Picking a Dog Daycare

 Doggy Daycare..... 20 years ago this concept was rarely heard of. Today, there seems to be at least one in every neighborhood. So how do you know if it is a good one? Here is a criteria of things to look for when choosing a daycare for your dog.

Just like in childcare, there are varying levels of quality in dog daycares. Unfortunately, there is no governing board or set standard to ensure there is at least a set amount of quality and safety in these businesses so it is extremely important to do your research before sending your dog to any of these

Picking your Daycare

    1. The Ability to Separate Play Groups

    When large amounts of dogs play together off leash without their individual owners present, it is easy for accidents to occur. However, when a business is able separate quiet dogs from rowdy dogs, large dogs from small dogs, and nervous first-timers from over-exuberant tacklers it significantly decreases the risk for accident or bad experience. This also doesn't mean that small dogs should never play with big dogs, some small dogs hold their own and even intimidate the big dogs! It is all about pairing appropriate play styles so no one gets overwhelmed or injured, and as time goes on and the dogs become comfortable they may even need to switch into a different group!

    2. Proper Fences

    Ensure that the daycare has a minimum of 6 ft tall fences. This is the standard reference height for dog related businesses where the dogs will be off leash and have a risk of escape. Also ensure that the ground around the fence is somehow reinforced with concrete or other means so that the diggers won't be able to cause an escape route. If the yard area is visible without trespassing, try and take a look or see when you take a tour.

    3. Requires Up To Date Vaccines (and follows up)

     Vaccines are a vital requirement for dog socialization. If you are able to sign up for daycare or socialization without providing some sort of proof of vaccines or Titre levels, be wary. If they accept just verbal confirmation of vaccines, remember that not everyone remembers or bothers to keep their vaccines up to date and can put your own dog at risk for contacting or transmitting certain viruses and diseases.

    4. Offers Tours

    Quality daycares will have no issues with proudly showing off their facilities. Some may book tours outside of daycare hours to ensure the dogs don't become become stressed or over-excited with new people entering which is an excellent practice. If an in-person tour is not an option, inquire about a live video tour. If they are unwilling to show their facility, be cautious proceeding.

    5. Positive Reinforcement Techniques

    If the daycare offers positive training environments where the dogs will feel happy and relaxed coming in, it will decrease the risk of conflict and hesitation at coming in to daycare. Use caution when a place starts to use words like "dominance" "pack" or "balanced"(this one had me fooled to, but many places that use the word balanced tend to be shock collar friendly which is not appropriate for a doggy daycare play environment) as these will likely use out of date techniques to manage the dogs.

    6. Clean Environment

    While we all know dogs make messes and don't always smell the best, there should not be an overwhelming scent of feces, urine, or disinfectant. While the smell of some cleaner is fine, if there is a overly strong smell of bleach they can be trying to cover something else up rather than keeping up with proper cleaning and sanitation throughout the day. There shouldn't be any feces or urine around at any time when you visit unless someone is actively ready to clean it up rather than just "oh, it happens" and ignoring it.

    7. Staff Present

    The general rule at a daycare is that there should be 1 staff member per 10 daycare dogs. Make sure that there is always someone present at the daycare supervising the dogs actively rather than putting them in the yard and leaving them unsupervised.

All in all, do your research, tour multiple facilities to compare, use Google Reviews as a reference but not a firm rule, some places are good at having an amazing exterior appearance that gains good reviews but have practices that are sub-par. May your day be filled with happy adventures,

Woofs and Wags!

Janelle