Frequently Asked Questions

Daycare and Day School are very similar with one big difference – training! Dogs in our day school program along with a day of play and walks, receive one hour of training towards your designated goals with a certified trainer.

Dogs must be approved by our training team to move into a daycare-only role due to kennel availability. 

Awesome! If you haven’t done so already please create your profile by clicking HERE. This video will walk you through the portal and how to schedule. You may also give us a call at 786-529-7833, or email us at training@applauseyourpaws.com so that we can further assist you.

The answer is yes and no. 

We can work on the foundations and building blocks of what makes a dog a service dog, but you have to understand that not every dog, even after training, can withstand the demands of this line of work. Even after years of training and being part of breeding programs specifically for service work, facilities have dogs flunk out of service dog training.

When it comes to certification, there is none per the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information on service dogs and what it entails please visit the ADA site. 

Yes! If you’d like to tour our facility, it’s important you call ahead and make an appointment. We take the well-being of the dogs in our care seriously and, despite what people think, it’s stressful having strangers trek through your resting area all day long when you’re just trying to relax!

That’s why we require you to schedule a tour, especially, so we can have you come at a time that minimizes the stress of the animals in our care. The health and happiness of our dogs come first!

We share a parking lot with other businesses so in order to be considerate neighbors, please be mindful of your parking in the morning.

For morning drop-off, you can pull up directly to our bay doors for a quick dog hand-off to the trainers.

If you are dropping your dog off for the first time, are dropping off for boarding, and will be staying longer, please park in an “Applause Your Paws” labeled parking spot.

The other businesses are usually gone by 3 p.m., so afternoon pick-ups are not a problem.

AYP requires your dog to be up to date with Rabies, DHPP and Bordatella Vaccines, as well as proof of a negative fecal exam. We also strongly encourage and recommend dogs be vaccinated against Canine Influenza, make sure to speak to your vet about the reality of Canine Flu.

Both intact male and female dogs are welcome to play freely in our play groups with some restrictions.

All unaltered dogs will be charged an additional intact fee after the age of 7 months.

We won’t accept in-season females into our playgroups.
This is for the safety of all dogs, but most importantly, to prevent pregnancy in the female.

While we accept intact males, be mindful that they need to be rotated in and out of parks often, as they can be more selective with other dogs since they tend to cause challenges with other males.

Drop-off is between 8 am and 9 am. Pickup for Day School is between 4 pm and 6 pm.

Our board & train programs have a follow-up debriefing to help you learn how to maintain the training, which your trainer will coordinate with you for the lesson and pick-up.

Yes! For the safety of all our doggie guests, dogs must be on leash when brought into AYP. 

Please be mindful of keeping your dog from interacting with other dogs while on a leash unless all parties (including the dogs!) consent to engage together. 

Applause Your Paws provides all the beds, blankets, bowls, and toys. Please bring only your dog, their leash, collar/harness, and food. Bully Sticks or other fully edible chews are encouraged and will be given to your dog during rest times. We have an awesome Chew Bar in our retail area for you to purchase any chews you want at drop-off for your dog.

Please be advised that while we try to do our best to return any unfinished chews, this is not always the case for a variety of reasons – sanitation, misplacement while being chewed & kicked out of a kennel, etc.

For food, please bring additional portions for your dog’s stay, we tend to increase the amount of food dogs have per meal due to the amount of play they get, which normally is more than their day-to-day routine. If your dog could stand to lose a few pounds, then proceed with the same amount of food and consider this a weight loss bootcamp!

Dogs at AYP for Day School will eat treats/kibble throughout their training lessons.

We ask that you bring a ziplock bag of your dog’s kibble and treats to be used for training. Not all dogs are motivated to work for their own food in a new environment so your trainer will communicate with you if your dog will learn faster using treats. We also sell treats at our facility, which you can purchase at drop-off. 

If your dog is on a special diet, please let us know so that we don’t use any other treats or kibble. 

Some dogs are too distracted and stimulated during the day to drink water when it’s offered. We could offer it to them several times throughout the day and they will simply refuse to drink it! They’d rather be playing with friends or engaging in training.

Because we’re climate-controlled indoors they’re not hot enough to need water. It’s not unusual that a dog might get home and finally realize after a long day “I’m actually really thirsty! I didn’t realize I was this thirsty!”

Don’t worry, your dog has several points throughout the day when they’re offered water. We can provide it, but we can’t force them to drink!

If you see that your dog is thirsty, please offer your dog small amounts of water at a time. If they drink water too fast, some dogs will have it come back up! 

Working AND playing is exhausting! Dogs have a fun-filled day of activity that they may not be used to. Once they get to the comfort of home, they fall asleep. Many go to sleep as soon as they get in the car! 

One of our staff will get in touch with you immediately, to go over what the next steps should be. We ask all owners to provide us with an emergency contact who is in town (if you are traveling) and to complete a Veterinary Release form, should your dog need emergency medical attention, that form gives us & the vet permission to treat your dog as needed (at owner’s expense).

We would be happy to administer medications as needed, we charge a small fee of $3 per day. We ask that you provide any pill pockets, cheese or treats needed to pill your dog. Medication should be clearly labeled and it’s original packaging from the Vet.

Much like sending your kids to daycare or preschool, there is always a chance of catching a dog cold or getting a few nicks and scratches while wrestling with their friends. We do our very best to minimize the chances of this happening, but we appreciate your understanding that sometimes, life happens and dogs will be dogs.

If you ever see signs or symptoms of illness, please reach out to us and keep your dog home.
It’s a group effort to ensure the health and safety of all the dogs in our community and it’s by working together to reduce any spread. 

We have partnered with two amazing facilities for weekend and holiday boarding, SoMi Pet Resort in Dade County, and Social Pawz in Broward County. We will take care of arranging your dog’s stay for you. Please visit their websites for more information regarding their stays while there.

We are committed to making sure you are happy with our services and that you receive the help you came for.

Is the trainer you’re matched with not your cup of tea? We’re happy to switch out trainers for you to ensure you love your trainer — that’s why we have a large team of qualified professionals!

You are also welcome, at any point, to switch service types if another one will suit your needs better.

Unused services can be added as credits to your account, which never expires.

We’ll always honor the credit owed to you, whether you use it for other services or products from our retail store.

If at any point during training, you are unable to continue, we will refund you for services not yet rendered. With this refund, you will be charged at Applause Your Paws’ rate for single sessions, if purchased at a package deal. Processing fees will also be automatically deducted from the refund total.

Alternatively, any credit can be fully gifted to a family or friend, donated to training services for rescue dogs with Magic City K9, left on your account for later use, or used towards retail items.