FAQs and Facts

- The doggies go into supervised playgroups with other dogs their size and play style. We let the dogs dictate which group they would like to be in. Depending on the day, we can have as many as five playgroups to accommodate different levels of excitement. If your dog is older and less active, we have a group for that too.

- FACT: On a dog’s first visit, we are very selective on the introductions. We will start slowly, with calm, predictable regulars and as your dog acclimates, add more friends until the playgroup is average size. This takes time and patience and for that reason, we ask (but do not require) that you give us notice of the day and time you plan to start your dog in daycare.

- We have two big, climate-controlled rooms that are fenced off into smaller areas for the different sized playgroups. We have a small, outside run for potty breaks, but the majority of playtime is inside.

- FACT: All groups get the correct combination of balls, tug toys and nylabones. Play areas also have beds or crates with blankets and fresh water.

- Chances are very high that in the course of your dog's day he has been slobbered on, has rolled in water, has been pawed on the back by dog feet and has gotten a good, sweaty workout. At least, we hope so. By pick up time, most dogs smell like dogs. If we feel your dog's aroma is particularly detectable, we will use hypo-allergenic cleaning wipes to freshen his coat.

- No, we are behind the times. We still check dogs in with pencil and paper! But we take lots of pictures and videos which you can see on our Facebook page, MoJo’s Friends.

- FACT: The dogs do get tired of having a flash go off in their face while they are trying to play. For this reason, we try to find a happy medium of picture taking (to make the parents happy) and letting the dogs do their thing without the attention of the pup-arazzi.

- We give tours on Saturdays (unless it’s a holiday weekend) from 9am-5pm. You do not need to make an appointment, just stop on by! Please bring your dog! It will be loud, which may frighten your dog, so if you choose to leave him home for this part, we understand.

- FACT: On your tour, you will see that as soon as the dogs spot you, they will stop playing, run to the fence and bark at the intruder (that’s you!). Because of this interruption to their routine, we limit tours to our slowest day of the week (Saturday) so that we can maintain a happy and safe environment for the dogs.

- On average, it is one person to ten to fifteen dogs. Since we don’t require appointments, every day is different but we don’t allow any one group to become larger than fifteen and every group is supervised.

- No, not if your dog is acquainted with dog parks or daycare and knows how to have a good time with other dogs.

- We take playgroups to our outside run every few hours. If your dog refuses to potty on anything but grass or has a medical problem preventing him from being able to use our stairs or ramp, please let us know so that we can leash walk your dog in our grassy dog walk area.

- Perfectly! Lots of parents bring their dogs just for that reason.

- If your dog gets in a fight, we will tell you when you pick up. The majority of the times, dogs with scratches have gotten them from rough play.

- FACT: At MoJo’s Backyard, we let the dogs be dogs and that means lots of mouthing, pawing, chasing and wrestling. Since the dogs play with their mouths and paws, scrapes from teeth and nails are common.

- Yes and no. Our whole purpose for being is to provide a place for dogs to run and jump and play. But anytime you have lots of dogs together, there are bound to be times when someone must be crated for a few minutes.

- FACT: There are several reasons your dog may be crated for a short amount of time during the day:

1. Potty Line. All dogs go outside to potty before going into playgroups. Yes, even if they just pottied for their parents in the dog walk! If there’s another group outside or another dog ahead in line, your dog may have to wait in a crate for up to five minutes until his turn.
2. Snacks! If your dog needs lunch or is playing extra hard and needs a snack, we will feed him separately in a crate to make sure that no other doggies are stealing his food.
3. Naps. Some dogs take playing very seriously. Dogs that cannot self-regulate when they need a breather will have 5-10 minute breaks as needed.
4. Pick-up. Towards the end of the night, as dogs are going home, we may (depending on how many dogs are here) get a head start on getting your pup ready to go home. This involves wiping them down, making sure they drink water and letting them catch their breath before you arrive.

- We really have no single answer to this question. Dogs always have access to fresh water while in their playgroups and outside. The only time they cannot get a drink is when they are crated at bedtime. Some dogs play so hard they don’t want to take a break even to drink water. Some dogs don’t like our metal water pails (we put down ceramic bowls for these dogs). Some dogs (like our own) drink while they are here but still drink copious amounts when they get home. Please understand that the dogs are extremely active in our daycare and while we monitor the dogs’ intake, there is no way for us to force the dogs to drink water though we do encourage it heartily.

- Boarding dogs participate in the daycare routine.

- MoJo’s Backyard has a unique environment when it comes to daycare and boarding. All our dogs come to play in a safe and friendly atmosphere where we choose to let dogs be dogs.

- FACT: Playgroups run for about 10-12 hours a day (everyday, even weekends and holidays) where all dogs who wish to participate get the opportunity.

- We highly recommend that you bring your dog’s own food from home. Although we have food on hand, bringing your dog’s regular diet will likely prevent any gastrointestinal distress from a sudden change.

- Any oral or topical medications your dog may need during the stay. (We do not give injections.)

- Everything else is optional. We have bowls (if your dog requires a ceramic or plastic bowl for meal times, please note on your application), beds, blankets, toys and crates. Some parents chose to bring bedding and toys from home for bedtime. Please understand that if your dog is comfortable using our beds and blankets, we will choose ours for ease of care. If at any time your dog becomes stressed being crated at night, we will be more than happy to put your home-brought things in at night to provide extra comfort.

- FACT: For safety reasons, we are unable to give your dogs rawhides or any similar treat that may break off in large chunks. Approved bedtime snacks are crunchy treats, greenies and body parts (e.g. pig ears).

- Yes, dogs that have participated in daycare first have a much happier boarding experience.

- FACT: We think that many dogs associate us with the vet or shelter their first time through the door. Once they learn we are way cooler than the vet, they are more apt to be excited to return and happier to stay for longer periods of time.

- We do not stay overnight with the boarding dogs. For this reason, everyone is crated at bedtime to ensure their safety.

- FACT: We get here at 6:30am 365 days a year. In the mornings, dogs wake up, go potty, have breakfast and go into their playgroups. Dinner time is around 4:30pm to give everyone time to digest and be ready for last potty break at 7:00pm.

- FACT: After 10 hours of playing, the dogs are pooped and ready for bed! Even though this is earlier than most home bedtimes, we’ve found through experience that 7:00pm is naturally when MoJo’s dogs are ready to sleep.

- Yes, from 9:00am to 5:00pm

- Only at your request. Most parents ask us to bathe their dogs before a certain time on their scheduled pick up day. The cost is $7.50 for dogs under 35lbs, $15.00 for dogs between 35-100lbs, and $22.50 for dogs over 100lbs.

- Give us a call! We are happy to talk with you and address any other inquiries or concerns.
850.422.3063

- If you prefer email, we have that too!
megan@mojosbackyard.com