Here at Camp Bow Wow, the first day your dog comes to visit is called his Interview Day. 

Some chuckle about the fact that we do an interview day with the dogs, but it is actually a very important part of the process at Camp Bow Wow and really should be at any doggy day care. 

When you bring your dog in for the first time, we have you fill out an application so we can get to know your dog better. We then take him to the Interview Room, where we introduce him to a male and a female separately to see how he does. We are looking for certain signs of fear or aggression to be sure that camp is the right place for your dog. 

Because we have open play for all dogs all the time, we must be sure any dog who comes in is able to get along well with other dogs. We also want to make sure your dog is comfortable in an environment with several other dogs. Doggy day care is not the right environment for every dog.
 
If the initial one-on-one interview goes well, we will take your dog back to the play yard and slowly introduce him to the yard of other dogs his size. We introduce him to the dogs one by one so he does not become overwhelmed by meeting too many dogs at one time. 

If all goes well with the group introduction, we ask that your dog stay all day for free and play with all of his new friends! 

If you are looking at an open play environment for your dog, be sure to ask what the process is for new dogs. It is so important that there is a screening process for the dogs, because not all dogs get along well with other dogs. For the safety of all dogs and play yard monitors, you will want to make sure questionable dogs are not allowed at the facility you are considering for your dog. 

The interview process does not stop on the day of the interview. We are interviewing all the dogs every day. If problems do arise and continue, a dog might need to take a break from camp for a couple of weeks or possibly be dismissed altogether. We are pretty strict about good behavior, but we’re also pretty strict about having fun!

Safety is our No. 1 priority here at Camp Bow Wow, because we want to make sure everyone is always having a Dog Gone Good Time! 

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari

 

Did you see us at the Fiesta Days Parade on Sunday? 

Camp Bow Wow McHenry displayed our float for the third year in a row! 

We love to see all the people along the parade route, and we love to hand out popsicles on a hot day!

The entire staff was there to represent the camp, and everyone had a great time as we saw so many of our clients cheering for us along the parade route! 

There was such a great turnout for the parade. We ran out of popsicles about halfway through the route!

Thanks to everyone who cheered us on. We love all of our clients and hope that if you haven’t visited Camp Bow Wow yet, you come in soon! Let your pooch come and join the pawty!

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari



 

I always love to hear the names people come up with for their dogs. 

There are so many cute ones! The more popular names are Riley, Bailey, Sadie, Harley, Wrigley and, of course, Marley. 

A couple of weeks ago at camp, we had a couple of weird themes going on with the names of the dogs who were staying with us — snacks and storms.

I know what you’re thinking. “Huh? What are you talking about?” 

Get this.

We had Applejack, Baby Ruth and Suzy Q; Beefie and Bacon; and Skittles and Cannoli staying with us. How funny is that?

But there’s more. We also had Thunder, Lightning, Dewey and Hailey staying with us.

It’s so funny how it all came together. The perfect storm? With a snack bar included? Just another fun thing about working at Camp Bow Wow. We love all of our dogs so much!

Have a Dog Gone Great Day!
Kari



 

Have you met our latest foster dogs from Helping Paws?

We are so excited about our foster program here at Camp Bow Wow. 

Earlier this year we partnered with Helping Paws to foster dogs for them until they are adopted. So far we have helped six dogs get adopted, all of whom still come back to camp! 

Check out the two foster dogs currently staying with us. They are both so cute and are wonderful dogs. They love to play and get along great with all the other dogs!

Jack
Hi! My name is Jack! I'm a Shepherd/Bassett Hound Mix. I know what you're thinking, but I'm really cute! I am an awesome player. I love to play non-stop with all the friends I've made at camp. I slow down long enough to give you a kiss, and then I'm off playing again. I would do great in a family with other dogs. Camp Bow Wow McHenry is fostering me for Helping Paws Animal Shelter in Woodstock. Come on in and check me out!

Dixie
Hi! My name is Dixie! I’m a 2-and-one-half-year-old Lab/German Short Hair Pointer Mix. I'm a great player — I just love all the dogs I get to play with. I love giving kisses to all my human friends, too! I know all my basic commands, and I'm a smart cookie. I am being fostered at Camp Bow Wow McHenry for Helping Paws Animal Shelter in Woodstock. I would love to find a forever home, so come on in and check me out!