What is a Temperament Evaluation?

A temperament Evaluation is the process K9 Kampus uses to evaluate each and every dog that will be left in our care for daycare or boarding.

What does it entail?

The evaluation consists of an interview process between a K9 Kampus Pet Pal and the Pet Parents and dog being evaluated.

After the initial interview we introduce your dog into the play are with the other dogs and evaluate their behavior.

What are you looking for during the Temperament Evaluation?

During the initial interview we are asking questions that will better help us provide a fun and safe environment for your dog while at K9 Kampus.

We are asking specific question that will allow us to learn about the expectations of the pet parents as well as any special needs of your dog has or special requests of the pet parents. We are also evaluating the over health of your dog during the interview process and we perform an overall observation of your dog, looking for bumps, bruises, scratches, scars etc.

Once we introduce your dog into the play area we are initially looking for any aggressive behavior towards the other dogs or pet pals, once we rule out any potential for aggressive behavior we are looking for general personality characteristics, such as separation anxiety, timidness, toy aggression,  level of playing, etc.

How long does a Temperament Evaluation take?

The temperament evaluation takes about 10-15 minutes of the parents time,then once introduced into the play area and we rule out immediate aggression issues, the pet parent can leave.

The temperament evaluation fee includes a full day of daycare on the day of the temperament evaluation, therefore, your dog can stay until 5pm (Monday - Friday) with no additional fee. You do not have to leave your dog that long, however, we request at least 2 hours without mom or dad around so we can evaluate how your dog will react without the parents around.

Why do you physical evaluation of the dog?

This is one of the many ways that K9 Kampus is different than other facilities!

At K9 Kampus we provide a lot of personal interaction with the dogs, we pet them, scratch their bellies, give them lots of kisses and love. When we do this we are always inspecting them and if we notice something such as a scratch, scar, a bump under the skin, etc we will first look in our computer records to see if that was something they came in with and verify that the parents know about what we find. If it is not listed in the computer we will notify the parent when they arrive to pick up their four-legged family member. Most of the time it is nothing to be concerned about, but sometimes we catch things that can be life threatening.

For example: Since we are an indoor facility we are constantly cleaning up the dogs messes immediately, however, we don’t just pick it up and dispose of it we inspect it. We consider ourselves profession pee, pool and puke pickeruppers (smile). We say this with a smile but most illness can be determined by what leaves your dogs system.

For one dog it saved her life. After the temperament evaluation mom left her loved one to enjoy the day, within the first hour when we inspected her dogs urine, we found a very large kidney stone. We immediately called mom and explained what we found, she then made an appointment with her veterinarian that same day. The X-Rays showed that her kidneys were full of stones. The Veterinarian told mom that the dog may have lasted 3 more days with that many kidney stones in her without surgery. It took a 4 hours surgery to remove all the stones. Mom usually left her baby home during the day, we are happy to have helped save her life.

Most daycare facilities have outdoor areas which does not lend itself to easily inspecting what comes our of each dog, we make it priority to know the health of each dog. Please note we are NOT doctors but we are able to detect certain symptoms during our normal day of play.

How do I schedule a Temperament Evaluation?

Just give us a call!  We can get your information in our computer and schedule the appointment for you Monday thru Friday between 8:30am and 11:00am

Why do you have limited times for Temperament Evaluations?

There are 2 reasons why we have limited time frames to perform Temperament Evaluations:

1. We need the right number of staff members. All areas of the facility need to be covered completely. A Pet Pal will dedicate his/her attention completely to the temperament evaluations, which takes a Pet Pal out of the daily process.

2. We only perform temperament evaluations during the first part of the morning because the dogs are still determining their place in the pack for that day. Once 12pm comes around some of these dogs have been playing together since 7am and it more of a challenge to introduce a new dog, especially one that has not been to daycare before. This can be an intimidating process for a new dog, so we limit the times to ensure the best possible experience for the new dogs.

Why don’t you schedule Temperament Evaluation on the weekends?

We prefer not to do temperament evaluations on the weekends because again we have to make sure we have the right staff available to perform a temperament evaluation,and we try to limit new dog introduction to the weekdays. If your schedule does not permit weekday temperament evaluations we will make special exceptions when possible.

Can I schedule a temperament evaluation before 8:30am?

It is very difficult for us to perform temperament evaluations before 8:30am because are busy drop-off times for daycare are between 7am-8am. Once you complete your temperament evaluation you can drop off earlier and even pre-arrange drop-off times before we open (for an additional fee).

I don’t get out of work until 5pm, what happens if I am not there by 5pm to pick up my dog?

We understand that most people work until 5pm and we provide you with enough time (Monday thru Friday) to pick up your dog before you are charged for play dates.

Can my dog stay later than 5pm?

Yes your dog can stay later for daycare for an additional fee. After 5pm daycare turns into play dates which is daycare by the hour ($5/hour). Monday thru Thursday we are open until 9pm and Fridays we are open until 6pm, Weekends daycare ends at 4pm and we are open until 5pm.

If you are unable to pick up your dog before our closing time, you will be charged $10/hour for each hour after we close until you are able to pick up your dog.