Jollytails Doggy Daycare

With locations throughout halifax & dartmouth:

Doggy Daycare is a service for dog owners who are away during the day, or who just need a little help providing extra activity and socialization to their best friends. Jollytails focuses on a fun and safe environment for dogs to meet new friends, burn off some energy, and maybe even learn a few tricks along the way.

Check out Jollytails Doggy Daycare featured on CBC below:

Jollytails provides a supervised place for pets to exercise and play. Our spacious facilities allows dogs the freedom to interact with other pets and people, cool off in the pools, or just relax and enjoy the fun. Dog daycare is a great way to relax your pet. Exercise and socialization can curb undesirable boredom-driven behaviors such as destruction and incessant barking. Dogs, much like people, can get frustrated and a little “shack-whacky” when they don’t get the exercise and stimulation they need. Unlike dog parks and pet-sitting in the home, doggy day care ensures a consistent, fully supervised way to alleviate boredom, stimulate and socialize pets so they are more relaxed and content at home with you (which means, let's face it, that you are more relaxed and content too!). Our goal is to send your dog home tired and happy!

Our facilities provide a generous indoor and outdoor playspace. In fact, we are the only dog daycare within the Halifax Mainland with large open fresh-air space. The entire outdoor areas are covered in a soft thick high quality artificial turf, both highly drainable and durable. This gives the look and feel of grass (along with the comfort!). This allows dogs to use the bathroom outside on grass rather than being forced to go inside. Plus, our dogs love to take a little play break and have an outdoor snooze on the turf, either in the shade or the sun.

Our Indoor surface is sealed with an increased-tread epoxy flooring. In addition to providing great traction for play time, this surface allows us to fully clean after each play and wash everything down our built in floor drain. No bacteria to get caught in tiling or between cracks! In addition we have several anti-fatigue mats for dogs to rest on when they are tired.

Outdoor turf is cleaned and pressure washed daily. Indoor is vacuumed, mopped and drained daily as well. We take cleanliness very seriously!

Our guests will spend the vast majority of their time relaxing in our huge open play area – we only confine dogs temporarily so they can eat in peace, and time for their stomachs to digest the food!

Jollytails is locally owned and operated by Pamela Smith, and and Certified Pet-Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), Tristan Flynn. This advanced certification (issued by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers). We take pride in having a strong understanding of dog behavior and proven expertise in being able to assess and supervise dogs. When our daycare is closed we conduct training classes along with aggression rehabilitation.

Jollytails staff are very experienced and go through a continued training process that enables them to understand dog language, play styles, and to respond effectively to signals and behaviors before they become situations. Owners are kept fully aware of how their dogs enjoyed their day - you get a daily report straight to your email each day your dog attends Jollytails.

The Jollytails Difference

We believe we are the safest and most fun daycare in town!

Jollytails strives to create a positive, stress free play enviornment for all our guests. We are unique from other daycares because:

- We provide (and highly recommend) food for dogs at lunch time. Dogs are naturally Crepuscular animals (active at dawn and dusk) and naturally want to rest during the afternoon. Allowing them alone time with food greatly reduces stress and keeps their energy levels up. We can help talk to you about what food is right for your dog and carry many top Canadian made brands! A hungry dog is an unhappy dog!

- Our dogs are assessed and approved by a Certified Trainer and Behavioral Expert with years of experience rehabilitating aggressive dogs, assessing and lecturing on dog behavior and monitoring play groups. We have a zero tolerance policy for aggressive dogs and some dogs may even be refused an assessment based on their history and intake forms.

- We have SPACE! The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends 75-100 square feet per dog in a daycare facility. Our facilities have plenty of space and we keep our numbers well below the 100sqft/dog recommendation. Dogs are allowed to naturally use the bathroom outside at all times and have space to run and play (not be stuck in a crowded room). Over crowding leads to fighting and stress.

- We are honest and upfront on your dogs behavior. We provide daily report cards to your email and will discuss any concerns we have with you. We can recommend training plans where required.

How to Become a Jollytails Guest

To stay and play at Jollytails, dogs must be over 14 weeks of age. Young intact dogs (male or female) will be permitted providing there are no resulting playgroup issues. Owners will be advised as to the status of their instact dogs. You must be current on core vaccines (Distemper, Rabies, Parvovirus) and also have a Bordetella (canine cough) vaccine yearly (we do also accept titer testing as well)! You must be flea and tick free and be able to pass our assessment interview. Dogs in daycare must wear a regular, quick release collar free of dog tags.

Assessment Interview:

When first contacting Jollytails you will be asked to fill out our detailed assessment form which gathers history and information on your dog. If we believe your dog is a good fit for daycare based on the form, we will then schedule an interview where you and your dog will get to meet our staff and some of our staff dogs.

If all initial meetings go well, your dog will be introduced to one of our playgroups. If all goes well, you will be asked to leave your dog for the day or half day. At the end of the day we will let you know if your dog enjoyed playing and meeting all the other dogs, then you’re welcome to come back anytime! Owners should plan to be here for roughly half an hour to ensure their dog enjoys the playgroup prior to leaving. If at any point the dog is deemed unacceptable owners will be asked to leave with their dog, or come pick them up. Please note that your assessment day is charged at the regular half day or full day rate.

