Frequently Asked Questions;
What is the Bark Bus and how do we go about our day?
What is The Bark Bus?
The Bark Bus is a mobile dog daycare. Instead of your dog staying at a daycare facility we pick your dog up (along with other dog friends) and drive to various dog friendly locations throughout the day, go for a walk(s), and then return them home at the end of the day.
Will my dog be stuck on the bus all day?
No. We don't consider it being "stuck" on the bus. A majority of dogs enjoy the ride. Depending on the pick up/drop off schedule, your pup may be on the bus longer or shorter than other dogs. While it may seem boring to us to sit on the bus while in transport, many dogs often wrestle and play with their seat neighbor. They get socialization and play before going on the walk that provides the stimulation and exercise. Between the bus ride and the walk, dogs get more exercise and stimulation than they would at a facility.
What time does the bus pick up and drop off dogs?
Pick ups start at 9am and drop offs start as early as 3:30pm (during winter) and 4pm (during summer). There is a reason the bus starts at 9am. By avoiding traffic times this helps to keep the cost of riding the bus affordable as we would not be wasting fuel idling thus making our carbon footprint smaller. If an owner takes their pup to a facility, they sit in traffic, then have to drive to work or school, then back again to pick up their pup to then sit in traffic again to get home. This also allows the pick-up and drop-off go more smoothly instead of being stuck in traffic and holding up dogs waiting to get on/off the bus.
What is Stay 'N Play?
Stay 'N Play is a new service that we are offering at our facility. If you need your pup out of the house much longer than what the bus can offer, you can drop your dog off as early as 7:30am and be picked up no later than 6:30pm. Reservations are required at least 24hrs in advance to make sure staffing is available. This is a good option to avoid foxtails, poor weather conditions, and staying "clean" while still getting to have fun and socialize with dog friends.
Does the Bus operate on the weekends?
Sadly, no. We operate Monday through Friday, 9am-5/6pm. However, there are several bank holidays that we do work. The only holidays we take off are 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Day.
What are the requirements and limitations for riding the bus?
All dogs must be 4+ months with all the first set of shots completed and be younger than 3/4 of their lifespan. All dogs need to be current with all age appropriate vaccines. Since we are outdoors, the DHLPP vaccine, Bordetella, and Rabies vaccine is of upmost importance. Dogs don't have to have any formal training but it is necessary that they are dog and people friendly. We do not bar any particular dog breed but we do take precaution with certain breeds. As of 2020, we are no longer accepting unaltered males and females over the age of 10 months.
Does my dog need to have health insurance?
As of June 1st 2022 all current and new riders must have health insurance. Depending on the insurance, it can cover a lot of the routine care and a significant portion when it comes to the unexpected illness or injury. Insurance varies from as low as $10/ month to $80. While it may not sound like the best use of money, accidents happen. Emergency visits are not cheap. There are plenty of providers to look into, check out what they have to offer.
Does my dog need a GPS collar or will one be provided?
We highly recommend Fi Collars, Garmin, or Apple tag. A GPS collar can be provided by The Bark Bus at an additional cost, $5/day. Since most hikes are in remote areas having additional “eyes” on our riders offers extra security.
Does The Bark Bus offer training?
The bus offers basic training (leash manners, sit & stay, off-leash work). If your pup needs more formal training, Tracie, our in-house Animal Behaviorist can work on site. Ultimately, the more often your pup rides the bus, it naturally transforms them to behave better. Pups that get socialization, stimulation, and exercise have all of their needs met and don't have the need to cause problems at home. Get a better-behaved pup in 6 weeks when riding the bus every day.
Will my dog get dirty and come home dirty?
We are an all-weather, outdoor daycare, there is a very high possibility your pup may get dirty. We go to the beach, lakes, mountains, streams, creeks, dusty fields, dirt roads, etc. We do our best to not bring all of nature home, but then again, if you don't want your pup getting dirty, maybe The Bark Bus is not a good fit for your home. Our facility does have bathing services. If your pup is completely covered head to paw in mud or sand, we will give them a quick rinse and damp dry...but definitely no guarantee they will be "clean".
What do you do about ticks?
An all-too-common occurrence is ticks. All dogs need to be on monthly flea and tick medicine, whether that is topical, oral, or a collar. If you apply topical, please wait at least 24hrs before sending your dog on the bus. The chemicals in the medicine may become ingested by other dogs during play. When we go into areas where ticks are prevalent, all the dogs are checked over and ticks are removed. There may be times where we do not get every single one. The Bark Bus staff will notify you if they had gone into an area that had ticks.
Do you ever go to areas with Foxtails?
Yes. Though we try to do our best to avoid those areas, however, the only way to prevent getting foxtails is 1) being on leash 2) trim long hair/thick coat 2) wearing boots and mask. Dogs can’t tell the difference what grasses and bushes they run through. The Bark Bus staff will notify you if foxtails or grass burrs were removed.
What do you do about behavioral issues?
In terms of aggression that leads to fights, unprovoked attacks are an immediate removal from the bus. Dogs with a history of “resource guarding” may ride the bus as a case-by-case basis. Dogs that initiate fights that end in injury are removed from the bus. Spats happen. The great outdoors provides lots of space to work out their differences. It’s very rare that any spat ends in injury. The staff of the Bark Bus will notify you if behavioral modification is required for your dog to remain on the bus. That goes for on leash handling, off leash recall, potty accidents on the bus, etc.
