When I was five or six years old my mother took me to kindergarten. I am told I cried the entire day, sitting in the corner and sobbing hysterically. Nothing anyone did assuaged me. When my mother returned to pick me up, I reportedly ran screaming across the room, grabbed onto her legs and wouldn’t let go. Oh my.
I thought of that somewhat embarrassing story when a friend asked if they should put their dog into a local Doggy Care. If you’ve been following my blog you know my answer: “It depends.” A bad doggy day care is no less than abusive and dangerous. A really good one can be a wonderful option for some dogs, but not others. I can relate to the “not others”. If I’d been a dog when I was young, I would have hunkered in a corner, big-eyed and silent, or growling and snarling under a chair. But how does one know which dogs would enjoy doggy day care, and what day cares are safe, healthy places for the dogs who are good prospects?
First and foremost, it is important to remember that dogs did not evolve to play in large groups. Play between dogs is primarily between two individuals. Groups of dogs can play well together, but if you watch carefully, there are always two dogs as the primary “actors,” and other dogs on the periphery, trying to join in. Thus, large groups of dogs aren’t usually “playing together,” they are jockeying for position, or forming smaller play groups. As Sue Sternberg pointed out in an interesting talk about play at APDT last month, play involving more than two individuals who are all participating equally requires rules, and is really only seen in one species–ours–that can write rule books. Once that happens, we call it a sport, and it can only happen because we structure and organize it in a way that most animals can’t.
Keeping that in mind, there are four things to consider when asking if your dog is right for a doggy day care. 1) Your Dog, 2) The Staff, 3) The Environment and 4) The Other Dogs. Although 2), 3) and 4) are related, I’ll take them one at a time.
YOUR DOG: The fact is that many dogs are not comfortable walking into, or spending time in a group of 20 or 30 or 50 dogs. However, like all mammals, dogs have different personalities and have had different experiences while growing up. Some dogs, I think of them as the extroverts of the dog world, love being in large groups of dogs and think it is great fun. Others are simply overwhelmed. I’ve seen far too many dogs whose owners are pleased because the dog comes home and is so exhausted it barely moves all night. But there’s happily tired versus being exhausted from being stressed or bullied all day, and it is critical to figure out in which category your dog belongs.
THE STAFF: Here is where the rubber meets the road. I would only send a dog to a facility that had a high ratio of staff to dog (perhaps one person for every 10 or 15 dogs) and highly educated staff. Each person there should be well-versed in readings dogs for signs of stress, discriminating between appropriate versus inappropriate play, and how to effectively but benevolently manage the behavior of both individual dogs and a group of dogs. That is a lot of knowledge, and I have seen far too many facilities in which the staff comes up short on all counts. There are many reasons for that, but I suspect one is that some people think all one needs to run a day care is a big empty room that has a floor that dogs can pee on. I just went to Amazon to see what is published on day cares, and most of the books that came up could be titled “Open Up a Doggy Day Care: It’s Easy!.” Ouch. The issue of good staff should be a deal breaker–ask the staff what kind of training they have had, how they handle interrupting dogs, what they look for in terms of dog-dog interactions, how they deal with emergencies, fights etc. I’d advise going to sit and watch for a few hours, without your dog. If you’re not blown away by the professionalism of the staff, I’d take a pass.
THE FACILITY: What’s it like in there? Lots of room? Places for dogs to opt out of interaction? (Cozy corners behind half walls, places for a dog to go off by him or herself and rest?) Clean (within reason–don’t expect a Holiday Inn)? How often are dogs taken out to potty? (Do you really want your dog to learn to pee inside a room?) Is it safe? Outdoors and in? Floor not slippery? Outside have no wire points where a dog could be injured? Are there good places for the dogs to nap? Dogs need to sleep during the day; it’s not good for them to go full bore for nine hours–how does the staff handle balancing play and rest?
THE DOGS: How are the dogs evaluated? Are owners asked to fill out a questionnaire with no other evaluation of the dog? (Thumbs down.) Is the staff cognizant of size differences? Would they let a Yorki in with 15 medium to large-sized dogs? (Heaven help the Yorki.) Are the dogs separated into play groups? What is the policy if a dog bullies others, or initiates a fight? Again, it helps to both interview the staff and spend some time watching the dogs. If you see several dogs ganging up on another with no response from the staff, don’t even think about taking your dog there. You might try video taping the dogs for awhile, then go home and watch. Most people miss a great deal of unfriendly interactions until they can sit back and watch it on video, so consider that if you’re not an expert at reading canine communication.
I’ve never written a booklet about doggy day care, but luckily there are some great resources available. Kathy Sdao wrote a great piece about how to select a day care (if at all) that I highly recommend. She also did a webinar for BEN about managing groups of dogs that I haven’t heard but I expect is excellent. Camille Ward and Barbara Smuts have done some great research on play which I also recommend reading about. (And there’s a new book out, Canine Play Behavior, just translated from German by Dogwise, that summarizes all the research on dog play. It is excellent.) Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs have done so very much to make doggy day cares safer and healthier; I like one of their books so much we have it on our website: Off Leash Dog Play. Robin has a new book out, All About Doggy Day Care, that looks like it might be great, check it out.
What about you? Have you taken your dog to a doggy day care facility? Good experience or bad? Is there something you wished you’d known or asked before you sent your dog to day care? I have to admit that although I’ve worked with people in day care facilities and have had a lot of clients whose dogs went to them (included those I advised to pull out asap), I’ve never taken any of my dogs to one. In part that is because I’m very lucky. I have 12 acres and access to lots more at the farms of friends. My dogs get lots of exercise, in part because they work sheep and in part because they play together a lot too. But I have to admit that if I didn’t have those resources I would be hesitant to take my dog to one. But then… I was the girl who cried her way out of kindergarten.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm, the calendar and the plants are in perfect harmony. On October 31st I looked around me and realized that just about all the color is gone. The world has gone back to grey and brown, although the grass is still green in some places. That fits with the beginning of November (that’s the official start of winter if you live in Wisconsin, at least as far as I’m concerned) and the change of the clocks from daylight savings time.
Soon I’ll be inviting friends with dogs to come over just to play with Maggie, and get her used to other dogs coming into the house. She’s met lots of Border Collies at clinics and trials, but I’m well aware that she needs more experience with dogs of other breeds, and getting used to unfamiliar dogs entering the house. Not to mention all those manners-related exercises that keep getting trumped by sheepdog work. Soon enough the snow will fly and we’ll have plenty of time to work on other things.
Speaking of dogs in groups, here are Maggie and Willie interacting well with the BCs of a friend of mine at the Knox clinic in Minnesota in September. All 4 dogs ran around for quite awhile together, but you still could see that there were 2 primary actors and two ‘satellite’ dogs. All the dogs kept their cool but I will also add that there were 3 people monitoring 4 dogs (5 at one point), each of whom could be called off in a microsecond. That was never necessary, the dogs did beautifully together, but I greatly appreciated that we were monitoring their play carefully.
Tonya & Dexter says
What a great post! I couldn’t agree more. I always find it hard to discuss day cares since a lot of my students go to them & I also receive a lot of referrals from day cares as well. Any tips on how to stay “neutral” when that subject comes up without selling out? Thanks~
Paula says
Thank you for the excellent article on doggie daycare. I have two rescues; 8 yr old Border Collie cross female I’ve had for 7 years and a new adoptee 6 yr old Rottie cross male I’ve only had for 7 months.
They are as different as chalk to cheese. Male thinks every dog is his play buddy; up for rough housing; chasing etc. Female likes to be boss but behaves at doggie vacation farm!
I would definitely take my male to doggie daycare and leave my female at home!
Thanks
Paula (mom to Silky and Rufus)
Jennifer Hamilton says
As the owner of a full service pet resort which offers Doggie Daycamp, I couldn’t agree more with all of the criteria that Trisha laid out. I just wish I could convince all of our customers of the same thing. The two biggest challenges I have is 1) explaining why we have play breaks built into our schedule and that it’s important for the dogs to have downtime throughout the day, and 2) why not all dogs are suitable for daycamp…and that doesn’t make them inferior or bad dogs.
On the second point, the metaphor I use to explain in it in a way the owners can hear me is to say, “I’m sure you know someone in your life that would prefer dinner for two or to stay home and watch a movie. And I’m sure you know someone who is the life of the party or thinks joining a fraternity was the best thing they ever did. Both of those personalities are perfectly healthy and normal…and dogs are like that too. Some are happy to just chill with a friend and some would love nothing more than to roughhouse amongst a group of teenage dogs…we need to honor both of those personalities.” Usually that sermon will get people thinking a little bit more openly about what their dogs likes…instead of their idea of what their dog SHOULD like.
The other comment I would like to add is that a dog’s sociability can be shaped and/or change over time. I will never forget a 5 month old husky who came for daycamp and clearly felt like Trisha did at her first day of school. I could have told the owners that he was not appropriate for social play (as I do with many dogs), but he was SO young and SO petrified at the thought of interacting with other dogs, I immediately thought to myself that we had to help this puppy! I asked the owner if they would bring their puppy everyday for 1 hour. Each day, we put the puppy in a private yard adjacent to the doggie daycamp area. In his private yard, there were numerous bushes for him to hide in and around. Again, he had no direct contact with other dogs, but he could see them through the fence playing with each other. Every day he started out hiding in the bushes, but over time, he would start coming out for short periods…each time getting a little closer to the action but always able to hide again whenever he got scared. We told the owner that we would not try him in the playgroup until he was running into our facility and jumping up on the fence to the social play yard as the other dogs were playing. It took about 2 weeks, but he turned into an amazing social butterfly. To this day, he loves doggie daycamp and is happy to greet dogs in various social situations at our facility or out on the street. Just as Trisha’s teacher and mom worked to help her overcome her fear, we too can help some dogs…especially those that are younger and more pliable.
That being said, I almost never recommend this approach with older dogs as they seem to be fairly well set in their ways. I did have one exception. A woman was convinced that her older dog was not “normal” unless it could participate in doggie daycamp. I repeatedly told her that her dog preferred smaller, intimate encounters and that she needed to honor that aspect of her dog. Rather than follow my advice, she came back every 2-3 months insisting her dog had changed and was more social…demanding that I retest her dog. Each time, her dog gave us all the signs that he wasn’t happy in a group and we never got past a group of three dogs. On the seventh test, I was planning to tell the owner that I just wasn’t willing to re-assess her dog anymore, however, I had a new supervisor trainee that month and, up until now, all of the dogs we tested passed with flying colors. Using this as an opportunity to show my trainee how to assess when a dog is not suitable, I decided to retest this dog again. To my shock, the dog passed with flying colors. I just could not believe what I was seeing. After assessing him to be inappropriate 6 times over the course of 1 1/2 years, he now passed as if doggie daycamp was his favorite thing to do every day. I just didn’t know what to say. Three years later, this dog continues to thrive in our doggie daycamp and has lost weight and become more agile in his older age. I realize this is the one exception, but sometimes it’s important not to pre-judge our furry friends.
Lastly, I will say that many people bring their dogs to daycamp, not for the dog, but for themselves. Maybe they need a break, maybe the dog is tearing up everything at home, maybe a family member is in the hospital, maybe they are sick themselves. Some dogs, if left at home for long periods, can be just as miserable as if they are in a social situation. And some owners, especially elderly ones, end up excessively crating or punishing young dogs if they can’t get them to burn energy through doggie daycamp. You could argue that perhaps they shouldn’t have a dog at all if they can’t exercise it adequately. But the reality is, they have the dog…so we try to help both of them find peace. It’s a balancing act sometimes. There are some dogs where neither alternative is optimal, but it is what it is. We often try to give those dogs extra breaks or structure customized programs to reduce stress during the day as well stress at home.
