retreat must undergo a temperament evaluation, this process must be conducted in order to determine if your dog meets the criteria for our daycare and/or boarding program and typically takes 2-4 hours. Please contact the office for an evaluation appointment 804-714-1783. Drop off for evaluations is between 8:00am - 10:00 am.

The temperament evaluation will include an introductory meeting with you and your dog(s), followed by introducing the dog(s) into a play area with the other dogs to evaluate their behavior, body language, personality with other dogs, etc. We will carefully review your dog’s ability to interact with other dogs in a safe and appropriate manner by doing one on one introductions with dogs on leash one dog at a time. We will group your dog based on activity level, size, and age. The goal is work into a group of 5 or more dogs. We want your dog to have a very positive experience during their evaluation. If your dog is uncomfortable at any point during this process, we will pause the process and try again in the later in the day. An additional evaluation day may be required. All dogs have different levels of experiences and social skills, so some may take longer than others to become comfortable in a group setting, this is normal.

During the evaluation we are also looking for any aggressive behavior towards the other dogs along with other personality characteristics, such as separation anxiety, timidness, toy aggression, leash aggression and other behaviors that may present risk to your dog(s) or other guests. Once the evaluation is complete we will determine whether your dog needs Level 1 or Level 2 services (daycare, day school, boarding). We will also provide a full report with any other recommendations for your dog(s).

Level 1 dogs are characterized as being easygoing, friendly, balanced, playful, and responsive to social cues with humans and other dogs. Evaluations are $50 per dog.

Level 2 exhibit behaviors like rough playing, humping, snapping, occasionally challenging authority, excessive barking, resource guarding any other aggressive or behavioral issues. Aggressive dog evaluation is $100.

Our staff takes pride in working with Level 2 dogs that need extra time or training. We don’t give up on dogs we believe can be improved. In fact, we love dogs that need extra help. The work we do always seems to pay off and these dogs often become staff favorites.

Once the evaluation is complete we typically recommend a minimum of three days of daycare per week for a consecutive month to acclimate them to our program. This also allows us to get to know your dog for individualized care. 

Occasionally a dog that isn’t right for a daycare environment at the time of evaluation. The first thing you should know, there is nothing wrong with your dog. Not all dogs are good daycare candidates. We can provide advice on how to change negative behavior, including suggestions on training programs.