House Rules

To be enrolled in day care or boarding your dog must first be assessed and approved. An Assessment includes a 30-45 minute Q&A followed by a brief rooming, handling, and social evaluation. If there are no initial concerns, your dog stays with us for a daycare trial of about 5 hours. During this time we continue to assess their comfort and help them acclimate to our space while learning the routine. We then share that evaluation and group assignment with you at pick-up.

There is an assessment fee, even if we are not the right fit for your dog. Not every dog thrives in a stimulating, active environment. The fee is the half day rate for the program your dog is evaluated into.

More information about Becoming A Client.

  • Health & Safety

At drop-off for any service, dogs receive a visual head-to-tail physical exam. All dogs must appear healthy (not coughing, clear eyes, no runny noses) and free of external parasites (fleas, mites or ticks). Metro Dog requires that you treat your dog for fleas and ticks, but does not allow flea collars of any kind on dogs in the center. These will be removed and there is no guarantee of their return. Any dog appearing sick or with external parasites will not be accepted for services. Any apparent injuries or wounds will be evaluated and discussed to determine if the dog should stay in the center and/or have restrictions in social groups.

For potty clean-up we use both Clean Break disinfectant and degreaser, a neutral Ph, non-toxic (to mammals) biodegradable cleanser with a veterinary formula to kill the bacteria and viruses that commonly affect dogs. We use Wee Away, a live-enzyme solution to consume organic solids that cause odors. For laundry, dishes and counters, we use earth-friendly soaps. We pick up feces promptly, change water bowls frequently and wash all the bowls with an anti-bacterial/anti-viral solution every night.

Dogs must be treated for ticks and fleas, but are not allowed to wear any type of collar treatment. Dogs put their mouths on each other. It is not safe to put these collars in mouths. We will remove them and do not guarantee their return.

Dogs must wear a collar that has a release buckle. Collars must have an ID tag with the dog’s name clearly printed on it. If they do not have this, we will put a house collar on them. It has happened that dyes run if the dog plays in water. We are not responsible for

  • Emergency Procedure: Veterinary services are not available on site. We will discuss any pre existing medical issues during the assessment. For a medical emergency we will call you first. If unable to reach you, your emergency contact will be next. For non-urgent concerns we want to get your input before making unnecessary and expensive vet visits. If necessary we will take your dog to the veterinary hospital listed in your application. If they are unavailable we will make all reasonable efforts to find one that is available. You are responsible for all veterinary expenses incurred, our time taking your dog to and from the vet, additional expenses for administering medications, changes in rooming and any extra services required to care for your dog.

  • Inherent Risks: All environments have risks. Social environments have higher risks. Dogs can play too rough or become startled and snap at another dog. Dogs share fluids as they play and they sniff each other. Dogs can use their teeth to communicate, most times a snark or mouthy play leaves nothing but saliva; however, it can result in injury. We work diligently to maintain a hazard-free environment. However, dogs can hurt themselves during play, running, jumping and may develop sore or torn pads from running on unfamiliar surfaces.

  • Medication: Medications are anything a dog MUST take. Vitamins and other supplements are not considered medication, and are added to food, unless you require the dog consume them every time they are given. In this case, they are considered a medication. We can administer topical and oral medications. We cannot administer injections or fluids. We charge $3 per administration regardless of how many meds are in the administration. Medication should be provided in the pharmacy container, clearly labeled with dog's first and last name and with clear instructions. Do not put medications in with your dog’s food. You must complete a medication administration form for all medications we are asked to administer. It is a part of the boarding check-in form.

  • Vaccinations: Your dog's vaccinations must be current at all times, and we require proof of vaccinations for Rabies, Bordetella, Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo virus, Parainfluenza (DHLPP) and CIV (canine influenza). Your vet can email the new shot record to us at info@metrodog.com.

    Bordetella is for Canine Cough, often referred to as kennel cough. Please note that there are more than 40 known viruses and bacteria that can cause an upper-respiratory tract infection that all get clustered under the name Canine Cough, also erroneously called kennel cough. The vaccine only covers a few of the strains. It is not considered a very effective vaccine and is not a guarantee of protection. The vaccine has minimal side effects and cannot be detected in a Titer Test. We advise that all dogs that spend time in social settings should expect to develop coughs now and again. (It is like children going to school; they will eventually get the flu, a stomach bug or a cold). Respiratory coughs are self limiting and don’t typically require antibiotics leaving the animal having developed antibodies for future immunity. There are risks of secondary infections that can be treated with antibiotics. They are, however, very contagious.

