03/18/2025
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
We are moving our dog sitting business out of our house and into a full-sized facility! We have started Hounds Town Boise - Northwest which is located at 4048 W. Chinden Blvd, Garden City, ID 83714. We are hoping to open either the first or second weekend in April. We will have dog boarding, dog daycare, and cat boarding (we also have the space to do other critters if needed, I'm comfortable with everything!).
Hounds Town is a franchise that was started in New York. They have over 70 locations open across the US, mostly in the East and South but they are moving westwards. One of the things that sets them apart, and that we really liked, is that they have multiple play yards within the facility which allows us to separate dogs by play style along with size. This way the dogs that like chase-style play can be separate from those that like wrestling-style (as an example). We have 6 yards in our building which will allow us to be able to create individual packs of dogs that all get along. The other thing that is different is we don't have people in the play yards with them. This allows the dogs to focus on playing and lets dogs be dogs. We see this even now at the house, the dogs will be outside playing together great and the moment I step outside, they stop and come over to us. Not having people in the yards will let the dogs play the whole time, coming home tired, and also eliminates possessiveness that can occur around people. Ideally, by creating individual packs that get along, we shouldn't have to worry about any spats between dogs and we are always around and can hear the entire building.
A couple questions that I know people will have:
1) Are there cameras?
We will have cameras for us to watch the dogs but they will not be available to clients. We want you to enjoy your vacation, not worry about your pet the whole time! We will be providing daily updates on Facebook and Instagram with videos or pictures of all of our animals in that day.
2) What are the spay/neuter and vaccine policies?
We will require them to be current through a vet on DAPP, Rabies, and Bordetella for dogs, FVRCP and Rabies for cats. Females must be spayed by 6 months, males must be neutered by 18 months but we will be watching males closely for any unwanted behavior once they hit puberty which might make them not a candidate for daycare. If a dog can't do daycare, they won't work at this facility.
3) Is someone staying with them overnight?
No, but anyone boarding will be safely locked into their private townhome for the night. They will be very tired from playing all day and dogs at home don’t mill around at night, either, they find a quiet place to sleep off the day. Having a person there would actually disturb them more!
4) What are your hours?
We will be open Monday through Friday 7 am – 7 pm, Saturday 8 am – 5 pm, and Sundays 11 am – 1 pm for boarding pick up/drop off only. We do go in and do an extra let out Saturday evening, Sunday morning, and Sunday evening so they’re never in their townhomes longer than 12 hours.
5) Are there outdoor areas?
We only have indoor yards at this time, though we might be able to add a small outside area in the future. Ultimately, Idaho is only pleasant outside for 4-5 months of the year once you think of the snow, extreme heat, and fly season (a specialty in Idaho!). Dogs will have no problem playing in the temperature-controlled indoor environment. They will use the bathroom indoors but this does not affect their potty training at home, dogs are able to separate the different locations and what is allowed in each. There are a LOT of indoor only daycare/boarding facilities out there!
6) What will the cat set up be like?
We have an entire cat room upstairs (away from the noise and craziness of the dogs!) and my plan is that the cats will house in large condos within the room but be able to come out into the main room one by one, with the potential to merge if they get along. We’ll have cat trees, scratching pads, and a nice bed in the window for them to relax in luxury!
We will be shifting all dog sitting down to the facility once it is opened, unless there is a reason the dog wouldn't do well there (we aren't able to give life-saving medications there so can continue caring for medical cases at home). I know almost all of our current dogs will have a blast there playing all day long! Everyone must come in for a temperament test and a free day of daycare to get established, I will be reaching out to everyone who already has a reservation with us to get that set up. If you'd like to be included in our Hounds Town email list, feel free to post your email below or message me directly (either here or via text!). You will get notifications of our opening date and a pre-opening special of three free days of daycare instead of the normal one. Prices will be different there, I will post a picture in the comments of our price list along with our spa price list (we will be doing baths, nails, a**l glands, etc, not full grooming).
We're very excited for this big change and hope to see all of you down there!
