Good questions, straight answers.

Dachshunds and doxie mixes are my specialty, but other calm, well behaved small and medium dogs (roughly 40 lbs and under) are absolutely welcome, up to four from one family. What I can’t take are large or rowdy dogs, or dogs that aren’t house trained or tend to be reactive, so the home stays calm for everyone.

Over thirty years, several of my own, from puppyhood through their senior years. I know the burrowing, the stubbornness, the food opinions, and the body language that tells me a dog is happy or needs a quiet minute.

Yes. Current rabies, distemper (DHPP), and bordetella. Just send records before the stay; it protects every dog in the house, yours included.

Four guest dogs at a time, maximum. My own two, Susie and Brussel, live here and are separate from that count, so the busiest the house gets is six dogs total, and most weeks it is fewer. I take up to four dogs from one family, which means a single household can fill the guest side entirely. Groups are put together by size, age, and energy, and dogs who would rather not mingle don’t have to.

I typically come to you for the first meet & greet. Meeting your dog in their normal environment gives me a much better idea of their personality, temperament, and routine before they’re introduced to a new setting. It also gives us a chance to talk through anything I should know before their first stay. Since The Long Dog Co. operates from my private home, I don’t offer indoor home walkthroughs, but I’m always happy to send photos or video of the areas where the dogs spend their time.

Gladly. They’re some of my favorite guests. Your dog’s meds go on a written schedule I keep in the kitchen, with phone alarms so doses don’t drift, and I handle insulin, drops, and supplements. I’m gentle and patient with elderly dogs who need extra potty breaks, ramps, and a little grace on stiff mornings. I care for a 16-year-old regular myself, so senior life is familiar territory. Just walk me through your dog’s routine and I’ll follow it exactly.

More than okay, nervous pups are some of my favorites. A quiet home with no more than four guest dogs is exactly where they do best, and the free meet & greet lets us see how your dog feels before anything’s booked, no pressure either way.

In the house, on real beds. Most guests settle in the living room, and plenty end up on my bed, which is usually where they’d rather be. Crates are available and I’ll use one if that’s your dog’s routine and you ask me to, but nobody gets shut in a crate as a default. Bonded pairs stay together. Anyone who needs quiet, a senior, a small dog, or a guest who is not keen on company, gets their own room overnight.

It’s the question every doxie owner asks. IVDD can affect any dachshund, so I keep things gentle on their backs: no leaping off tall furniture, supported lifting, ramps where they help, and calm play. No scare tactics, just sensible, attentive care.

Yes. I work from home, so the dogs have company through the day. When I do head out for errands or dinner, I’m gone two hours at the most. Before I go, the doggy door is closed and locked, everyone stays inside, and a baby gate separates any dogs who shouldn’t be loose together while I’m out. Nobody is shut in a crate unless that’s your dog’s own routine and you’ve asked me to.

Plenty. A doggy door opens from the house to the back deck and the fenced back yard, so dogs can potty, sunbathe on the deck, and explore at their own pace while I’m home. When I leave the house the doggy door is closed and locked, and everyone stays inside until I’m back. Yard time happens with me out there, not on their own. One side of the yard is built up behind a retaining wall. Dogs go over to that edge only when I’m out there with them, so it isn’t somewhere they wander on their own.

Absolutely. Extended trips are easy, and your dog settles into a real routine. Ask me about snowbird and relocation stays.

Yes, and the price is published so nothing holds you up. Round-trip door-to-door transportation runs $50 to $80 depending on where you are: $50 for Canton and Holly Springs, $60 for Woodstock and Acworth, $70 for Marietta and Roswell, $80 for north Atlanta, out to about 35 miles. One way is half the round-trip price. Transportation is optional, and you are always welcome to drop off and pick up at my Canton home at no charge. Pickup and return times are arranged in advance and confirmed before the stay. See the full zone list.

A reservation deposit of one night at your household rate is requested after your stay has been personally reviewed and approved. The balance is invoiced after the stay. Life happens, so cancellations are free with 48 hours’ notice (7 days for holidays and peak weeks) and the deposit is refunded in full. Inside that window I keep the deposit, and that is the entire charge, nothing else is billed. I keep my numbers small, so a late cancel usually means I’ve already turned another family away.