Frequently Asked Questions
Boarding
-
We are not currently offering boarding for dogs over five months, with the exception of existing clients who qualify for our Teen ‘Stay & Play’ Camp.
-
We are currently accepting new puppy clients into our 2 week board & train program only.
Existing clients can sign up for boarding once they have completed the board & train program. Training is available as an add-on service for regular boarding stays. More information can be found here.
-
We are currently accepting new clients for our puppy board & train program. We are unable to offer shorter boarding stays. We do this to ensure we can provide individual attention to the puppies in our board & train program.
-
Yes, we require the overnight trial stay for all puppies. This allows us to ensure that we will be a good fit for your puppy. There are NO exceptions to this policy.
-
Most existing clients can continue boarding with us through our Teen ‘Stay & Play’ Camp (final decision made on a case-by-case basis). We may request another acclimation stay depending on how much time has passed since your last stay.
-
Yes, we are able to board unneutered males/unspayed females. There is an additional charge of $10/day if your female goes into heat during her stay with us.
-
We encourage you to reach out as soon as you know your approximate travel dates as we can book up 1-2 months in advance. Additionally, we will need to schedule your puppy’s acclimation stay, and allow time to obtain fecal results if you haven’t tested for parasites recently.
Read our blog post on booking in advance for more information.
-
Please see the “Board & Train” section at the bottom of this page of resources from Your Dog’s Friend.
Training
-
Our in-person private training sessions and behavior consultations are held at our facility in Laurel, MD. We also offer a limited number of in-home sessions in Laurel, Burtonsville, Fulton, Scaggsville, Columbia, & surrounding areas (subject to availability).
-
The short answer is yes! While the transition to video training may have been brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, many trainers quickly learned that there were some notable benefits to working with clients this way. In particular, coaching you to do the training means that your dog learns to focus on you without the distraction of a trainer present. This often strengthens the bond between you and your dog so that if we do come together in person, your dog stills see you as the primary focus.
-
Behavior issues can vary in terms of complexity and severity, but as a general rule, you are more likely to see persistent improvement if you take the time to understand your dog’s behavior and develop the skills to modify that behavior.
We also have a relationship-centered approach, meaning we want to build a relationship with you and help you strengthen your relationship with your dog so that you can be successful. We also find this more rewarding as we feel good when our clients succeed!
-
For help with separation anxiety, we recommend working with a Certified SA Pro Trainer. In particular, we recommend Jackie Moyano of Behavior United and Tanzi Leary of Dog Crazy Lady.
Client Portal
-
The client portal can be used to access your homework for a group class, edit your account, update vaccination records, sign up for additional services, view your booking & invoice history, and more.
-
You can log in to your Busy Paws client portal using this link or the ‘Client Portal’ button at the top of the page.