​FAQ's

While every dog ages differently, we generally follow the life-stage guidelines that are recommended by many veterinary professionals.  Typically, this includes:

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• Small Dogs (under 20 lbs):
  10-12+ years
   

• Medium Dogs (20-50 lbs):
  8-10+ years
   

• Large Dogs (51-90 lbs):
  7-8+ years
   

• Giant Dogs (over 90 lbs):
  6-7+ years

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Age is only one part of understanding a senior dog. Breed, size, overall health, mobility, sensory changes, cognitive function, stamina, and individual aging all influence what the senior years look like for each dog.

At Grala Pet Care Group, our Canine Enrichment Specialists are professionals trained to provide thoughtful and individualized enrichment that supports a senior dog's physical, cognitive, sensory, and emotional wellbeing.

Our Specialists understand that aging can bring changes in mobility, stamina, confidence, sensory abilities, cognition, and behavior. They are trained to recognize subtle changes in how a senior dog moves, communicates, engages, and responds to their environment, allowing activities and interactions to be continually adapted to the individual dog.

Rather than following a one-size-fits-all enrichment plan, your Specialist gets to know your dog's personality, preferences, abilities, comfort level, and communication style. This allows enrichment to evolve alongside your senior dog throughout their golden years.

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Whenever possible, your dog will work with the same Canine Enrichment Specialist, allowing familiarity and trust to develop over time and giving the Specialist the opportunity to notice subtle changes that may otherwise be easy to miss.

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Every member of our team is also Fear Free® Certified and Pet First Aid & CPR Certified, fully insured and bonded, and committed to providing gentle, compassionate, relationship-based enrichment for senior dogs.

Every relationship with Grala Pet Care Group begins with getting to know you and your senior dog. You can reach out to us by phone, email, or through our website, and we'll begin with a conversation about your dog, what you're looking for, and how we may be able to support them during their senior years.

If we mutually agree that this could be a good fit after our phone call, we'll schedule your Initial Consultation & Assessment. Before we meet, you'll receive a welcome email inviting you to activate your Grala Client Portal and share some important information about your dog. This gives us an opportunity to learn a little about them ahead of time so our consultation can be focused on the things that matter most to you and your dog.

During the consultation, we'll spend time together in your dog's own environment, getting to know their distinct personality, abilities, preferences, daily life, and the little things that make them uniquely them. Your Specialist will also have an opportunity to interact with and observe your dog at their own pace while you have plenty of time to ask questions and learn more about how our services may fit into their life.

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The consultation is also our opportunity to make sure the relationship feels right on both sides. We want you to feel completely comfortable entrusting your dog to us, and we want to be confident that our Specialists can safely and appropriately support your dog's individual needs.

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If we decide that our enrichment sessions are the right fit, we'll take care of the remaining details together — choosing the services and initial schedule that work best for your senior dog, confirming how your Specialist will access your home, completing any remaining agreements, and placing a valid payment method on file for future services.

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Once everything is in place, your dog's Grala enrichment experience can begin.

The Initial Consultation & Assessment is a one-hour, in-home meeting that allows us to get to know both you and your senior dog before beginning services.

During our time together, we'll learn about your dog's daily routine, medical history, mobility levels, personality, emotional wellbeing, sensory abilities, enrichment preferences, and any changes you've noticed as they've aged. We'll also discuss anything that may affect their comfort, confidence, participation, or enjoyment of enrichment activities.

Your Canine Enrichment Specialist will spend time getting to know your dog while observing their body language, movement, communication style, confidence, and comfort level. Depending on your dog's interests and abilities, this may include gentle interaction, simple enrichment activities, scent exploration, or simply allowing your dog the time and space to become comfortable with someone new.

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The consultation also gives us an opportunity to discuss which of our services may be most appropriate for your dog and how those services can be individualized around their abilities, preferences, and changing needs.

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​By the end of the consultation, we’ll have determined whether Grala Pet Care Group is the right fit for you and your dog while beginning to establish the trust, familiarity, and understanding that form the foundation of every successful relationship within our practice.​ 

Following your Initial Consultation & Assessment, we will work with you to schedule enrichment appointments that fit your senior dog’s unique needs. Appointments may be scheduled individually or, for families who prefer a more consistent routine, on a recurring weekly basis.   

