Not every dog arrives at here with the same skills—and they don’t need to.
These stages show the practical skills I look for to determine whether a dog is ready for daycare or boarding in my home and routine.
They’re not obedience titles or a test of whether you have a “good dog.”
They’re realistic expectations for the communication, independence and everyday manageability I need to safely care for your dog here.
If your dog isn’t there yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t a fit. It means we know what we’ll need to work on to get them there.
01 / CRATE READY
Crate readiness is the starting point for both daycare and boarding in my home.
Your dog doesn’t need perfect KENNEL command fluency. They just need to be able to enter without being physically placed inside, tolerate being contained or separated from me and the other dogs, and settle within a reasonable amount of time.
Some whining, barking or disagreement doesn’t automatically mean a dog isn’t crate ready. I’m looking for a dog who can work through it, regulate and settle—not one who has to love every second of being in there.
If this is where your dog needs help, it’s something we can work on through Development.
02 / DAYCARE READY
SIT · DOWN · LEAVE IT · DROP IT · COME
These are the basic communication skills I use to safely manage dogs through a normal daycare day.
They don’t need perfect obedience. I need enough familiarity with these cues to call your dog back to me, interrupt something when needed, manage toys and resources, ask them to settle, and communicate without having to physically manage every decision.
Crate readiness is required for daycare, too.
03 / BOARDING READY
OFF · WAIT · STAY · UNDERSTANDS A RELEASE CUE
Boarding builds on the daycare skills because your dog is living in my home beyond the normal daycare routine.
These cues help me manage everyday household life—doors, furniture, meals, movement through the house, downtime and all the ordinary moments that come with an overnight stay.
Your dog doesn’t need to use the same release word I do. OK, BREAK, FREE or something else is fine. What matters is that they understand when I ask them to WAIT or STAY, they hold it until they’re released.
Crate readiness and the daycare skills are required for boarding, too.
NOT THERE YET?
That doesn’t automatically mean your dog isn’t a fit.
Development gives us a way to work on the skills standing between where your dog is today and the level of care they need to be ready for.
That might mean rebuilding crate skills, strengthening a COME that disappears when something more interesting happens, learning to settle around other dogs, or making familiar commands more reliable during everyday life.
The goal is simple: build the skills your dog needs so they can outgrow the extra help.