The Bark Bus is a mobile dog daycare. Instead of your dog staying at a daycare facility we pick your dog up (along with other dog friends) and drive to various dog friendly locations throughout the day, go for a walk(s), and then return them home at the end of the day.
Will my dog be stuck on the bus all day?
No. We don't consider it being "stuck" on the bus. A majority of dogs enjoy the ride. Depending on the pick up/drop off schedule, your pup may be on the bus longer or shorter than other dogs. While it may seem boring to us to sit on the bus while in transport, many dogs often wrestle and play with their seat neighbor. They get socialization and play before going on the walk that provides the stimulation and exercise. Between the bus ride and the walk, dogs get more exercise and stimulation than they would at a facility.
What time does the bus pick up and drop off dogs?
Pick ups start at 9am and drop offs start as early as 3:30pm (during winter) and 4pm (during summer). There is a reason the bus starts at 9am. By avoiding traffic times this helps to keep the cost of riding the bus affordable as we would not be wasting fuel idling thus making our carbon footprint smaller. If an owner takes their pup to a facility, they sit in traffic, then have to drive to work or school, then back again to pick up their pup to then sit in traffic again to get home. This also allows the pick-up and drop-off go more smoothly instead of being stuck in traffic and holding up dogs waiting to get on/off the bus.
What is Stay 'N Play?
Stay 'N Play is a new service that we are offering at our facility. If you need your pup out of the house much longer than what the bus can offer, you can drop your dog off as early as 7:30am and be picked up no later than 6:30pm. Reservations are required at least 24hrs in advance to make sure staffing is available. This is a good option to avoid foxtails, poor weather conditions, and staying "clean" while still getting to have fun and socialize with dog friends.
Does the Bus operate on the weekends?
Sadly, no. We operate Monday through Friday, 9am-5/6pm. However, there are several bank holidays that we do work. The only holidays we take off are 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Years Day.
What are the requirements and limitations for riding the bus?
All dogs must be 4+ months with all the first set of shots completed and be younger than 3/4 of their lifespan. All dogs need to be current with all age appropriate vaccines. Since we are outdoors, the DHLPP vaccine, Bordetella, and Rabies vaccine is of upmost importance. Dogs don't have to have any formal training but it is necessary that they are dog and people friendly. We do not bar any particular dog breed but we do take precaution with certain breeds. As of 2020, we are no longer accepting unaltered males and females over the age of 10 months.
Does my dog need to have health insurance?
As of June 1st 2022 all current and new riders must have health insurance. Depending on the insurance, it can cover a lot of the routine care and a significant portion when it comes to the unexpected illness or injury. Insurance varies from as low as $10/ month to $80. While it may not sound like the best use of money, accidents happen. Emergency visits are not cheap. There are plenty of providers to look into, check out what they have to offer.
Does my dog need a GPS collar or will one be provided?
We highly recommend Fi Collars, Garmin, or Apple tag. A GPS collar can be provided by The Bark Bus at an additional cost, $5/day. Since most hikes are in remote areas having additional “eyes” on our riders offers extra security.
Does The Bark Bus offer training?
The bus offers basic training (leash manners, sit & stay, off-leash work). If your pup needs more formal training, Tracie, our in-house Animal Behaviorist can work on site. Ultimately, the more often your pup rides the bus, it naturally transforms them to behave better. Pups that get socialization, stimulation, and exercise have all of their needs met and don't have the need to cause problems at home. Get a better-behaved pup in 6 weeks when riding the bus every day.
Will my dog get dirty and come home dirty?
We are an all-weather, outdoor daycare, there is a very high possibility your pup may get dirty. We go to the beach, lakes, mountains, streams, creeks, dusty fields, dirt roads, etc. We do our best to not bring all of nature home, but then again, if you don't want your pup getting dirty, maybe The Bark Bus is not a good fit for your home. Our facility does have bathing services. If your pup is completely covered head to paw in mud or sand, we will give them a quick rinse and damp dry...but definitely no guarantee they will be "clean".
What do you do about ticks?
An all-too-common occurrence is ticks. All dogs need to be on monthly flea and tick medicine, whether that is topical, oral, or a collar. If you apply topical, please wait at least 24hrs before sending your dog on the bus. The chemicals in the medicine may become ingested by other dogs during play. When we go into areas where ticks are prevalent, all the dogs are checked over and ticks are removed. There may be times where we do not get every single one. The Bark Bus staff will notify you if they had gone into an area that had ticks.
Do you ever go to areas with Foxtails?
Yes. Though we try to do our best to avoid those areas, however, the only way to prevent getting foxtails is 1) being on leash 2) trim long hair/thick coat 2) wearing boots and mask. Dogs can’t tell the difference what grasses and bushes they run through. The Bark Bus staff will notify you if foxtails or grass burrs were removed.
What do you do about behavioral issues?
In terms of aggression that leads to fights, unprovoked attacks are an immediate removal from the bus. Dogs with a history of “resource guarding” may ride the bus as a case-by-case basis. Dogs that initiate fights that end in injury are removed from the bus. Spats happen. The great outdoors provides lots of space to work out their differences. It’s very rare that any spat ends in injury. The staff of the Bark Bus will notify you if behavioral modification is required for your dog to remain on the bus. That goes for on leash handling, off leash recall, potty accidents on the bus, etc.