Kat says
I haven’t used doggy daycare for Ranger for two reasons, 1) we haven’t needed it on the very rare occasions when we’ve needed to be gone all day we’ve had someone come over to walk Ranger 2) I don’t necessarily trust others to be savvy monitors. Ranger has excellent social skills and plays well with others. At the dog park he’s often the Park Ranger monitoring the play of others and intervening and redirecting when things get a bit heated. It would be altogether too easy for a daycare worker to put the entire weight of monitoring play on Ranger which would be grossly unfair. At the dog park there is one or two dogs and 5-10 people monitoring the play of 8-12 dogs and it isn’t an all day proposition, it’s 30-90 minutes (closer to the 30 these days closer to the 90 minutes when he was a two year old).
I love watching Ranger manage a group of dogs or play between two unevenly matched dogs. One day there were only three dogs at the park, Ranger, a Newfoundland puppy, and a Labrador puppy. The puppies were pretty close in age but the Newfie was easily twice the size of the Lab. Lab pup was rather shy and retiring and the Newfie was all exuberance. Lab puppy was pretty overwhelmed so Ranger gently herded the Newfie away and held him off the Lab until the Lab began to relax then he’d let the Newfie back to play. When the Newfie would start to get too rough for the Lab Ranger would herd him away again. Watching you could see the Newfie learning better self handicapping and the Lab gaining in confidence. As this happened Ranger let their play go on for longer and longer periods. When he feels the need to manage a group of dogs at play (which he doesn’t always feel the need to do it really depends on the mix of dogs) or takes on clumsy puppy social interactions Ranger reminds me of a really excellent preschool teacher.
Betsy says
We have had an AWFUL experience at daycare – a complete free-for-all where our English Bulldog came home covered with bites. The owner’s response? It was “the dog’s” fault.
Now, we go to a small family business. It is not fancy but it is great for our dogs. They play in small size- and energy- appropriate groups. In fact, our 2 dogs often just play with each other. They are large rough-and-tumble guys – not everyone wants a wrestling match!
Kristen says
I so appreciate this post! We have two dogs who spend the holidays at a wonderful doggy day care that meets your above recommendations and allows me to watch my dogs playing on camera (which I do way too much!). My pitbull (Teo) is in heaven — doggy day care is truly her “happy place” — she is so extroverted, she is in the center of the action and plays to her heart’s content. Our Rhodesian Ridgeback /shepherd mix (Hogan) is a different story. He tends to hover on the outskirts or quietly follow Teo. Sometimes he finds one friend (often another shepherd) and they stand together and watch the action. However, all of our family lives in another state and I can’t bear the thought of placing them in a boarding situation without playtime. Also, we live in Colorado and this doggy day care is the ONLY one we called that would accept pitbulls. They evaluate dogs based on temperament and behavior, not breed (imagine!). Our pitbull is a registered Pet Partners therapy dog, by the way, but no other doggy day care would even consider evaluating her. Fortunately, we love the one we found… So, I tell myself the “socialization” is good for Hogan, but feel terrible about leaving him every time. We cannot use an at home dog sitter because Hogan is very territorial and Teo is a “runner” and we haven’t found anyone we can trust to watch them at home (the options are limited at Thanksgiving and Christmas, too). After two bad experiences with at home dog sitters, we decided to stick with the day care (since I can watch them and know they are safe and well cared for). I just hope Hogan doesn’t mind, too much… As an introvert myself, I HATED camp and never thought it was “good for me” so I probably empathize too much with Hogan! Anyway, thank you for this article!!
HFR says
When I got my first dog while living in New York City, I was never satisfied with the dog-walker set up. I just felt terrible about leaving a small pup home in a crate for so long. Now this was back in the early ’90s and if you said “doggy daycare” to anyone, they looked at you like you were nuts. But I found one of the first dog daycare place in the city. Looking back now and considering how little I knew about dogs and play, it was a pretty cool place. It was very small so I think that helped. The thing I loved the most was the card that would be waiting for me when I got home (they picked up and delivered!) that would describe Clara’s day to me in detail including her crazy antics and what her habits were. It made me feel that they were really watching her. They didn’t stay in business long tho. I’ve heard this is a hard business to run. If you want stable, educated staff, you’ve got to pay higher wages and people have a limit as to what they will pay for the service. After they closed I found a stay-at-home mom nearby who was willing to let me drop Clara off with her all day (for a fee) to hang with her dog, which worked out really well for a long time. Like you say, Trisha, I think where you live and what your situation is as far as how much you are home, really makes a difference as to whether daycare is a good option or not.
I sort of feel the same way about this as I do about people who insist on dressing their dogs in fancy clothes. I figure with all the people in the world who tend to ignore their dogs, who think that feeding them is considered all they need to do to take care of them, who leave their dogs in the backyard for hours alone, wanting to dress up your dog or put them in daycare at least usually signals a loving, caring owner who enjoys indulging their dogs, even if they may be misguided at times.
I also think, for the most part, once a dog gets to be 5 or 6, play is just not as important to them. Not for all dogs, but that has been my experience with my dogs. The first few years, they loved dog parks and gatherings with other dogs, after that, they were content to just walk in the woods and smell stuff! 🙂
em says
Much as my dogs LOVE our local (and extraordinary in that it’s huge, and unfenced) dog park where we’ve gone every day for years and where they enjoy off-leash walking and play with both other dogs and on another, I’ve always been leery of doggie daycares.
My dogs do enjoy group play- they will actively mope not just if we fail to go to the park, but if we do visit but their usual playmates are absent- especially Otis, who is particularly attached to his friends- Sandy is more flexible and usually pretty happy as long as she got to see SOMEBODY. But, socially experienced and rock solid as they are, I just can’t imagine either one of them enjoying day care. I know many people who love their doggie daycares and I’m aware of several who meet the criteria you’ve laid out, I’ve just never felt it was a good fit.
The one time I brought Otis the great dane to a doggie daycare was for a breed meetup (so dogs accompanied by their owners), and while he did fine and the experience was without incident, he-and quite frankly most of the other dogs- seemed obviously uncomfortable. One or two dogs played a bit in the center of the room, mostly prompted by the one dog that we already knew from the park who evidently took it upon herself to be the life of the party. The rest milled about somewhat tensely, greeting politely enough, but moving restlessly, and mostly avoiding eye contact, while scanning for potential exits. After about twenty minutes, the restless pack started to calm – which in this case meant thirty great danes spread out and standing quietly next to their owners along the wall as they completely ignored one another. It was pretty funny. We took our leave shortly thereafter, and seeing Otis’ relief as we left was evidence enough for me that this type of setting- even with a very reassuring dog-to-human ratio, even with a bunch of dogs who were his perfect match in size and energy, even with a total lack of bullying or snark, even with his prior history of absolutely loving social play- wasn’t his cup of tea. He might adjust in time, but I’ve never been interested.
Sandy, I suspect, would be more comfortable, as she’s less apt to get overstimulated, but when we got Sandy she was already seven years old (and is eleven now), and we already had established a routine involving exercise and social play (which she LOVES and still freely engages in) at the park, so it never crossed my mind. At this point I would worry that doggie daycare would simply be too tiring for her- much as she loves our daily outings, she sleeps soundly most of the day, and she dearly enjoys her peace and her space. She gets irritable if she is awake and active for hours and hours at a stretch.
Mary says
Great article!
I have a huge problem with daycares that automatically refuse certain breeds, and many in my area do. I completely agree with temperament testing but don’t turn away any dog on looks alone. It’s no different than keeping people out because of their color.
My veterinarian is totally against dog parks, daycares, etc. She feels they are very dangerous health wise (disease / parasites). I do prefer to arrange my own “play dates” with responsible owners I can trust to keep their dogs healthy, up to date on vaccines and know their dogs well enough to be able to handle any disagreements that may occur.
K9Sasha says
I used to own a dog daycare. I live in a fairly small community in a rural area so never had more than about 8 dogs at a time. I discovered that dogs are like kids in that they pick up the bad behaviors of others in almost no time at all (barking when someone entered the facility, for instance) but rarely or never picked up good manners. Having run a daycare for two years I’d be leery about taking my dog to one.
One thing that always amazed me as a dog daycare owner was how few people asked me about my background. If you’re going to leave your dog in a situation like that all day you (should) want to know that the person taking care of your dog has the knowledge to do so safely. I’ve checked out a couple of other dog daycares that started up in this area and asked the owners about their background. They both gave some version of the reply, “I’ve always liked dogs,” with no other background or training in dog behavior. Running a safe, secure dog daycare is not easy and it would be good if there were some kind of license or certification available to separate out those facilities where the staff is knowledgeable about dogs, dog behavior, and dog interactions from those where the staff “have always liked dogs.”
Patti Masiello says
My two dogs are therapy dogs. After we do a visit, I swing by to the dog gym. It is a reward for them after working to play off leash with friendly dogs in a controlled environment. It is also more training as far as learning to communicate with other dogs, so my dogs feel more comfortable when we run into a service dog while visiting a facility. I am there at all times with them, and the gym owner brings down other day care dogs for my dogs to play with. It has been a positive experience for us.
Jackie D says
Neither of mine could cope with doggy day care. Twix regards almost all other dogs as Scary Monsters – I bet some people think day care would socialise him better but it would go badly wrong (quite probably at the expense of the staff’s fingers!). Lucy likes small dogs, is worried by big boisterous dogs, but most of the time would really rather just potter about on her own, thank you very much.
When I needed day care at one point they went to boarding kennels for the day once a week. Hanging out in their own kennel and then being allowed to run in the paddock (with no other dogs) a couple of times during the day was a much better solution for them.
Jane Bowers says
Great post. A daycare here called the owners of a pup going for the first time. He was scared and the daycare got the owners to pick him up and take him home, feeling the little guy would be otherwise traumatized. That’s a good daycare!
Lara Elizabeth says
When I adopted my high-energy Border Jack, I thought that doggy day care would be a great solution for her once a week, in combination with lunchtime walks by myself or a hired dog walker. I selected one based on a recommendation and proximity to my office, and everything seemed fine at first. A few weeks later, Ruby started exhibiting some pretty severe reactivity toward both dogs and people, and I can’t help but think that doggy daycare played a part in this. I was told that she was too much for dogs her own size so they placed her in with large dogs. Now that I know more about her personality and have watched her play style, she tends to get overwhelmed by more than one dog and dogs that are a lot bigger. I think that having to fend off other dogs all day contributed to her defensive reactivity.
More alarmingly, I found out too late that the staff employed Cesar Milan’s “training methods” and that there was an incident involving Ruby getting “corrected” for nipping one of the staff (no skin broken, Ruby is a very mouthy dog in play, AND they did not tell me about this incident until a week later).
The timing of Ruby’s changed attitude towards dogs and people corresponded too closely with what happened at doggie daycare to dismiss as entirely coincidental. I spent a lot of time beating myself up for not more carefully researching their training philosophy or the way they managed their play groups.
Based on my experience, I probably would not utilize doggie daycare again – there are too many unknowns.
AE says
My cocker spaniel barks at bigger dogs, so I was grateful for a daycare that separates dogs by size. She also loves to fetch, and the staff are able to throw the ball for her. Her first time, the report card said “lots of belly rubs” which I think was submissiveness in a new situation (though she does love belly rubs). I don’t take her often, but I think it has been good for her. She has learned more play behaviors besides fetch that she will play with my more “normal” cocker.
Cheryl says
Having worked for groomers and a doggie daycare I can say that watching for a few hours is probably the best thing you said. No matter how nice the place looks or how friendly and positive the people seem what goes on out of view can be very, very different. I am not unemployed because I could not work in a place that outright lied and did not treat the dogs in their care well. The “highly trained” staff had no training and some never even owned a dog.
Cheryl says
Should have said now unemployed. Also I am not saying all groomers and daycares are like that but you have to be careful and thoroughly check them out. It is not worth taking a chance of your dog being traumatized, hurt or even just not happy.