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Once established as a Client, you may request individual enrichment appointments through the Grala Client Portal. Appointment requests are not automatically confirmed and are subject to Grala Pet Care Group’s review and availability. Once your request has been approved, your appointment will be confirmed and added to your schedule.

Recurring weekly appointments are coordinated directly with Grala Pet Care Group to establish a consistent schedule. If you need to adjust an upcoming appointment or recurring schedule, please contact us and we’ll work with you to find another available appointment time whenever possible.

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Your secure Grala Client Portal provides one convenient place to manage appointment requests, communications, invoices, payments, service documents, and appointment information. Through your Client Portal, you can:

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• Request individual enrichment appointments

​• View upcoming appointments
• Receive appointment reminders
• Review invoices and payment history
• Update payment information
• Access important documents and service information

A valid payment method must be kept on file, and all appointments are paid in advance.

Recurring weekly appointments:

You will be billed in advance for the following week’s scheduled sessions. AutoPay is processed each Thursday at 9:00 AM using the payment method on file, and only appointments scheduled for the upcoming service week are included in that charge.

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Periodic enrichment appointments:

Payment is processed using the payment method on file once your requested appointment has been reviewed, approved, and confirmed by Grala Pet Care Group.

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Caregiver Coaching:

Payment in full is required to confirm your appointment and is processed using the payment method on file.

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Credit cards, debit cards, and other electronic payment methods made available through the Client Portal may be accepted. Cash may be accepted for gratuities only.

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Please note: For new Clients, enrichment appointments may be requested or scheduled once your Initial Consultation & Assessment has been completed, we’ve mutually determined that Grala Pet Care Group is the right fit for your senior dog, all required service documents have been completed, and a valid payment method is on file.

Yes. Grala Pet Care Group is a fully licensed, insured, and bonded LLC. We’re happy to provide proof of insurance upon request.

​​​Because Grala Pet Care Group maintains a limited Client roster and reserves appointment times exclusively for each senior dog, adequate notice is important when an appointment needs to be cancelled. Late cancellations may leave a reserved appointment time that cannot reasonably be offered to another Client. 

3 Days or More Days Notice:
Appointments cancelled at least three (3) business days in advance are eligible for a full refund.  At the Client's preference, payment may instead be applied toward a rescheduled appointment.  

Less than 3 Days Notice:
Appointments cancelled with less than three (3) business days notice are non-refundable.

Submitting a Cancellation:
Cancellation requests may be submitted through the Grala Client Portal. A cancellation is considered received when it has been submitted through the Client Portal and then acknowledged by Grala Pet Care Group. Cancellation eligibility will be based on the date and time the request was originally submitted.

​​​​Business Days:
For purposes of this cancellation policy, business days are Monday through Friday, excluding days Grala Pet Care Group is closed. Saturdays, Sundays, and recognized practice closures are not counted when determining the cancellation-notice period.

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​Unexpected Emergencies:
We understand that genuine emergencies can occur with little or no notice. In these circumstances, Grala Pet Care Group may waive the cancellation policy or apply the appointment payment toward a rescheduled session at our discretion. 

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Cancellations by Grala Pet Care Group:
If Grala Pet Care Group must cancel an appointment, the Client will receive a full refund or, at their preference, payment may be applied toward a rescheduled appointment. 

​Grala Pet Care Group operates on a Monday thru Friday schedule throughout most of the year. While the practice is closed on certain holidays and during our annual year-end practice break, appointments are available on select federally observed weekday holidays.

​​​​HOLIDAY APPOINTMENTS:
Grala Pet Care Group offers appointments on the following holidays:

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 
Presidents Day 
Juneteenth 
Columbus Day 

Veterans Day

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Appointments on these days are offered during our regular business hours and are subject to availability. 

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Recurring Appointments:

Clients with a regularly scheduled enrichment appointment that falls on the holidays listed above may keep their usual appointment as scheduled.  If the Client does not wish to schedule services on that holiday, our regular Cancellation & Refund Policy applies. 

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Annual Practice Break:
Grala Pet Care Group closes for the final two weeks of each calendar year.  Recurring appointments that fall during the annual practice break will not be scheduled or billed.  Regular appointments will resume when the practice reopens in the new year. ​

No. Grala Pet Care Group operates Monday thru Friday and does not offer Saturday or Sunday enrichment appointments.

Our weekday-only schedule allows us to maintain a thoughtfully coordinated appointment calendar while providing the consistency, focused attention, and relationship-based enrichment that are central to our practice.