    We recommend that dogs with compromised immunity, older dogs and those who do not regularly board or attend day care should re-vaccinate no more than 30 days and no less than 7 days before the start of boarding. All dogs that have had a respiratory cough should remain out of contact with other dogs for 10-14 days from the last time a cough was heard as they remain contagious for that period. We require all coughing dogs to remain out of the center for 14 days from the last cough.

  • Personal Items: Do not bring toys or personal items such as food bowls in with your dog. They are not safe in a social setting. We must ensure that there are no opportunities for dogs to resource guard or ingest foreign objects. We do not give dogs personal items beyond one article of bedding at night during a Social Board; however, if your dog is a Private Board (own room) you are welcome to bring any of his/her bedding, toys, and treats. Please note that we cannot guarantee the return or safety of any personal items left at Metro Dog, and anything you provide you understand you may not get back.

  • Spay & Neuter Requirements

Metro Dog does not accept intact dogs older than 6 months. Puppies that come up through our puppy program will be told when they can no longer attend based on behavior seen. Female dogs must be immediately picked up if they go into estrus in the center. Dogs over 6 months of age must have been spayed or neutered 30 days prior to the first day of service. We want to make certain our play groups are safe. Adolescents who are not yet neutered can have issues with self regulating and be unable to remain under threshold. Any intact male dog adversely affecting behavior in a group will be considered a private dog and charged for the private program. He can remain on the premises but will not be allowed in social groups until the owner can pick up. The owner will be responsible for all additional charges. Any intact female dog exhibiting signs of entering a heat cycle will be segregated from the social groups, made private and charged as a private, and the owner will be contacted.

On a case-by-case basis, Metro Dog may extend the timeline for spay or neuter for puppies that have been coming regularly to our program. This must be discussed directly with owner Diane Livoti. No other staff member is authorized to make special agreements regarding our spay and neuter policy. Contact Diane at diane@metrodog.com.

  • Payment for All Services

Payment is due at the start of any service. We do not accept dogs without payment. We keep credit cards on file for easy processing. Day Care Packages and Metro Dollar packages are available for purchase. Metro Dog contracts with a PCI-compliant credit card storage company to safely house your information.

  • After Hours

Early drop-offs between 4 AM and 7 AM weekdays, 4 AM and 8 AM weekends, and late pickups are from 7:30 PM to Midnight. Between Midnight and 4 AM, clients will not have access to to the center. Boarding fees will apply for day care dogs not picked up by midnight.

Regular public business hours are 7 AM to 7:30 PM weekdays, 8 AM to 7:30 PM weekends. A request for after-hours pickup/drop-off must be stated at time of reservation. During after hours, the facility will be locked. Call 510-524-3647 and press 0 to reach the overnight staff to let you in.

  • Late pickup for day care (7:30 PM to Midnight) is $26 per household. After midnight, boarding rates apply.

  • Late pickup for boarding (7:30 PM to Midnight) is $26 per household. After midnight boarding rates apply.

  • Early-morning drop-off (4 AM to 7 AM Mon-Fri, 8 AM Sat & Sun) is $26 per household.

  • After-hours drop-off (after 7:30 PM) is charged at the room rate for that night. We do not recommend a late drop-off because your dog does not have a chance to play and enjoy the services you paid for before being asked to go to sleep. This can be a stressful adjustment.

  • Reservations and Cancellations

To make and confirm any reservation, you will need to provide a valid credit card to keep on file. Metro Dog contracts with a PCI-compliant credit card-storage company to safely house your information. We do not make any different agreements regarding this.

  • Cancellation Policy: For non-peak and non-holiday reservations, bookings may be canceled within 48 hours of the first day of reserved stay without incurring a charge. If cancellations are made inside of 48 hours, 1 day stay at the daily rate will be charged to the credit card on file.

  • Additional Services

  • Metro Cafe: Bring your own food or select from our house canned wet, dry kibble, or raw food for an additional charge. Meal service must be requested on the sign-in sheet at drop-off. We can accept refrigerated or frozen food as well.

  • Metro Gym: Park trips are off-leash at one of the East Bay Regional Parks; primarily Point Isabel Dog Park, the Albany waterfront, and Wildcat Canyon. Park trips are at the discretion of management and require application and approval. We reserve the right to refuse a park trip request for any reason. Fill out the Park Trip Adventure Application.

  • Metro Spa: Bath includes brush-out and blow-dry. Ear cleaning is not included in bath fees. We do not blow dry dogs who communicate they are stressed. We do not de mat fur. Prices depend on dog size and coat length/condition. If a bath or nail trim cannot be completed because the dog’s stress level becomes too high, we will still charge for the service if we worked with the dog to complete it. An additional charge may be added if more handlers are required. Metro Dog does not offer full professional grooming service. Teeth brushing and ear cleaning can be added as an additional service.