Heidi Korpela says
Four years ago I attended Nana Will’s seminar in Boulder, CO, Dog Daycare: Beyond the Leash. She taught me that the best daycares use an extensive questionnaire to screen applicant owners and dogs, and in the best case they have a wonderful tester dog who meets the applicant dog before he/she is accepted as a client. There is a strict schedule everyday for play, potty breaks, and rest time. During naps, the lights are dimmed, lavender is pumped into the air, and soft classical music plays while each dog rests in an individual kennel. The staff is highly trained to read canine body language and versed in breaking up skirmishes calmly and efficiently. They keep track of which dogs should not be together. They have an emergency plan and practice it. I have never taken my dog to a daycare, but many of my dog training clients want to. I always share what I learned from Nana so they can make the best choice.
Trisha says
Fascinating comments so far. Thanks especially to Jennifer H for her insights from the perspective of a daycare facility owner and manager. How interesting that owners have to be convinced that dogs need breaks–more evidence that people tend to be anthropomorphic when it doesn’t serve dogs, and not when it does. (Have I mentioned what a strange species we are?) I can relate to convincing people that a dog is not a ‘bad dog’ just because it is not appropriate for daycare. I ran into the same issue often with clients, who felt that somehow it was a reflection on them that their dog was an introvert, or in some way didn’t thrive in group settings. I wish I knew where we got the idea that all dogs need to be all things to all people. And yes, Jennifer, I hear you that daycares are often as much, or more, for the owners. Finding a balance between what we need and what our dog needs is a challenge for all of us if you think about it.
monica says
I had been leery of doggie day care because a couple of friends had bad experiences in the 90’s. Recently my mom found a wonderful place. We were introduced to it through the training classes they offer. The staff are attentive and knowledgeable , its not a glamorous place but we love it. My mom’s dog goes 3 days a week the dogs have group time and a couple of quiet times when the dogs go to a suite to eat and nap. The facility has webcams too. My dog is tired and happy when she comes home.
em says
Oh, I forgot! I had a small point about dogs and group play.
The phenomenon of a pair of dogs actively engaged while others try to ‘cut in’ is one I’ve seen countless, countless times, and I firmly agree that must play in large groups is actually usually just simultaneous small-group interaction, but I would quibble a bit with “never” when it comes to multiple dog play. I think when we say that it ‘isn’t possible for more than two dogs at a time to play nicely and be equally engaged in play’, the operative word is “nicely”, and ‘nice’ is determined by human standards.
Seeing two or more dogs “team up” (as in, actively coordinate) to tackle a single target is a less common form of play at the park, but not really all that unusual. Most dogs really don’t enjoy being ‘it’ and will use all of their social skills to avoid it (which often includes trying to engage one of the cooperating dogs one-on-one while ignoring the others), but there are the rare examples who don’t mind being the center of a multi-dog melee. Otis doesn’t seek or seem to really enjoy it, but he sometimes will continue to play with multiple partners, splitting his attention between them, rather than ending the game (which he can easily do whenever he wishes). His best dog friend, an extremely outsized labradoodle (110 lbs and built like a tank), seemed (when he was younger) to actually like being the bottom of a dog pile- actively engaging several dogs in quick succession while remaining engaged with the dogs he tagged first. He and Otis are unusual in that they are very large, and very strong. Most of their playmates are not really a physical match for them, and they end up either self-handicapping or ruining their own fun but simply steamrolling over their playmates and ending the game. Otis preferred to handicap or take on his physically matched buddy one-on-one, but his friend really seemed to enjoy wrestling with multiple smaller opponents.
Regardless, Otis and his friend are rare exceptions. Most dogs don’t like to be mobbed,(though they’ll gleefully join in to mob the next sucker a moment later) and most humans won’t tolerate it. They intervene, and actively discourage that type of play. But it is, I would argue, play. And there are rules, of a sort, or at least ‘lines we don’t cross’ (though I freely admit that mobbing or even two-on-one behavior is more likely to turn nasty than one-on-one play). Ganging up may not be nice, or nice to watch, and it probably requires that the members of the gang be physically overmatched by their target to be sustainable as “equal” play, but it is part of the dog playbook.
All of this is, of course, neither here nor there, since this type of multi-dog play is absolutely NOT something I would want to see in a doggie daycare setting, where the dogs are trapped together and the potential for disaster is sky-high. It’s risky, can quickly turn unpleasant, and needs to be carefully monitored at the best of times and in the best of settings, and I don’t think a daycare would be it.
Oh, one more reflection, this time in support of the ‘dogs prefer one on one with a chosen playmate’ premise! Often, in our regular group of dogs, we have a sort of round-robin of preferred play targets. Otis’ buddy the labradoodle with start something with a golden. Otis will try his darnedest to cut in, distracting the doodle and evening the odds for the golden, who will remain engaged with the doodle. Sandy will try to cut in, focusing on Otis, ignoring both the golden and the doodle and effectively handicapping Otis’ efforts to cut in on the doodle. In the end all dogs are engaged, but mostly in weird unrequitedly focused ways. More dogs will sometimes contribute to the chain, fitting into the mix one way or another, but in the end, all will play for a good long burst before everybody splits up and stops at almost the same moment. It’s definitely odd to watch, but in the end everyone balances out nicely and the session ends with everyone apparently happy.
Linda K says
Loved this post. My 4 year old Wheaten Terrier does not like large groups of dogd. I took her to a local doggie day care a few times but stayed with her each time. As planned we stayed for about an hour each time and since she was cautious and looked stressed around so many dogs the staff gave us,a fenced off portion of the room with only one other dog. We did this a few time but I could see she would never enjoy playing in a large group. Also after spending so much time in the facility I saw enough that I would never trust them alone with my dog. Staff was untrained, and usedeven saw a dog in play water spray bottles to break up scuffles. I even saw,a dog in the play group with a prong collar on for correction. I now arrange play dates with known dogs and go hiking on weekends which is her favorite activity.
Linda says
Great information on this post! My two-year-old goldendoodle has been to a variety of daycare options. I only send her one day a week, as I get her lots of walks and exercise but work full time. I fell in love with one daycare, great staff, newer facility, but Luna let me know she did not like it there. I have also had her at a smaller facility with only 10-15 dogs, but they have no supervision. Now she is at a daycare that may not have all the modern amenities, but she is happy, playful and looks forward to going. I found it very important to listen to my dog’s cues throughout the process, they will tell us what we need to know if we look and listen!
Rebecca says
I wish i had a ^Jennifer Hamilton^ here!
I have taken my 1.5 year old Catahoula/Basenji mix to Petsmart’s doggy daycamp. When she was a younger I took her everywhere that i could; pet stores, hardware stores, parks, family events… but she was still painfully nervous/shy around strange people. (it doesn’t bother me that she doesn’t like people, we kind of have that in common – but i needed her to have enough confidence that she could see a vet, or on the off chance i needed someone else to watch her, or if i should drop dead.. i need to know that she will be ok without me) When i realized that she enjoyed playing with other dogs i decided to try this organized play thing… The staff thought i was crazy/over protective when i asked if i could book only 1 hour, but i didn’t want to exasperate her anxiety – and yet – at the same time wanted her to have some fun and make “friends.” We worked our way up 1 hour at a time – but not knowing what really happens after i leave – i haven’t left her for more than 4 hours. By her body language every time i pull into the Petsmart parking lot, i’m confident that she is having a good time and “bad things” aren’t happening.. the scooby-dooing across the tile floor, anxious to get in there and play, is just the icing on the cake. But a lot of it is confidence in my dog – not the staff. I have seen how she approaches other dogs, i have seen her roll over and submit to aggressive dogs, i have seen her puppy bow to dogs viewed as ‘equals’, i have watched her self handicap in play with smaller dogs…
After i got a second puppy i would take #1 to daycamp for 2-3 hours while #2 was at obedience school. It worked well because neither knew the other was doing something totally pawesome. Plus – they’d both nap in the afternoon instead of one having energy picking at the other…
But even with the good luck i had with #1 I don’t have any plans to take #2. So many of the questions listed here have since come to mind… i really don’t know how it’s managed. i really don’t know if they have a “time out” system, how they break up fights, what happens if someone has to potty… I don’t know that my exuberant #2 would fare as well as my introverted #1. I’d feel more confident if i could find a place that did actual two way evaluations, not just questions on paper.
Anne says
Thank you so much for this blog post and for the comments (which I have only skimmed so far, but already found super helpful).
I wanted to share my own experience since I feel we always learn from each other’s stories. I adopted a pitbull boxer mix when he was 11 months old. He was found on the street and not much was known about him, but there were some signs that seemed to indicate that he had been held in confinement (he had flat paws, was covered in dry urine, and his entire abdomen was sore).
I first hired a dog walker for his mid-day walks, but felt this was not giving him enough exercise so when friends shared info about their dog’s play group, I started to use this service. They picked him up each day in a van (with other dogs) and he was gone for about 4 hours and then bring him back. I was told they would drive out to a large property where the dogs were running and playing.
I now realize I made many mistakes there already.
A few months into the process he started to no longer be as friendly towards other dogs as he used to be – he would often growl bark at other dogs he had met before and was noticeably uncomfortable. Whether it was directly connected to the day care situation or not, but I began to think about it more and to investigate.
First of all, the concept of putting loose dogs into a van and driving them around the city and then out to somewhere else is now completely mind-boggling to me (I am a first-time dog owner and really had no idea – I do now!). Also, what used to be two rounds of pick-up ended up being merged into one so at times there were something like, what, 14 dogs in the van?
During the winter-time, it also seems they did not give the dogs so much outdoor playtime and since they had no indoor space, they did “sight-seeing” so probably prolonged the uncomfortable and risky driving time in the van.
When I asked the person running the playgroup whether I could visit the group, he said “no” – which was the moment all the other light bulbs went off and I realized this was not a good place for him to be! The play group manager said the dogs would get too unsettled if I visited and had once gotten very wild when somebody stuck their hand into the van (and nearly had it bitten off). Of course, my dog was uncomfortable in such company! He stayed home the next day. The immediate change was incredibly. He slept so much and relaxed. I realized how tense and tight he had become – his skin, his behavior (barking at every movement outside etc.).
Through the grapevine I also heard (after I took him out) that there was no going out to the very large property anymore but rather dogs were taken to a property that, based on the address, is similar to mine, so is a duplex or small townhouse with a relatively small yard. Unacceptable for that amount of dogs (of all sizes, since that has been brought up as well).
Anyway, he’s come a long way now. He is much calmer. He has always been good company to my other rescue dog, throughout all of this, but other dogs are still a bit hit or miss (and no, we don’t even risk it really).
Of course, I’ll never now if this change was just part of his maturation process, the consequence of having been in a poorly managed play group (and if so, I will forever kick myself in a not-to-be-named body part for having been so ignorant!), or something else, but I do realize this play group was poorly managed and if I ever again am in a situation to choose one, I will go about it much differently. This post and its comments will be saved for this moment.
Nicole says
We are very fortunate to have found a wonderful daycare/training facility. Owned and operated by a CPDT, all the staff are trained and continuously educated in dog behavior. The playgroups are kept to a max of 12 dogs, with at least 2 attendants supervising at all times. They also separate the dogs based on size and energy level.
It’s been great for our younger dog who was a very fearful puppy. Now almost a year old, she loves going to play with her friends and visit with the staff.
We tried taking our 7 year old dog there as well, since we felt bad leaving her home alone, but she ended up spending most of her time hanging out in the office. She just isn’t interested in playing with a group of dogs.
Anne says
Jennifer, your day care sounds absolutely awesome. I would have no hesitation trying it again for/with my dog.
Allison says
As a dog trainer that has supervised a small doggie day care that meets most of the requirements outlined here, I personally would never take my dogs to daycare. As mentioned, dogs don’t choose to run in packs of dogs, they choose to be with us, the human. All the dogs I see attending regular daycare tend to completely ignore their human parent whenever in the presence of another dog, and pull atrociously on leash when they see another dog. I also feel like the rough play and practicing such over arousal around dogs contributes to leash aggression. Dog walkers can provide more appropriate exercise options and individual TLC that dogs really need.
DDM says
I’ve spent the better part of a decade working in different doggy daycare and boarding facilities.
Having said that, I will never send any of my dogs to daycare.
