Cowtown Canines
Daycamp for Dogs
4601 Benbrook Highway
Fort Worth, TX 76116
817-732-DOGS (3647)
What is Dog Day Camp? Dog day camp is supervised, unleashed all day play. Our camp counselors monitor, encourage, and regulate play between campers. Day camp is a healthy release for high energy dogs, a wonderful socialization method, and great exercise for our canine friends. Cowtown Canines provides a safe and healthy atmosphere where our puppy pals can play together all day, hang out in our doggie lounge, or run and romp in our outside play yard. What do the dogs do all day in Day Camp? Our pups run, romp, wrestle, take naps or watch a movie in the doggie lounge. They play with each other and with our camp counselors. Doggie hugs, tummy rubbing, and ear scratching are on the agenda every day. Our camp counselors act as referees to monitor play and make sure each and every camper is having a dog gone good time! How often does my dog need to come to day camp? Is there a minimum requirement? These are really two separate questions; there is no minimum requirement for day campers (save for at least one day camp visit within the previous month prior to a boarding appointment with us). However, we recommend at least one visit per week for the sake of your dog. For many pups, this environment can be stressful until they get to know their new playmates. If you bring your dog on the same day(s) every week, they will generally have the same playmates. If you sporadically bring your dog, your pup can forget his new pals or will have an entire new group to get used to. This can be very stressful for your pooch. On the other hand, five days a week can often be too much for many dogs, especially if they are not used to socialization and play five days a week, twelve hours a day. If the dogs are off leash all day, will my dogs get hurt while playing? How do you prevent play from getting out of hand? Each and every camper fills out a thorough application form and goes through a temperament assessment and an evaluation day with our trained staff. Only dogs that pass the assessment and evaluation day are accepted into camp. Once accepted, the play groups are constantly supervised and the safety of each and every camper is our #1 priority. Our counselors make sure play doesn't get out of hand or too rowdy. We maintain or exceed the industry standard ratio of one camp counselor for every ten to fifteen dogs (depending on how rowdy their play is that day!) to ensure the safety of your doggie kid. However, dogs play with their paws and teeth, so small scratches and nicks can happen. If a serious situation were to occur, the injured pet will be transported to the nearest veterinarian and you will be contacted. Voice commands, squirts from a water bottle, and redirecting behavior are the most common methods of preventing problems. Time-outs can be used to give an over-energetic pooch time to cool off and calm down. Negative reinforcement is never used at Cowtown Canines. How do you keep the facility clean with all the dogs coming in and out? Cowtown Canines is cleaned and disinfected thoroughly every night with a cleaner and disinfectant specially formulated for animal care facilities, along with frequent cleaning throughout the day. Any spot cleaning is done with the same cleaner to instantly sanitize the area. Our play yard is also cleaned and disinfected regularly with a Wysiwash, a product originally made for kennels that uses a dog and people friendly chlorinated tablet to keep our play area clean and safe. How will you keep my dog comfortable while he is staying with you? Your dog can choose to play inside or outside while playing at Cowtown Canines. Our almost 2000 sq ft indoor play area is climate controlled so it never gets too hot or too cold for your pooch. Lying in our doggy lounge with the air and ceiling fans on is a favorite past-time for a few of our older guests! Our 1000 sq ft outside play yard has a large tree which provides lots of shade. We frequently get the pools out for our pups to splash around in as well when the weather is warm. (Our boarding guests sleep in the play areas and the temperature is regulated all night). Does my dog need to be an active day camper to sleepover at Cowtown Canines? No. Your dog must pass the assessment and evaluation day to participate in sleepovers at Cowtown Canines, due to the fact that our boarding guests play all day in camp. Your pup must play in camp at least once within the previous month prior to a boarding appointment with us. This helps to ensure that your dog is familiar with the environment and the current campers before you go out of town, and helps us to make sure everyone will have fun while in camp and be safe at the same time. What do I need to bring if I will be boarding my dog? You need to bring your pups regular food and any medications. We encourage you to bring your dogs own bedding or blankets, as the familiar feel and smell will help adapt to his temporary environment. We will provide a large or extra large crate (48" or 54") as his/her room. Please bring your pups food in a sealed container. The only items we ask that you do not bring are rawhide or real bones, as these may splinter or split while your pup is in their room. Your web site says that you mix the playgroups with both large and small dogs - How will you keep my dog safe? Each and every camper must go through an assessment before they are allowed to complete their evaluation