Frequently Asked Questions
PLEASE NOTE: 2024 was our 11th and final year of OVERNIGHT vacation rentals at the Ranch and our calendar booked up quickly (and so did our wait list)! We plan to continue DAY VISITS for a few more years. More info about our phase-down-to-retirement plans in our Jan 1, 2024 announcement e-newsletter.
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Dog/Animal Questions
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Reservation Questions
- Is the Dog & Pony Ranch available on these specific dates?
- Do you charge for children?
- How do I make a reservation?
- Can I add more people/pets to my existing reservation?
- What is your change/cancellation policy?
- What are your check-in/out times?
Other Questions
- Do you have cell phone reception?
- Is your WiFi/internet fast and reliable?
- Do I need a 4WD? What type of road do you have?
- Can I bring my mountain bike to cycle on your trails?
- Are California fires/smoke affecting your area?
- Is there a place nearby to charge my electric vehicle?
And there is a web page dedicated to What to Bring recommendations for guests. If you have other questions, please contact Cyndi at owner@DogPony.com or 408-471-8757 (phone/text).
Dog Questions
Q: Is your property fully fenced?
A: YES! The guest private side yard has 6' high wrought iron fencing that is secure to prevent jumping/climbing dogs, and narrow mesh fence at the bottom so tiny dogs can't squeeze between the pickets. A 10'x10' chain-linked dog run is available at the pond if you want to keep pets confined while you enjoy lunch under the gazebo.
In addition, the full 60-acre perimeter has 4' high standard livestock wire "field fence" that keeps most dogs inside the property line with you though it's not intended to be foolproof since wildlife comes and goes. Several guests with “escape artist” dogs have reported that their dogs had no reason to challenge the field fence with 60 acres of clear trails already on the side with their people but it’s up to you whether you want to just let your dog off leash on the full property. Both fence types shown in photos below.
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Q: Will my dogs be safely separated from the ranch's livestock?
A: WE LOVE ANIMALS SO THEIR SAFETY IS A TOP PRIORITY TO US!!! Our horses, mini donkeys, and chickens are safely separated in ~10-acres of pasture on the east side of the 60-acre property with ~4' high cross-hatched "field fencing" that should keep most dogs out of the livestock area.
Our fencing is more secure than most livestock ranches who typically fence with 3-strands of wire. Our chickens have a predator-proof coop and run, and our cautious animal introduction routine should show if there should be concerns with a specific dog going near the livestock.
If you have very small or very determined high-prey drive dogs, we may recommend that you leash them when walking near livestock pastures since they might find a way to go over or under the fence. Children should be supervised at all times as well to ensure they don't open gates and go into the animal areas. Guests allowing their dogs to harrass our animals, or people going into the horse/donkey/chicken pens putting both themselves and our animals at risk will be asked to leave immediately per our rental agreement (our livestock areas are under constant video surveillance). So far, there have been no issues which means we're happy to continue sharing our unique dog-friendly farm-stay with rental guests!
Read more info about the Dog & Pony Ranch Barn Animals.
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Q: How many dogs can we bring? Are any breeds excluded?
A: We welcome ALL WELL-MANNERED dogs of any breed and size, even those un-neutered. We have accommodated many reactive dogs and will keep our dogs separated if necessary so your can enjoy the ranch without concerns about dog interactions. We have found that people traveling with dogs are typically responsible pet owners (e.g. please don't leave dogs by themselves at house if they will bark, scratch doors, or have accidents inside house, though dogs used to being left in crates are typically fine). We’ve hosted groups with many dogs so as long as the dogs get along well together, we're fine with up to 8 dogs. We aren’t fond of “pet fees” when we travel, so no additional charges for dogs (unless damages).
Pets should be up-to-date on Rabies vaccinations and NOT have any contagious diseases (Kennel Cough, Giardia, Parvo, Flu, etc. with vaccines recommended though not required). Dogs going inside the guest house should also be relatively flea free with recent tick treatment recommended during cold-weather tick season.
Top of FAQQ: Can we swim in the pond with our dogs? Can our dogs swim year round?
A: Yes and yes! Our lined pond (50' x 70' x 6' deepest point) is like a very large pool complete with aeration, circulation, AND filtration that runs daily. We have NEVER had fish/fishing (so no risk of fish hooks) and we DO use pool/pond chemicals (chlorine and algaecides) to keep water safe for people and their pets. It's not quite as clear as a typical pool but much cleaner than a natural pond. Of course, swim at your own risk and no diving.
Our well water keeps the pond full year round, and during the winter, our elevation doesn't get cold enough to freeze the water (occasionally a brief layer of ice at the shallow end). We are passionate about our water dogs who we designed our swimming pond for, so we always ensure the pond is ready for people and pets to enjoy!
Here is a photo of our pond while empty to better illustrate the equipment. Please avoid the aerator closest to beach. Floatable retrieval toys are fine but please do NOT throw rocks, etc. into the pond since they may damage the liner.
