Frequently Asked Questions

Can you take my dog for a holiday stay?

We do have a holiday boarding facility, please see holiday stays section. Our policy having a small holiday capacity and large creche is to only take dogs for holiday stays when they are usual creche visitors. This makes for a more comfortable stay for them as they are used to us, the routines and the setting. This makes for a more relaxed atmosphere and it is also only fair on our regular loyal customers.

Do you take entire male dogs?

We have to be careful with this as we can’t run the risk of puppies being made on our watch and therefore have an entire male policy. For any male puppies who join us when they’re very young and visit often as they grow older, we keep an eye on their behaviour each session. 6-8 months is when entire pups are generally watched for mounting behaviors, and we have a three strikes warning system. For strike one and two, we will speak to the owner about it. On the third occasion, he will be asked to not return until neutered. We do accept chemical castrations on an individual basis, if this has worked effectively in behavioral changes in our setting. Please note the initial reaction to chemical castration may be a heightened sense of male hormone and so for best results we are best to wait until the hormone has been suppressed.

If an entire male puppy comes for an induction as a youngster but doesn’t visit us for a while, we won’t be able to take him until hes neutered.

Any dog, whatever age if they are unmanageable with mounting behavior will be asked not to come, this does include neutered dogs at our discretion for safety reasons.

What if my bitch comes into season whilst with you?

We do ask you to be vigilant and try not to bring your dog into Happi Days when in season but if it does happen then we will separate them from the dogs to avoid them being pestered by the boys. We will phone you to have them picked up as soon as possible. If they are on holiday and you have no other arrangements for collection then we will call you and arrange your dog to be looked after in isolation.

Do you use Muzzles or cages?

Your dogs will not be muzzled or caged ever as we only enrol friendly dogs and we have an open plan environment. We have a couple of dogs which their owners bring along their muzzles due to the fact that they eat things they shouldn’t sadly. The centre also has a few dog cages (crates), which can be provided for puppies at owners request for nap times.

What happens if our dog needs veterinary help?

We are directly linked with the Ryder Davies Clinic in Rendlesham. Any veterinary emergencies will be dealt with by them. We also always record details of your usual vet to contact if necessary and take there, along with your own details to contact in case of an injury or illness. It will be at our discretion as to whether your pet has an emergency problem and any vet bills incurred will be at your expense. We will always try to keep you informed of any such issue.

Won’t the dogs fight?

We are often asked whether the dogs fight and the very short answer is that we wouldn’t be in business if they did. We are incredibly careful about which dogs we can accept, we monitor dogs at play and calm any over excitement. We also eliminate any potential causes of tension by feeding separately and only having communal toys. The more often that dogs come the more bonds that are formed because they are very pleased to see each other. We see many special greetings and friendships between dogs that are particularly close.

What if I need to pick my dog up early?

We have flexible drop-off and pick-up times, so your dog can stay with us for as long or as short as you like. We also offer half day sessions, morning or afternoons at a reduced rate (please call to book if needing the shorter day), We are also happy for you to collect early in the afternoon as long as you let us know when you book or drop your dog off. Please note that our Adventure days will be for the full day with allocated collection times.

What if my dog is grumpy over toys or treats?

We don’t mind if your dog is not good at sharing toys, beds, food or cuddles. A number of the dogs initially start out as generally sociable but not good at sharing particularly toys. We combat this by having one area specifically designed for these dogs. The main play areas have so many toys that there’s enough for everyone. The dogs usually get better and better at sharing the longer they come! Also we find many dogs with grumpiness issues at home or with their owner often do not display them when they are at Happi Days as they are in a neutral environment without their human pack. If you would like to ascertain whether we can accept your dog then please feel free to ask for an assessment. We have twenty three dogs owned by staff, from Cookie (Chihuahua X) to Shadow (Northern Inuit). Our staff dogs are used to all different temperament and sized dogs. We utilise the sociability of our staff dogs to analyse whether new members will be safe with existing creche dogs.

What sizes and breeds of dogs do you take?

We take all sizes and breeds of dogs. When at play the size is of importance. However, when everyone is relaxed and quite they are allowed to meet and greet with the different sized dogs so that all the dogs are socialised with different types of breeds. We also tend to find there are a bulk of middle sized dogs that can play with any sized dogs, such as the spaniels and Labradors as they are a good middle size! All breeds must pass our temperament test and be sociable with the others no matter what size.

What is your cancellation policy?

Please pay for all Day Care bookings in advance, and if you wish to change we can roll it forward on credit or refund as required as long as you give us 24 hour notice. If your dog is unwell and so can not attend creche please let us know between 7 am and 7:30 am in the morning so that we can offer your place to someone on the waiting list. We can then credit or refund your money. Anything past 7.30am am will be non refundable.

Holiday bookings -14 days’ notice of cancellation from the start date of the holiday is required. If less notice of cancellation is given, the deposit is non-refundable and we reserve the right to still charge for the full amount. Full payment is due at least 14 days in advance of the stay and a 25% deposit is required on booking confirmation, to secure your place.

What age can my puppy start?

Your puppy can start as soon as all his or her vaccinations, including kennel cough have been completed. He or she must be de-wormed and de-flead also. We can take puppies of all sizes and if we are honest the younger they start the better as this will be less of a surprise as they won’t have long left their litter and it will be very natural progression to be around other dogs. Puppies socialise only with dogs that enjoy the company of puppies. You can see from our gallery that the adult dogs enjoy having the puppies around. Your puppy will grow up sociable and used to being around other dogs and will be more confident when other dogs approach out on walks