BnR’s Pup Parent Handbook

Welcome to Bark n’ Roll!

Thank you for checking out Bark n’ Roll! We provide a customized experience for every dog and his or her guardians with an emphasis on appropriate social interactions, positive training, enrichment, rest and of course fun. Our skilled and dedicated staff strives to offer your dog the highest level of care in a safe, fun and interactive environment.

History of Bark n’ Roll

Bark n’ Roll is the creation of North Reading native Francine Coughlin. She has a film & tv BS degree from Boston University, and spent her early career living in London and Los Angeles working in the production and development side of film and television. While living and working in LA, she was fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented clicker trainers in the world as well as some of the most incredible animals. She began to volunteer at various dog shelters and rescue centers, finding this to be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling use of her time. In 2010, after moving back to the East Coast, Francine was called to dedicate her career to her love for all things canine and Bark n’ Roll was born!

Bark n’ Roll has gone from a single dog walker with a vision to a multi-service, all-inclusive, flourishing business of equal parts professionalism and heart. Francine is the proud guardian of seven rescue pups (some with disabilities and with terrible starts to life before rescue): Nelly, Bettie, Stewie, Squiggy, Sugar, Mickey & Pinky, and one lovely human daughter, Ophelia. Francine is an ABC (Animal Behavior College) certified dog trainer (Honors Graduate) & mentor, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), an American Kennel Club (AKC) Certified Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and S.T.A.R. Puppy Evaluator as well as a Certified Service Dog Coach. She specializes in behavioral modification training work with even the most challenging of pups, who she finds are commonly misunderstood by their humans. Her goal is to bridge the communication gap between our two species.

Francine has donated many hours to working with shelters and rescues and has taken in fosters to spring them from the shelter system and train and socialize them to make them more adoptable in order to find their forever families. In 2017 she founded BnR’s Rock n’ Rescue, a 501 c 3 non-profit rescue organization, whose driving motto is to “rescue all the dogs,” and with so many hands helping and such a far reach, she believes they just might!

Francine was honored to receive the 2020 Commonwealth Heroine Award nominated by Senators Brad Jones & Bruce Tarr for her social justice and rescue work in our community and beyond. 

Canine Culture at Bark n’ Roll

At Bark n’ Roll we treat all pups as if they are our own. We focus on allowing dogs to be dogs and individuals, but also giving guidance on human expectations of manners, reinforcing positive behaviors and discouraging negative ones. For example, dogs are asked to sit and wait before being allowed access through doors and gates, they are not allowed to jump up on people unless invited, and digging is only allowed in appropriate areas. We truly strive to bring out the Rock Star in your dog.

We use a variety of positive reinforcement techniques to mark good choices. One of these techniques is referred to as “kibbling,” which is exactly what it sounds like. A pup is rewarded for making a good choice by receiving our premium kibble. Read more about the kibble we use daily.

Your pup’s day is a structured one. This is not a free for all, where staff act as lifeguards. Pups are worked into groups, practicing their cues and manners along the way and handsomely rewarded by joining their friends in a day full of social interaction and tons of fun.

The staff plays training, exercise and enrichment games with the dogs throughout the day to stimulate them mentally as well as physically. There is plenty of romping and play, and dogs are matched with dogs with similar play styles to ensure their safety and comfort. We use positive reinforcement techniques and promote structured, appropriate play. Bark n’ Roll is committed to developing a partnership with guardians. Transparency and proactive communication with guardians about their dogs’ behaviors and interactions during their time with us is paramount. Dogs, like people, have good days as well as bad and we feel it’s important for guardians to know this.

Dogs are grouped according to a variety of factors including size, behavior, play style, and age. We keep our group sizes manageable and fluid. All play groups are supervised by Jam Session Instructors and organized by our Daycare & Boarding Director. Our team is singularly focused on the dogs in their care. Instructors are in constant communication with our Program Directors allowing for adjustments in the groups throughout the day. We maintain a ratio of leaders to dogs in their care keeping the group sizes small and more manageable ensuring the safety, individualized care, and training standards we believe are essential to the success of any canine group social experience.

