Frequently asked questions

Our daycare’s primary function is to provide dogs with a safe space to learn and practice appropriate social skills. Your dog will spend his day mingling with the rest of the pack, whether that be playing, sleeping, or just relaxing. We also have a custom built obstacle course, areas for digging, and several outdoor shelters scattered over our 1/4 acre of land. Our daycare is designed with the purpose of giving your dog an area to just be a dog.

Your dog will be taught proper social skills, recall, and leash manners (to a lesser extent), but I can offer no guarantee that this will transfer to you. Some owners have reported a big difference in their dog’s behaviours after sending him to Wolf Pack NZ, but others have noticed little to no change. If you are wanting to shape your dog’s behaviours in some manner, I highly recommend you contact a trainer, who can then teach you how to manage your dog.

No. We spend 4 – 5 hours at our purpose built daycare facility and do not leave during this time. We arrive between 8.45 – 9.30am and leave for drop offs between 1.30 – 2pm.

Your dog is not forced to befriend every other dog – he is merely expected to tolerate their presence. If your dog doesn’t like another dog, he will be taught to move away from them and do something else in another area. Likewise, no other dog is permitted to irritate your dog. Should any dog continually bother another, he will be put on a leash or a long line so the behaviour may be worked on easier, and told off each time he attempts to annoy the other dog.

My technique for dealing with unwanted behaviours varies depending on the dog, and physical punishment is one of my methods. It is very rare that a new dog will respond solely to a stern voice when exhibiting an unwanted behaviour, so it is therefore necessary to implement a further correction: a negative association needs to be paired with the behaviour to make it undesirable and override the reward to exhibiting the behaviour.

My most commonly used negative marker is a pop/snap on the leash (because new dogs are either on leash or long line, this is easily implemented). This is where the handler quickly applies pressure to the leash then lets it off again. This correction is paired with a verbal marker, for example “no”. The dog is then given the opportunity to display the behaviour again, whilst the handler standing ready to negatively mark the behaviour. If the dog chooses not to behave in the unwanted manner, he is rewarded either verbally or physically (praise/pats), depending what motivates him more.

The strength of the correction varies on how hard/soft the dog is and also on the behaviour displayed. Once a dog has been attending for a couple of months, he has usually settled in nicely and rarely needs physical punishment anymore, as he will respond to a stern voiced “no”. Physical punishment is essentially a fallback option at this point and is used only for severe or continuously repeated behaviours.

Dogs are not permitted to:

• Harass, stalk, or otherwise irritate other pack members
• Engage in extreme roughhouse play
• Jump on handlers uninvited
• Dig in non-designated digging areas (ie the lawn)
• Ignore a handler’s commands (ie not coming back when called)
• Attempt to rush through gates or doors
• Act in an anti-social manner towards another dog
• Constantly whine or bark
• Pull on the leash

If your dog typically exhibits any of the above behaviours, this is will generally not affect his eligibility for joining Wolf Pack NZ. Most dogs will display at least two of these when first joining the pack, and will be taught how to behave appropriately over time. Please keep in mind that I can offer no guarantee my service will resolve unwanted behaviours or other issues you experience with your dog.

Typically, no; your dog will be assigned a weekly spot. However, should you wish for your dog to attend an extra day on a particular week, feel free to ask. If your area is covered on your desired day and space is available, your dog will have the extra day added to his week. Your dog must have a regular weekly booking for this option.

No. The dogs are taught to work for their handler, not food. A dog who works for food tends not to follow commands when something more interesting crops up. Just as you wouldn’t put money into an empty vending machine, a dog who works for food will not necessarily follow direction without the bribe.

Dogs are not fed a meal during the day due to the logistics of this. However, if you have a young puppy who is still on three meals/day, this can be catered for. Simply provide your puppy’s midday meal when he is picked up, and he will be fed between 11 – 12pm.

Your puppy may be enrolled in daycare as soon as he has had all his puppy vaccinations. Talk to your vet if you are unsure on his vaccine status.

