Ask An Expert

About Heidi Flammang

Chat with Heidi Flammang, owner of Camp Bow Wow, the nation’s largest dog day and overnight boarding facility, about what to look for in a care facility and how to socialize your dog. Questions and their answers are listed with the most recent first. Click here to ask a question of your own.

If Heidi Flammang had a tagline, it would be “it’s all about the dogs.” When Heidi was 25, she and her husband Bion were visiting her father’s flooring business in Colorado, when a doggie kennel moved into the warehouse next door. Passionate dog lovers, Heidi and Bion formulated a plan for developing a doggie day care facility that was really all about the dogs, a place where pet parents would feel comfortable leaving their furry kids for a day or overnight stay. Shortly thereafter, Bion died in a tragic plane crash, and Heidi’s life changed completely.

While the pain and suffering of losing her true love was overwhelming, in 2000 Heidi’s brother decided to help her realize her and Bion’s dream. They opened their first Camp Bow Wow location in Denver, CO, and shortly thereafter, a second location in Broomfield, CO. One of their clients suggested looking into franchising, and they began this process in 2003. Today there are 45 Camp Bow Wow franchises open across the US, with another 40 or so to open by the end of 2007. Overall, they’ve sold more than 185 franchises across the US and Canada, with the model being true to her passion: “where a dog can be dog.” Camp Bow Wow has been called “The Ritz” of doggy day care, designed to provide the highest levels of fun, safety and service for its campers and peace of mind for their parents.

Gerald Gallant asks:

Hi there!

I have 2 three-year-old female scottish terriers. They’re reasonably well behaved, but there is one issue I would like your feedback on. Once in a while, not often, when we’re walking them on leash and we meet another dog or another person, one of my girls goes haywire. Like I said, it only happens once in a while.

My girls have been going to doggy daycare at least once a week since they were three months old. They get along very well with other dogs. We’ve never had an issue with them at daycare.

I’m wondering if she’s trying to protect me. Any idea how I should deal with this issue?

Thank you.

carole asks:

Hi Heidi,i adopted a 9 year old female cocker from a rescue in Georgia where she was for the last 2&1/2 years.she spent most of that time in a cage.
i have 2 males;9 yrs cocker & 12 yrs poodle.At first every thing was fine.Then one night while we were watching tv Shea began to growl at the other dogs?
Very scary growling!
This has now begun in my bedroom,where we like to congregate.If anyone walks by or walks in Shea growls & barks ferociously,Shea is 20 lbs.she has bitten me twice.
once called for a trip to the emergency room.i hired a
trainer who wouldn’t work “with dogs that bite”?
i called the rescue where i found Shea.Voila’they know nothing about any biting from Shea?
I’ve grown to love Shea. 99% of the time she is so sweet
& adorable & i could not allow her to live in a cage again.
We seem to be making a little progress. We don’t allow her to ever be the Alpha Dog etc.She loves her new crate
with bedding.
We just can’t walk into the my bedroom as she seems to be guarding it.Sometimes she & I are alone in the bedroom
and she might start growling at me for no apparent reason???
That has been abating slowly.
Please,Heidi,do you have any advice for me regarding Shea?
I bought the Pet Best ins.I couldn’t for stuie my poodle as he’s getting chemo-therapy right now.
I do plan to donate to the cancer studies affiliated with Pet Best Ins.
Thank you very much
Carole Sciallo

yvonnie asks:

Hi, My rottweiler puppy was accidently hit by a car. She is 8 weeks old. I’ve taken her to 2 veternarians and they estimate the cost of her surgeries to be $4000 at least or more. Both of them recommended putting her to sleep. She is 8 weeks old and weighs about 14 pounds. We have named her Berry. The second veternarian said that she is not in any pain and recommends taking our time to put her to sleep. We are very much against putting her to sleep. I am a stay at home mom and my husband and I have 7 children. We do not have the funds for her surgery, but we still don’t want to put her to sleep. Berry back to legs are broken and she has a hernia. She has no internal injuries. Berry uses her two front legs to walk around and to use the bathroom. She even tries to walk with three of her legs. Berry has alot of fight in her. I don’t know what else to do. Can please offer me some advice? It has been 1 week now that Berry has been hit by a car.

Heidi Flammang responds:

Hi there – I’m so sorry to hear about your pup! Harrison Memorial Hospital in Denver does low cost vet care and could help, but I’m not sure where you live? You can also see the link below – there are some great suggestions…good luck and let me know if you can’t find a solution, I’ll research some others.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/what_you_can_do_if_you_are_having_trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html

Sutonia Paul asks:

My sister has taken her dog, which is a rotweiler to two vetenarians due to damages to her hind legs. The dog, who’s name is Strawberry was diagnoised with two broken hind legs. They were told that the surgery would be at lest 4,000 dollars not including some therapy after the surgery. They also have suggested putting the puppy to sleep, which is 8wks old, this is a last resort for my sister and is trying to find a sponsor for Strawberry. Do you have any resources or suggestions.