While boarding with us, pups spend their days in the appropriate social group and their nights in custom state-of-the-art tempered glass enclosures or airline or wire crates, whichever feel more like home to them.

Please see the daycare or boarding sections of this website for all daily add-on options such as snacks, massages, one on one training sessions and even private meal time with a favorite instructor as well as our Tour Bus transportation services to Reading and North Reading in the BnR Tour Bus!

Our Facility

Our facility was designed for the safety and comfort of the dogs, as well as for ease of use, functionality, and cleanliness.

We have four indoor play areas and five outdoor yards. Our main indoor space comprises over 7,000 square feet separated into four play areas and several boarding and rest time areas retrofit with easy to clean and sanitize materials including custom epoxy flooring (providing gentle grip for doggie paws and durable enough to withstand our rigorous cleaning routine). Our outdoor play spaces are securely fenced in and have gates to holding areas that lead to inside gates to the yards for maximum security. The outdoor spaces also feature playground equipment, large tires, and doggie pools for use during warm weather as well as access to fresh water for drinking, playing and cleaning.

Our suites were custom built by Mason Company for our facility maximizing resting space for each dog. The walls and doors are solid, constructed with a waterproof, scratch-resistant material that is easy to clean and sanitize. The doors are made of tempered glass with built-in venting for air flow as well as built-in food and water bowls that can be changed without opening the enclosure door. The suites provide the dogs with their own space while they stay with us and they are cleaned after each use.

Our gate plus door system throughout our facility is an added safety measure, assuring that all dogs remain in the areas that they are assigned to with supervision.

A Typical Day at Bark n’ Roll

Our day begins by taking our overnight boarding guests out for bathroom breaks/playtime while we clean their suites and begin intake for the day’s daycare and boarding guests. Dogs are not simply placed in groups, but are worked into group by completing several steps that prepare both their bodies, minds and decision making skills for group social interaction. Dogs are asked to calmly wait in their enclosures, stand or sit when their enclosure is opened, walk appropriately on lead, wait at each entrance and enter spaces in a respectful manner. The goal of these exercises is to allow the dogs to make proper choices and learn to value their human leaders. We bring the boarding dogs in for breakfast and allow time for their stomachs to settle before we add them to our existing groups for playtime. Throughout the day the dogs are rotated between our indoor/outdoor play areas as well as given nap/rest time in their suites at midday. It is important for dogs to have periods of play and periods of rest. We will also implement breaks to lower arousal levels of high energy dogs that play to without appropriate self regulation. Dogs that do not do well in the suites will be able to rest in a play area. At midday, we feed any dog that has lunch and after they have eaten and their stomachs have settled we add them back into the group rotation. In the evening we again feed the boarding dogs, allow their stomachs to settle, and then bring them out for bathroom breaks/play/cuddle time before going to bed for the night.

Your Dog’s First Day

When you arrive, a staff member will secure your pup with a lead and return your leash and/or harness to you. Once you leave we will slowly introduce them, one by one, to dogs of different sizes and play styles. We are trying to get a sense of the group in which they will be the most comfortable and have the most fun. We evaluate your dog’s behavior, body position, signals, and how well they read/interact with other dogs. We let your dog “tell” us that they are comfortable before adding other dogs and before adding them to a group. Once they are comfortable we will add them to their group for a fun day. If they are not comfortable we will make recommendations to help them become more comfortable that may include training or short “acclimation” sessions on slower days or additional days to allow them time to settle in. It is important to note that some dogs are not daycare candidates and that is completely normal and acceptable. We will always recommend what is best for your dog while with us.

We will update you midday on how he or she is doing and send home a printed evaluation sheet with our notes at pickup.

What should you bring for your dog?

