After completing the New Client Application below, we require all potential clients to pass a Temperament Test to gain admittance to Down Dog Lodge. The Temperament Test is designed to determine a mutual fit between the testing dog and our open-cage environment. To be eligible for a Temperament Test, the dog must be over four months old, in good health, free of stitches/staples, have basic obedience, and at least two weeks removed from neuter. Certificate of current vaccinations along with certificate of spay/neuter are also required. For puppies who are less than 6 months old and intact, please see our Puppy Program page. 

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*Required* Vaccinations: Rabies, DHPP, Bordetella, Leptospirosis, CIV K9 Influenza.

Both rounds of each Lepto + CIV are required for admittance + a 7 day waiting period following the final dose. More information made available by LA Public Health can be found here.

 

*We do not accept Titer Tests in lieu of updated vaccinations. As Titer Tests are designed to measure active vaccine antibodies in the system, it does not correlate to any specific duration of extended protection. Since every dog is different, a positive Titer today could result in a negative one tomorrow. The only way to truly understand the current standing is to test daily/weekly which is not logical or financially feasible.*

 

Each Temperament Test has two phases on two separate days, $80 per dog ($40 per phase). To begin Phase One, we ask that the owner stays for the initial introduction, which will usually last about 10-20 minutes, where the testing dog is slowly introduced to one dog at a time, with our Supervisor standing by. It is the Supervisor's job to analyze the dog's body language, verbal and non-verbal queues to determine their level of comfort, joy, fear, or aggression. The Supervisor will continue introducing dogs of different temperaments until they have determined the testing dog's comfort in the environment.

 

Assuming that all goes well in the initial intro, we ask that the testing dog stays in our care for an additional two hours. This will help solidify any conclusions derived from the first few minutes of the test. Following a pass of Phase One, we require a second day of daycare as Phase Two which consists of a full day of daycare, roughly 5 hours, to solidify the mutual fit between the dog and our environment.

 

Following the pass of both Phase One and Two, you will be free to book daycare and boarding reservations. Before overnight boarding, we highly recommend multiple daycare visits for your dog to get comfortable. In most cases, multiple visits before boarding are very helpful in assimilating the dog into our environment and making them feel as comfortable as possible before staying overnight.

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Additionally, before a longer boarding stay of 3+ nights, we highly recommend at least one reservation of just one night. We've found that dogs are often more irritable when their first stay is two nights or more. Using a single overnight as 'practice' before a longer stay has made dramatic differences for our new clients.

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Finally, as dog personalities change just as humans do, we require a retest for all existing clients who have not been into the facility in 6 months or longer. Please call in advance to schedule your retest.

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*Upon completion of a Temperament Test and admittance to Down Dog Lodge, please note that your dog may be used in future Temperament Tests for new clients.*