Are you considering sending your pup to a dog daycare? Like daycare for children, doggy daycares provide a fun place for dogs during the day while their owners are at work. Dog daycares can be great for dogs who struggle with separation anxiety or whose families work long hours. Although many dogs strive to go to doggy daycare, daycare isn’t right for every dog. The dogs who thrive in daycare settings are healthy adult dogs who are highly social with dogs and people. If you have a dog who you think would enjoy going to daycare, the next step is to find the best daycare for your dog. Not every dog daycare is created equally, and it’s important to find a quality facility to care for your dog when you aren’t there. Here are some considerations to keep in mind when looking at dog daycare facilities for your pup:
Cleanliness
When looking at daycares, pay attention to see if things look clean and if the play space smells clean. A good dog daycare shouldn’t smell like dog pee, though some do. Responsible daycares will have a robust cleaning and sanitizing plan in place to address any potty accidents that happen in daycare during the day. When interviewing daycare facilities, ask about how they disinfect their facility. This is important to help prevent the spread of diseases between dogs.
Environmental Design:
When looking at daycare facilities, pay attention to the environmental design of the space where dogs spend their time. Make sure there is an open area where dogs can play. Inquire about where the dogs are while they are at daycare and ask to see all those areas before signing your dog up. Do they rotate through play spaces? Do dogs get naptime? Pay special attention to the quality and security of fencing if there are outdoor play areas.
Many dog daycare facilities now have cameras that dog owners can log in on the daycare’s website to view during the day. Ask about if you’ll be able to watch your dog and if there are any areas of daycare not on camera. Indoor play areas should have multiple secure doors or gates between the play area and a lobby or exterior door to prevent dogs from accidentally pushing past daycare workers and getting outside, where they could be hurt or lost. The flooring of daycare facilities shouldn’t be concrete. Instead, daycare floors should be surface that is both easy to clean and also supportive and cushioning to help prevent issues while dogs are running, jumping, and playing.
Playgroup
Dog daycares should be thoughtful about what dogs are together in their facility. For safety, dogs should be in separate play spaces based on size, as without meaning, large dogs can easily injure a small dog in play. You’ll want a facility with intentional playgroups for dogs based on their playstyles. Dogs who are more rambunctious and enjoy running and wrestling should be paired with other dogs who play similarly. In contrast, more reserved dogs should be in a different play group to prevent them from getting overwhelmed or bullied. Before enrolling any dog in daycare, the staff should be setting up an evaluation with a prospective client. At this session, they will have the opportunity to interact with your dog and see how they might fit into the daycare’s existing play groups.
Trainers involved
A quality dog daycare should have dog trainers involved at some level overseeing the facility and training employees. Look for daycares that employ or consult with trainers who are members of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers and/or Certified Professional Dog Trainers. Dog trainers may not work directly with the dogs in daycare, but they should be involved with supporting staff to help them humanely and compassionately work with the dogs in their care. Look for a dog daycare that works with dogs utilizing positive reinforcement techniques such as using treats and high value reinforcers for working with the dogs. Avoid any daycare that uses aversive management strategies or techniques to work with dogs, such as physical discipline, spray bottles to stop barking, or citronella anti-barking collars.
Staff professional development
Working at a dog daycare isn’t an easy job; it’s physically demanding work and requires that employees understand how to safely and effectively manage groups of dogs. Try to find a daycare facility that values its employees and has a low turnover rate. This means that your dog can form and maintain relationships with the daycare attendants and not constantly have to adjust to new people. Quality dog daycare facilities will have a robust professional development training plan for their employees. Look for a dog daycare whose staff are trained in positive reinforcement approaches for managing dogs, fear-free practices, how to read dog body language, and canine CPR and first aid so they can handle emergencies if they occur.
Add-on care options
Depending on your dog’s needs and your circumstances, you may also want to pick a daycare facility that has add-on care options that will improve your dog’s quality of life. Many daycares have an on-site grooming facility, so for an extra fee, your dog’s nails can be trimmed, or your dog can get your dog professionally groomed while they are at daycare. Other dog daycares may have the option to have individual training sessions to work with an on-staff dog trainer. These sessions can be tailored to your dog’s specific training needs, such as skills like loose leash walking or appropriately greeting people. Other daycares offer overnight boarding options if you need to travel so your dog can stay somewhere they are already comfortable.
Location
When picking the right daycare for your dog, it’s also essential to consider the facility’s location. Make sure that any daycare you are considering sending your dog to is going to be convenient for you, either close to your home or close to your work, to make sure that you’ll be able to make pickup and drop-offs work with your schedule. Many daycares have specific times when you need to pick up your dog or specific drop-off windows to help the playgroups run smoothly. You’ll want to make sure it won’t be difficult for you to drop off and pick up your dog around your work schedule.
