If you are among those working pet parents who are looking for the best daycare to send your dog to when you are not around, then you have come to just the right place. Choosing the best puppy daycare is a challenge.
While some puppies can stay at home all day without the pet owners around, most dogs need at least 1 exercise and potty break throughout the time. A dog walker certainly helps. But what if the dog needs a little more attention from the dog owner or other persons, or needs more regular breaks when you are not around?
There comes dog daycares at such dog parents’ rescues. Dog daycares are a suitable option for your dog’s long hours stay. It is available in a variety of styles, starting from open-play dog daycare franchises to in-home dog daycare along with a single reliable sitter.
A particular type of dog daycare doesn’t fit all dogs out there, and not every pet thrives in the dog daycare environment. So, read the blog post to know how to find the best dog daycare for your four-legged friend.
Is Doggy Daycare Good for Dogs?
Generally speaking, dog daycares are what it literally sounds like. It is a place where dogs are cared for throughout the day when you are busy at work or occupied for other reasons.
Dog daycares offer companionship, playtime, and supervision by animal lovers who work there as staff. For many dogs, it is a great option who suffer from separation anxiety.
This isn’t just a place like those dog parks where your dogs have a nice time while you are busy with your business. Daycares for dogs is necessary just as a kid needs to go to a nursery.
In addition to taking care of your dog while you are not around, daycares also teach proper dog behavior, provide play equipment, and even train against excessive barking.
So, we can say that dog care centers are not only good for dogs but also the perfect solution for both bigger and smaller dogs. Daycares for dogs provide great care with a place for your pup to exercise, indulge in good fun games with other dogs, and get cognitive stimulation while you are at work.
However, while it is a great option for some dogs, daycares are not always the best choice for all pups.
Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of doggy daycares to help you determine if it is the right option for your four-legged baby or not.
Advantages of Puppy Daycare
Here are a few advantages that you can expect to get from a dog daycare:
Your Dog Will Have Company
It is even hard to imagine for dog parents that their dog will have to spend all day alone at home, with no one around to play with. Often, this makes dogs miserable, however, if they consider sending their dogs to daycare then this issue will be solved. So, no matter if you have a new puppy or an older one, just find the right daycare center in your area and you can work with peace of mind.
Learn Socialization
Generally, dogs are social animals, and staying with other dogs in a daycare center gives your dog a chance to interact and play with other puppies. This teaches your dog basic social skills as well as offers wonderful cognitive stimulation. Thus, your dog will not have bad behavioral issues.
Your Dog Will Be Physically Active
Rather than sitting at home alone and not getting physical activities at all, doggy day care generally provides your dog with the possibility to play with other puppies as much as they want. This not just keeps them in shape, but also is important to their cognitive well-being. So, it is certainly a good option for pets who has busy parents.
Dog Won’t Have Destructive Behavior
Bored puppies can become destructive to reduce their boredom as well as use up extra energy. However, when your pup spends time at a daycare, they will come home happy yet tired. If your dog is not returning happy and tired, it is better to look for another doggy daycare.
Your Dog Will Be Trained Properly
In case your dog has some issues with its behavior or your dog is not potty trained, then do not worry because most daycares have trained staff who will train your dog properly. No matter what type of training your dog needs, you can trust a good daycare facility.
Flexible Timing
Dog daycares are even flexible to fit in with anyone’s schedule. No matter how unpredictable a schedule you have for your job, a good daycare will offer you service at your convenient time. So, with the right daycare, you will not have to worry about your dog’s care anymore.
Other Facilities
Doggy daycares have easy scheduling so you can easily book them and send your dog to the daycare before going to your work. They have more than enough experience and knowledge to handle any dog breed. So, you can work in peace knowing your dog is in good hands.
Disadvantages Of Dog Daycare Facilities
Can Be Overwhelming For Some Pups- Going into unfamiliar and noisy surroundings where there are a lot of other puppies can be overwhelming for some dogs and also downright intimidating.
No Personalized Care For Your Dog- Some pups need personalized care to be comfortable and happy. However, when such dogs stay at a daycare, they often feel uncomfortable.
Supervision May Vary- The attentiveness and professionalism of staff can differ from one daycare to another. You will have to compare a lot of daycares to discover the right one for your pup that will provide proper care to your dog.
Often Dogs Find It Overstimulating- The ongoing stress or excitement of a busy doggy daycare can be extreme for some puppies to manage. For those puppies that are inherently nervous or highly strung, daycares will usually not be the right option.
Risk of Falling Sick- While good daycares have vaccination policies and strict health in place, there is still a chance of infection — for instance, fleas or kennel cough — spreading is often common at a daycare.
Developing Bad Behavior. There is a possibility that your puppy may get some bad behaviors from other dogs. Although you can control these issues with frequent training, it is still a problem worth considering.
Costly- Another important factor you need to consider is the expense of doggy daycares. In case you go for a 5 days/week visit, you will get an expensive bill.
How to Find a Doggy Daycare for Your Dog?
Here are a few common factors to consider while choosing a daycare for your dog. These factors will make sure you are choosing the right one for your furry baby.
- Cleanliness Of The Daycare Center- There must be minimal odor and quick clean-up facilities for accidents, as well as the other puppies at the daycare center should be healthy-looking. This assures the daycare’s hygienic standards.
