Dog daycares have grown to be a mainstay for dog owners across the United States, growing in popularity since they first popped up in the mid-1990s. For most pet owners, dog daycare gives their dog a safe destination to exercise throughout the day while they’re at the job and offers essential mental enrichment and companionship that dogs wouldn’t be getting by themselves at home.
But how will you know which daycare to choose? With increased popularity, increasing numbers of people are getting in on the trend, and there are several options and styles available, from the large franchised “brand-name” daycare to the dog daycare your neighbor were only available in their home.
The dog daycare and boarding industry is under-regulated, so it’s important you get a daycare where your pet will be safe, happy, and well looked after. There are many facts to consider when interviewing different dog daycares, like the design of daycare, staff to dog ratio, staff experience and training, cleaning procedures, dog handling and training methods … and even more!
What Things You Should Ask a Prospective Dog Daycare:
Below I’ve listed some basic aspects of dog daycare you should ask about, and my tips as far as what answers you ought to be looking for.
1. What are your vaccination requirements for dogs that attend?
Dogs are in close connection with other dogs at daycare, and illness can spread quickly if dogs are unprotected. A responsible daycare facility will demand all dogs to show proof of current vaccinations for Rabies, DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus), and Bordetella (“kennel cough”). Some daycares additionally require vaccination for Canine Influenza (the doggy flu).
One thing to bear in mind is the fact even with vaccination some illnesses can still be caught, such as kennel cough (Bordetella). However, if your dog is vaccinated and contracts kennel cough, the severe nature is often significantly less than if they’d been unprotected. Consult with your veterinarian about their suggestions for vaccinations beyond those required by the daycare facility. Just click here to find out more on what vaccines your puppy needs before attending places like doggy daycare, training classes, or your dog park.
2. What are your spay and neuter requirements?
Most dog daycares have the very least age requirement of spaying or neutering dogs that attend their playgroups, usually between six months to 1 12 months of age. That is due to pack management safety – they have nothing to do about if it’s “better” to fix your intact dog (we’ll leave that debate for a later date). Altered dogs can react differently to intact dogs, and vice versa. A responsible daycare would want to keep these types of flash points to the very least in their pack, which means they need to ask non-altered dogs never to attend once they reach sexual maturity (usually between 6 months to 1 1 year old). It’s about setting the finish off for safety and success.
3. What’s your daycare trial process?
Your dog daycare must have a protocol for accepting new dogs into their pack. A daycare trial should include asking for health and behavior history so staff knows any conditions that might affect a dog’s behavior in a new environment. Uncover what behaviors would preclude your dog from attending daycare, and be sure you are comfortable with the daycare’s behavioral requirements for daycare attendance.
In the event that you know that your dog struggles with a behavior that might lead to them being dismissed from daycare or not passing the trial, be upfront with staff so they can better set your pet up for success and keep themselves and the other dogs safe. Some behaviors that can be tough to control in a daycare environment include: resource guarding (of food, space, or toys), sensitivity to handling by humans, shy/timid, nipping and mouthing, jumping on people, excessive humping, excessive barking, separation anxiety, excessive herding behavior, and more. You can ask the daycare facility what behaviors are hardest for them to manage in their setup and environment to ensure you’re setting up your pet for success rather than triggering unneeded stress for your pet, the existing daycare dog pack, and daycare staff.
A trial should focus on your dog meeting staff and being evaluated how well they accept being handled by someone other than you, their owner. When being introduced to the dogs, the procedure should allow ample time for a slow introduction into the pack. This might mean your dog starts in a kennel at the side of the play area, is introduced one-on-one with other dogs before being out with the whole group, or starts in a low-energy play group area before getting into the greater action-packed rooms. Ask the particular facility searches for so far as indications whether a dog is enjoying their trial or if indeed they need a break. With regards to the daycare, the distance of the daycare trial might range between a couple of hours to a complete day. Visit: http://healthyhoundplayground.com/sterling-ashburn-reston-dog-day-care/
4. What’s the ratio of staff to dogs?
There should be at least one well-trained employee for each and every fifteen dogs (1:15), but the smaller the ratio the better! I love to visit a staff to dog ratio of 1 1:7-10 in the high-energy play groups to help maintain appropriate play between the more rambunctious dogs.
5. How many dogs are in each group?
This is determined by the style of daycare. Your dog park style might allow thirty to forty dogs in one group; you want to make certain that there is an appropriate ratio of staff to quantity of dogs, that the dogs in the group are well-matched temperaments and play styles, and that there is enough space for the dogs to go freely about without feeling crowded.
sookie-with-wilson-daycare-small-dog-with-big-dog6. Are dogs separated by size?
That is also determined by what design of daycare your dog attends. A home style daycare will most likely not separate dogs by size, and instead might determine which dogs can attend predicated on their energy level and play style. A daycare with separate play areas gets the best convenience of separating by size if you come to mind about your smaller dog using larger dogs.
Some daycares focus on small dogs only or large dogs only – find the one which separates dogs predicated on what you feel most comfortable with for your dog. My small Corgi (observed in inset photo) did the best playing around with the medium/large band of Labrador Retrievers at her daycare because they matched her play style and high energy.
7. What fencing and other safety features does the facility have?
A daycare must have fencing that is clearly a the least 6-feet tall to assist in preventing dogs jumping above the fence to be on adventures, and dogs should never be left unsupervised. When you have a puppy that loves to dig under or climb the fence, allow daycare know and have what their management plan is perfect for dogs that make an effort to escape enclosures.
Double door entry is another safety feature to consider in a daycare. Dogs should not have direct access to a door that leads directly outside – there must be a second doorway or gates that prevent door dashing or escapes by daycare dogs, much like the airlock gate system seen at many dog parks.