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Q: I've heard of cold/dead/limp tail -- should I worry about it with my dog swimming in the winter?
A: It shouldn't be a problem if you take precautions. Cold/dead/limp tail is basically a sprained tail that recovers after a few days (pain meds help) and not only based on water temperature (we had a Lab who loved to swim with the icebergs in the melting snow near Tahoe without any problems). When we competed with our Labs in dock diving, we learned a lot about limp tail after our first competition when it happened to one of our Labs.
Just like any athletic endeavor and especially in cold conditions, you shouldn’t overuse a muscle or you risk injury. A couple of guests with dogs who want to do many big jumps into the pond have gotten cold/dead/limp tails so we're now calling more attention to this FAQ. As long as we did a thorough warm up with rub down of our dogs’ bodies and tails before/after jumping into the water (and didn't allow too many big jumps that can tweak the tail on water landings), we haven't experienced limp tail again with our Labs, even dock-diving during cold weather.
Top of FAQQ: Is horseback riding available?
A: Yes, at least for 2025, though Buddy is 27 this year so can only do lead-line "pony rides" for small/light children. Rio is at his prime, so many guests have enjoyed learning how to groom and saddle a horse, practice riding in the arena and then taking the horses out for a short trail ride. Horseback riding is one of our Animal Extras so refer to that page for more info and pricing. We only have 2 horses -- not a large string of rental horses -- so it's best to contact Cyndi with your interests to see if we can accommodate. We also recommend several nearby horseback riding stables for longer trail rides with a larger group.
Q: Do you have rattlesnakes or other natural hazards?
A: No, there do not seem to be any rattlesnakes issues since none seen/heard in over 20 years on the property.
There are many lizards and have occasionally seen a harmless type of snake. As in most of California, the biggest hassles you may find are foxtails/stickers (mostly late summer) and ticks (mostly Nov-Apr) so be prepared and they shouldn’t cause problems. Under the kitchen sink, there is a dog comb that helps with sticker removal and tweezers if needed. Here's a favorite tip from a guest for how to remove ticks without tweezers by just circling the tick with your finger -- we use it now and it really works!
Q: What options are there for ticks?
A: Ticks are found during the cooler months in the foothills (mostly Nov-Apr) and though they look nasty, at least they rarely carry Lyme disease which is common on the East coast. We use prescription orals (Symparica Trio, Bravecto, or NexGard Plus) for our dogs since they are exposed more.
Collars/topicals/sprays/shampoos are popular for guests (e.g. Saresto collars, Frontline Plus or Advantix II topical drops, Wondercide natural spray, and Adams shampoo are some options you can find on Amazon and read many reviews). You can always just remove ticks if found crawling on your dogs with a flea comb (under sink) which works best with light/short haired dogs. Here's a favorite tip from a guest for how to remove embedded ticks without tweezers by just circling the tick with your finger -- we use it now and it really works!
Q: What other type of wildlife might we see?
A: Many wild animals come and go on our 60 acres including numerous deer, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels and the like. There are lots of birds including predatory birds so you may want to keep your small dogs close. Our wildlife gallery includes photos from our motion activated trail camera. You may not see any of these types of wildlife during your visit but your dogs will certainly enjoy their smells.
On our video cameras, we've also seen the types of nocturnal animals that live throughout California / Bay Area (skunks, raccoons, opossums) and some night-hunting predators (foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and an occasional lion) so just stay closer to the house at night to avoid them. So far, our dogs are the only ones to occassionally get skunked. We've never had any predator problems with people/dogs and neither have our guests, so just be aware and enjoy the natural setting of living on 60 acres!
Top of FAQReservation Questions
Q: Is the Dog & Pony Ranch available on these specific dates?
A: 2024 was our 11th and final year of vacation rentals at the Ranch and our calendar booked up quickly (and so did our wait list)!
More info in our Jan 1, 2024 announcement e-newsletter.
We plan to continue offering Day Visits for a few more years. Our Day Visit calendar is always kept up-to-date with availability and easy online bookings.
Top of FAQQ: Do you charge for children?
A: There is no charge for babies not yet at walking stage, and no charge for dogs (it's our personal pet-peeve to be charged high pet fees when traveling so we consider dogs our special guests). We offer a Day Visit discounted rate for children (toddlers to 17 year-old).
Please note that the house and property are NOT childproofed, and the large natural property with horses /livestock and non-fenced pond & waterfall may not be ideal for toddlers. We leave it up to parents to decide whether the Ranch setting and the amount of supervision they want to provide is appropriate for their young childrens' age level. If you do decide to bring babies, please bring all needed items for their age since we don't have any highchairs, playpens, etc (we have 4-footed children and are very well setup for them :). We've hosted children of all ages though typically find older children enjoy the Ranch and its animals most.
Top of FAQQ: How do I make a reservation?
