Dog Boarding in Sonoma County

At Dairydell Canine, the safety and well-being of every dog in our care is our highest priority. Our group play is carefully designed to provide a safe, enjoyable, and low-stress environment where dogs can interact appropriately with one another.

While we understand that every dog is an individual and many dogs of all breeds are loving, social, and well-trained, years of professional experience have shown that certain breeds and breed types can present unique challenges in a large off-leash group environment or simply may not enjoy a play environment such as group play.

For this reason, we do not routinely accept the following breeds or mixes into our group play areas:

• German Shepherds and Shepherd-type breeds
• Akitas
• Pit Bulls, American Staffordshire Terriers, or mixes
• Mastiffs and Mastiff-type breeds
• Rottweilers
• Doberman Pinschers
• Chow
• Wolf Hybrids
• Bulldogs and most Bully breeds
• Any “guard” or “fighting” breed

We reserve the right to place each dog that boards with us in an accommodation that best meets its psychological well-being. Dogs that are pre-qualified to board in one of our Private Suites may, during future boarding visits, be reassessed in our group-style accommodations. This decision is made by our management team, who take Dairydell’s knowledge and history of your dog, as well as your dog’s psychological and physiological traits—age, overall body language, etc.—into consideration.

At Dairydell Canine, our goal is to provide every dog with a safe, structured, and enjoyable play experience. Group play is one of the most rewarding activities we offer, but it also requires careful management. Unlike a dog park, our groups are supervised and intentionally created based on each dog’s personality, play style, energy level, and ability to interact safely with other dogs.

One of the questions we are asked most often is why we have restrictions on certain breeds participating in group play.

The answer is simple: our decisions are based on canine behavior, group safety, and many years of professional experience—not on the belief that any breed is inherently “bad.”

Every Dog Is Different

We firmly believe that every dog should be judged as an individual. Many dogs from breeds on our restricted list are affectionate, loyal, highly trained, and wonderful family companions.

However, group play is a very unique environment. A dog may be perfectly behaved at home, at training, on walks, or around familiar dogs and still struggle in a large social setting where excitement levels are constantly changing throughout the day.

Our responsibility is to make decisions based on what is safest for the entire group—not just one individual dog.

Understanding Canine Communication

Dogs communicate almost entirely through body language.

Small changes in posture, facial expression, movement, tail carriage, and eye contact tell other dogs whether someone is friendly, playful, nervous, or challenging.

Some breeds naturally display body language that can be interpreted by other dogs as assertive or confrontational, even when the dog has no aggressive intentions.

Examples include:

• Standing tall and leaning forward
• Slow, deliberate movements
• Direct staring
• High confidence around unfamiliar dogs
• Strong physical play
• Remaining stiff when excited

To people, these behaviors may seem completely normal. To another dog, they may communicate something very different.

A misunderstanding in canine communication can quickly create tension within a group.

High Drive and Intensity

Many of these breeds were intentionally developed to work.

Whether guarding livestock, protecting families, performing police or military work, hunting, or other demanding jobs, these breeds were selected for focus, confidence, determination, and physical capability.

These traits are valuable in the right setting but can make it more difficult for some dogs to relax during high-energy group play.

Overstimulation

Group play is exciting.

Dogs spend hours interacting with many different personalities, hearing barking, greeting newcomers, running, wrestling, and constantly responding to social cues.

Some breeds naturally become highly aroused more quickly than others.

When excitement continues to build without enough emotional regulation, dogs can:

• Play too roughly
• Ignore calming signals from other dogs
• React more impulsively
• Become frustrated
• Have difficulty settling themselves back down

This doesn’t make them “bad” dogs—it simply means the environment may not be the best fit for them.

Physical Play

Many working and guardian breeds naturally enjoy a more physical style of play.

They often use:

• Shoulder checking
• Body slamming
• Wrestling
• Chasing
• Neck biting during play
• Persistent engagement

While these behaviors can be perfectly normal between compatible dogs, they may overwhelm dogs that prefer gentler interactions and can increase excitement throughout the group.

Guardian Instincts

Several of these breeds were developed to protect.

Even when well-socialized, some dogs may instinctively monitor their surroundings, become protective of space, toys, handlers, or other dogs, or react to unfamiliar dogs entering the playgroup.

These natural instincts don’t always translate well into an environment where dogs are constantly coming and going.

Physical Capability

One of the realities of working with dogs is that size and strength matter.

If a disagreement occurs between two small dogs, it is often easier to safely interrupt and less likely to result in serious injury.

When very large, muscular, or powerful dogs become involved in an altercation, even a brief incident can have much more significant consequences.

Our responsibility is to reduce the chance of these situations before they happen.

Why We Don’t Make Exceptions Easily

People often tell us:

“My dog has never been aggressive.”

We absolutely believe that.

However, group play isn’t a test of whether a dog is aggressive—it’s a test of whether a dog can safely navigate a constantly changing social environment with many unfamiliar dogs of different sizes, ages, play styles, and personalities.

Even excellent dogs can become overwhelmed in the wrong environment.

Individual Assessments

Although we have breed guidelines, we also recognize that every dog is unique.

We reserve the right to evaluate individual dogs to determine whether they may be appropriate candidates for group play.

During an assessment, we consider:

• Confidence without excessive assertiveness
• Ability to read other dogs’ body language
• Response to correction from other dogs
• Recovery after excitement
• Ability to disengage from play
• Emotional stability
• Overall social skills
• Friendly and polite play style

If we believe a dog demonstrates exceptional temperament and is likely to succeed, we may offer a carefully supervised trial after a few boarding stays and getting to know the dog’s personality and how they interact with their suite neighbors.

Participation in group play is never guaranteed and remains based on staff observation and assessment. We reserve the right to remove any dog from group play if we determine it is no longer in the best interest of that dog or the safety of the group.

Our Promise

Every policy we create is designed with one purpose: protecting the health, safety, and emotional well-being of every dog in our care.

We understand that breed restrictions can be disappointing, especially when owners know their dog to be loving and well behaved. Our decisions are never intended to label or judge a breed. Instead, they reflect years of professional experience managing large canine social groups and our commitment to making thoughtful, proactive decisions that keep all dogs safe.

Thank you for trusting us with your dog’s care and for understanding that our highest priority will always be the safety and happiness of every dog entrusted to us.