Should I send my dog to doggy daycare?

The answer to any good question about dogs, is that it always depends on the dog. And so it is with the question of whether your dog should go to doggy day care.

Let’s start by looking at the pro’s and con’s of doggy day care generally.

Pro’s

• Your dog won’t be left alone all day
• There is someone to let them outside and make sure basic needs are met
• Exercise, stimulation and play with other dogs 

Con’s

• Not suitable for dogs that don’t like people or other dogs 
• Can be very over stimulating which may lead to behaviour issues both at daycare and at home
• Dog may learn new behaviours – but not necessarily the ones you want them too!
• Quality of care and service provided can vary a lot between daycares 

If you have a dog who is selective about which dogs they like to hang out with (this is most dogs) then a doggy daycare is not the best option for your dog. If you’re not sure that doggy daycare is the best option for your dog, then there are other options which may suit you and your dog better. These include;

• Hire a professional dog walker or sitter 
• Ask a trusted friend, neighbour or family member to pop in
• Re-shuffle things so someone can check in on the dog during the day

What to look for

If you do need to use a doggy day care, here’s some things to consider when choosing somewhere. Look for licensed, insured and first aid trained businesses- anyone worth their salt will be more than happy to show you their paperwork if asked. Ask to be shown round the areas your dog will be hanging out in and observe the dogs already there- do they look happy and relaxed? Not sure what to look for? Have a read of our blog post on doggy body language here.

Do they use reward based training methods to manage behaviour? Is there enough room for each dog to take a break and rest away from others if they want to? You know your dog best, so trust your gut instinct. Some dogs will enjoy a home from home style daycare with few other dogs but would really struggle in a bigger setting with multiple dogs. 

Here’s some questions to ask a doggy daycare before you make a decision.

• How many dogs do you look after at once?
• Do you make sure dogs are getting sufficient rest and not becoming overstimulated? How?
• How do you manage undesirable behaviour from dogs? 

Has your dog been to doggy daycare? What was their (and your!) experience? 

Our boy Duke went to a daycare a few times as a pup, but was soon kicked out after getting hold of and destroying the owners wallet and cards… Oops!