The best daycare I worked in, we played match maker and put our play groups together based on what the dogs needed and who they did best with. My groups were 2-9 dogs and it was heaven. An under confident dog could chill with the seniors and learn that new dogs can be pretty rad. The puppies could be matched up with other puppies or good teaching adults as needed. Tiny dogs could run wild with other itty bitties without fear of being treated like a fleeing rabbit. And in between group play times, dogs were able to nap and relax in their own indoor- outdoor kennel. HEAVEN.
But that’s not what misguided dog owners want. And that’s not what the higher ups wanted either. Dog owners want their dogs to run and play(or cower in a corner) for 12 hours until it’s time to go home. They want an exhausted dog. Daycare owners want profit. It takes more time for daycare staff to rotate out five groups of four dogs than it take to run two larger groups. The dogs’ well being be damned.
And what about us, the daycare staff, how does it affect us? We’re stressed. We don’t want to be riot control in huge groups of dogs. We don’t want to be the ones to tell owners that their dog no longer passes muster since our groups can no longer be small and manageable. “Your dog didn’t change. Our requirements of him did.” And we burn out at an alarming rate.
I no longer work in daycare as of a couple weeks ago.
And last but not least YOUR DOG IS NOT A BAD DOG IF THEY ARE KICKED OUT OF DAYCARE.
Michelle says
This is an excellent post! I have never used doggy daycare for my dog for a couple reasons: (1) She’s really quite content to relax at home. On the rare occasion that we’ve had to leave her for 9 hours or so, she hasn’t even wanted to get out with our upstairs neighbor who tried to get her out for a walk. She’s a pretty easy going who doesn’t have energy that she needs to burn off. and (2) She would not thrive in such a place. She is not a really playful dog, but can be if she trusts a dog after a time. She does enjoy the occasional chase game, but only if it’s her and another dog. If there are too many dogs she turns into the fun police, trying to control ALL THE THINGS. She barks at dogs who try to wrestle, runs in between dogs who have jumped on each other and pushes them away and “shouts” at them. I think she would find doggy daycare simply too stressful. And that’s the most important reason for me.
Jack Bobeck says
Great article and fantastic comments! We operate the largest indoor Dog Daycare in Jacksonville, FL with 15,000 square feet total space and 5,000 square feet of rubber dog floor. Our staff are trained to use basic commands daily, and we send these commands home for the owners to use on a daily basis. No dog is too old to learn and when dogs trust us in a group, they can trust the owners on a leash too.
Dog Daycare is like shopping for Daycare for a child. Not everyone of them is equal. Here in Jacksonville, we are in competition from Rover and DogVacay, and people think that a residences is the same as what we offer. Far from it and these residences operate without a license, would you want to have your kids supervised by an unlicensed daycare facility? I shudder to think about it.
We have countless cases of dogs who were scared of their own shadow, and who come in and after time are fantastic members of dog daycare. Their owners are thrilled and with consistent simple commands, they can become excellent members of the family dynamic. We love what we do at Happy Hound Dog Resorts! It is a great business!
Trisha in VT says
I have a highly extroverted five month old pit/shepard mix, and for both him and I daycare has been a wonderful experience. I am very lucky to have a center with a highly trained, attentive staff less than a mile from my home.
They start puppies with an hour and a half puppy play group on Sunday afternoons, they test for temperament, have three separate rooms plus the outdoor area, and have multiple webcams.
Tesla is always excited to go, and they give me a report of his day when I pick him up. He only goes once a week, but it’s been a highly positive experience for both him and I.
Amanda says
This has been a really interesting conversation. We have a young dog who thrives in the company of other dogs but is nowhere near being reliable off-leash yet. She goes 1-2 days a week to a local daycare that came very, very highly recommended by several friends & coworkers. When we adopted her, we were very up front with the rescue saying that we needed a more extroverted dog who was comfortable in groups, because there are so many dogs in our extended family. Arya is absolutely that – very good match by the rescue. She is, however, timid around strange people so I didn’t think a dog walker was a good fit for her.
The first two or three times we dropped her off she was unsure but willing, and we got great reports. After that, she would leap out of the car and drag us in. Now, she recognizes the road the daycare is on and starts getting excited in the back seat! She is happy to see us at the end of the day, but she’s never been frantic or given any other indication that the day was upsetting to her. The staff always has some kind of insight about her personality or some compliment that tells me they are really paying attention to her. The few times there have been problems they’ve been honest and upfront: when one of the boarding dogs developed a slight cough, for example, even though there was no indication that it was kennel cough. (And it turned out to be nothing at all.) We’re comfortable enough with them that we’ve boarded her for one or two nights at a time.
My parents have a dog, however, who would just crumple at a daycare. She is introverted in the extreme and due to a series of physical problems has actual brain damage that has resulted in some really weird personality traits. Most things are too much for her, and she’s much happier sleeping at home on the couch than going out and interacting
Merciel says
I’ve used a doggy daycare… once.
It was when I first got Pongu. He was a 4-month-old puppy and I was a novice owner and I’d read a bunch of stuff about “socialization” but I didn’t really understand what that meant or how to do it correctly. I knew he was a severely fearful dog (although at that time I didn’t understand what THAT meant, either, and I didn’t yet have a full grasp of the severity of his problems) and that “remedial socialization” during the “critical period” was therefore doubly important.
I picked the daycare based on its proximity to my home. I didn’t even know enough to ask any meaningful questions of the staff or evaluate their setup (not great: a single large room with nowhere to hide, no visual barriers, and a huge street-facing window where passersby loved to gawk at the dogs).
This is, of course, a perfect storm of good intentions + limited knowledge = disaster.
It actually wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. I dropped Pongu off in the morning and I picked him up in the evening and he seemed desperate to get away from there, but he’s always been desperate to get away from *anywhere* that I’m not with him, so that wasn’t anything new or alarming. His leash manners seemed to have gotten destroyed in the span of a single day, though, so I never took him back.
As I write this today, four years later, I would NEVER use a doggy daycare again. For where I am in life and what I do with my dogs now (lots of competitive sports), there’s no benefit and a whole lot of potential downsides.
I’m just not in the target market anymore.
Susan says
We adopted a dog 7 years ago only because there was an excellent day care near us. With both of us working full time we would not have gotten a dog to leave it alone 40 hours a week. I visited the day care before we even got the dog to make sure it was the quality I wanted. The key is to visit a few times without calling and see the response you get and how everything is running. I’m now retired but my guy loves day care so much he still goes a few times a month. My recent adopted pup is also going as I need somewhere I can leave them occasionally. If your dog resists going in after a reasonable adjustment period, that is a big red flag!
Rebecca Rice says
I used a daycare for my first greyhound, Trinkett. Twice a week, for full days. Trinkett was a bomb-proof dog, and, like most greyhounds, her play-style is “very short bursts of extreme energy follow by hours of loafing around”, so it worked well for her. This was a very good daycare, which would sort dogs into groups with similar play styles and energy, and incorporated a lot of down time as well where they could relax, gnaw on bully sticks, that sort of thing (separated and crated, of course). Trinkett didn’t do well with crates, so she mostly hung out in the office/entry area with the owner’s greyhounds, and went for walks. So it worked out well… she got to spend time with other dogs and people, and everything was fine. I had to stop eventually because she started having troubles going up the stairs to the location, the start of a long physical decline that eventually wound up as osteosarcoma (I have never been sure how much of the initial discomfort was related to that versus other problems, since there was never a really good diagnosis for what the initial problems were). But until that, she enjoyed going.
I wouldn’t even think of putting my current greyhound Katie into daycare. She has generalized anxieties, and can do well with careful management, and might actually benefit from a carefully controlled interaction with other dogs and people. But it would take an extremely skilled trainer/operator to facilitate that, and she wouldn’t be able to handle it long, so I haven’t even tried to find someone who I thought would be able to pull it off.
My little rattie, Pixie, might be able to handle daycare, if she was put with appropriate dogs, but I am concerned that putting her with the wrong dogs would only exacerbate some of her current bad habits. She is, as my trainer puts it, “an adult female terrier”, and she doesn’t hesitate to let other dogs know if they are being inappropriate. Or, as I put it, she won’t initiate anything, but doesn’t hesitate to snark back at dogs that snark first. I don’t want her to practice that, so I keep her out of daycare and burn off energy with training and walks.
Kyla says
I would not take my dogs to either of the doggie daycares in my town. Neither of them segregates dogs by size at all and both run the dogs in huge groups. They do both have adequate numbers of staff but I question how trained the staff are. One of them uses methods I do not like in training. They also had a small dog attacked by a big dog. But the really questionable thing they did was advise the owner they did not need to seek Veterinary care for the small dog but just keep an eye on it (these things seem to happen prior to the weekend.) The poor dog had some serious punctures and was pretty painful. What might have required wound care, antibiotics and pain meds ended up requiring surgery. Now yes the owner should have gone against the advice of the doggie daycare owner, but at the same time any bite should be seen by a Veterinarian. At the other doggie daycare a staff member used medication from one dog on another. This was not a medication mix up (those do happen) but a decision from the staff member that the dog needed the medication. This required the dogs owner to make a trip to the Vet to make sure no damage had been done. These things make me not want to place my dog in daycare here.
Tracy says
8 years ago, when I got my rescued boxers, I bought into the idea that dogs need a pack, and therefore I took them to doggie daycare. Turns out that they were isolated from the other dogs for being too ‘rambunctious’. I was paying all that money for a isolation cell when they had a perfectly good yard at home. At another camp, my fearful guy was forced to interact with many dogs and now he’s my aggressive guy. When I take my friendly female to a dog park, she politely meets other dogs, then heads for the edges of the park to hunt lizards. Heck, I have more lizards in my own yard for her to hunt.
Your statement that dogs play between two individuals made me smack my forehead. I just spent last week at a beach house on a dog beach and that’s exactly what I saw. Two dogs would chase each other and the rest would watch. More often, one dog would chase after birds and my Miki would chase him. If he stopped, she’d do a couple of leaps with him, then come right back to me to explore more seaweed clumps.
Wendy says
For me, I get up extra early to take my dog to the park during off leash hours before heading into work. After a good romp for 1.5-2 hours in the morning he sleeps a good part of the day. Though I do have a dog door to the backyard too, in case he needs to relieve himself during the day. Sometimes go to the park at night too during off leash hours or just go for a walk in the neighborhood.
Mungobrick says
Really interesting topic! Our first experience with doggy daycare was with our now 5 yo standard poodle mix. When we got her as a puppy, we had just moved to a new small town and didn’t know anyone with dogs, and it became clear quickly that Daisy was a very shy dog. We took her to a dog trainer in the nearby city, and we really liked her style (positive, clicker-based, very knowledgable). She also ran a doggy daycare and so we started taking Daisy there once a week. We had seen how the puppies were carefully monitored when they had playtime at the end of class, and it was clear this would be a well-run place. And it was great – the best clue, we thought, was how eager Daisy was to get inside every time we took her. She went for several months and has been rock solid in dog interactions ever since. By the time we got Rosa last year, the trainer had sold the daycare part of her business and the people at Daisy’s beloved boarding kennel expressed some real concerns to us about problems with some of their client dogs who had been to the new facility. The kennel offers daycare a few days a week itself and were happy to take on Rosa as a socialization exercise. Again, it has been a tremendous success, and since Rosa is a Bullmastiff it was vitally important to us that she be properly socialized with dogs. Having said that, I don’t know that I would do it on a regular basis. Both dogs went really as part of puppy socialization, one day a week for several months. Daisy now wants to be with us more than with a random group of dogs, and Rosa is beginning to mature to that point as well. They play well with each other, and actually quite often choose to play with each other when they’re boarding. It’s been all positive for our purposes, but we knew what we were dealing with and had experience of how the people who ran both places handled the interactions (i.e., very carefully).