Daycare Only

1.  Your pup!
2.  Collar and Leash – All dogs arriving to and exiting from the property shall remain under leash control. We discourage any interactions between dogs in the parking lot or lobby or elsewhere on BnR property, and ask that parents honor this policy by keeping dogs under leash control until turned over securely to a Bark n’ Roll employee. This includes not opening car doors and trunks to allow dogs to be leashed after the fact.Collars and leashes as well as other accessories including flea and tick collars left with your dog for the day may be stored in assigned cubbies until pickup. Collars may be left on dogs who arrive wearing them while with us at our team’s discretion. The use of button battery trackers/products such an Air Tags are not permitted and they can not be worn while in our off leash programs. Any clothing or accessories worn by your dog will be removed prior to your pup joining a group unless previously discussed with a Bark n’ Roll employee. We are not responsible for the loss of or damage to any items sent with your dog.Martingale style collars are not permitted in off leash play as they can pose a safety risk. Please send your pup in wearing only a flat buckle or snap collar unless you have cleared another type directly with a team member or your pups needs to be taken inside or back outside on a martingale or harness for their safety.
3.  Food (optional) – If your pup is accustomed to a midday meal or snack, you are welcome to bring a lunch or treat for them to enjoy during our scheduled nap time. We charge a $5.00 fee to administer lunch.  Please make sure all baggies or containers are labeled clearly with your pup’s name. Frozen Kongs & gourmet cookies and other add-ons may also be purchased for an additional fee.

Overnight Boarders

We ask that all items be labeled with the dog’s first and last name with a type of permanent labeling, such as permanent marker or sturdy tag. If items are received unlabeled, staff will label the personal belongings with permanent labeling. Please do not remove our labels if your pup will be returning to us.

1. Your happy healthy pup!
2. Collar and Leash – Our policy is that all dogs arriving and exiting the building remain under leash control. We discourage any interactions between dogs in the lobby and ask that parents honor this policy by keeping dogs under leash control until turned over to a Bark n’ Roll employee. Upon drop-off, a Bark n’ Roll employee will secure your pup on a lead and return to you your pup’s leash and harness for you to take with you. Collars will be left on your pup during off leash play at our team’s discretion. 
3. Food – All boarding pups are required to bring enough food for the extent of their stay. Food must be in a secure bag or container with clearly written or typed feeding instructions included. We highly recommend portioning out the food per meal. Additional snacks are also welcome or can be purchased as add-ons. We ask that guardians refrain from sending rawhides, bully sticks, marrow bones and any other potential choking hazardous items.
4. Bedding – If desired, parents can bring specific bedding. Otherwise, our own bedding will be provided. We are not responsible for any damage your dog causes to items from home during their stay.
5. Toys – All toys and comfort items will be inspected by staff and only allowed with dogs if it’s determined that they are safe to use while in rest time. We are not responsible for any damage your dog causes to items from home during their stay.

Medications

We are happy to administer most medications that dogs may require (including injections) at no additional cost. Please discuss your dog’s medication needs with us prior to his/her stay.

Rest & Recovery Post-Daycare / Boarding

While with us, your dog will likely be very active and stimulated both mentally and physically. This increased stimulation can sometimes cause stress for your dog. Stress can be both positive and necessary for development, and negative and have the potential to suppress the immune system, cause temporary behavior changes and/or increased arousal. Temporary behavior changes can occur as a result of unfamiliar surroundings. We mitigate issues by asking guardians to allow dogs to acclimate with some exposure to our environment prior to any long term stays. We will recommend the duration of the exposure that we feel is best for your dog.

Eating habits can change when staying away from home and dogs will often consume food differently. They may eat every morsel and put on a few pounds. Some dogs lose weight even though eating well or lose weight by not eating enough. Time spent at Bark n’ Roll can be very exciting, and some dogs lose weight from exercise as they run, wrestle, and enjoy time with the other dogs. Boarding dogs often leave the facility exhausted but happy, and sleep a lot the first couple of days they are home. Daycare dogs, though super frisky when they see you, often are fast asleep in the car by the time you drive out of the parking lot. Some do have a final energy burst when they come home, which is also normal.

