Doggy Daycare

[Herschel]

We're been leaving our 5 month puppy at home for 4 hours, going home for lunch and to play with him, and then leaving him for 4 or 5 more hours. He has tons of toys and we know he keeps himself busy (with all sorts of destruction--shredded paper, boxes, toys all over the place, etc.). We've been thinking more and more about giving him something more fun to do during the day.

What does everyone think about doggy daycare?

This place just opened up that would be very convenient for us. It would be $5/half day so we could take him after lunch.

We stopped by today and this is what we saw:
-Huge fenced in grassy area
-6-8 big dogs running around and playing
-One supervisor (the owner) standing around and watching
-Air conditioned house with individual crates for rest times

Our dog is a tiny 13lbs, but he gets along with big dogs fine. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that they are going to play nice with him.

Our fears are:
-The establishment isn't reputable (just opened)
-Will the other dogs play nice?
-The owner has no certification, she just decided to do this on a whim
-We have no idea how the dogs are treated when no one is watching...

 

[sourjayne]

I know of one dog daycare who has a web cam -- you can go online and see how the dogs are doing anytime!

 

[moxiegrl]

I would ask if you could stay the first time, if thats possible. Then you can get an idea of what goes on. If you are uncomfortable at all, I wouldnt leave the dog. Ask about vet services, etc. Good luck n let us know!

 

[misticaleclipse]

Cheers to your for loving your dog so much 5$ a day is really good for doggy day care where I am, even for half a day. Why not take him on one of your days off for at least a few hours and see how he interects (there might be less dogs on these days though)

I would ask questions such as

What would you do if a fight broke out?
How many dogs do you take at one time?
Do you give the dogs treats or food when other dogs are around? (some dogs have agression issues with treats)
Do you have dog training experience? (to make sure she understands dogs and is not someone without any experience at all)
How many people will be watching the dogs?
Is there a seperate cleaning staff? (it might be hard to watch a lot of dogs and do the appropriate cleaning of the facility at the same time)
Do they require that all dogs show proof of vacinations and how the proper shots against kennel cough?

I am sure many others with more experience than me can tell you more questins to ask as well.

 

[Rubylove]

Oh my God $5 for a half day??? My dogs would be in there all day every day if that was the case.

Ours go to daycare once a week and that costs us $55 for that one day. There is only one doggy daycare in Perth. It is SUCH a great idea and something I've been toying with for some time. I would love to do it here.

 

[Zoom]

That's pretty cheap, I have to say. We charge $15 for a half-day I think. I would personally grill the owner about any and all dog experience they might have. Too many people try to open a doggie daycare because they think it's cute and easy. Cute yes; easy...not on your life.

Ask about vaccination requirements?
How do they handle fights?
How do they introduce new dogs?
What sort of training in dog handling do the daycare people have?
What sort of first aid training?
What would they do in the event that your dog was bitten or worse?
How do they clean up after the dogs during the day and do they do a more thorough cleaning at night? What do they use to clean?
Do they seperate the dogs at all by size or do they not have enough staff to do so? What do they do if they get a very rambunctious big dog in that day along with a chihuahua?

Do they themselves own dogs? Can they or will they provide the number of their vet for a reference? What made them want to open the place up to begin with?

When done properly, a doggie daycare is a godsend. Otherwise, it's a mess that can leave your dog injured, sick or traumatized.

 

[PoodleMommy]

I have NO firsthand experience with doggy daycare.

However, recently I was at the vet talking to someone with a small dog. They had used a pet sitter who brought her big dog with her on jobs and the big dog smacked the small dog on the back "just playing around" and the small dogs spinal cord was smashed and she is now paralyzed in her hind legs.

Not to scare you, just something to think about when you leave a small dog to mingle with large dogs.

Good Luck in your decision,

Elissa

 

[bigdaddyTank]

Right after I got Tank he had some seperation issues because he had never been left alone in his life. I took him to daycare for a few months while we worked on getting him settled in and used to his new home and being there all day by himself. It was worth every penny for me.
Although we did have one run in, he was outside and very hot and grumpy and one dog wouldnt leave him alone so after a few warnings he bit the other dog on the ear. Nothing bad but when I picked him up it was like my kid got called to the principles office for fighting at school.