Doggie Daycare -- Opinions Please

[dafzichu]

Since Mindy and I are going home soon, I have again started to think about taking her to a Doggie Daycare in my area. She will be in the crate for 6 hours while I work and I was thinking of just taking her once or twice a week for playtime (maybe just for 2 hours or so) when I get home. The problem is, I am really scared, I hate leaving her with other people, especially people I don't know. I would obviously visit the place first and talk to the owners, but can anyone give me pointers on what to look for or questions I should ask when I am there? I asked my trainer what she thought and she said it is good for some dogs and not good for others and the only way to really know is to have them screen her and if she passes, try it out, although she did stress to at least start with a short time period, which I had already decided anyway. So, I am looking for stories, opinions, red flags to look for. I appreciate any input to help with my decision. Thanks in advance!

 

[DiverDiva]

Oscar and Mali are boarded at such a place when we go on vacation. We don't do daycare because DBF works days and I work evenings. I reseached many and visited 3 before choosing one. If they have webcams that is a big plus, not only because you can see your dog, but because the staff are not likely to do anything improper with the whole world able to see. Another good thing is a requirement that the dog go through orientation before being officially admitted. I also like the fact that the place I selected had 3 separate areas of 'bedrooms' for overnight boarding, so if one dog is howling, at least some of the dogs can be separated from the noise. Of course, if there is a really bad smell to a place, I would avoid it. I knew I had made a good choice when I took Oscar there for the second time and he, normally well behaved, dragged me to the door, and refused to say goodbye. He just stood at the door to the play area, whining. Mali was even worse, she leaped out of the vehicle and ran to the door before I could get her leash. If you take Mindy to a facility for orientation, just see how she behaves the next time you take her there. If she can't wait to get back in, that says a lot. Good luck.

 

[My Boxer]

..... I knew I had made a good choice when I took Oscar there for the second time and he, normally well behaved, dragged me to the door, and refused to say goodbye. He just stood at the door to the play area, whining. Mali was even worse, she leaped out of the vehicle and ran to the door before I could get her leash. If you take Mindy to a facility for orientation, just see how she behaves the next time you take her there. If she can't wait to get back in, that says a lot. Good luck.

Same here. Scooter goes to daycare 1 or 2 times a week, and he can't wait to get there. I'm practically crying at the thought of leaving him there, but he can't wait to get in, whining at the door, and doesn't even look back at me, just jumps right in and begins to play. When I pick him up, he is tired, and falls asleep in the car on the way home. I was lucky, the daycare is associated where I take Scooter for classes. I had a good feeling right away when I walked in to check it out. No crates, but plenty of exercise inside and out. In fact, the owner has two Boxers of his own, and there are 6 or 7 other Boxers enrolled in daycare. Todd does obedience training with them during the day, and plays heavy metal music for them. When you walk in there is no odor or barking. Todd has them under control! Scooter loves it and I love it! When deciding on where to go, I would just drop in and observe. For me it just "felt right".

 

[SherylM]

Before we moved out of town Indy my Boston Terror used to go to daycare a couple times a week. He was carefully screened to make sure that he was an appropriate candidate. The daycare was staffed from anywhere between 2-5 staff, depending on how many dogs were in attendance that day. The daycare was held in a large warehouse type building where there was tons of room. They had all kinds of jumps and tunnels for dogs to play on. We lived in a small town so sometimes there were 30 dogs at time. They were all sectioned off according to size and temperment. They had one staff per 4 or 5 dogs depending again on size and temperment. At break time each dog would get a kong filled with peanut butter (or something else if the owner requested it). The owner and staff had to pass MY evaluation and they were all excellent. It was great socialization for my little terror and it sure tired him out. He also began to know the word "daycare". Recently we were talking about how he used to go to "daycare" and he came running from the next room because he thought he was going!

 

[Indy's mom]

Indy loves daycare!!! And I couldn't be happier about taking him either. He attends the same daycare that Scooter goes to.

I agree with everything that has been said by the others here. We were fortunate enough to know the trainer well before we enrolled in daycare. Todd, the owner of the daycare was Indy's trainer for puppy class and obedience class so we had the opportunity to learn his personality and the way he handles dogs first hand. I particularly liked that he owns 2 boxers and has a background of owning and being very fond of the bully breeds. While he is firm with dogs, I've never heard or seen him be harsh with any dog. In fact I've heard him talk a lot of baby talk to big and little dogs.

I would encourage you to visit the daycare that you are interested in sending Mindy to. By appointment is great, but I would simply 'stop in' unannounced for my first time. I would like to see how staff and animals inter act. It's important to me to see what really goes on.

Some daycares keep large and small dogs seperate, that may be your preferance. Some seperate according to energy level. Others, such as the one where Indy goes seperates more along the lines of who gets along together. You are very likely to see great big dogs playing with very little dogs and playing nicely thank you.

The daycare we use does not have time outs, or nap times. Many do and many people like this very much. There is training time, both individual per dog and group training. Hwvr, if a dog is tired and wants to nap, no problem, take a nap. If for some reason that dog seems particularly tired, very young, old, they will be given a quiet area to rest.

Talk to the people at the daycare and see what their policies are. If possible, talk to some of the people who send their dogs there. What do they like, what would they change? What is there policy if a dog gets hurt? Emergency vet? First aid skills? Do they keep crates on hand to crate a dog that is out of hand? What is the policy if a dog starts a fight? Gets sick?

Ask, ask, ask.

We do love daycare. It's been very beneficial for reinforcing all of the positive things that we've tried to teach Indy. The socialization is outstanding if the daycare is quality. It makes Indy a happy dog!

 

[Rileyboy]

Not sure if i'm allowed to post this web site.. Layla goes to doggie daycare only once a week and the place we go they have some good things to read on their web site like is doogie day care for me what you should look for and expect.. ect.. I know this place isn't where you live but maybe it will give you some insight of things to look for when choosing a day care for Mindy.. Layla also hasn't been going lately as she caught Kennel cough even though she was vaccinted for it.. so we had to make sure she was completely over any symptoms before she can go back.. she seems to love it there and is totally pooped out when she comes home.. Good luck with your search for a doggie day care for Mindy



www.alldogsgym.com

 

[rwteam]

Rommel has started going twice a week to daycare, and I can't say enough about it.
It really helps him get out some of that excess energy he seems to have stored up by the middle of the week.
When we get there, he absolutely cannot wait to get through the gate. The other day he banged his head on the gate latch... poor guy... but it didn't faze him. He just wanted to get in and play.
I like the fact that he plays with all shapes and sizes, and that there is always someone watching him.
The other day, he was playing with a Great Dane, and the owner of the daycare said that Rommel is a perfect match for him since the Dane plays like a puppy.
When Rommel gets home, he sleeps most of the night. I won't lie that this is helpful for me, since he is only 8 months old and I still have to watch most every move he makes. This way, I can get some things done around the house.
I believe that taking Rommel twice a week has made him a healthier, happier dog, and we are happy owners because of this!

 

[cwelch]

Daycare

My daughter works at a daycare two days a week. The owner has a degree in animal behavior. Before a person can take their dog, the dog must attend a play session on the weekend to insure it will be an appropriate fit. The dogs are played with and exercised outside. If any of the dogs act out there are crates for timeouts to calm the situation. I would ask for the credentials of the owner, how many dogs are in attendance on an average day, how many attendents are with the dogs. Is the area where the dogs are kept clean and disinfected after accidents? Is there are outdoor exercise area? Does anyone actually play with the dogs or are they left to play alone? Does the owner have any dogs of their own? These are just a few of the things I've heard about from my daughter that might be helpful