Welcome to Our Family!

To schedule an Assessment Day, first, submit a request here. We will get back to you confirming your reservation.

Instructions will then be emailed to you on how to complete your online registration. This includes uploading your pup's vaccination records and anything we need to know about them.

We are happy to care for pups of any size and weight, from four months old through adulthood. Pups may start as early as three months when also enrolled in our Puppy Foundations class.

For the well-being of all of our canine children, we ask that you not bring your pup if he or she is either aggressive or unusually fearful.

Similarly, your pup would be happier at home while recovering from an injury or illness.

Yes! Please do. No need to make an appointment; come by Colby's anytime, and we would be happy to show you around the facility. However, we ask that you do not bring your pup with you. If you would like to, please email us ahead of time with their vaccination records.

We require all pup parents to upload a photo or PDF of their pup’s vaccination certificate(s). We take health and safety very seriously and require certification from your vet that your little one has been vaccinated against:

• Bordetella (Canine Cough)
• DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis,
• Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus)
• Canine Influenza
• Leptospirosis
• Rabies

We also ask that your pup has an annual fecal screening. They also should not have ticks, fleas, or other pests and have any and all legal licenses.

Note: Sometimes, the DHPP vaccine includes an "L" for Leptospirosis.

Yes, we will collect a 100% deposit for all reservations and services upon confirmation of the reservation.

You may cancel any service, for any reason with 12 hours' notice for a full refund. All cancellation requests should be made my phone or email.

We welcome pups who have not been altered. By having multiple playrooms and small classes, we can create a class specifically for unaltered males and accommodate any well-behaved pup.

We ask that unaltered females remain at home while in heat.

Yes, walks are available to add to any Daycare or Sleepover reservation. Walks are $15 for once around the block. All walks are one-on-one, and we adhere to stringent safety protocols during walks, including physically clipping leashes to our belts and using Colby’s harnesses containing GPS tracking.

Walks are included for Platinum and Pedigree Memberships. Package holders receive a 50% discount.

Yes! Our pet parents are provided with an internal Facebook page to which we post regular pup-dates throughout the day! We also encourage you to stop by and take a peek at your pup anytime they are with us.

Join our Patrons Facebook group here.

While we open our doors promptly at 7 AM and close them just as promptly at 7 PM, you can call us at 202-418-4848, and we are happy to arrange drop-off as early as 6:30 AM for $10.00 or pickup as late as 10 PM for $15.00.

All pups like to have bedding or a blanket from home, and many also have a favorite toy. We encourage you to bring these loved items to us, which we will keep in your pup's personal space.

While we have raised beds for everyone, you are welcome to bring your pup’s own if that is his or her preference.

For Sleepovers, please be sure to bring enough food to cover their stay, plus a little extra. You can provide measure instructions or pre-measured bags, whichever works best for you.

Please also be sure to supply any medications your pup might need along with the prescription bottle and/or instructions.

Check-in starts at 7 AM on your Sleepover’s first day. Check-out is through 10 AM on the last day. Your pup can stay until noon for an additional $15 or the entire day (until 7 PM) as an additional day of Daycare.

We encourage you to drop off your pup as early as possible so they can work through the initial excitement of arriving long before bedtime.

In order to ensure that your pup enjoys their Sleepover, we ask that they spend a minimum of one day in Daycare (in addition to an Assessment Day) before a short-term stay at Colby’s.

Similarly, before staying for 4 or more nights, we ask for at least one short-term Sleepover.

A "Trusted Friend" is someone we can call if we cannot reach you. Unless your registration gives boundaries, we will entrust your Trusted Friend to make all decisions in your absence.

You are allowed to have up to three Trusted Friends and need to rank order them so that we know who to call first.

Your Trusted Friend will never have financial responsibility for their decisions. Our entire financial relationship is with you and you are responsible for all expenses incurred.

Similar to children on a playground, it’s possible for pups to sustain injuries while at a Daycare. During normal play, a pup may get scratches, nicks, or lose a bit of fur. More serious injuries are very rare.

If a more-than-minor injury occurs and treatment is needed, depending on the severity, we will first call one of our veterinary partners, you, or your veterinarian.

If we call a veterinarian first, you will be our very next call. If we call not reach you, we will call your Emergency Contact and then your Trusted Friend(s).

If your pup is a Colby’s Member, you can pause your membership should your pup become sick and unable to attend Daycare. All other reservations should be canceled via the customer portal or by calling or emailing with 12 hours' notice.

As soon as a pup is identified as contagious, they are removed from their playroom and isolated. They are then assessed by management. Their parents will then be called and notified.

If needed and deemed necessary, we may proceed immediately to one of our veterinary partners’ offices.

There is one clear exception to this rule. After significant study, consultation with veterinarians, and weighing the pros and cons, we have set the policy of not removing pups with the symptoms of the Papillomavirus. Here’s a bit about this virus to help explain why we decided upon this policy:

• There’s no way to avoid having your pup exposed to this virus - short of never having them around other pups. Most socialized pups have the virus, though only about 10% will show symptoms.
• Pups are contagious both before and after their symptoms are apparent, so you cannot know if your pup is going to be exposed by another dog.
• Once your pup has it, the virus benignly stays in their body for the rest of their life.
• There is neither a vaccination nor cure for the Papillomatous virus.
• While the symptoms can be a bit unsightly, the virus is not dangerous.
• Symptoms are most common in young pups, which is also a critical time period for socialization. Symptoms tend to last between one and five months, creating a period of prolonged improper socialization, which can have a negative impact on a pup for life. 
• Isolating pups doesn’t present an offsetting benefit since, as noted earlier, for every 1 pup presenting symptoms, there are 9 more who didn’t present symptoms but also spread the virus.

We pride ourselves on being the safest and cleanest Daycare facility in DC. In each playroom, walls, floors, kennels, and raised beds are cleaned three times a day with veterinary-grade disinfectant and Parvocide. Pups never share kennels, bowls, or food with another pup that is not in their family, and bowls are never reused without being thoroughly cleaned.