Frequently Asked Questions;
What is the Bark Bus and how do we go about our day?
All dogs need 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. There may be a point in the day, usually after the big walk, that the operators of the bus will stop for lunch/snack. There is a potty walk right after all the dogs are picked up in the morning, then the big walk in the afternoon, and a final potty walk before drop off. An accumulated time of about 4 hrs of exercise and stimulation (which is triple the amount of time compared to being 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.
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 or older with all the first set of shots completed. 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 ask that anyone interested, even the free ride, fill out our application on the contact page. 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?
It doesn't hurt to get coverage. It's not manditory, but insurance covers a lot of the routine care and a significant portion when it comes to the unexpected illness or injury. Emergency visits are not cheap. There are plenty of providers to look into, check out what they have to offer.
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 one-on-one privately. 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 everyday.
Will my dog get dirty and come home dirty?
We are an all weather, outdoor daycare, there is a very high possibilty your pup may get dirty. We go to the beach, lakes, mountains, streams, creeks, dusty fields, dirt roads, etc. Since we are mobile, we don't have the facilities to properly get every single dog clean before they go home, plus that would take an extremely long time. 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.
What do you do about ticks?
An all too common occurance 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 prevelent, 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.
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. There may be a point in the day, usually after the big walk, that the operators of the bus will stop for lunch/snack. There is a potty walk right after all the dogs are picked up in the morning, then the big walk in the afternoon, and a final potty walk before drop off. An accumulated time of about 4 hrs of exercise and stimulation (which is triple the amount of time compared to being 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.
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 or older with all the first set of shots completed. 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 ask that anyone interested, even the free ride, fill out our application on the contact page. 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?
It doesn't hurt to get coverage. It's not manditory, but insurance covers a lot of the routine care and a significant portion when it comes to the unexpected illness or injury. Emergency visits are not cheap. There are plenty of providers to look into, check out what they have to offer.
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 one-on-one privately. 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 everyday.
Will my dog get dirty and come home dirty?
We are an all weather, outdoor daycare, there is a very high possibilty your pup may get dirty. We go to the beach, lakes, mountains, streams, creeks, dusty fields, dirt roads, etc. Since we are mobile, we don't have the facilities to properly get every single dog clean before they go home, plus that would take an extremely long time. 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.
What do you do about ticks?
An all too common occurance 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 prevelent, 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.