FAQ’s

If you have a question that isn’t covered in our FAQ’s, please feel free to email us at info@metrodog.com!

Do you need to meet my dog before they stay at Metro Dog?

Yes. We do an assessment for every dog before they are accepted for any service in the center. The assessment costs the current listed half day fee for the program your dog is assessed into. We want to make sure your dog is going to have a happy, healthy experience staying with us. Metro Dog is not a kennel experience. Learn more about becoming a client. 

Can I take a tour of your center before applying?

Absolutely! We think a part of what comforts and soothes you when your dog is with us is being able to visualize them in our spaces. The tour is for people only, so please leave your dog at home. Tours only happen on Sundays from 4-5pm (non-holiday weekends). Email info@metrodog.com to sign up in advance and confirm the tour is happening on the Sunday you want to come. They can be canceled on occasion. They are always canceled on holiday weekends.

How does after hours drop off & pick up work?

Our lobby hours are 7am-7:30pm on weekdays, 8am-7:30pm on weekends. Our main entrance and all doors are locked after hours. After-hours service is $26 and available by reservation from 4am-opening, and closing-midnight. When you arrive, we recommend staying in your car and calling 510-524-3647. The overnight staff will greet you at the employee entrance, the red door to the right of the main entrance gate.

What vaccines do you require?

We require Rabies, DHLPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza), Bordetella, and Canine Influenza (H3N2 & H3N8). We accept annual titer test results for Rabies, Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, and Parvovirus. Please see our Vaccine Policy to learn more about these vaccines. Waivers for required vaccines will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and must be supported with a veterinarian letter explaining the need for the waiver. Client assumes all risks should they waiver any of the required vaccines.

Does my dog need to be spayed or neutered to come to Metro Dog?

Yes, all dogs must be spayed or neutered by 6 months to use services in the center. Because dogs in the center are in social company throughout the day, behavior change associated with the presence of hormone production beyond 6 months, as well as accidental pregnancy, are our primary concerns.

Males: Between 6 and 7 months of age, hormone levels increase dramatically and can cause behavior change. Metro Dog requires the unneutered puppy to stop attending programs in our center until neuter is complete and testosterone has dropped once behavior change is observed. The behavior of the neutered males in our care can also change as they no longer accept the unneutered male as a puppy. They can target the unneutered male with more harsh corrections, mounting behaviors, and general intolerance. It takes a full month for testosterone to drop after the neuter is done before the newly neutered male can return to daycare. If owners choose to delay neutering, our “sister” company, www.safeandsoundhomepetcare.com may be able to provide in-home care for the dog. Contact www.info@safeandsoundhomepetcare.com to explore the possibility of this option.

Females: Accidental pregnancy and behavior change in the dogs in our center due to the scent of a female in heat are concerns. Metro Dog can never have a female in estrus in our center. All females are required to be spayed by 6 months to avoid entering a heat cycle while in our care. If an early heat cycle occurs, owners understand and agree that Metro Dog will be unable to continue to offer care. Owners will immediately make alternate arrangements for the care of their dog and have her leave the center. If owners fail to do this, it is understood and agreed that Metro Dog will transfer the dog to an alternate care program off our premises and the owner will pay the charges incurred.

On a case-by-case basis, Metro Dog may extend the timeline for spay or neuter. This must be discussed directly with Metro Dog’s owners. No other staff member is authorized to make special agreements regarding our spay and neuter policy.

Do I bring my dog’s food with them to Metro Dog?

We prefer it if you do! This is what is most healthy for your dog. Feeding owner provided breakfast and dinner is included while dogs are boarding. We can provide day care dogs owner provided breakfast, lunch, or dinner service for a meal service fee. (It takes time and staffing to pull dogs from their scheduled activities for meal time.) We also have House kibble, wet, and raw food for $5-TBD per meal based on food choice and quantity. Our raw is produced locally by Bay Area company, FeedThis!