Please note: Customers who do not attend daycare for a period of 3 months may be subjected to a re-assessment process. We recommend dogs attend daycare at minimum once bi-weekly to fully enjoy daycare.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will my dog do at Jollytails?
Dogs at Jollytails enjoy interacting with our staff and all the other dogs in our fabulous indoor and outdoor play areas. We believe in providing a large amount of space for dogs so they don’t feel cramped or restricted. Our large garage bay door allows dogs to come and go from both the indoor and outdoor play areas with lots of interesting things to interact with including pools, shaded areas, resting mats, and of course, our staff and other dogs!

What should I bring?
Dogs need to wear a regular quick release collar free of any tags. No harnesses or choke collars please! If you want your dog to have an afternoon meal, please bring it with you. We highly recommend dogs be fed some food during a full day stay.

When can I drop / pick up my dog?
Our doggy daycare hours can be viewed at the very bottom of this page.
Please indicate on your reservation what time you plan to drop your dog off. We offer both full day and half day rates. Dogs are accepted for half days but dogs cannot be dropped off any later than 1pm.

How do I reserve a spot?
Please fill out our reservation form to reserve a spot in our daycare. Drop offs will only be accepted provided we have the space. Provided you submit the form the day before and you receive confirmation, you will be assured a space!

When will my dog eat?
If you provide a meal we will separate your dog out into a private kennel in order to have his/her lunch. We allow them a chance to rest privately before returning to the play area to prevent bloat. The duration of rest will depend upon the dogs risk for bloat, and we will also not feed more than 1 cup of food at a time to minimize risk and we use 'slow feed' bowls. We do not provide food for the dog since providing a different brand of food may upset your dog’s stomach and cause your dog to have diarrhea at home. It is not required for you to provide food but it is recommended since dogs will need energy to keep up their play! It is also recommend you feed a high quality food for active dogs - we can help you choose a great diet for your pet.

Should I feed my dog prior to coming?
We suggest that you feed our dog at least 1 hour before coming to minimize risk of vomitting and bloat. If your dog has just eaten when arriving to Jollytails, we will place them in a kennel just to allow their stomach to settle before playing.

What if my dog gets Sick or Injured?
All staff members are trained in pet first aid and we will provide immediate assistance. You will be contacted if any injury or illness occurs and if there is an emergency we have your dog assessed by the nearest veteranian clinic.

Do dogs ever get hurt?
During normal play its common for dogs to get scratches minor injuries during play, and while we do our best to monitor all dogs it is possible for more serious injuries to occur, however this is rare. We pride ourselves in being experts in dog behavior, as our facility is not only a daycare but also a training and behavior rehabilitation centre for dogs. We manage behavior and play so that aggression issues do not happen.

In the event of any emergency that requires immediate attention, owners will be contacted immediately and if required, your dog will be brought to the 4 Paws Vet Clinic. We have partnered with 4 Paws to share a facility at 6410 Lady Hammond Rd, are they are prepared for Jollytails customers should the need arise. Safety and your dogs health are our top priority.

Aggression which causes damage to a dog is not tolerated at Jollytails and any dog causing damage will be immediately banned from Jollytails.

Pet Insurance is recommended for any dogs that play in groups or attend dog parks, as even minor injuries can be costly.

If my dog is sick or injured, can they come to daycare?
Dogs who are sick, whether contagious or not, should stay home or other arrangements for care should be found. Daycare is for healthy dogs to play and have fun.

What is kennel cough?
If your dog exhibits a sudden dry hacking cough or retching sound, he may be experiencing a condition referred to as “kennel cough". Kennel cough is a common upper respiratory infection, comparable to a human cold. Due to its contagious nature, you should refrain from exposing other dogs to your pet if they are showing symptoms. For more information, visit http://healthypets.mercola.com/ 

Will my dog like Jollytails?
If your dog likes to play with other dogs, then yes absolutely they will! Part of our detailed assessment is to determine if your dog will like our environment and play areas. We are very honest and if we feel your dog is not enjoying themselves, we will let you know. If your dog doesn’t like other dogs or is very shy, they may not like Jollytails – but unlike other daycares, we can provide behavior training and advice on how to help you! Please chat with us about your specific dog so we can give you the best advice.

How are your play groups arranged?
Our Intercolonial Street facility is one large area both indoor and outdoor for all dogs. This location assesses dogs from small to large in size to determine that they can interact and have fun with each other, We believe in allowing dogs plenty of space, this is the best way to reduce fighting or conflict. All dogs will have plenty of space to interact with their preferred playmates! Dogs do not have to all play together, but they must get along.

For tiny breeds, or small dogs who tend to be a little more shy and reserved with larger breeds, our Lady Hammond and Dartmouth facilities have two seperate play areas: one for all sizes and one for small breeds only. This allows small breeds to romp and play with each other. They also have their own exclusive outdoor play area as well.

Should I bring toys for my dog?
No, there will be some fun objects to interact with including several pools. With smaller toys, dogs may defend or guard objects that are in their “mouth area”, but dogs tend not to do this with larger sized objects – especially if many similar items are available to play with.

Can my dog be Groomed while in Daycare?
If your dog is an existing daycare attendee -- yes! We offer either a full groom, bath & dry, or simply nail trims while your dog is in daycare at our Intercolonial Street or Burnside locations. For tiny dogs who go to Lady Hammond, please let us know you would like an appointment. We can arrange to transport your pet to our Intercolonial Street location for a groom.