Is Daycare Right for Your Dog?
A Good Doggy Daycare Provider Can Make for a Happier & Healthier Pet
According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), almost 74.8 million dogs live in 44.8 million households in the United States. What do all these dogs do during the day? With their human’s work day not getting any shorter, more and more are enjoying the benefits of attending doggy daycare.
Benefits of a Good Doggy Daycare
A good daycare facility offers a structured and encouraging environment for dogs and provides numerous benefits for their humans too, including:
- Help with socialization; dogs get to relate with other dogs and humans outside of their own territories, which is sometimes a challenge for stay-at-home dogs.
- A tired dog is a happy (and less destructive) dog. Young dogs, like children, are loaded with energy and daycare allows for the proper channeling of energy when their humans are unavailable for exercise or play.
- Regular exercise and mental stimulation makes for a well-balanced and healthy animal.
Not All Doggy Daycares are Created Equal
Similar to choosing child daycare, there are a few things to consider before making a decision about a provider for your dog. Are you just looking for a pet sitter to walk and keep your dog company while you’re out or a full-service daycare and training facility? Either way, a wide variety of services and pricing are available so don’t be afraid to ask a few questions.
Debbi Wysocki, owner of Dances with Dogs! Daycare and More in Northampton, Massachusetts, suggests asking some specific questions when interviewing potential day care providers:
1. Are the staff trained or experienced in working with dogs? Although there are no licensing or training standards for the doggy day care industry, ask about the backgrounds of the staff none-the-less. You may be more comfortable knowing that the people working with your pet also moonlight as vet techs or previously worked at an animal shelter.
2. What happens if your dog becomes injured or ill? Although it’s rare, dogs will be dogs and sometimes things happen that require veterinary attention; make sure you understand and agree with any plan in place for your pet’s care in your absence.
3. Make sure the facility requires all dogs to be properly vaccinated. Like children, dogs sometimes pick up the occasional virus from daycare, but most major dog illnesses can be prevented through proper immunization.
4. What activities will your dog participate in during the day? Positive training through games and healthy mental stimulation is good for dogs and makes it less likely for them to come home with “bad habits” born out of boredom or lack of supervision. Also, don’t pay for someone else to crate your dog for the day - you can do that at home for free.
Debbi also stresses that dogs behave differently in the group dynamic of daycare than they do alone at home. So regardless of how well supervised the dogs are or what procedures are in place to screen the temperament of individual dogs prior to acceptance to a facility, dogs can be unpredictable and the occasional scuffle does occur (think kids on a playground). Given the popularity of daycare, many believe the benefits outweigh the risks of having their dogs in this type of interactive environment. If you are one of these people, daycare may be a great choice for you and your dog.
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