Requirements & FAQs

All dogs must be current on rabies and distemper. We suggest puppies receive at least one Bordetella vaccination because of their young immune systems. These vaccinations must be administered and documented by a licensed veterinarian. Discuss with your vet which vaccinations would be best for your pet and your lifestyle. Please do not over vaccinate.  We absolutely accept titers for distemper to help prevent over vaccinating.

The cost of the bath and removal of fleas or ticks could be up to $80.00 depending on the severity of the issue and the size of the dog.

Yes, we require dogs to be neutered or spayed by 2 years of age. Female dogs cannot be in season (in heat) while at Happy Pets Palace. All dogs must be appropriate and suitable for co-ed group play.

Yes! We LOVE to give tours. Stop by anytime that we’re open for business and we’ll show you around. In fact, we suggest you tour any facility before leaving your dogs in someone else’s care.

Here’s what to look for:

• You should be able to tour every aspect of the facility without advance notice, anytime during business hours.
• The facility should be odor free and look and feel clean.
• Staff members should be capable of answering your daycare or boarding questions.
• Ask for a reference lists of current or past customers to check on their satisfaction or search online for reviews on Google or Facebook.
• Staff members should appear kind and friendly toward the dogs.
• The boarding kennel should require vaccinations from a licensed veterinarian prior to allowing a dog to be boarded.
• Kennel suites or runs should be spacious and clean, with no areas for dogs to see the other dogs to their left or to their right, and absolutely no area within their overnight kennel which would allow fence fighting, such as chain link fencing.

You should have a pretty good idea already if your dog will do well with other dogs in group play. After our initial in-person or phone conversation, we have a 5-step evaluation process.

Initial Conversation

If you are not sure how your dog will do in group play, then we will ask you a few questions over the phone to get an idea, such as:

• How old is your dog?
• Do you take your dog to the dog park and how do they do at the dog park around other dogs?
• How much experience your dog has with dogs they do not know (family dogs don’t count)
• What breed is your dog?

If everything sounds good and you’re comfortable, then we proceed to a meet and greet.

STEP 1

We want to see how your dog is with us, the staff, and how they are with us moving them using their collar. We watch for how your dog enters our facility. We want to see a happy dog, loose, wiggly, good balance on all four legs. We can work with shy/timid dogs even if they are tail tucked coming in the door. Sometimes the dog’s radar is up and they think they are in for an unpleasant appointment. More time is better so the dogs can relax and see that we are about fun and playtime. What we don’t want to see in our lobby is intense stare and body posture strongly leaning forward, or a height-seeking body position. When we feel your dog is comfortable with us, we move to the backhouse.

STEP 2

Your dog is introduced, on leash, to two other dogs, one at a time, one of the same sex and one of the opposite sex. If we see happy appropriate body signals from your dog, then your dog will proceed to step 3. If we aren’t sure about your dog’s body language or signals, then we will introduce a couple more dogs individually, still on leash, so we can get a more detailed read on your dog’s acceptance and tolerance of being in a group of new dogs.

STEP 3

Your dog is now in our play group with the couple dogs your dog already met during the leash introductions in part 2. We take your dog outside immediately so he/she can sniff around and potty if necessary. We monitor all new dogs and gradually build up the group adding a couple more dogs at a time until our staff is comfortable with your dog. Once our staff gets a good read that your dog is comfortable then the group can be expanded.

STEP 4

We make sure all dogs are a good fit for both the humans and the other dogs. Therefore we do let the other dogs in the group give their feedback about all new dogs who come to Happy Pets Palace & Playground. Working with dogs every day we learn how to recognize if the dogs sense bad vibes from a new dog. Imagine you’re walking up to a human to ask a question, and you get a vibe, so you quickly know not to approach that person. Dogs do the same thing. So when we see our group of dogs that we know well all change their mind about approaching the new dog, there’s a reason. And we respect our pack’s choice for the safety of all the dogs.

STEP 5

Before a new dog is signed off on, at least two staff members working with the dogs have to give approval that the new dog is a good fit for our environment. Once the new dog has been approved, he/she is welcome to come to daycare and/or boarding as long as they maintain good behavior.