day and continue coming to camp. During this assessment, we meet with each dog and see how they react to meeting new people. If they are comfortable listening to us, then we do one-on-one introductions with regular campers. During these introductions, we carefully monitor their behavioral cues and their body language. In particular, we are looking for dogs that are happy to meet new play pals big dogs that can play with small dogs and small dogs that can play with large dogs, and every size in between. We assess the particular breed and background of each dog, and watch carefully for any traits that may cause problems in camp. We will work with smaller dogs that may not be entirely comfortable with larger dogs as long as they do not snap or bite from fear. We cannot and will not work with larger dogs that are not comfortable with small dogs, due to their size advantage. Can I come back in the play room to interact and play with my dog while he is in Day Camp? No, you cannot. First and foremost, this would not be safe for the dogs. Introducing a novel stimulus to the pack (i.e. you) heightens arousal and could cause a fight. When our camp counselors change shifts, we have a very specific protocol for how to enter the playroom and interact with the dogs. Our counselors have gone to considerable lengths to get each and every camper comfortable with them, and bringing in strangers is unfair to the dogs and could introduce a bite risk. Plus some of our day campers are uncomfortable with people they do not know or certain attributes that we have (men vs. women, glasses, or a beard, for example). It is very important to us that this is a safe place where our campers can come to play and relax. In addition, the dogs act very differently when a novel stimulus is introduced than they do most of the day so it wouldn't be a true picture of what goes on. Finally, our insurance would not allow this for obvious liability reasons.
Why is it so loud when I come to drop off or pick up my dog? Is it always that loud?
The campers that are already here bark when the door opens (or when someone walks by the window, a plane flies overhead, or a loud truck drives by!). Some of our guys are very protective of their environment. Others are just excited that a new play mate is here. And still others are upset that our camp counselor is paying attention to someone else (i.e. you) and wants to make sure we understand their dissatisfaction!
It is not very loud at all during the day. The dogs will occasionally bark while playing, but bully barking (barking at another dog to get them to play) or barking for attention are not allowed. However, at pick up and drop off times, the dogs are very excited and make sure to let you know!
We apologize for this inconvenience!
Your boarding prices are higher than I thought they would be. Why?
At Cowtown Canines, Day Camp is our primary service. Day Camp is all day, cage free play. Your pup gets to play for 12 hours a day in a safe, supervised setting, with lots of human interaction, hugs, and doggie play. They stay here overnight in extra large crates (meant for Mastiffs and Great Danes), in a climate controlled, secured environment. Day Camp is included in your boarding rate, since all of our boarders play in camp during the day.
Other options and what they offer:
Traditional Boarding Facilities: These facilities fill a very important niche in the pet care environment. They provide basic care. In general, your pet is taken out for a 5 or 10 minute walk, 2 or 3 times a day. This allows them to relieve themselves and get a bit of exercise. The rest of the day, they stay in their cages or runs until they are taken out again.
Average cost in our area for traditional boarding is $20 for a medium size pet.
Pet Sitting: Pet Sitters are another important part of the pet care industry. They come to your house to care for your dog while you are away. This is a wonderful option for nervous dogs. Often, these pet care professionals will charge a base rate for one animal, then another charge for additional pets.
Average cost in our area for Pet Sitters is $15- $18 per visit, plus an added charge for each additional pet.
Other Daycares: At this time, there are five other daycare facilities in the area. We each have different procedures and policies about how we handle daycare and boarding. For example, some facilities crate throughout the day to help regulate the playgroup and facilitate pick ups and drop offs; some charge for timed play sessions in addition to a boarding rate. Each facility has its own policies and procedures for admitting dogs and different ways of evaluating their new clients.
None of these procedures are wrong; each facility is providing their service in a way that they feel is best.
However, we've chosen to do things differently at Cowtown Canines. Since were small, all of our boarders must play in camp with our campers. We encourage our boarding clients to come and play in camp all day before they stay the night to help ensure a tired pooch who will sleep the night away. Because of this, each and every dog must pass a behavioral assessment. Our sleep over guests each get a roomy crate, a soft bed, a peanut butter Kong, and soft music throughout the night. We pride ourselves in our safe and clean environment we provide for every guest.
Average price for daycare in our area is $22/day.
Average price for boarding at a daycare facility (including play) in our area is $45.00.
