Health & Safety at
Hooch & Co
Our Safety Measures
At Hooch & Co, we prioritize the safety and well-being of our guests and their dogs before anything else. Here's how we keep play safe and fun for everyone:
- Our amazing team of Dogtenders are trained in dog handling and behavior. They are knowledgeable about dog body language and are always present to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for our guests and their dogs.
- We have designated play areas, both indoor and outdoor, for small and mixed sizes of dogs, where dogs can interact and play off-leash. These areas are securely fenced and supervised.
- We regularly sanitize our premises, including play areas, to maintain a clean and hygienic environment on a regular schedule, throughout the day. We take cleanliness seriously to promote the health and safety of our guests.
- We have clear guidelines and rules in place to promote responsible pet ownership. This includes leash policies, waste management, and behavioral expectations for our guests and their dogs.
- Our team actively monitors the interactions between dogs and intervenes if necessary to prevent any conflicts or unsafe situations.
- We have a comprehensive emergency plan in place, including access to veterinary care if needed, to handle any unexpected situations swiftly and effectively.
Dog Entry Requirements:
- Prior registration is required for all dogs visiting Hooch & Co.
- Must be current on vaccinations (Rabies, DHLPP/Da2PP and Bordetella).
- We welcome social dogs that have a history of positive interactions with other dogs of all ages and sizes and people.
- Dogs must be spayed/neutered over the age of 6 months.
- Dogs that are spayed/neutered over the age of 1 year may attend after a month of their date of surgery.
- Newly adopted or fostered rescue dogs are not permitted. Dogs should be permanently placed and their social behavior well known for 6 months prior to visiting.
- Dogs must be in good health with no digestive upset or visible signs of illness.
Safety
Faqs
If your dog regularly enjoys social experiences like dog parks, leashed patio experiences, dog daycare or a dog walking service, your dog is going to love a day with you at Hooch & Co. Registered guests cannot have any bite history with humans or dogs, and must have reliable recall and polite off-leash behavior.
Obsessive barking, resource guarding, jumping up on people, climbing on dining tables, etc is not permitted behavior. Working on these behaviors before visiting will increase your dog’s success for return visits.
Hooch & Co. hosts toy-free play sessions throughout the week to allow dogs who obsess over toys to socialize safely without the hyper-focus the presence toys create.
Hooch & Co should not be your dog’s first experience with a busy, social environment with other dogs. This is a skill that has to be successfully developed and supported over time; we want that to be a positive experience for your best friend.
Have an active dog?! Exercise your best friend before heading over to Hooch & Co., we shouldn’t be your dog’s first and only exercise of the day. Before arriving, your dog should have gone for a great walk, eliminated and arrive at “half speed”. Bringing your dog with a half a tank of gas will keep play relaxed and fun and promote the success of your dog’s experience.
Hooch & Co is a zoomie free zone. Zoomies, while cute, can very quickly create unsafe, dangerous situations in off leash environments with many dogs. If you have a dog that starts zoomies or games of chase, take the time to exercise your pet before arrival or know when your dog needs an on-leash break. Our Dogtenders may ask you to leash your dog to prevent unsafe interactions between guests.
While we do everything possible to create a safe environment for people and their dogs, it is inevitable in an off-leash environment that conflict may arise between dogs. Accordingly, we have a detailed conflict and incident management process in place.
Our immediate concern will be to safely separate the dogs, do a complete injury check on all dogs and humans involved, and provide necessary first aid. Once the situation has been resolved, our staff will collect all necessary information and provide an Incident Report Form, including contact information for all parties involved.
More information can be found in our “What to Expect” PDF which can be found HERE.
You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em…each visit will likely be different for your dog based on the energy of the other guests. If your dog is showing signs of fatigue, low tolerance, obsessive interest in other dogs, it might be a sign for you to leash your pup for the rest of your visit or head home on a high note.
Don’t compare your dog to the capability of others. Just like kids, dogs are all at different stages of their social and developmental journeys. Breed characteristics, social history, and temperament all play a part in what makes your dog unique and impacts what they enjoy.