The pre-screening process is done on your first day of daycare. It does take us 3-4 hours. You can choose if you want a half day daycare (up to 5-hours) or a full day daycare (over 5 hours). Regular daycare rates apply. Boarding dogs must also go through our meet and greet evaluation because at Happy Pets Palace all boarding dogs receive doggy daycare included in their stay. We do pre-screening appointments on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We do require advance notice, so please call us at 480-207-1852 and schedule a time to come in.

We do require PLASTIC QUICK RELEASE DOG COLLAR that is a snap and go which can be easily removed by pinching together the black plastic ends. These collars can be purchased at a pet store or online. Although very popular, buckle collars are dangerous in dog play groups because of the buckle’s pointy edges. We do not keep harnesses on during group play nor when boarding. Sweaters are allowed in group play. It does get chilly during our winters and we like everyone to stay cozy warm.

If your dog is healthy, well-adjusted, has a good immune system and eats high quality dog food, then the risk is quite low. But yes, your dog can be exposed to disease when playing with other dogs. We do require advance vaccination, from licensed veterinarians, to ensure a healthy population of dogs who come to Happy Pets Palace. We have high sanitation standards. In addition we have quality air scrubbers, and clean living conditions which are vitally important to ensuring the absence of disease. Our air flow system, required vaccinations, solid wall villa construction, and staff training programs all help to create a healthy, safe and secure environment for your dogs when they are in our care.

Our indoor facility is cleaned and sanitized every day. Our outside playgrounds where dogs do their potty business is cleaned twice daily.

Dogs with separation anxiety, already weakened immune systems, or dogs who do not eat healthy dog food have a higher risk and are more susceptible to getting sick. Please request extra rest when boarding if you feel your dog’s immune system would benefit from extra rest and nap time.

We love our dogs and want to be sure we are feeding them the best foods possible. Please click here to visit DogFoodAdvisor to see how the food you’re feeding your dog is rated. Read the “Bottom Line” under each brand. See how many STARS your dog food is rated by this unbiased product analysis. Learn about former recalls. Your dog’s daily diet does impact their health and immune system.

A Client Profile, Pet Profile and a Waiver and Release of Liability form are required for dog boarding and doggy daycare.

You can drop off as early as we open on the day of check in. Boarding dogs participate in dog-dog group play activity daycare at no extra cost. Our check out time is 10:30am on Saturdays, Sundays, and our six major holidays or 12-noon Monday through Friday. Afternoon checkout (as late as 6:30PM) on any night is allowed at an extra charge of $25 per dog. Dogs from the same household can eat and sleep in the same family private villa.

Monday – Friday Boarding Activity Schedule

Excludes six major holidays

• Open to the public 6am – 6:30pm
• 6:00 am – 7:00 am Group play, inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 7:00 am – 8:30 am, Breakfast in their family private villa
• 8:30 am – 11:00 am, Group play, inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, Lunch/nap in their family private villa
• 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Group play, inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 3:00 pm – 5:30 pm, Dinner/nap in their family private villa
• 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Group play, inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 6:30 pm, we close to the public. All boarding dogs get secured in their family private villa
• 10:00 pm, All overnight boarding dogs get a late-night outside potty break, one dog at a time.

Saturday, Sunday, and Holiday Boarding Activity Schedule

• Open to the public 8:00 am – 10:30 am or 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
• 7:00 am – 8:00 am Group play, inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 8:00 am – 9:30 am, Breakfast in their family private villa
• 9:30 am – 11:00 am, Group play inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Lunch/nap in their family private villa
• 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Group play, inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm, Dinner/nap in their family private villa
• 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, Group play, inside/outside (unlimited potty opportunities)
• 6:30 pm, we close to the public. All boarding dogs get secured in their family private villa
• 10:00 pm, All overnight boarding dogs get a late-night outside potty break, one dog at a time.

Yes, please bring your dog’s food. If you are boarding, please pack one extra day’s food in case your travel plans unexpectedly change. It is better for your dogs to stay on their own diet. We have a refrigerator, freezer, and microwave if needed for your dog’s food. We are happy to prepare gourmet meals however their meals are prepared at home. Our feeding times are listed under the boarding activities schedule. Should your dog run out of food during their stay we do make a trip to the local pet store and purchase the brand that your dog is used to eating. There is a nominal $5 trip charge for our gas and time.