Heidi Flammang responds:

see above

Joan Weston asks:

can you please let me know of any ongoing or completed studies which are examining the behavioral fallout and manifestation of stress from the use of positive punishment or excessive corrections in training.

thank you;
Joan W

Heidi Flammang responds:

Hi Joan – I asked several industry experts and several suggested you peruse the IAABC website www.iaabc.org

Another expert referenced a study, “Considerations for shock and ‘training’ collars: Concerns from and for the working dog community.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , Pages 103 – 107

Finally, another expert commented, “The e-collar is the only standardized aversive stimulus that could be used in a comparable manner across trainers and dogs. There is one clean study in horses where they contrasted horses that learned specific tasks with food reinforcement and those that learned the same tasks by moving away from pressure. Both groups of horses were comparable in their learning although the food reward horses showed some behaviors that suggested a positive conditioned emotional response (spending more time at the front of their stalls, higher heart rates in anticipation of training sessions, etc.). Again that’s negative reinforcement but you can’t use positive punishment to train a behavior and so it’s unlikely that a study could be conducted cleanly on the use of punishment in a training context.”

Hope that helps!

hjeter asks:

Last year I heard a lot about canine flu. Is this still a big problem?

Heidi Flammang responds:

Researchers are hard at work on a cure or vaccine but yes, it’s still out there. We haven’t seen any cases involved with our Camps but have heard of cases in certain areas through veterinarians. You can read more about canine ful at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318124104.htm

Tina asks:

Are there any dogs not allowed at your camps? My dog is pretty small and I don’t want him to freak out.

Heidi Flammang responds:

It’s based on how they do in the interview process – if they are too possessive, aggressive or shy/unhappy there we will recommend another alternative! Your small pup will be playing with other pups his size and temperament so he’ll have a wonderful time!

surfdog asks:

My dog is old and still intact, he loves to play with other dogs and there has never been any "problems" at the dog parks. I'd love to bring him to a more controlled environment though, is that an issue at doggie daycare?

Heidi Flammang responds:

Hi SurfDog!

Unfortunately at our Camps, dogs over 6 months of age must be spayed and neutered...but there are other dog day cares and facilities that would accept your pup - probably not an all day play environment but at least some controlled group play. You might also consider a dog walker that will come to your home and take your pup to the local dog parks for you during the day!

woofwoof asks:

What would a typical day at Camp Bow Wow consist of?

Heidi Flammang responds:

Hi woofwoof!

A typical day at Camp is filled with games of chase, romping with friends, lounging in the sun, playing in the paw pools and hanging out with their favorite Camp Counselors getting lots of love! You can watch your pup's activities by logging on to the public accessible live Camper Cams - beware, you'll get addicted to tracking your dogs fun!

hjeter asks:

What kind of vaccinations does my dog need to have before going to Camp Bow Wow or a similar doggie day care?

Heidi Flammang responds:

Hi Hjeter!

Your dog will need Rabies, Distemper and Bordatella vaccinations before they can play in a day care environment. The Bordatella vaccination protects against Canine Cough - a type of doggy cold that is very contagious - but please know that it doesn't guarantee your dog won't get it...the vaccine only covers about 60% of the strains of bacteria that cause the infection.

You can also consider Frontlne or Advantix to protect against fleas and the Giardia vaccination if you are in an area where Giardia is common (like Colorado!).

Each Dog Day Care's requirements are different so check with the one you'll be attending but Camp Bow Wow requires the ones mentioned in the first paragraph.

Blakely asks:

Hi Heidi, My dog is elderly and while he likes to play with other dogs, he needs lots of rest. He also has to take medicine twice a day. Can Camp Bow Wow cater to his needs?

Heidi Flammang responds:

Hi Blakely!

Yes, we absolutely can help out your older furry friend...we have a Small Dog/Old Dog Lounge that allows for our older pups to have a lot of breaks and take it easy when they need to. Camp Bow Wow Camp Counselors are experienced in administering medications and we do not charge extra for doing so.

Kelly asks:

My dog sometimes gets aggressive around other dogs and I am nervous to leave him at day care. How can I see if he might be able to spend time at day care?

Heidi Flammang responds:

Hi Kelly!

A lot of dogs act very differently in a day care environment than when they are around you. You can certainly try doggy day care for your pup, just make sure to visit a facility that has a temperament test and trial process. Be honest with them about his/her issues and make sure you feel comfortable that they know how to deal with dogs that have aggression issues. Most successful day cares are good at evaluating pups and testing the waters in a play environment. It may just help your furry friend become more social and less grumpy around other dogs. Good luck!

Ask your question.

Your name:
Your email:
Your question:

Note: your email address will only be available to the Expert in case they need to follow up on your question. It will not be published publicly or otherwise distributed.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: MAF’s Ask An Expert pages are intended to produce positive, valuable, information and dialogue on topics of animal health, welfare and our celebration of animals. Please respect fellow readers via simple good manners; such as refraining from any profanity, personal attacks, or self-serving promotion of a business. MAF will remove any posting we judge inappropriate. MAF urges you not to accept any suggestions on animal health treatments without prior consultation with your licensed veterinarian.