Melanie Sora says
My husband and I are the owners of a smaller doggy daycare. I am so happy to see an article like this as not all dogs do well in daycare. We do an assessment of each dog that comes and have turned many dogs away. Our primary goal and concern with our business is the dogs. We want them happy, healthy and safe. If a dog is too dominant, the dog cannot be here. If the dog is anxious and clearly not happy, then we let the owner know that this is not the right environment for their dog as well. We are extremely fussy about who makes it in and who doesn’t make the cut. We certainly do not make as much money as some of the doggy daycares in our area this way but if the good and welfare of the dogs weren’t our priority, then we would be in the business for the wrong reasons.
Nic1 says
Fantastic blog post Trisha. Can’t really add anymore to the conversation here as you and others have summed up the subject beautifully.
My dog is not a daycare dog. She simply doesn’t not have the temperamant to cope in that environment. I don’t let anyone else walk my dog either, except my partner. I’m really fussy about who and what I expose her to because it has taken a lot to help her get to where she is now – loving, trusting and considerably calmer. Even if I thought she did have the correct temperament to cope, knowing what I now know about dog sociability and behaviour, I still would not be happy to send my dog to a day care facility. Except, Jennifer Hamilton’s daycare! 🙂 Yay for you!
Daycare just seems an incredibly anthropocentric reaction as a ‘solution’ to dog care in the 21st century IMO. Dogs, generally speaking, aren’t genetically prepared for our social expectations of them in this regard.
Lily occasionally gets kennelled in a facility where they don’t mix the dogs, maybe once a month for a day or two. They are allowed out for a run about and play in the enclosure a couple of times a day with the staff. It’s clean, pleasant and very accommodating and two miles from home. Convenient. We have to compromise sometimes though. I wish I could always keep her close to us or our family but we can’t always fulfill that as life ‘happens’. She is quite a robust girl and has always been dog reactive since adopting her but the time in the kennel environment does not seem to be making her reactivity any worse. If anything, she has improved massively and this has been noticed by the staff over the years too. You find what works for both, hopefully. I couldn’t relax knowing she was home alone all day!
Diane Richardson says
I managed a large kennel that did daycare for 11 years in a State where there were a couple of kennels that did MASSIVE group daycares. We did it different. Never more than 7-10 dogs in a group with 1 and often 2 employees supervising and the dogs did NOT get stuck together all day long with no escape. They each had their own indoor/outdoor kennel run and the groups (separated by size, age and temperament) went out to play in the large fenced yard 3 – 4 times a day. THAT was a daycare situation that worked well
Tina says
My 2 year old rescue sheltie goes once a week. I never thought I would have a dog in daycare, but she does not follow the typical sheltie breed personality – she’s extroverted and loves strangers and other dogs, and it breaks up the week for her. She’s excited to go, and in the pictures they post, she looks happy and relaxed. Doggy daycare would be my worst nightmare if I were a dog, but I’m doing my best to see things through her eyes.
Hers has established play groups based on size and temperament, and the dogs are on a schedule of two hours of play, and two hours of naps in separate kennel areas. These are both the important parts for us – she gets overwhelmed by bigger dogs, and she also gets overstimulated easily if she’s in nonstop play mode for too long. The employees stay on for years and know all of the dogs, and their play styles and temperaments well, which help reduce problems, I think. Most of the dogs there are regulars on certain days, so my pup has her group of doggy friends. It’s fun to run into them outside of daycare – she and the other dogs will obviously know each other, and the other owner and I have to figure out where they’ve met!
Beth says
Under your section on “know your dog” I would like to add an addendum: Know how your dog changes as he/she ages.
Jack LOVES dogs. He loves people. The more the merrier. He is a party guy and likes nothing more than a group of people and dogs hanging out.
Moreover, he has excellent doggie social skills, not any thanks to me because I was a bit clueless when I got him as a pup, but I did socialize the heck out of him.
As an example of his social skills, yesterday he was very enthusiastically chasing his rubber ball in the house when Maddie crowded into his back end, barking and nipping— something she hasn’t done in a long time since we worked on redirecting this behavior. I heard Jack’s play bark/growl take on a high frustrated/ slightly angry pitch (he hates when she does this). And then he promptly removed himself from the area, came over and laid down by me for a couple minutes til everyone calmed down, before restarting play. Recognizing “I am frustrated so let me leave” is a pretty good social skill to have. (He has way more status than she, so this was not a case of her backing him off, this was a case of him removing himself from potential conflict to avoid a potential argument; they’ve never actually had a “fight”).
Young Jack would have been a great doggie daycare dog. He played well in groups. He is good with most dogs; the only trouble is when a dog is his height but half his weight and he fails to recognize the weight difference and bowls them over by mistake. Despite interacting with hundreds of dogs over his 7 years, he’s never been in a single fight because he reads other dogs very well and adapts his behavior as needed.
But once he hit full social maturity at around the age of 3, he lost tolerance for overly exuberant play in other dogs, and he interprets normal body-slamming play of boxers, labs, and other slap-happy dogs as over-exuberant. Given the chance, he will bust in on the playing pair you mention in the post. And then his good dog social skills evaporate and his cow-herding instincts take over. Corgis are not the elegant herders that border collies are. They are hands-on herders, and as a rule, the more primitive Corgi herding style involves a lot of close body contact, shoulder checks, and some pretty hard nips (from all I’ve heard, they were always considered too rough for sheep and were mostly used on cows and geese; some smaller cattle operations still use them today to work cows in close quarters, since they’ll not back down from a fight). Since the dogs he moves in on are in full-contact play mode, THEY don’t seem to mind but it can turn into a messy tangle of body slams pretty fast. Three in the middle is too many and the dogs seem to lose track of who is where and run over the top of each other. And once the body-slams start, it triggers some weird “Well that didn’t work so maybe I’ll hump you” response in Jack. Besides being rude and bossy, it is also not really safe for a 14-inch tall, 35 pound dog to be in the middle of a bunch of body-slamming 80 pound labs who are twice his height and land on his back.
He plays very nicely with other herding dogs who like to play the “I’ll be the sheep, you be the dog” game. He also can play well with terriers, who play the similar “I’ll be the prey, you be the killer” game. But rough-housing? Nope, I keep him out of the fray. Luckily he will come back or stop on a command. But doggie daycare ? Not a good candidate. He also has a thing for the ladies, despite having been neutered at 6 months.
Had I put him in daycare at two (when he lacked social status and did not try to control other dogs) and never revisited my decision or watched how his play with groups changed, I would never have known there could be a problem.
Amy says
My dog is a daycare dropout (okay, she was kicked out). I think she enjoyed aspects of it (like the young ladies who made up most of the staff), but she definitely had a limit to her tolerance of the other dogs, and apparently it was crossed a few times (which is why she had to leave). In the end, I think it was a combination of my dog not being right for a full day of being over-stimulated and staff who were not able to give her a break when needed. She now gets one-on-one attention from the dogwalker instead.
alex says
I noticed the article by Camille Ward and Barbara Smuts is no longer on that website (domain expired). Can you suggest another source where I could find it? Thanks! Also, I’ve been doing a lot of research to help improve the daycare I manage and this article has been very helpful. THANK YOU!!
Heather Mycholuk says
To do or not to do. The ornate thing that I hate in the dog x human relationship is the excuses that people make to not spend time with their dogs. I’ve heard it all, dog day care, pet sitting, boarding kennels, you name it and people will come up with it. The bottom line in all of this is in fact, that we love our dogs. But, do you love them enough to give them yourself. Perhaps it’s that ingrained farm mannerism that nags at me. Farmers don’t send their dogs anywhere but home. No one else looks after them or cares for them. The only time I came into contact with prevalent integers like dog day care, pet sitting and kennel was when i came to the city. I was over come with the ignorance of people that didn’t want to spend time with their animals. Every time I see someone dragging their dogs down the sidewalk or yanking at the leash, twisting the dogs neck in strange angles, I feel sad. Sad that the ignorance of people want the dog to pee on demand and get back home so they and watch tv or better yet, make that phone call. In the end of all this, your dog will not leave your side, he will protect you and he will love you until he no longer can. My greatest hope is that I can take care of my dogs as well as they took care of me. All they ask from me is me and I can give them that. No daycares, no kennels…I don’t go where my dogs can’t, simple, It’s called commitment……..
Rebecca Rice says
My training group runs a “small dog play date” every so often, where we get together with a small group and do some off-leash work interspersed with free play. It’s always interesting to see how little the dogs really want to interact. As has been pointed out, it’s generally a few groups of one-on-one interactions, but they don’t last more than a few minutes. We have one very high-energy young terrier in the group, and that dog will get some of the others to play, but generally they will break off after a bit and go interact with the humans. Which is what most of the dogs do… wander from human to human getting petted and treated and sometimes a bit of tug. But the dog/dog interactions always seem to be more of a “hi, how’s it going, ok, nice to see you, talk to you later” kind of thing. Which is why we spend some of the time working stays, off-leash walking, recalls, that sort of thing.
Sarah says
Great article and packed with really good advice.
The only thing I’d disagree with is the staff:dog ratio – I’d say max 6 dogs per person. I’m a pet care professional myself in the UK and from an insurance perspective I’m covered only for 6 dogs. (Checking the company’s credentials for insurance, licensing etc is also a must). From a practical perspective, play fights can quickly escalate into something more serious and you need enough people to deal with any incidents. Of course, as Patricia says, you want staff who can spot any potential problems before they happen.
I’d definitely agree that not all dogs are suited for day care (or group walks) which is why I invite new clients and their dogs to join me for up to half a day to see how their dog gets on.
At the end of the day, I’m there to care for my clients’ pets and I make it my job to make sure every dog enjoys his time spent with me, is exercised and stimulated, is returned home tired but happy, and is excited to see me when I turn up again to take them out/to day care.
Bari Halperin says
Good info. Except – I disagree that a ratio of “only 10–15 dogs per staff member” is acceptable. Can you imagine attempting to safely & effectively monitor that many dogs? I can’t & I’ve been providing outings & day care for dogs for nearly 20 years.
Thanks for the great, sorely needed article.
Bari Halperin
Dog Days
Since 1995
Training, Exercising, Socializing
Winner 2013 & 2014 Daily News People’s Choice Awards BEST Dog Trainer & BEST Dog Day Care
Sherry says
We rescued a Great Pyrenees/Springer Spaniel puppy a few months ago. She is very big & we were told that the Great Pyrenees breed especially needed to be socialized with people as well as other dogs. She also had way too much energy for us to work off given her size so we found a wonderful doggy daycare after trial and error that meets the criteria you listed. They have rules such as: your dog needs to be there before noon and preferably early so that they are not overwhelmed by a group. They also give them rests if they are there for a long period of time. With Maui this works well because she sometimes, like any puppy, doesn’t know when to take a break. We now take her twice a week for daycare and walk her or visit doggy parks the other days. We are in Chicago and the daycare is called Tucker Pups 🙂
Peter says
Our rescue Rotty mix “flunked out” of three day cares. So now we have a trainer from Dogs Best Friend come walk him every day. That seems to be working.
Sherry says
Please list other suggestions or maybe the name and city of your daycare so that they are available for others. I would love to hear other suggestions for Maui.
Barb says
Thank you for another wonderful article!!! Our dogs have never been to doggy daycare or dog parks, thankfully we have a very large fenced yard for them to safely play. I’ve always been worried about the dogs wearing collars, some I’ve even seen wearing harnesses during playtime! Our guys wear the breakaway collars, or none at all, because they are major neck biters when they play.
Cute to see our 10yo BC boy herd our 2yo Aussie/BC little princess away from our 13yo Aussie guy when they’ve played a little the the older guy has had enough. The Princess then has a regular routine of going over to the Aussie and pretending to grab him, which initiates the play and herding routine with the BC.
Thanks again for all your wonderful articles and lovely photos!!!!
Trisha says
Excellent additions from readers, thank you all so much. A few additions of my own:
One is about the ratio of staff to dogs. One daycare owner said she couldn’t possibly manage to make it financially if she had one staff member for every 10 dogs. A few others, who also run day cares, said they thought 10-15 was too many dogs; one had a ratio of 1:6. I honestly can’t say that there is an ideal number, I suspect it depends on the dogs, the staff’s abilities and the space itself.