See “Puppy Health and Vaccination Requirements” section on our Puppy Socializing page.

Yes, we do allow dogs from the same household to eat and sleep together. We can also accommodate eating meals separately but still sleeping together at night, if necessary. If there is a new dog in your family and you aren’t sure how they will do together boarding, then please be safe and request them to sleep separately until you can be 100% sure that they will do fine together. Even if they sleep separate at night, if they are similar in size then they will most likely be in the same play group during the day so your new dog will still be able to spend time with your other dog(s).

Please bring your dog’s food and treats. If you want precise feeding quantity, then have each meal packed in a separate baggie. We do use standard measuring cups. If an occasional heaping measurement is fine, then you can bring in a large bag of food for the entire stay instead of individual baggies for each meal. Allow for one extra day of food in case your travel plans change. If your dog has a special bed or favorite toy, you can bring it. If your dog sleeps with you at night, you may want to bring something that smells like you, like a sweatshirt or towel. We will be happy to include it on their bed. We provide a raised Kuranda beds, fleece blanket, and food and water bowls.

If your dog recently went to the vet for any vaccinations, please bring your vet records so we can make a copy to keep our records current.

Yes, we do. Please view our Dog Boarding page for rates.

Our Mesa and Chandler locations do not have overnight staff, but we do have staff come in at 10PM to check on all the dogs and give every overnight boarding dog a late-night potty break at no extra charge. We do have a monitored security system as well as live 24/7 webcams, which pet parents can also view.

Emergency veterinarians are within a few miles of either location.

Yes, we give medications and insulin and we do not charge extra for this service. We keep your dog on their daily medication routine as prescribed by your vet. If insulin injections are required, we need the times to coincide with our hours of operation.

Yes. We are open when every other company is closed. However, we do charge a $20 convenience charge to have our lobby open for pick-up or drop off on major holidays versus being closed. Holiday hours apply 8:00 am – 10:30 am or 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Boarding dogs do still have daycare group play on holidays and follow our Sunday schedule

• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• July 4^th
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

We accept dogs in all stages of life. We welcome senior pups and often see them perk up and become “young again” after spending quality time around their friends. However, if your senior dog has difficulty standing on their own, is incontinent, prone to anxiety or stress, or in poor health, we recommend at-home pet sitting or boarding with a vet. Even with extra rest, our boarding environment can be too much for older dogs, and we want them to be as comfortable as possible while they’re away from home.

DAYCARE ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

We offer doggy daycare, dog-dog group play, Monday – Friday from 6:00AM until 6:30PM. Reservations for daycare are not needed. Daycare dogs are in group play ALL DAY from when you drop off until when you pick up. Daycare dogs are not put in a private villa unless you bring a lunch or request a nap and then they will be up for 90-minutes which is normal in our industry to prevent bloat.

During daycare, dogs play together under our close supervision. They get love and attention from our trained staff. We play bubbles with them, snuggle, read stories, and play follow the leader because it’s fun! We also work on basic commands such as sit, stay, shake, speak, roll over and name recognition. We help puppies learn how to self-regulate. During warmer weather, we fill up the above ground swimming pools and play with the water hose. We monitor all the dogs so everyone has a good time enjoying playtime in a safe environment. We have 3 indoor/outdoor play areas. We divide dogs by size and play styles, maturity levels, and confidence levels.

At our Mesa location, we have a separate teacup play area that we use when tinies (up to 20-lbs) are timid and prefer a quieter space. Otherwise, the teacup dogs are in with small-medium dogs (if their play style is mild). Our Chandler location has a dedicated indoor/outdoor playground just for teacup and toy breed dogs. Most pups are under 20-lbs although there may occasionally be a timid/shy toy dog who exceeds this weight by a few pounds.

We do not offer daycare on Saturdays and Sundays due to our split shift schedule. If you have an emergency or absolutely want daycare on a Saturday or Sunday, please call us in advance to ensure we have space. Please know that your dog(s) will be in a villa between 11AM and 3PM when we close to spend time with our families. Please note that we do not offer daycare on our six major holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4^th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day).