FAQ

What will it cost for my dog to stay at the Palace?

Your dog will be given the Royal Treatment for $45.00 per night.

The Royal Treatment ensures a stay fit for a king or queen, with full-time care and comfort in a clean, secure and fun environment. Food as scheduled, an endless supply of fresh water, time outdoors to run and play, and time indoors with staff.

For our longer-term guests we offer a discount of 10% for visits of 6 nights or longer.

We also offer family discounts for multiple dogs. Dogs from the same family are welcome to share a room, or better yet, a roomy suite!

The Royal Treatment for two dogs sharing a standard room is $66.00 per night;

and for three dogs, $78.00 per night.

Additional services are also available. They include the following:

Stay in a suite--additional $5.00 per night
Morning check in, afternoon check out following an overnight stay--additional $15.00 for 1 dog, $12 each for 2 dogs
Bath & Brush--short-haired dogs:$15.00, long-haired and curly-coated dogs:$20.00
Pick-up or delivery service--$1.00/mile
Medications administered--free of charge!
Instagram pictures & videos--free of charge!

An additional care charge may need to be assessed for additional time dedicated to your pooch pal! Please ask the staff for more info!

What are the check-in and check-out times at the Palace?

Check-in and check-out times are from 7-9 am and 4-6 pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Depending on availability, special arrangements outside of check-in/out times may be made for an additional fee on the previously specified days.

Wednesdays are "Dog Days" at the Palace, with no check ins or outs scheduled.

What is a typical day like at the Palace?

The Palace wakes up usually around 6 am. The dogs are all anxious to get outside and stretch from a good night's sleep. After each dog has had some time out, they come in for some chow. After chow and fresh water, the dogs take a short break before they head back out in play groups to romp for an extended time out. The length of the time out usually depends on a number of factors: weather, number of dogs at the Palace, and individual preferences by the dogs (some elderly guests like to go out and come right back in).

After an extended morning out, it's back in to take a break and some dogs eat lunches. After a lunch break the dogs head out in their groups for another extended group play session. After this afternoon out they come in for a rest break before and after dinner. As the evening sets in, there is a twilight romp, and especially in the summer this is a cooler time for the dogs to play. Playtime usually ends around 9 pm, when the dogs settle in at the Palace for a restful night. Throughout the day water bowls are refreshed, rooms are cleaned and poop is scooped. Someone is always checking in to make sure the dogs are comfortable, giving them some TLC, and fluffing their cushions if necessary!

The radio is tuned to classical or jazz music 'round the clock, and at night the night lights come on to provide a peaceful, cozy atmosphere. And that is a typical day at the Palace--a mix of romp and rest, and lots of good ol'-fashioned care.

Will my puppy be able to socialize with other dogs? And do all the dogs go out together, or how do you decide who plays with who?

Spayed or neutered non-aggressive dogs, over the age of six months, will be allowed to socialize with other dogs at the Pooch Palace. Unspayed/neutered puppies between eight weeks of age and six months will be allowed to socialize with other dogs provided they are up-to-date on recommended vaccinations and de-worming.

The play groups are made based on who is staying at the Palace at any given time. We try to match up energy levels as much as possible, and also want to make sure everyone is having a good time outside. This may mean one group, two groups, or sometimes more! The goal is to give everyone a chance to enjoy their "outside" time as much as possible!

What should I bring?

Please bring certification from your vet that your dog is spayed/neutered and current with the vaccinations required to stay at the Palace. We will also inquire about what type of flea & tick preventative you are using.

We will provide gourmet dog food for our guests choosing to dine on the Palace cuisine, however you may prefer to bring the food you regularly serve your dog. All dogs will be fed separately from the other dogs in their own rooms. And we have plenty of dog bowls! (If you do bring bowls, please no ceramics.)

Comfortable beds will be provided. If you would like to bring your dog's washable cushion from home you may do so. Toys from home and other personal effects will remain in the dog's private room so as to lessen the chance of a dog becoming aggressive in protecting these things. Please remember that all toys and cushions are subject to a certain amount of wear and tear caused by separation anxiety. We will do our best to alleviate this anxiety!

We recommend that dogs wear nylon clip collars while boarding at the Palace; in the event that a dog becomes entangled with another dog or object, these collars can be easily unclipped. Buckle collars will be removed during their stay.

If your dog requires medication, please bring the proper amount for their stay, in the original bottle (or box) if possible.

Labeling the things you bring for your pup, including food containers/lids/etc., is a good idea. We will provide labels if need be, but if you'd like to provide your own labels on your pooch's items, that's always BEST!

What is the holiday reservation policy?

Over the years, as the Palace clientele has grown, one thing remains the same: your dogs are like family to us here at the Palace. And we’re striving to make each dog’s stay enjoyable.

In order to provide the best environment for the dogs and the holiday staff, we have set up some “holiday criteria” that we hope will help people understand how we select dogs for the holidays. Dogs who are selected eat well, get along well with others, are quiet and have clean indoor behaviors.

During the high-volume holiday times at the Palace, staff are here caring for dogs instead of being with family and friends. A group of dogs usually settles in and stays for a week or so at a time, and we’re hoping to have a group of dogs that are relatively quiet, play well together, and eat well–a nice experience for all.

We will take names throughout the year for the holidays (Spring Break, Thanksgiving, and Christmas), choose dogs from that list that meet the criteria, and let people know at least 2 months in advance if their dog (or dogs) is part of the “holiday group” for whichever holiday. For example, for Spring Break in March we will let you know by mid-January–at the latest–if your dog has a room at the Palace for the Spring Break holiday.

And just to help clarify, when we talk about the holidays we mean Spring Break week (whatever dates the University of Iowa observes for its spring break), the Wednesday before Thanksgiving ’til the Sunday following Thanksgiving, and the 22nd of December ’til the 2nd of January. We will do check in/outs on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and if Christmas or New Year's Eve falls on a Thursday.

We’re trying to make this as simple and straightforward as possible, but if you have any questions let us know. Hopefully the take-home report you receive when you pick up your dog will help shed light on your dog’s behavior while (s)he’s here at the Palace, and help you better understand the decisions we make.