Old dogs may keep attending daycare as long as they are physically able, and still getting enjoyment out of it. If your dog seems to be struggling, this will be brought to your attention. I will not take an old dog regardless of his owner’s wishes if I do not believe it to be in the dog’s best interests.

I do not take Greyhounds, as they tend to need more specialized care than other breeds, which my daycare is not set up for. I suggest Greyhound owners contact The Hound Way for a service specifically designed for them. All other breeds and sizes are welcome, although spaces are extremely limited for giant sized dogs (Newfoundlands, Great Danes, Saint Bernards etc).

Yes. There may be occasional circumstances where daycare is cancelled due to the weather but this is not a frequent occurrence. Despite being a primarily outdoor daycare, we also have multiple shelters to protect from the elements on the rainier days. If your dog has a short coat or is prone to getting cold, it is recommended that you send him with a warm, rainproof jacket in the colder months. Weatherbeeta sell some good, durable ones.

No, and during Winter/Spring be prepared for your dog to come home muddy. Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and long coated dog breeds tend to be the worst for this. If your dog likes water, mud, or puddles, then it’s pretty much guaranteed that he will come home dirty in the rainier months. If you leave a towel out, I can give your dog a quick rub down, but he is likely to still need a wash down afterwards. I suggest making sure that your dog doesn’t have access to any non-dog furniture following his day out if you aren’t home to clean him first.

No, I am able to pick your dog up from your backyard or house even if you aren’t around. You will simply need to provide me with a key or passcode if your dog is locked away.

Yes, so long as your dog is ready and waiting at his designated pick up time. If your dog is not ready to go when Wolf Pack NZ arrives to pick him up, he will miss out on daycare for the day, and you will be billed regardless of this fact.

No, we don’t allow drop offs to or pick ups from our daycare. The owners of the land we rent from don’t want excess people coming and going from the property.

Male dogs must be neutered from 12 months old to keep attending with Wolf Pack NZ. Female dogs may be left entire, but they will not be able to attend whilst on heat. Your bitch will be put on stand down for 6 weeks from the date that she first starts bleeding, and she may come back to daycare after those 6 weeks have lapsed. You must let Wolf Pack NZ know as soon as your bitch has come into heat.

There is always the potential for your dog to be injured, just as there is when he’s in your care. Whilst I do my best to minimise any risk, you must accept he may hurt himself at some point. Should this eventuate, I am certified in pet first aid and will ensure your dog gets taken to the vet if required.

This is extremely unlikely. High deer fencing has been fitted around the perimeter of our daycare, with shade cloth layered over it for extra protection. Kick boards are installed along the bottom of the fence, so dogs are unable to squeeze out underneath. We have a double gate entry system, so even if your dog was to slip out through one gate, they would still be safely contained. All dogs are fully supervised for the entirety of the day.

No.

No. Each dog is charged full price for their attendance, as they take up one space regardless of where they live.

Absolutely, provided your area is serviced multiple times/week. No discounts are given for extra days.

Photos and/or videos are uploaded to our clients only Instagram page. You will be sent details for this once you have done a meet and greet with Emma (Wolf Pack NZ) or Josh (Club Kuri).

Josh operates his company, Club Kuri, alongside Wolf Pack NZ. We share the same daycare and work with each other’s dogs interchangeably. In joining Wolf Pack NZ, your dog will become part of our joint pack, known as Te Whare o nga Kuri (The House of Dog).

New dogs are added to my Monday Missions (adventure pack walks) by invite only, and are handpicked by me out of my existing daycare dogs. This service is not open to inquiry from new or existing clients, and no wait list is available.

First, complete the daycare inquiries form. You will then be contacted with availability for your area, or an approximate wait list time if applicable. Once a space is available for your dog, the next step is a Meet and Greet. This is where I come to your house and meet you and your dog, and you both can meet me. This allows me to assess your dog’s response to me and his general behaviours. I will also get you to show me where your dog will be picked up from/dropped off to, and answer any questions you may have. After the Meet and Greet, you will be emailed a Welcome Guide, included in which is a client registration form. Also included in the email will be a start date for your dog’s first day. Once I receive the completed registration form, your dog’s weekly booking will be confirmed.

My full terms and conditions may be found here.