Help prepare your dog for daycare by establishing a routine on daycare days. Help them recover by providing water, food, and allow them to rest and potty. Monitor their food and water intake prior to arriving to us. Too much of either can cause problems.

Help prepare your dog for boarding by getting them acclimated to our facility. Depending on the dog, we may recommend the duration. Maintain your routine on the day of drop off as much as possible. We will bring your dog in first and then bring his/her belongings once they are released to a Bark n’ Roll employee. Plan your packing in advance so as not to break out the suitcases the day before your trip to potentially cause anxiety. Help them recover by providing water, food, and allow them ample rest. Monitor their food and water intake prior to arriving with us.

In-Home Services at Bark n’ Roll

If your dog is not a “daycare dog” or “boarding dog” or you would like to do a combination of services, BnR offers a variety of in-home services in YOUR home to suit your needs, where your dog feels most comfortable. Whether you need help during work days or vacation pet- sitting, our caring, trained and insured and bonded staff can provide daily walks or jogs, potty visits, multiple sitting visits or overnight in-home sitting stays. We provide meet & greets in your home prior to providing in-home services including our transportation services. Our staff is able to maintain your routine for consistent, stress free care of your best friend. Advanced reservations are encouraged if you are going on vacation, to ensure we can accommodate your dates and payment is required at the time of booking to hold your dates should you book overnight sitting or vacation visits with us.

Training Programs at Bark n’ Roll

We embrace the opportunity to give dogs guidance to help navigate life with their human families and the outside world. Dogs are special members of the family, usually bringing fun and happiness, but sometimes they need a little help with their manners or their humans need help understanding how to communicate with them and meet their needs; that’s where we come in. Our philosophy is to use positive reward-based training. When dogs figure out that a certain behavior will earn them a reward, they are generally very happy to repeat it. Many different classes are offered from puppy classes (AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy Course) to Canine Good Citizen (AKC C.G.C.) to special courses for reactive dogs (“Punky Pups”), scent-work courses, Recall workshops, loose-leash walking courses and tricks courses. One-on-one behavioral consultations as well as private lessons are also available at our facility, at your home as well as remotely. Please see our training page for schedules, registration forms and more information.

Health Concerns

While doggie daycare has great benefits for your dog, there are some health concerns that you should be aware of. Just like in a child’s daycare, dogs that attend daycare or board here at Bark n’ Roll are susceptible to “bugs” that are making the rounds in our area.

While the vaccinations that we require your dog to have do well to protect your dog from the more serious illnesses, dogs will occasionally pass along Bordetella (Kennel Cough), Giardia or the “Puppy Warts” virus (typically in dogs under 1 year of age) to mention the most common communicable illnesses. Naturally, dogs that are socializing have a greater risk of catching a common canine communicable disease. It should be noted that while we take great care in maintaining a clean/disease-free environment, guardians should be aware of this risk.

All dogs attending Bark n’ Roll must be free of fleas and we highly recommend that dogs be on a monthly flea and tick preventative even if holistic. If fleas are evident upon intake, we will provide a flea bath at the guardian’s expense and quarantine your dog until they are able to be picked up.

We highly recommend having a yearly fecal exam to check for parasites, worms, etc. If we observe parasites in a dog’s stool or unhealthy-looking stool, we will collect a sample, isolate the dog, and notify the guardians immediately.

Please do not send your dog to daycare if you notice that he or she is not feeling well. Signs of illness may include lethargy, coughing or hacking, sneezing, upset tummy, loose stool, and visible warts/growths in the mouths, on the eyes or on the paws. It is important to be sure that everyone does their best not to expose other pups to these illnesses. If we see obvious or suspected signs of communicable illness upon arrival, we reserve the right to refuse service until a vet has cleared your dog. If we suspect signs of illness while in our care he or she will be isolated from the group and kept comfortable until you are able to pick them up. We do not officially diagnose illness so you may want to consult a vet to be on the safe side, and we will need clearance of illness for your dog to return to our programs.

