Doggie Daycare 101

Doggie daycare is the fun alternative to leaving a pet home alone all day while you are at work. It is a supervised, social environment for healthy dogs to interact and exercise with one another. After all, dogs are social animals and enjoy having playmates. Dog Daycare allows owners to drop their pets off in the morning, and then pick them up in the afternoon or evening hours. Daycare allows people who could not ordinarily own a dog due to long hours at work or busy schedules, to own one. Dog daycare has become a much needed resource for owners with busy schedules. Dog daycare is highly recommended by veterinarians and trainers alike to help curb behavior problems brought on by a lack of exercise and boredom.

Dogs are social creatures that thrive on interaction with other dogs and people. Dogs that spend hours alone may become depressed, lethargic, and destructive due to boredom. A few dogs even develop severe separation anxiety when left alone for prolonged periods. Sending your dog to daycare can help eliminate some of these problems.

Dog daycare is not only for working owners and those with young or old dogs who need more supervision, but also for an owner who knows the importance of keeping their dog active and well socialized. Daycare is perfect for those owners who need to clear out the house for a few hours while they have maintenance completed or while the cleaning person is there.

Dogs at daycare run and play in an open cage free environment... the perfect place to work off all that excess energy. The bonus of dog daycare comes at the end of a long day at work when you pick up your happy, tired and well socialized dog. No need to worry about dealing with an anxious, energetic dog, but rather you can relax and enjoy some quality time with your favorite companion.

Why Doggie Daycare?

The concept of doggy daycare has become quite popular throughout the country, and the force behind it is really the pet owner. Today more people are working more hours, so your dog stays home alone all day and is probably charged and ready to go by the time you get home from work. The whole concept of your dog being at daycare all day is to work off that energy, so that by time you come to pick them up, they are falling asleep in the care on the way home.

Another plus is getting rid of destructive energy- a bored or lonely dog will find interesting ways to alleviate those feelings, usually with your best shoes or expensive sofa. Bringing a dog to daycare, even a very young puppy, just once or twice a week will satisfy their natural cravings and curiosities, and most likely save your prized possessions.

The most significant reason to use daycare is the socialization of dogs with other dogs. If a dog isn’t properly socialized (ideally from a very young age) and the owner tries to take them out in public, the dog may not know how to interact with other dogs or people and become fearful, nasty, or aggressive. Bringing them to daycare, where they are carefully supervised and on neutral territory, get them use to interacting with new and different dogs, which in turn makes them more of a well-rounded, confident dog and a pleasure to take out in public.

Who uses Dog Daycare?

New puppy owners take their dog to daycare, because of the overall extra care each new puppy needs. Others are selling their homes and can not have a dog in the house when perspective buyers are visiting. Some owners are going out of town on a day trip. If you have ever tried to lay carpet, tile or paint your home when the dog is running around, you can appreciate the whole dog daycare concept. New mothers love daycare, because quite often the dogs do not get as many walks, playtime and/or attention now that there is a new arrival in the home. Those owners who only own one dog want their dog to be better socialized. Owners with over active dogs who need to burn that extra energy off to reduce the chances of boredom which leads to destructive behavior. Most owners take their dogs to daycare just because it looks fun and they think their pet will really enjoy it.

Dog Daycare versus Day Boarding

Many Kennels have jumped on the band wagon of dog daycare by advertising they have daycare yet in reality they offer day boarding. The true difference between day boarding and daycare can be seen in the price you pay and the facilities. True daycare facilities have large open rooms with adjustable areas and a very open concept allowing space to be based on the number of dogs attending the facility.

Day boarding usually means the dogs are added to large dog runs and left to fend for themselves. Although some owners may find this acceptable because of the price or lack of a “real” daycare facility owners beware. Unscrupulous Boarding Kennels accept all types of dogs; they don’t turn aggressive dogs away and usually don’t care about how they mix them up. Because they don’t actively supervise the dogs they will charge much less than a dedicated daycare!

A caring daycare will screen all applicants, have a policy on vaccinations and overall health requirements, they will place your dog with similar dogs and most importantly keep your dog safe by not accepting overly aggressive dogs. All daycares set aside areas for isolation if the need arises that a dog becomes ill or seems to be ‘acting up’ so they can be removed them from the general population and avoid problems with other dogs.