I love the comment from Beth that reminds us that “knowing your dog” includes acknowledging how they change over time. Such great advice. My own Cool Hand Luke went to puppy classes for years, and was brilliant with young dogs until he was about eight or nine. At that point, rather than give a polite tooth display to a rude puppy, he growled and lunged fast and hard. He didn’t harm the pup in any way, but I could tell on his face that he was not dispassionately disciplining a young dog, he was pure and simply pissed. I thanked him for over 7 years of excellent service and never took him back to puppy class again.
Trisha says
One reader had trouble getting into the C Ward’s website (and related articles). I checked it and had no trouble. Anyone else?
Heidi says
I really appreciate your style Trisha and regularly refer customers to your materials and posts. I carry many of your books in our lending library at Red Rover and love to acquire new ones to share. I do appreciate many points you make yet this post made me a bit queasy and here’s why.
Equating your reaction to forced socialization at 5 years old to how an adult dog reacts is apples-to-oranges. I’ve seen few puppies under 4 months be as frightened of socialization with other dogs of their size and play-style. Avoiding socialization at an equivalent point of a dog’s development raises the potential for fear biting and a general lack of comfort in our very social societies. Incidentally I homeschool my now 8 year old child. When she reacted to care at 5 as you did, we walked away together. Humans are very dependent upon their parents, especially their mothers, at that age. My hope, which was eventually rewarded, was that she would develop a more healthy reaction to time with her peers with my support and time. Now she pushes me away when she gets a chance to socialize with other children. Happy day!
I am fascinated by animal behavior and opened a dog daycare to meet the needs of dogs like my own and to allow myself the freedom to return to school for an advanced degree. (Got married and pregnant early on so that hasn’t worked yet…) My methods have always been to do what I believe is best for the dog based upon the dog’s behavior initially and longterm. I appreciate profit but not at the dog’s expense.
For over 11 years I’ve cared for adult dogs who destroy their homes in significant emotional distress when left alone and do little more than pant during a thunderstorm at Red Rover when they’re with their dog friends. Dogs have survived in our nightcare because staff were onsite to call for emergency care (not from being in our care but for other emergencies such as a bad reaction to new meds in one case). These dogs would have died if left at home alone when using a petsitter or at a vet’s or other facility that closes at night and everyone goes home. We provide daycare for dogs who have limited chance for canine exposure without coming to Red Rover. In our city many dogs don’t have the luxury of running through fields with other dogs. Too many people have just one dog. I personally believe the life of a healthy dog who does not get an opportunity to be with other dogs is sad.
When I rescue a dog who is uncomfortable around other dogs I push their boundaries gently, if possible and safe to do so, and have been rewarded with a happier, more confident dog. Ask me about Leo. Granted dog daycare is not for all dogs. I liken it to clubbing at 48 with a bunch of 20-somethings. Not my idea of fun. That said I DO socialize with other people in groups I enjoy. I would not enjoy living a life without opportunities to socialize with other humans. I do not think dogs should have to either.
What I like about this article is that it is open to other ideas (you do admit your prejudice), has good general guidelines for choosing a daycare, and that you admit there are good daycares out there. Still there are things I do that are expressly not recommended in this post yet they’ve been very successful. Back to human children, one nice change recently is the admission of some doctors that an aware parent is actually the best person to make a decision for that child once they have the “facts”. We know our own children best.
Let’s keep empowering people to make good choices for their dogs using their instincts rather than giving an all-inclusive list. Let’s find more ways to work together to help people care for those dogs through our service as trainers, veterinarians, and care providers.
Shalise Keating CPDT-KA says
I own a dog boarding facility (it’s small, we only have 10 kennels) and I do group dogs together for play time but only carefully and then only 2 or 3 at a time. We supervise them at all times when out together. Many dogs just prefer to be out alone one at a time. We have an over sized yard and there are times when older dogs do just great together but they aren’t playing together, rather they are just comfortable going into the yard together because they aren’t interacting much if at all. These dogs are always supervised when out together.
I currently have a dog of my own who does enjoy day care. He is a 2.5 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. He goes to a daycare once a week just to play with other dogs. He is very social. The day care is run and staffed by the owners of the facility (no outside staff) and a busy day would be 20 dogs. Every other dog I have ever owned would have been horrified to be dropped off at day care but this one just loves it. I do refer people to this day care if I think their dog would benefit from it. The owner says that day care should make your dog a better dog socially, not just a tired dog and the end of daycare. He wants the dogs to be easier for the owners to take with them other places because of their experience at day care.
My thought is most dogs really aren’t up for day care but when you have one who is it is great entertainment for the dog. From a dog trainer/handler point of view, I like that my dog gets to play with other dogs but that it doesn’t happen much when I’m around. Then when he is around other dogs but in a training class or at a dog show he understands that playing with other dogs only happens when I’m not part of the picture.
Hannah Markham says
I wish that I had had these resources or even bothered to look at these resources before I put my two through almost two years of doggy daycare
They both went when they were little and by the time my boy was asked to leave he was a nervous wreck, picking fights etc etc. The staff to dog ratio was utter bollocks – at times 1 person to 25-30 dogs. Bobby was stressed, irritable, didnt like other dogs in his face and we have had to deal with the consequences since
We thought doggy day care would take care of everything especially some training. It took care of nothing
Now I can see that they were so hyped up at the prospect of going and when they came home they were literally so exhausted from the stress that they slept right through and I put it down to being so happy and tired from a full day of planning
The staff were not trained and there was no proper evaluation from what I could tell. I never even got told about interactions that Bobby had with other dogs until it was too late or weeks later
I even went there for one hour – well I lasted about 30 mins I couldnt take it, it was so loud and horrible I actually cannot believe I left my dogs there
HFR says
Sorry, have to respond to @Heather Mycholuk. I don’t think kennels and daycares are created so people can dump their dogs and not spend time with them. As I mentioned before, people who use “luxury” services for their dogs are sacrificing a big chunk of money so they could enrich their dogs’ lives. I only WISH I could spend every minute with my dogs, but if you work at a job that keeps you away from home for more than half the day or are taking care of a sick parent or relative, then you don’t have that option. I just think it’s downright wrong to condemn people who use these services as people who are not willing to spend time with their dog.
I also think daycare is a great option for the right dog and the right situation. Like any service, you need to do the right research, but it can be great fun for mostly outgoing, YOUNG dogs. And there are always those dogs that can be changed. I remember watching dogs in my agility class and thinking “Oh my heavens, I wish they would just let this poor, shivering dog stay home and watch TV”. But, lo and behold, over time and with the right guidance, I saw them gain confidence and turn into outgoing, happy dogs. To me, with all the neglect that dogs suffer (and I’m not talking about abuse, just neglect), for an owner to be willing to sacrifice their own time, money and convenience to try and make their dog’s life a little better can only be a good thing.
After all, look at you, Trisha. You hated going to school, but now you are a warm, outgoing, respected public speaker. Just goes to show ya! 🙂
Trisha says
Thanks for taking the time to chime in Heidi, I greatly appreciate it. I agree with you absolutely that day cares can be great for some dogs and can help some dogs become more comfortable around others. I am not in any way “anti-day care,” and I hope my article didn’t come across as being so. My primary point was that day cares vary widely, and dogs vary widely, and one needs to be very thoughtful about matching up Dog A to Daycare B. I know of some great day cares myself, but I know of many more that are “maybe okay–maybe not” for many dogs, and another group–too large in my opinion–of day cares that are unsafe and badly run.
And I do appreciate those of you who have defended people who take their dogs to day care. Most owners I know who utilize day cares are the kind of people who care deeply about their dogs. If people didn’t care, why would they take the time and effort to drive their dog to the facility and pay the money? Of course there are owners who over utilize such services, but then, our species is a highly varied, and often illogical one, right?
beth says
I have to agree with the statement that you have to know your dog. We have 2 dogs. One is a Border Collie who hates doggie daycares. It is far too chaotic for him and he becomes a big ball of stress. My Australian Shephard loves it. Every dog is his friend and he truly loves to play. He’s also comfortable enough to find a spot to lie down when he’s had enough where my border collie keeps moving even until his feet bleed. We made a mistake of leaving them both there when my husband and I traveled out of town for his medical care. I have learned the the needs of my border collie and that of my aussie are far different and at times we go out of town or need a daycare environment we have found one who can accommodate both dogs needs to keep them safe and happy.
Holly Furgason says
I can tell you don’t have much experience in running a doggy daycare. Running a daycare and training dogs are two completely different things and, since I do both, I have a really good idea of those differences.
I would NEVER allow people to go back and watch the dogs for a few minutes let alone hours. The dogs are distracted and some become reactive. It would horrible to tell an owner they’ll energetic, friendly dog can’t come to daycare any more because he gets over excited when the new strangers come in to watch. The play areas are for the dogs, not the people. We have a tour on Saturdays when the dogs are not out if people want to see the facility.
And strangers videoing the dogs? Even staff isn’t allowed to do that unless it’s for our use.
No nooks and crannies for the dogs either- small spaces are a no-no since dogs can feel trapped and aggress to get out. There are several other things but I’ll stop there. I don’t expect vets to give training advice (unless they are also trainers) just like I don’t give medical advice. For trainers to give daycare advice is about as good as a daycare owner giving training advice.
Pike says
My hound is not a dog who can be send to your typical day care: She is reactive to new dogs and needs to be introduced very carefully and slowly to each and every one. She also gets bored very easily and does not believe that being confined with a pack of dogs is fun.
However, she can go to a very special doggie day care here in Oregon. Dogs get picked up in the morning in a little yellow school bus. Each has her own bench where they are buckled in. Upon arrival, they go for a several hour hike in the woods, then hanging out in a pasture next to the river before being returned home in the afternoon. Pictures and videos from their adventures are then posted later that evening on facebook. The hound is only ever seen in passing – but that is ok as she always circles in her own big radius around her people on walks.
Great idea for the not so faint of heart (elk, bears, coyotes, etc. often within picture range of the big-dog packs). The hound has no complaints. Though I have reduced her time there because her hips are getting stiff more easily now that she is middle aged.
chloe says
I take care of dogs all day everyday and nights. If I was younger I would create a place right outside the city and have a bus to pickup my city dogs for the day dropping them in the eve. There would be different indoors living rooms for the elderly, and outdoor large runs for the energetic, with separate areas for large breeds, pups, etc.
All that to say that dogs have many many different requirements. I don’t know of one daycare that can satisfy the needs of all of my clients dogs.
I occasionally pick up client’s dogs from daycare and bring them home. I find them to be over the top nutty, unable to listen or focus but tired.
I think daycare do tire dogs but are they tired from stress? probably. If we agree that dogs are not pack animals then really other than a few very high energy it is the wrong place to have them spend their day.
What I do know is that not only does it not teach them anything but it reinforces bad behaviors, stresses, and certainly keeps their nervous system on high alert the entire day. The workers have very very little education do not know how to read behavior are paid very badly and therefore the care is not great.
My main complaint is that dog owners are less and less willing to train their dogs to stay home alone, not chew up their house, be housetrained, etc and simply drop them off for someone very unqualified to care for them. Hiring a dog walker is so much better!! It is more expensive but it can even be a dog walker/trainer so the dog learns a little everyday while being taken out. In my city there are also dog walkers who will take similar dogs for 1/2 a day picking them up in a large school bus and taking them out of town for a 3 hours romp in the woods them dropping them off at home.
Basically if you get a dog you should know that you will need to have time before going to work, after work, time to take a training class for the first year and a half. Adding a dog walker in the middle of the day if you work long hours.
I also question do dogs need socialization with other dogs once mature, do they need to play everyday once mature? My answer is no they do not, certainly not everyday.
Brian says
Like most other things, it honestly depends. Quality doggy day cares can be awesome and offer opportunities to play and interact that your dog wouldn’t get otherwise, it’s just important to do your research before dropping them off.