What do you mean by ‘social’?

This is not a kennel. We allow dogs to be social while in daycare and boarding. Dogs in our social program are in social company 24 hours a day. Your dog will have play times and rest times with other dogs and be housed with other dogs at bedtime. Boarding is like sleep-away camp when you were a child. Daycare is like day camp you attended when school was out.

What happens if my pet gets sick or is injured while at Metro Dog?

While in our care, we will make sure that your dog receives the necessary veterinary attention. We contact you or your emergency contact immediately if there is any medical issue. Please read our policy on pet health and veterinary visits on our House Rules page.

What kind of cleansers do you use at the center?

For all dogs areas, we use Clean Break Degreaser and Clean Break Disinfectant – a neutral Ph, non-toxic (to mammals) biodegradable cleanser with a veterinary formula to kill the bacteria and viruses that commonly affect dogs. We also use Wee Away– a live-enzyme solution to consume organic solids that cause odors. For laundry, dishes and counters, we use earth-friendly soaps.

Can my dog receive training while staying at Metro Dog?

We can provide basic training sessions while your dog is staying here for daycare or boarding. A great option for families with little time! Our training is science-based, positive reinforcement with a focus on consent. We adhere to LIMA standards and work with a gentle and loving approach. Dogs love to learn here!

Can I leave a staff tip?

Tips are accepted and greatly appreciated by our staff. There are many staff members you may not see, but it takes everyone to deliver our programs and quality care. Since it takes a village to raise a pet, all tips are equally split between the staff based on their hours worked. We can accept cash or process a tip using your credit card on file, but loyalty credits cannot be converted to cash or tips.

Can I give my bonus credit from Metrodollar packages as a tip?

The bonus credits from Metrodollar packages are a loyalty program and cannot be converted into cash to be used for tips or to purchase another discount package.

What is the expiration date of my daycare packages? Do I lose them if they expire?

Daycare packages expire 180 days from date of purchase. If you request a package day be applied to a previously fully charged day, the 180 day package expiration date begins from that date. Metrodollar packages do not expire. We will offer you a one-time courtesy extension by reinstating any expired daycare visits if you purchase a new daycare package within 2 weeks of the expiration date of the expired daycare package. The old credits will be reinstated to have the same expiration date as the new package (180 days from purchase).

Do you have webcams so that I can view my dog?

We do not offer webcam viewing for several reasons. The structure of our day and the number of yards we have would mean you’d have to search up to 12 cameras to find your dog and if they are having rest you wouldn’t find them. We don’t send the groups out for all day play to the same yard each time. We think these kinds of day cares are not serving the dogs well. Dogs need variety, so the handler decides what yard they plan to use at any given play rotation. They often move through several yards in a rotation to keep the dogs interested and exploring. Because we room socially, we would need consent from all pet parents to add cameras to all the rooms, and we have many who don’t want their dogs viewed. We completely understand that you just want to watch your pup and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that at all. It just doesn’t work for us based on our boutique-style offering in a large facility and the number of play yards the dog groups use, and due to privacy concerns for our clients and staff.

AB 1901 compliance disclosure:

Signed into law by Gov. Newsom in 2022, and implemented in 2023, AB 1901 is CA’s first law attempting to regulate dog training. It requires any company providing dog training to disclose if they have ever had a judgment against them for animal cruelty. Be assured that Metro Dog has never had a judgement of any kind, least of all animal cruelty. We take our values-driven mission to heart. Our welfare-based daycare, boarding, and training programs use only kind management and training techniques to build positive associations for the dogs in our care. We use science-proven methods to humanely teach behaviors and desensitize dogs to stimuli they have made negative associations to, such as noises, cars, bikes, etc. We follow the principles of LIMA, least intrusive, minimally aversive, when developing our handlers’ skills and our behavior programs. Thank you for trusting us for the past 18 years to care for your dog in every season of their life.