Doggy Daycare Part I

Published December 10, 2014 | By admin

Doggy Daycare has become the latest craze, I have spotted two new ones since Thanksgiving. Many people think their dog should & would enjoy spending the day in a group of other dogs. But NOT all dogs enjoy doggy daycare or are appropriate candidates!!! Unsure if you dog is a good daycare (or dog park) candidate? Ask a trainer, preferably one with tens of thousands of hours watching dogs from different households interact. Have them watch you interact with your dog in a classroom or household setting, then have them observe your dog playing with their regular play-date friends, they might also be able to set up a meeting to watch your dog interact with some new friends. Listen to their impartial feedback & any advise they may have on who your dog should or shouldn’t be playing with in order for your dog to learn the best social skills they can, as well as have fun. It is also imperative that doggy daycare is NOT your dog’s only, or even primary. form of exercise. If most of your dog’s stimulation & influences come from other dogs, what do you suppose your dog is learning? And how do you think that will reflect on how your dog responds when you try to influence their behavior? Now, after all that, should you decide Doggy Daycare IS a good outlet for your dog you need to find a QUALITY facility!! You are trusting them with your dog’s safety, to make sure your dog doesn’t (even accidentally) injure someone else & certainly to do their best to make sure your dog doesn’t get injured either. (FACT: you dog may get a sprain, have a mild limp, or get scraped up just like your dog could get injured playing fetch in the backyard)

So what are some questions you should ask the facility BEFORE you drop your dog off? Here are some of the questions I would ask. Q. What is your evaluation process? Be wary of anyplace that let’s you drop off your dog for the whole day with nothing more than proof of vaccinations. You should at VERY least have a questionare to fill out that includes some behavioural history (has your dog every growled at anyone? has your dog ever bitten? does your dog like to share toys? what games does your dog like to play? has your dog participated in play dates their whole life? where did you get your dog? How long have you had your dog?) many facilities require an evaluation before your dog’s first visit–and shortened visits when you are new. An educated facility knows that at least part of the evaluation process should be done WITHOUT the owner present. Dog behave differently when the owner is present, & some dogs will resource guard their human but play just fine while mom/dad is gone to work. The owner’s energy level (nervous jitters) can also influence the dog’s behavior so good facilities know they will get a better gauge on how the dog will act at the facility if the owner is NOT standing in the same room. Q. May I have tour of the facility? Be suspicious of anyplace that says “no”. While it is too stressful & is a risk to the playgroup dynamic to bring people in & out of an active play group (or even visible in front of a large window) you should be able to see the room (look at flooring, walls & space) where the dogs play as well as rest. If there are no resting areas for the dogs to be separated for down time & alone time be concerned (& ideally Nap-spaces should have little to no visual stimulation–meaning it should not be crates FACING the playing dogs). Neither humans nor dogs should be going full tilt in a large group all day long. Quiet crate time is not only physically but mentally better for your dog, as well as an important policy to decrease the risk for squabbles, as you are able to keep the energy level of the group at a manageable level. Q. What is your staff trained on prior to being allowed into play groups & left as the primary person in charge of a play group? Their answer should include training on basic canine body language & common calming signals as well as some sort of job-shadowing with a more experienced staff member. They should be knowledgeable enough to be able to have a conversation of what calming signals are as well as list some examples, including lip-licking, yawing, & shake-offs. They should also be trained on how to not only interrupt play but also how to safely break up a fight should one occur. If the staff is unable to share a plan for if play ceases to be play, or is unable to articulate how dogs use common calming signals to communicate with each other then they have NOT been education enough on basic dog language to even be aware that trouble is brewing BEFORE it escalates to a fight, a bite, or god forbid a major injury.

This is not my whole list of questions I think you should ask, but it seems like a good bit of information for one sitting. So we’ll close Part I here & let that digest. If this sparked more questions, or you would like to hear more of my interview questions prior to next week please feel free to utilize the Contact Me tab. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Posted in When You Can't Be With Your Dog