Please inform us of ANY allergy your dog might have, be it food, environmental or topical. We will discuss exposure procedures with you.

When dogs play at Bark n’ Roll, they may wrestle, run, jump, and chew on each other and generally “rough-house” as dogs do. Nicks, cuts, scrapes, and errant tooth punctures may happen during this play. We take great care in grouping dogs so they will all get along, as mentioned in the “Canine Culture” section, though occasionally there will be a disagreement or fight. Our staff is trained on how to safely and quickly diffuse and separate dogs in that situation to limit injury. If your dog is involved in an altercation or injured, we will provide care for your dog immediately and inform you as soon as we are able. We want to remind you that we are not responsible for any costs associated with injuries related to dog play while under our care. All costs must be assumed by the guardian of their dog should an incident occur. Of course we do everything possible to prevent incidents, but we are dealing with a species who may be quicker than us to move as well as change their moods at times.

Requirements

Bark n’ Roll, LLC requires that all dogs’ vaccinations be up to date. Copies need to be provided on or before the dog’s first day and updated before they become past due for as long as your dog attends our programs. Required vaccinations are as follows:

1. Rabies: after 12 weeks of age, by 6 months old
2. Distemper/Parvo Combo
3. Bordetella, or Kennel Cough Vaccine

We also highly recommend a yearly Fecal Exam (to check for roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, giardia, coccidia, and tapeworm) and flea and tick preventative maintenance. Clean fecal test results taken within 2 weeks of attending our program is required to begin attendance or after a long break from attendance.

All dogs must be spayed or neutered by 7 months of age unless otherwise discussed. Intact dogs are not generally well accepted by altered dogs. We also do not want any BnR babies being made on our watch!

All pets need to be under leash control on the premises indoors/outdoors and we discourage any interactions in the parking lots or lobby. Your pup has groups of friends that we carefully organize and manage and you risk the safety of your dog/others as well as yourself/other humans when interacting on your own.

Daycare Hours

Monday – Friday
Drop off is between 7-9 am and pick up is between 4-6 pm

Saturday and Sunday
We offer weekend Jam sessions! Drop off is between 8-9 am and pick up is between 4-6 pm

Tours
We are not currently offering facility tours. We are required to limit the number of humans moving through the facility as we use all available spaces to run group and keep boarding dogs comfy, and we do not have hallways making it difficult to bring people though the facility without interrupting dogs at play, rest or in training. We have a virtual tour on our website as well as many pictures available on all our social media accounts that you can check out and we are available to answer any questions you may have! We are also happy to do a live Zoom tour with you if that makes you feel more comfortable.

Drop-off/Pick-Up and Lobby Hours / Etiquette Policy

Your dog needs to be leashed before leaving the car. Opening the lift gate or car door and letting your dog run loose to our staff or to the facility door is incredibly unsafe. Even if your dog tends to stay close, cars pulling in may not see your dog or we may have other dogs on leash nearby, who would not take kindly to another dog approaching him/her off leash. Please help us keep everyone safe! We do sell awesome clip in seat belts for $12 at the facility if you would like to purchase one to help keep your pup secure in the vehicle until our team member can get him/her on leash.

While staff is on the premises before 7:00 am, they need this time to attend to our boarding guests as well as to set up the facility for the day ahead. Please adhere to our strict drop-off window of 7:00 am — 9:00 am and pick-up window of 4:00 pm — 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. Our weekend hours are 4:00 — 6:00 pm for both pick up and drop off, unless otherwise approved in advance by our staff. Windows are subject to change on holidays or other special occasions with notice.

We ask you not to enter our lobby unless accompanied by a staff member as we have groups of playing dogs just beyond the door.

Scheduling

There are several ways that you can make reservations for your dog at Bark n’ Roll. Our preferred method for reservation requests is via Time To Pet, our online portal, by 5:00pm the evening prior. We encourage reservations being made at least one month in advance.

If you need to make a last minute reservation, please message us in the online portal to inquire about availability! No reservations are scheduled until you receive a confirmation from us.