Simply stated, we are more expensive than more traditional options because we offer so much more. For some pets, the high paced, fun environment is perfect. For others, a pet sitting service may be the answer; for still others, traditional boarding offers the necessities without the expense of all day supervision and cage free play.
However, we are less expensive than some other daycare options because of our location, our commitment to our existing clientele to keep our prices reasonable and fair, and to remain competitive in this market.
Average rates for traditional boarding and pet sitting based on average of ten area facilities (of each service); average
rates for daycare centers based on the five area facilities that we know of at this time. Please call each individual
service of your choice to obtain their specific rates and policies.
Will you feed my dog while he is playing in Camp?
Can you give medications while they are in Camp?
While we don't recommend feeding mid-day while your dog is playing in camp, we will if that is your preference and it doesn't give your pup a stomach ache.
We can give any medication needed, per your instructions.
When can I drop my dog off? When can I pick him up?
We are open M-F 6:30 AM - 6:30 PM, and are closed on Saturday and Sunday.
You can drop your pup off anytime after 6:30AM, M-F. You can pick him up anytime before 6:30 PM, M-F. You may also choose to participate in a half day of day camp, which equal up to five hours of play; after five hours, leave your pup for a little longer if you like, to enjoy the full day!
Pick-ups and Drop-offs are available over the weekend for boarding guests, but only at designated times, since Cowtown Canines is not open for business.
What Holidays is Day Camp closed? (We still come in for our boarding guests, of course)
New Years Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
*** We may also elect to close on lesser federal holidays if we do not have more than 5 reservations for day camp. If you would like to attend on one of these holidays, make sure to let us know in advance so that we can assess if we have enough campers to be open for play!
What are the requirements to be enrolled at Cowtown Canines?
An up to date application on file
Temperament evaluation and first "trial" day passed
Must be current on all vaccinations
Rabies and DHLPP - Both one and three year vaccinations accepted
Bordetella - Recommended within the last 6 months; Required within the past year. Discuss which is
best for your pet with your veterinarian.
Must be on a Flea Preventative (Frontline, Advantage, etc)
Must be at least 3 months old. (Puppies must have had at least two of the three DHLPP booster shots)
Dogs must have had no communicable diseases within the last 30 days.
Dogs must be friendly, social, and healthy
Dogs over 7 months of age must be spayed or neutered **
** Surging hormones from non-altered dogs may overly excite other doggie guests & contribute to aggressive play, excessive mounting, snapping and other "growly" behaviors.
If you are only going to participate in our training program and not our day camp, boarding, or spa services:
Basic Requirements to participate in Training (not day camp, boarding, or spa services) at Cowtown Canines:
Must be current on all vaccinations
A six-foot leash and a collar
How can I contact you?
Call 817-732-DOGS or email us at ccanines@sbcglobal.net
Can you tell me a little bit about the owner and the other individuals at Cowtown Canines?
Of course!
Cowtown Canines is owned by Brittany Williams. Brittany comes from the veterinary industry. She was a vet assistant for several years until she decided to purchase Cowtown Canines. Not only is this business her life, but it is her true passion. She is at Cowtown Canines most of the day and is up there every weekend taking care of our sleepover friends. Brittany's experience with dogs goes past the medical field. In her free time she helps with her fathers Non-Profit organization, Shadows For Life. (www.Shadowsforlife.org) She typically will place about 40 homeless dogs a year in their forever homes. She has also assisted with the training classes. You can stop by pretty much any time of the day and say hi to Brittany and her two mastiffs Bull and Shelby.
Amy Johnson is our talented Daycare Manager. Amy has many years of experience working with dogs. Her combination of an easy-going nature and no-nonsense discipline are an excellent blend of just what is needed to make the daycare function smoothly.
Jana Sowell is our certified trainer. Jana has been training dogs for many years in both group classes and private sessions. She has trained big dogs, little dogs, deaf dogs, young dogs and old dogs. She and her dog participated in their first obedience class at the age of 13 years old and has been gaining knowledge and experience ever since! Her classes offer great socialization opportunities for your pampered pooch. It's a great bonding experience for your family and pet. Besides working with Cowtown Canine to provide a personal and professional dog training experience for you and your pooch, Jana is also the proprietor of The Dog Coach, LLC. Please contact Cowtown Canines for training information.
If we have not answered any of your questions or concerns, or you would like us
to elaborate on any point or policy that we have, please don’t hesitate to ask! 