Beverly Ann Hebert says
My well socialized Border collie had to be boarded while I traveled when she was 8 months old and this was when she had her first experience in Doggy Day Care. I believe the staff did a good job of supervising but when she came home, for the first time in her life she began to show reactive behaviors. I wasn’t sure if this was due to her boarding/day care experience or rather a result of a coincidental age-related change. Subsequently she was boarded and had day care in a facility that I later found did not provide the close staff supervision I expected, and again she came home less confident around other dogs than before she went. I gave it one more try back at the first facility but the results were the same – an increase in reactivity which I am still working to overcome. I have decided no more day care for her as it seems to be counter-productive in making her more excitable and stressed in the presence of other dogs.
Annie says
I wanted to say thank you for your comment about Luke. It makes me feel better about my older guy who recently “gave up on puppies” as I tell people! I have a 7 year old named Copley that has been wonderful with puppies for a long time. We used to foster a lot and I called him the “puppy raiser.” He was infinitely patient when he needed to be and corrected them gently when appropriate. He also attended daycare in his younger years and loved it- I could see that on camera at the day care (and I watched all the time). They only put groups of 3 or 4 dogs in to play at a time then rotated out. He had one friend in particular and they asked me and that owner if it would be ok to just let them play sometimes and we both said sure- so they would put those two in together during breaks and days they only played with each other. Well he started getting older and I adopted a second dog who he played with constantly and he just starting to come home too tired from daycare- so we never went back.
Fast forward a few years and I got a foster pup just for the weekend and he started over reacting to the puppy- not hurting him but his corrections were not appropriate for what the puppy had done. I stopped fostering puppies (the rescue was not too happy) but I figure I did my years and so did Copley. We have a lot of dog friends- mostly because I have no social life outside of dog sports- and he still enjoys his time with friendly, adult dogs that keep their paws out of his face. A few people have made comments about it but I just figured he got too old to want puppy teeth chewing on his face- and I totally understand that.
Laurie Williams says
Thanks for the blog Trisha! Loved you initiating this conversation. It prompted me to write one of my own which sums up my sentiments. http://pupniron.com/laurie-s-blog/blog/what-a-doggy-day-care-should-and-shouldn-t-be
Marjorie says
The whole day care idea and the posts have been very interesting. I took one of my dogs to a small dog social once and she walked through the group of twenty or so dogs, giving a quick greeting and then made a bee line for the people bench which she settled down on to watch the party. I knew then this was really not her scene. She loves to play with another dog her size in my home, but not in a group. When I take my dogs to the park, they have good social skills and get along well, but again they like to watch play from the sidelines or just greet and move on. I do agree every dog in unique and has different requirements.
From my own thoughts on day cares and the comments of many here who said they would use them or have and had a bad experience, I wonder if there doesn’t need to be another solution/option for care. Personally, I think day cares may suit some dogs, but I don’t think they are the best option for most dogs and I honestly don’t think I would use their services, especially, with the dogs I have now. I am not confident in many of the dog walking services either. I don’t like the idea of taking a bunch of unfamiliar dogs, confining them in a vehicle and then taking them for an off leash walk. I have seen many dog walkers at the park who don’t have control of the dogs and there always seems to be at least one dog at a disadvantage. I wouldn’t be comfortable with that kind of arrangement for the dogs that I have.
In the past there was usually one parent home, life wasn’t so busy with after school and work activities and people didn’t spend as much time commuting. There wasn’t as many dogs either. Dog ownership has exploded and so too has our knowledge of the emotional and mental needs of our dogs. I think we are still trying to reconcile our old way of being with dogs with our new reality of life with dogs today. We want and love our dogs, and we’re trying to make everything fit. It can be especially hard for those who live alone, the elderly and those with mobility issues who might not have support or back-up in providing care. They are also a segment of society who really benefits from having a dog. Daycares and dog walking can also be very expensive. It seems that more and more having a dog has become complicated and challenging for many. I have been fortunate in that I have a neighbourhood with many dogs and good neighbours. We trade off with care for one another’s dogs when need be, it’s a small individualized approach. Daycares are fine for some, but are not the answer for everyone. I like our neighbourhood buddy system, they say “it takes a village” and this approach has worked for us.
Nic1 says
Holly, your website is great and your facilities look state of the art. Good for you. It’s lovely to read that you use positive reinforcement in your traing policy and I am sure that you have developed a great business and service for many people and their dogs given your experience and education.
Trisha makes some sound comments here though. As she is one of the planet’s most respected consultants on companion animal behaviour, anything she has to say on this subject deserves serious consideration, despite the fact she has not run a doggy day care. The fact that she hasn’t means she has no conflict of interest on this subject and that her opinion stems from a welfare perspective for the dogs. Important yes?
I think that a lot of people don’t necessarily feel a dog crèche is a natural environment for their dogs. They certainly haven’t evolved that way. It’s really an environment that appeases our own human requirements IMO. I am sure many dogs love daycare and those who don’t can be taught to love it (given the right staff commitment and behavioural inderstanding), but also many dogs are probably just about keeping it together in environments like this too…
I would be immediately suspicious of any facility that refused to video the dogs on request from an owner. Some dog breeders are even doing this now. Webcam is a great way to keep an eye on what is happening with the dogs and to learn about play and social skills. It would also reassure the customers that their dog will be safe and not unnecessarily stressed. Really, what would any facility have to hide if they were committed to fulfilling their high standards?
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_11/features/Doggie-Daycare-For-Canine-Socialization_20127-1.html
This is a great article by Pat Miller on the subject too.
Mireille says
Who needs daycare when your amuses himself when ‘home alone’ http://youtu.be/TVbXFaq0xbY?list=UUZ2Q47nVAV684FBsTNQqEyQ
(Came across this video on another dog forum and could not resist sharing it here 🙂 🙂 )”
Cali says
I work in a large doggy daycare, we accept ALL dogs and evaluate hands on to see where they fit, we have a small dog building which is indoor/outdoor and the dogs are split by personality, some bigger dogs play in there, for example my own 38lbs Heeler x, she is GREAT with little dogs and is really good at bringing dogs out of their shell, she self handicaps to mold herself to the other dog. She’s really mean
to dogs her own size however. Other larger dogs in the small include really old calm dogs with issues like HD or just shy dogs. Within the small they are split into groups, itty bittys like Yorkies, Chi’s etc.. have their own completely separate group, then calm groups for the slightly bigger calmer/shyer dogs, and groups for the crazies that love to run and play and be wild. The groups are rotated. In the large area we have 5 huge outdoor yards, we make groups of 2-10 dogs per group and the groups are made “for” the dogs, ie males that do best with females, get a group made for them of females. Puppies are grouped together, oldies ate grouped together etc.. its usually 4 groups per yard and they are rotated. Explaining to owners is always fun lol we had a number of people leave us when we switched to this method instead of large groups left out all day, people don’t understand that the dogs dont LIKE being in giant groups left out all day, we often put certain dogs in multiple groups and half the time we end up leaving those dogs in for several of their extra rotations because they are like “go away, I’m still napping” lol
Like a few others said though, I’ve seen some pretty drastic changes in dogs, dogs that hated their lives eventually turning into nuts who can’t get inside fast enough. My favorite change was a rescue dog who was scared of life, she played in the small for over a year, and it took months before she stopped hating her life(she was worse at home, d/c was not optional) eventually she started going to the large enterence with her sister, we allowed her to follow, and allowed her to choose, she always looked outside, but then wimped out and walked to the small entrance, once in a blue moon she walked outside in the large..we watched her and let her decide what she wanted from there..she always chose to go back to thr small. After a good 7-8 months of doing this every morning, a few weeks ago she went to the big as usual, looked out then wimped out and headed to the small as usual..but then suddenly it was like she went “dammit i WILL do this!!” Because she abruptly turned around, raised her hackles and rushed out the door into the large…and stayed there. Every morning since she has raced out into the big yard tail wagging a mile a minute lol
chloe says
@marjorie You made some very good points about needing alternatives. I live in Portland Oregon, and we have many alternatives which I recommend although I am a dog walker/ petsitter. There is a couple of dog buses that come pickup your dog for a half day run in the woods, there are a million dog walkers, there are very small day cares in people’s homes, there are runners for hire, and as you mentioned the best if possible is a friend who knows your dogs. I would rather put my dog in a kennel than in a daycare. But I wouldn’t because she’s a BC and would go nuts. My last dog was an aggressive Airedale and the Kennel was a bit sad but the only solution.
Veronica Sanchez says
Excellent article on a complex topic. Thank you Dr. McConnell. I grew up in a time when if you didn’t have a yard, you didn’t get a dog. As areas become more urban and property values in my area increase, it has become increasingly difficult for pet owners to meet dog’s needs. As you mention, dog day cares are not a one size fits all situation.
Kendra says
I have to say I don’t have the best opinion of doggy daycare after working at one for four years. The one I worked for put profits ahead of everything else, which caused no end of problems. We regularly had 100+ dogs per day, which made it hard to accommodate the needs of each dog. Although we did temperament testing, exceptions were often made for dogs that should not have been allowed to come in, in the hopes that socialization would “cure” them. This was dangerous for both the dogs, and the staff members. We had dogs come back after attacking clients in the parking lot, and dogs come back in after attacking employees, not to mention all the dogs that were allowed to come back after starting pack fights (which, with the 100+ dogs in the facility could get out of control really fast) and sending other dogs to the vet. The staff was not trained very well, had an extremely high turn over rate because the working conditions were so poor, and towards the end of my time working there it wasn’t uncommon for the entire AM/PM team to be unable to even identify which dog was which when a certain one needed to go home. Clearly, there are some responsible doggy daycare owners at there, but my advice to anyone considering if doggy daycare is right for his/her dog is to do your homework! Ask lots and lots of questions and pay attention to your dog’s behavior. My dog isn’t a social butterfly, and I would never feel the need to bring him back to a doggy daycare. There are other ways to socialize your dog without overwhelming them and having it backfire.
marcy t. says
I work for a doggy daycare/boarding place and I LOVE the dogs! They make my day! The ratio for this place “is” 25 dogs to one person, which I think already is way too high. Now they are trying to do 30 dogs per person…ouch…I don’t think this is right. The more dogs that are together in one place can cause dangerous consequences; such as fights, and even injury to the one person. This is plainly wrong.
Juniper says
I worked at a daycare for four years, and they were quite good. The groups were divided by size and energy level and were an average of 15 (the super mellow groups sometimes had slightly more, while the super active one had maybe 10). The staff used time outs and redirects; no spray bottles or physical punishment. Downtime has given throughout the day in rooms or crates. All dogs were assessed prior to their first stay, with another assessment required if we hadn’t seen the dog in over six months. I was the staff trainer during the last year and spent a lot of time with trainees taking about body language, stress signals, and play styles.
However the only time we ever let clients beyond the lobby was during scheduled tours. Clients were NOT allowed to just drop in and watch their dog. The reason is that many of the dogs would get freaked out about strangers walking through! All the dogs would get stressed out by the alarm barking. It also interfered with our ability to move groups of dogs between the rooms and play yards – it had to be carefully coordinated on tour dates. So there’s actually a legitimate reason that clients may not be able to view their dogs playing, even in a high quality daycare.
Tommy Neblett says
I have a 7 y/o Siberian Husky that I have been taking to Doggy Day Care since she was 6 months. She loves it. I work 10+ hours a day and there is really no other choice for us. I did my research and found a facility that has two large outdoor yards (one for big dogs, one for small dogs). My husky loves going there, probably because she is very outgoing and playful. I’m lucky, because a husky inside all day is a recipe for disaster.
Ange says
This is great info and I must admit, I didn’t do this much checking when I first enrolled our dog in dog daycare. She goes intermittently and usually for a half day.
I notice that she seems excited when we go in and very willing go with the staffer who takes her back, but the most interesting thing I’ve noticed–and am not sure how to interpret–is that she seems energized when she comes home rather than tired, even after the rare full day. She comes home asking to play some more with us, and she does play bows to engage us that she doesn’t use in play with us at other times.
After a little more play with us at home, she usually settles down then and rests but never seems extremely tired. Now that I read this post, I’m thinking these are good signs that she’s had a positive time vs. been stressed. Is there anything I’m missing or should be looking for in her behavior after a play day?
