Doggy Daycare: 4 top tips for finding the right solution for you and your dog
With the nationwide restrictions slowly lifting, many new dog owners will be experiencing working life with a four-legged friend for the first time. Our canine friends have been living their best life for the past 15 months or so, and they are going to miss us when we’re not at home 24/7.
So, should you use doggy daycare?
As with many questions related to pets, there’s no right and wrong answer. It really depends on the individual dog, you as a family and the routine you have on a daily basis.
However, there are some things to consider when considering care for your dog.
1.Consider your dog’s age
Doggy daycare is not always suitable for young dogs that are still at a crucial time in their emotional development. It’s always advisable to take on a puppy when you have a concentrated period of time (months rather than weeks) where you can focus on building the right foundations for good behaviour. Sending a puppy or adolescent dog to spend the day with other dogs can result in them being overly sociable and may encourage unpredictable or unwanted behaviours.
2.Remember quality care matters
All day care facilities need to be registered with the council BUT they don’t currently need to have any dog related qualifications or accreditations. It’s therefore critical that owners pick good quality, knowledgeable carers who share their approach freely so you know what experience your dog will have when there. Day care owners might not be aware of modern training and behaviour methods so sending your dog once he/she is already familiar with basic skills and asking the carer to use the same approach as you is also important.
3.Interview your carer
Following on from the point above, it’s really important to understand how the setting works, arrange to visit without your dog. Chat to your carer about how they structure their day; whether dogs have structured rest time (really important for them to ensure they aren’t exhausted by bouncier dogs or become over-stimulated); are they familiar with canine body language so they can pick up if your dog’s subtle communication and know when to intervene and redirect interactions; do they know anything about training (the best outcome here is that they work alongside a trainer). The last thing you want is to undo the hard work you’ve put into your dog or, worst case, end up with a dog that develops problematic behaviour that puts your family life under strain.
4.Watch for behaviour changes
It’s critical that you watch for any behavioural changes once your dog starts attending day care. Speak to your day care provider about anything you’re worried about and ask them to work with you to identify the areas for concern and work together to resolve things. Attending a training class if needs be to work through the issue separately. Also they will need to be rewarding and discouraging the same things as you if you are to avoid confusing or giving conflicting messages for your dog.
Hopefully these tips will enable you to investigate day care with confidence and manage the difficult juggling act that comes with running a busy household and being a responsible owner. Remember that day care settings and group dog walks aren’t suitable for every dog so remember to take your dog’s individual needs and character into account when deciding what care is best for them.
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