We do have a daily capacity that we strictly adhere to in order to maintain our playgroup sizes for the safety and well-being of the dogs and team members alike. If our capacity has been reached on a day you are trying to make a reservation, your request will be denied and an explanation included. You will be added to our waitlist and contacted if a spot becomes available.

If a request has been submitted, until you receive a confirmation, the request has not been approved.

We are also able to enter standing reservations (i.e. every Mon and Wed) by setting up a template for your dog. We can schedule these for as far in the future as you would like. This is the best way to guarantee your dog a spot for daycare on a regular basis. Please, let us know if you would like to set up a weekly recurring schedule for daycare as this is our preferred method of scheduling.

We also maintain a waitlist for daycare spots on days that are fully booked. 
If you cannot bring your dog on a day that you have reserved, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can give your spot to someone else.

We allow for one uncharged cancellation per month; all others will be charged. We require cancellation be made at least 24 hours before the start of service (7:00 am) in order to avoid being charged for the day.

Early Drop-off / Late Pickup, No-Show Boarding

Arrangements can be made for Early Drop-off / Late pick-up within a reasonable time window for an additional $10 fee. These arrangements must be approved by our staff in advance. Please speak with a Bark n’ Roll Representative to schedule. You will be charged $1 per minute if you arrive late for pick-up window without notifying us well in advance. If you fail to pick up your dog during our pick-up window and we are unable to contact you, we will feed your dog and move him or her to boarding for the night. You will be assessed a “No-Show” full boarding fee and the food cost in addition to the normal boarding fees for the rate period.

Holiday / Peak Boarding

Due to increased demand for boarding over Holidays and School Vacations all boarding reservations must be paid in full at the time of booking. Cancellations for all boarding stays must be made at least 10 days before the start of service to receive a credit for future services. Any cancellations made after the 10 day period will result in the full fee being forfeited and no credit being kept on file.

Invoicing

We invoice via email through the Time to Pet Portal. Once we email your invoice you will be able to access it on the portal as well and pay online via credit card or ACH (directly from your bank account). You may also pay in cash or check in person or by mailing payment to 211 Main Street, North Reading, MA 01864. Checks should be made payable to Bark n’ Roll. Please let us know if you plan to pay by cash or check when the invoice is received. All credit cards are run 48 hours after invoices are sent out. If payment isn’t received by the due date on your invoice then you will be charged a late fee of $25 each week payment is late with the first late fee posting the day after the invoice due date. We require all Daycare and Boarding clients to keep a credit card or ACH payment method on file on the portal so that we may run your card after services are rendered unless otherwise discussed. An invoice will still be emailed to you for your records.

Fostering

Bark n’ Roll works closely with our 501 c 3 non-profit arm BnR’s Rock n’ Rescue. We promote adoption through our rescue group, and work with them to foster and train dogs while they wait for their forever homes. If you are looking for a new pet, we highly recommend you let us know. If you are open to fostering it truly saves lives and the rescue provides you with everything needed during a dog’s foster stay. If you would like more information, please contact our rescue at rescue@bark-n-roll.com. The website that includes available dogs is rescueallthedogs.org

Contact Us

The nature of working with dogs is quite physical and requires our 100% attention and energy. We are mostly email-based in our communication for this reason. Please email us should you want to set up a time to schedule a phone call. Otherwise we will answer/return all calls as soon as it is possible and safe to do so.

Our facility is located at 211 Main Street (Rt. 28) North Reading, MA 
Parking is available in front of our building as well as in front of 209.
Please DO NOT PARK at neighboring businesses or you will risk being towed.

Telephone:  978.604.2949
Email:  whatsup@bark-n-roll.com
Website: bark-n-roll.com

BnR’s Owner/Behavior Consultant/Rescue Founder Francine Coughlin is always happy to schedule a time to talk with you. Please email us should you want to connect with her directly.

Parental Acknowledgment

Please fill out and send the form below to us acknowledging that you have read and understand the information and the policies contained herein.