A: In March 2024, we automated our Day Visit booking process including payment made securely through Stripe. It is very similar to what you find on other booking sites and is powered by well-established Checkfront.com. You click on your date/time from available options, fill out a brief form with information about your group, provide payment, then immediately receive confirmation email. Auto-reminders are sent with arrival info 1-week before your visit.
Our overnight visits are fully booked for our final lodging year of 2024. Thanks for 11 great years of rentals!
Top of FAQQ: Can I add more people/pets to my existing reservation?
A: Yes, as long as your group doesn't exceed our maximum number of guests (8 people + 8 pets for Day Visits). Your booking reserves our ranch for your group of up to that maximum number of guests -- there are no other guests onsite during your reservation dates/times. Please note that there may be an additional cost for more guests (see rate pages for Day Visits).
Q: What is your change/cancellation policy?
A: Day Visit guests can change/cancel if visit is more than a week away (10% cancellation fee). If guests can't make visit date that is less than a week, then will receive 50% refund. See Day Visit Agreement for more details.
Q: What are your check-in/out times?
A: Day visit guests select their time of visit (9am-noon, 1-4pm, 10am-3pm, etc) and can arrive/depart any time during that window.
Other Questions
Q: Do you have cell phone reception at the Ranch?
A: AT&T and Verizon have good coverage, while T-Mobile is getting better at the house , but other carriers may not have good reception in our rural area. We have WiFi to supplement those not able to get cell coverage.
There is good cell coverage in the towns of Jackson, Sutter Creek, and Pine Grove (only 4 miles away).
Q: Is your WiFi/internet fast and reliable?
A: It is "reasonably fast". Rural internet speeds are much slower and less reliable than city internet using cable/fiber. After years of searching for a decent rural ISP, Starlink finally became available in our area! We are typically getting 20-60Mbs download, 5-15Mbs upload and fast enough latency for video conference calls. It is not fast enough for gaming which would also disrupt others who are relying on this rural shared service for business needs.
It seemed the best way to demo our new ISP performance was through a video conference call with BOTH of us using Starlink at the Dog & Pony Ranch. Please excuse my corny script to highlight key points -- it's a good thing we were both animal-loving high-tech geeks with zero interest in acting 🤣.
Q: Do I need a 4WD? What type of road do you have?
A: No 4WD required -- regular cars shouldn't have problems with our driveway in any season. We've only experienced one historic storm that required snow chains (read more about our location and weather).
Our 0.4 mile driveway is fairly steep in places but mostly straight. It is "chip sealed" which is better and less dusty than gravel, and doesn't get as hot as paved asphalt (so easier on paws).
See photo of the last section of driveway before the circular loop around hilltop house.
Q: Can I bring my mountain bike to cycle on your trails?
A: Yes, you can ride your mountain bike on our Ranch trails, however they were developed for walking routes (our main loop is a mile) so pretty short for cycling. If your goal is to have your dogs run with you while you bike without worrying about leashes, then the main Ranch loop can be fun. Troy is an avid mountain biker and his usual route is riding to the nearby Tabeaud rec area, taking the 2.5 mile loop around Lake Tabeaud, and then back home for total of ~7.5 miles.
Q: Are California fires/smoke affecting your area?
A: Wildfires and smoke are a frequent problem in California and status during the dry season can change day-to-day. In 2020, we weren't as impacted as the many areas of the state, and some Bay Area guests were even relieved to escape to our relatively less-smoky air during bad Bay Area fires. 2021 has had many fires in Northern California with vacation spots like Tahoe horribly affected. We hope you get to enjoy our typical blue skies with starry nights and beautiful sunsets, but you're sure to have fun at the Ranch even if it's a bit hazy.
California is a big state so our air quality is often different than other Northern CA locations. There are many helpful websites to help you track Jackson area conditions including PurpleAir.com (we're closest to Clinton, Pine Acres, Pine Grove in this GPS view and often better conditions than Jackson), californiasmokeinfo.blogspot.com, wildlandfiresmoke.net and amadorgov.org/services/amador-air-district. Fortunately, our animals don't seemed bothered when there is smoky haze -- it even can make the temps cooler which they appreciate!
Amador County has an excellent CodeRED alert system and we saw how country neighbors pulled together during the 9/2015 Butte Fire which required evacuation at our Ranch and we had plenty of advanced notice. We have an evacuation plan for our animals but will be sure to keep current guests updated if we are required to evac again.
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Q: Is there a place nearby to charge my electric vehicle?
A: Yes, there are currently 8 Tesla charging stations in downtown Jackson in the large parking lot behind Mel's Diner only 15 minutes from the Ranch. There is also a free Liberty EV charging station in the parking area across from the Jackson fire station. Charge your car while you grab a meal or walk/shop around downtown Jackson (Biggest Little Kitchen Store is highly recommended).
If you have an adapter and want to charge using one of our 110V / 20A outlets, that's OK but it's an extra $20/charge for EV charging since our electricity is very expensive for the guest ranch despite our solar panels' contribution. Only a few of our guests have driven an EV to our rural area so we don't bundle the extra EV charging electricity cost into our rates.
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