- Playtime Facilities- While a 2-hour “naptime” is necessary, your dog must have enough time to play with other dogs and staff members at the daycare center.
- Proof of Vaccinations- Parvo, distemper, bordetella, and rabies vaccinations proof and/or titers must be required by the daycare. This will ensure that other dogs in the daycare are also vaccinated.
- Enough Supervision- Staff at daycare should always be present in the rooms physically with their dogs. Supervising the dogs through a gate or a window isn’t sufficient.
- Safe Number Of Staffing-A reputable daycare maintains an approx staffing goal of 1 staff for every 8-10 dogs at the daycare center.
- Assess The Dog’s Suitability- New entries of dogs should be allowed after necessary tests to confirm that the dog is healthy and qualified enough to stay with other dogs. Moreover, while sending your dog to a daycare, make sure that your dog is feeling comfortable there.
- Safety Issues- Puppies and bigger dogs must be segregated to provide your dog with the utmost safety.
- Size Of The Daycare And Number Of Dogs- Generally, each dog requires approx 70-100 sq ft of space for safe off-leash play. So, make sure that the daycare has several dogs as per their area size and does not have more.
- Staff Members Are Experienced And Knowledgable- Make sure the staff members have proper experience and knowledge to handle any breed of dog.
- Proper Control Measures- Make sure that the daycare does not use a punishing method or physically manipulate the dogs to control them. Such control measures often make dogs angry and they develop inappropriate behaviors.
- Certification of The Staff- All staff members should have proper certification and licenses from reputed places to make sure they are good enough to take care of their pups.
Tips to Help You Choose the Right Dog Daycare
Here are a few tips that will help you get the best daycare facility for your dog. So, let’s take a look at the tips below:
Ask The Daycare Authority About Their Safety Procedures
Before committing, ask the daycare authority about their safety measures. Ask them how they control dogs. Make sure they have a safety fence that is at least 6′ tall or taller. Also, they should use a dual-gate system for dog entrance and exit, so that there is always 1 closed door between the street and the dog.
Check The Daycare’s Outside
In case the daycare members take good care of the daycare’s outside, they are most likely to keep everything under control on the inside also. And a neat and clean daycare environment ensures that your dog will not fall sick after spending time there.
Consider Dog’s Personality
Some dogs need personalized care while others can stay with other dogs happily. So, before you consider sending your dog to a daycare facility, make sure that your dog is comfortable with other dogs. To understand this, you can take your dog to the nearest dog parks and see your dog’s attitude and behavior towards other dogs.
Location of The Daycare
Considering the location is one of the most important factors. If the daycare is too far away from your home or office then it won’t be convenient for you to go the extra mile to drop off or pick up your dog every day. No matter how good a daycare is, if it is not in your local range, it is better not to choose the daycare for your puppy.
Pay Attention To The Hygienity
Messes are a common thing, but staff members of daycare should instantly clean up poop and pee as well as remove unnecessary play items or torn-up toys. Bowls for dog food must be cleaned with fresh water before serving them food. Cleanliness is a must for a healthy environment for your dog.
Make Sure The Staffs Are Accommodating And Friendly
The staff members of daycare should love dogs and they should love spending time with dogs. If the staff members of daycare are not accommodating a friendly towards your dog then your dog may end up being destructive and acquire bad habits after spending time in such an environment.
Check license & Certifications
If the daycare does not have adequate license and certification to run a doggy daycare center then it is a big red flag. Never choose a daycare center that does not have a license and proper certification to serve such services.
Make Sure The Staffs Are Well-Trained
A well-trained staff knows exactly how to handle different breeds of dogs. If the staff members of daycare are not well-trained to handle your dog, they may unknowingly push your dog to acquire bad behavior instead. So, always make sure that the staff members are well-trained.
Check Emergency Protocols
Know what the daycare staff members will do if there is a medical emergency, for example, a dog somehow gets injured. What steps will they take and what will they do in case they cannot reach you?
Furthermore, what if you reside in a place that commonly experiences bad weather, ask what will happen in case there is a weather emergency when your dog is there.
Questions To Ask Dog Daycares
Here are a few questions you must ask the daycare facility before committing and sending your dog to that daycare.
- What’s the vaccination protocol of the daycare center?
- What type of experience does the staff member have at the daycare facility?
- What safety measures do they take?
- How does the daycare respond to an emergency?
- What is their dog-to-staff member ratio?
- How are puppies grouped in their daycare (Size, age, activity level, etc.)?
- What are their area and dog number ratios?
- How do they prevent escapes?
- What kind of training do they have (First aid, CPR, dog behavior, etc.)?
- How do they control dogs? What is the method?
- What are the plays your dogs will be allowed in the daycare?
- Do they provide you with a daily/weekly/monthly report card?
- How much the facility will cost?
- What are your daycare’s eligibility criteria?
- What are the daycare’s health/vaccination requirements?
FINAL WORDS
After considering the above-mentioned factors, hopefully, you will find out the best daycare center for your dog. However, never overlook your dog’s feelings and comfort. If your dog looks unhappy even after sending your dog to the best daycare center, you should take action and continue searching for other daycares.
If needed, change as many daycares as possible until your dog becomes happy and comfortable.
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