Jenny H says
There is no way I would ever leave any of my dogs (German Shepherds/Kelpies) in “Doggy Day Care” 🙁
I love my dogs far too much to leave them with strangers who could do something that could make them react badly. Too many people seem to expect that all dogs should love playing in an unruly mob 🙁 I have enough trouble with people who meet my dogs when I am with them, to trust anybody who doesn’t know them.
We do now have a “Speagle” (Beagle/CockerSpaniel) who just lives to be with other dogs! She would probably love it — she is after all half Beagle. If she was an ‘only dog” I would probably consider the option.
Kat says
After reading all the comments, I feel so much better about my golden doodle. He has been labeled “aggressive” when he has gone to day camps. He loves people but is timid with other dogs. At the last day camp, there were 30+ dogs in a big room and, as I watched, others dogs cornered him and he snarled and the day camp owner threw a fit. We took him home!
exploring doggie daycare options says
thanks for the advice on finding a daycare for my dog. he’s very shy around other animals but hopefully i’ll be able to find a place for him.
zack
Deb says
My dog, a BC mix, attended a doggy daycare for almost two years and really seemed to enjoy it. The dogs played in small groups (3-5) and were assessed for compatibility. Unfortunately the small facility began to experience a lot of staff turnover and that plus some other negative events led me to pull my dog out. I recently tried a different facility and my poor buddy had a terrible go of it today. I am fortunate that the manager called me and explained that my dog was showing signs of great anxiety and stress. She freely admitted that doggy daycare is not for every dog and I am very grateful that she was honest and also that I found this site and all the comments. I find that my pup, who just turned three plays really well with one other canine, but adding more seems to put him on the defense. I won’t put my buddy in daycare again! Thanks all!
Sandy says
I worked in one in Oregon during my college freshman year and no one trained me even though the business website stated, “highly trained staff”, most of the stuff on the website was a complete lie. I was never trained in anything other than cleaning and I was the only one that did it right because I cared about the dogs well being. The owner was never there and the staff always took shortcuts. I saw very bored dogs from lack of stimulation and human interaction. Owners would mention how their dogs would be so hyper at home after daycare and I would always think, “Yeah…wouldn’t you if you had been bored all day and then finally got some attention?” Dogs would pick fights just to have something to do. They did not care at all for the other dogs and spent most time trying to avoid each other. The high risk breeds were kept in isolation in small rooms begging to get out the entire time, these are the dogs that in my opinion needed the most exercise but got the least. The only time they did get out was for bathroom breaks but if the staff was scared of the dog, they would leave them in their own feces until pick up. Every time a client came in I would see the staff lie through their teeth. These clients would be people who loved their dogs dearly and would die if they knew the truth. I would not pay any money for my dog to be bored, depressed, and suffering from anxiety. I tried my best to give each one attention but there wasn’t any time with all the cleaning and paperwork and the pay was so low even though the daycare fee was pretty expensive, because we were “luxury”. I would rather take a dog to a young kid or teen who is going to give it one on one attention, play with it, take it for a walk, offer mental stimulation by talking to it, and have it sleep next to them, with a mom that is going to make sure the dog is properly taken care of. From what I learned working there, dogs tolerate other dogs but they love HUMANS, I wish people would get that.
Jeanne Luxem says
I’ve trying to justify NOT bringing my dogs to doggy daycare during cold winter months since it is so pricey.
My two Havanese play well together at home in my condo and they have a dog door to go outside on to the deck to eliminate. They love to tear up and down the first floor hallway a few times a day too. As far as outdoor city walks in winter, my vet said if they wear a jacket, then it’s ok for them to walk outside down to 20 degrees F and down to 10 degrees F if they wear boots. It’s cold in Minneota. So this means they will spend a lot of time indoors.
If dogs usually play just 1:1, then they should be OK without daycare. Agree?
Thanks.
Maria B Reader says
I just started working at a doggie day care and am alarmed by what I there. Too many dogs in way too small a space. Staff that has no idea what they are doing, and has had zero training in dog behavior. Stressed, bored, and agitated dogs. Very few dogs are happy to be there. I am sure not all dog daycare places are like this, but in my opinion, this one is downright dangerous for the dogs and the staff. If you are considering dog daycare, really investigate the places you are looking at. As for me, I had hoped that my first kennel job would be one I could learn something from my coworkers and mentors at. This is not the case. Since this is my second job, I may well not even go back next week. It is that bad. I will certainly NEVER bring my own dogs there.
Melissa says
I found this article after searching “why did my dog start a fight at daycare”. When I picked my dog up today they informed me that my dog had an “outburst”. When they went to remove a dog earlier than the scheduled leave time my dog went after all of the other dogs biting them. I was floored and had no idea what to say or what questions to ask. Where there questions I should have asked? My dog is a 1 year old English Bulldog and he’s never done anything like this before. He is sweet and lovable! I’ve taken him to dog parks before, although not often, and he does pretty well. He kind of hangs out on the outside until he finds one dog that he can run and interact with. In groups I’ve seen him snap at another dog once but he was extremely frustrated as the dog kept mounting him. That’s part of dog communication isn’t it? When they’re unhappy with another dogs behavior they let them know, right? Anyway, that’s I’m concerned and I’d appreciate some advice. Do I need to be worried about my dog?
Trisha says
Sorry this happened Melissa. There’s not much I can say without knowing your dog, the day care, etc etc, but here are some generalities that might be helpful: A great many dogs are overwhelmed by a mob of excited dogs, which often happens when someone comes to pick up an excited dog at day care. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the dog, just that day care (or a specific day care) might not be the best option. The day care should give you lots of specifics about what happened, how they handled it and what they suggest for the future. If day care isn’t a great option (search on my blog for my article on whether day care is for you and your dog), don’t feel bad. My Border Collies would be a wreck at day cares, and my Cav would lie down in the corner and hide. (Note that your dog ‘stayed on the outskirts til he found one dog to play with.” He’s telling you he doesn’t want to be in the mob of dogs…. prefers one on one’s… Good luck.
Mia says
This is a great article, I think it’s always quite daunting when taking your dog to a day care centre. I personally think a great way to get a feel of a day care centre is via customer reviews. I’m always reading about people’s experience as I want to make sure my dog is kept in good hands. I also look at the facilities and social atmosphere, it’s always good to know the staff are well trained too!
Kati Jackson says
Would I take my 4 dogs to Doggy Day Care? Howler the Malamute/Husky Cross 21 months old and still with his doggy bits, yes I would. He has not one bone of aggression or fear in him (more likely to be a carer) but would never be accepted for retaining his doggy bits. Noah my Husky yes, but, would I want him playing with a small dog who continually barked at him? No, small barky dog would get told off and sent to the naughty step. Bella my blind German Shepherd, only if she was introduced slowly to both humans & dogs and nothing was ever moved without taking her to it, so no I wouldn’t, unless they were exceptionally geared up for her needs. Now Lucky Brother of Howler, retains doggy bits, slightly nervous, slightly fear aggressive, slightly unpredictable. I would not without complete trust in the staff let him attend doggy day care, for his sake and that of the other dogs. So why am I thinking of starting my own Doggy Day Care Centre???! I love dogs and their different personalities. Some dogs thrive like you say in a good mix of socialisation. Some really don’t! So my research into what makes a good Care Centre goes on. I have yet to find a suitable facility, with a good indoor play area, separate rooms for quiet time, and dogs that would rather just be on a sofa with a tele, cuddles and a good walk in the park. My wish lists includes outside yard for doggy business and good walking areas for out and about time. Whether I actually find a facility that would cater for all my dogs needs I’m not sure, but its a great learning process. I volunteer for a GSD Rescue and I work with the; shall we say socially challenged dogs. A fearful dog is an unhappy dog, why would you make a dog unhappy by placing them in a situation for example doggy day care if they are unhappy in the company of others and the staff are not trained to deal with this. I agree that 2 dogs will play, 3 dogs take it in turns and 4 is just confusing without supervision and rules. Would I ever make money with a doggy day care business? Who Knows?
Prince James says
I found this article very informative, Dog care is important these days , if you have pet at home then its ultimately your duty to take care of them and for that dog day car is the best solution. Thanks for sharing this informative article, I ll be looking forward to read your more articles.
Jackie Hillebrand says
I just dealt with this issue. The woman at the facility (where our other dogs enjoyed going) explained it in terms that really made sense to me. Our dog is an american bulldog, sweet, loving, playful, ignores our cats, and is completely 100 %subservient to our chihuahua/terrier mix. I thought because he loves play he would love doggie day care …WRONG!!!!! He was aggressive in the tests they did with other dogs to see if he was compatible. I was so disappointed, and I also felt, what’s wrong with my dog…the other dogs love it. the blog makes a good point – NOT ALL dogs love play with other dogs. and dog/dog interaction in your house is totally different from strange dogs. She said, there’s not something “wrong” with your dog, he just doesn’t like it, it makes him stressed, and that really helped. IN fact HER dog can’t come to work with her because it doesn’t enjoy being around other dogs. Hope this helps!
Calvin says
Thank you so much for this wonderful blog, I must say that the information that you have shared is really helpful for me as I’m searching a good daycare for my dog. I’ll surely keep these things in mind while selecting a daycare for my dog. Keep Posting.
Alan Bell says
Ok, first off I declare my hand in that I’m a professional dog walker with perhaps the busiest service that I know of in Western Australia. I often walk 5 or 6 dogs at a time, all types and temperaments, up to 20 a day. Very, very rarely do I have a dog that reacts with aggression towards the others and doesn’t change (1 in almost 5 years). Enough about me.
I rather like the idea of Doggy Day Care, but, I think my notion of what it should be may be rather different from what is generally offered. When we think of DDC we generally think of a large group of dogs running around, leaping and bounding, chasing each other and having a wild, exciting time. And that might be a small element of it, but I’m not sure that should be the be and and end all.
Look at the name: Doggy Day Care, it’s meant to be about looking after the dogs, attending to their needs, both physical, social, intellectual and with regards to safety. Yes, it’s good to socialise dogs with one another, but not at the expense of sacrificing physical safety or their other needs.
When I think of a DDC I think of areas for like sized dogs, small dogs with small dogs, medium with medium, large with large (though that in itself fills me with a sense of unease). Other elements needs to me taken into consideration: elderly dogs might need to be kept together regardless of size with more comfort and a hushed environment to allow for lots of sleeping. Puppies, especially baby puppies would do better together with an experienced handler to provide guidance.
Then you have to think about how you introduce new dogs into the system. Note I used the word “system” and not “pack”. It seems to me that, although tricky, what you don’t want in a day care is the development of packs. Yes, I see it every day with the dogs I walk, but the key is both control and rotation. If dogs get too comfortable with each other it becomes extremely difficult to introduce a new member, social skills decline and remember the old saying, “familiarity breeds contempt” and of course where you have a “pack” the newest member will start of the bottom of the ladder, and have to fight its way upwards. there will always be an element of this, but remember, who’s the leader? The human is the leader, and should always be so. If the person in charge isn’t the dominant actor then you’ve lost control.
For me DDC should be a carefully regulated mix of controlled, limited interaction and socialisation, toileting, time out for rest and recovery, feeding, and even group walking where appropriate. Other offering such as bathing and grooming are nice and personally, I’d look for a DDC that does extra curricular activities such as obedience and agility classes.
Maybe I’m looking for too much, but that’s the way I’d do it.
Monica Moe says
I have two different doggy daycares that I utilize on a regular basis and 100% agree with everything you stated. One of the doggy daycares I use works perfectly for my two large Bernedoodles because they have huge yards and an aerated pond for swimming. The other doggy daycare is smaller and offers one-to-one training sessions for each dog during the day. I have been sending dogs to the smaller doggy daycare for years, but since the pandemic the owner has struggled to maintain a stable staff. It seems like new staff are always coming on board and they don’t last very long. That’s a problem for me so I’ve begun the process of looking for a new daycare closer to my house.