Doggy Daycare?

[Dixie May]

Dixie just wants to play & play but doesn't seem to understand that other dogs might not feel the same way.

Would doggy daycare maybe once a week help or hurt the situation??

[lisgje]

Depends on the daycare. I am going to be taking Chance to my trainers daycare once a week starting in July. They have regular daycare where the dogs play with other dogs- supervised and a structured day care where they interact with staff, trainers and other dogs. Chance is not ready for more than one or two dogs at a time, so the structured daycare will be a better option for him. $27 per day once a week to start. My trainer is highly qualified and I trust her implicitely. Chance has trust issues due to a burglary in my house and is afraid of men, so this will help him immensely. If they won't let you see where the dog is going to be during the day, discourage unannounced visits, don't have an emergency plan if your dog gets hurt, etc, go somewhere else. Ask to see the whole facility during the day and how they would deal with a dog that is not getting along with the others, etc. Do your research. Ask exactly what the day plan is for the dogs. Just throwing a bunch of dogs in a closed in area and no supervision is a big red flag. They should evaluate your dog before accepting and ask that all vaccinations be up to date. Dogs should be matched together by size and temperment. Check your local BBB as well. If a daycare is not open and willing to answer your questions, and be very detailed, don't go there. Years ago I interviewed a woman who was running a daycare and she would not let me see the play area, when I asked if she or any of her staff were certified in animal first aid she said no, when I asked if anyone there was certified with any type of behavioral or training for animals, again no. So I told her NO! Her claim to fame was that she used to be a dog walker for a shelter and that gave her the experience she needed. Really! So do your due diligence before turning your dog over to someone else. Same as a daycare if you had a child! LOL However, if you find the right one, will be so beneficial.

[Klamari]

to everything Lisgje said! The only thing I would add is to find out what the max ratio is for number of dogs to daycare staff in a yard. Because even if the best procedures and pracautions are in place, and the staff is qualified and well trained, one set of eyes for more than 10 large dogs is asking for trouble. Because the odds are, even if you do everything right, there is going to be conflict and/or a fight at some point.

I used to work a daycare yard, alone, where the max was 15 large dogs. Which meant on busy days, I would have 16-17 dogs, and nothing smaller than a lab. They did do a temperament test for every dog that was accepted, but that was just too many dogs to supervise by myself.

Also depending on where you live, and if it's a outside play yard, make sure the staff are doing things to keep the dogs cool. And that they know how to recognize signs of heat exhaustion etc.

[Pattycakes]

I took my GSD to a doggie daycare for about 6 months. She loved it. The woman who ran it was great. She would take no more than 7 other dogs (she owned 3 herself). They were inside and outside all day long. Supervised at all times. I took her there twice a week. My dog loved it and I did too!

Lisgje had some great thoughts but just make sure you check the place out.