Choosing a Day Care for Your Pup

Some good friends recently adopted a young rescue dog. This pup is very lucky as she is with her pack 24/7. The owners are self-employed, so their new dog, K2, is at work with them all day. They are also quite active, so K2 gets to jog, hike or play daily, plus her owners set up play dates with neighborhood dogs. K2 arrived at their house with beautiful doggie etiquette and the ability to communicate well with her other four-legged friends. This pup doesn't need doggie day care, but we did discuss how valuable it can be. There are now so many available, the question is how do you choose the one that is most appropriate for your favorite four-legged friend?

I wrote about my experience with doggie day care when Bella was a young girl. My husband and I are retired so Bella is rarely alone, but I was concerned she wasn't getting enough time with other dogs.  The first place I checked out, though less expensive and closer, didn't have a large enough people-to-dog ratio. It seemed a recipe for disaster. The place I ended up taking her I liked a lot, but with two exceptions: it was too far away and its policy for a mandatory four hour stay was inconvenient. Bella went once and that was it, although I would have continued if they were closer. She hasn't been back to a day care since.

However, if you are away from home for long stretches of time and your best buddy is on his own, doggie day care might be the perfect solution to relieve his boredom. Recently I've come across a series of articles on the Internet with guidelines for choosing day care that suits your wallet, peace of mind, and your pup's temperament. Bark Magazine has an excellent article and a great tip sheet that is definitely worth perusing if you are thinking of this activity for your pup. I feel the people-to-dog ratio is critical and Riverdog, where Bella went, was great with this—around 10-15 dogs to one person plus an office staff that was available should the need arise. In addition, they "matched" Bella's playing style with other dogs so she was neither overwhelming or overwhelmed. They also had "quiet time" interspersed in the four hour visit so dogs had an opportunity to cool their jets.

The different articles I read also encouraged prospective doggie day care-ites to watch the day care in action to see how activities and interactions are handled. If you are not allowed to observe, go elsewhere. (Many also have cameras in the rooms so you can watch how your pup is doing while you're at work.) If they have a breed exclusion policy—put on the brakes—it indicates misunderstanding the difference between behavior and breed. The facility should require all dogs be current on vaccinations, are in good health, are sociable and well-behaved. What is the training and knowledge of the staff working with your dog's group? How do they handle a medical emergency? Not all dogs are good candidates for day care. The energy level and commotion of multiple dogs running around may overwhelm your buddy. Obviously, finding the appropriate doggie day care for your pup is critical if you want your dog safe and happy!

Here are some other articles I liked:
Selecting a Dog Daycare
How to Choose a Doggie Daycare
Choosing Doggie Daycares and Kennels
Choosing a Good Dog Day Care

Good luck in your hunt; your pup will thank you for it!

Doggie Day Care

Bella's 1st Report card

I decided Bella could benefit from some doggie play time. Taking her to the dog park doesn't work as invariably someone is playing Chuck-It with their dog. If there is a ball anywhere at the park, there is Bella. So although she could have time to interact with other pups, she's actually oblivious to them. Amber, her best buddy, is a mature 8-year old and though tolerant of Bella's exuberance, she doesn't want to play with her.

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that Bella's social calendar is a concern, but in defense, we take her everywhere and she needs to be "socially acceptable." What I've noticed is if she sees another dog she is beside herself with excitement. When she does play, she's a little rough. This may be her style or she may need to play with other dogs and learn some doggie etiquette. There is only one other dog she knows who is young and energetic, but she rarely gets to play with her as Cherry's owners have quite a different schedule than ours.

I scoped out two facilities and chose Riverdog where she's taken a class. My vet takes her dog there and that seemed a mark in their favor. Another place I looked at had something amiss. What bothered me—though it was closer to home and less cost—was there was only one person to oversee the office and 20 dogs. I know how quickly a fight can break out and if the person was in the office, how quickly could she get to the fight? And wonder if there were two fights or a fight that involved multiple dogs? At Riverdog, there may be 10-15 dogs together with only one person overseeing, but the facility has four rooms and the dogs are matched according to style. If you had a quiet, older dog, for example, it would be in a different room than one with rambunctious puppies. Plus, their office is staffed by people who do not have to oversee the dogs. Multiple staff members mean that multiple people can help if warranted. I liked that.

At the end of our first visit (four hours), they gave me a little report card. Too cute! On the back they wrote: "A little shy and unsure at first, but came around after a while. Good ball player!" That's my girl—four paws up!