Tips on Finding the Best Doggie Daycare

Brought to you by the AKC GoodDog! Helpline – the AKC’s 7-day-a-week training support service

By: John Krasich

Do you want to provide your dog an activity that is fun and enriching? Or do you need to prevent destructive behavior or anxiety that loneliness can cause in dogs? Then a doggie daycare may be your solution.

First, you will need ensure that your dog is well-suited for a doggie daycare. Dogs that typically do well at daycare are well-socialized and seek interaction with other dogs at every opportunity.

As your dog’s caretaker, entrusting your dog’s care to someone else is one of the most important decisions you will have to make for your dog. Take care in choosing your doggie daycare so that your dog can enjoy a fun, stimulating environment that minimizes her chance of getting injured or contracting an illness.

Here are nine important questions to consider when selecting a doggie day daycare:

Does the daycare evaluate your dog’s readiness?

A good doggie daycare will thoroughly screen their candidates through a detailed questionnaire or an interview. An interview is a terrific opportunity for you to ask questions, as well.

What are the daycare’s health requirements for your dog?

Most veterinarians recommend that puppies receive their full complement of vaccinations before going into daycare. Most daycares require that your dog be vaccinated for Bordetella at least one week prior to entering the daycare.

How are the play groups organized?

Ideally, you want a daycare that considers size, age, temperament, and play styles when grouping dogs. This helps to prevent small dogs from getting accidently injured by a larger dog and from rambunctious adolescents pestering older dogs that prefer to bask in the sunshine.

Grouping dogs appropriately allows the daycare to effectively manage the number of dogs per play group. For example, a daycare may want to cap the number of adolescent rowdies in a group. Conversely, they may be able to have more dogs in a “golden oldies” group.

What do the play areas look like?

Ask to see the play areas. The play areas should be safe, sanitary, and well-organized. There should be ample room for play and safe spaces for dogs who want to step away to take a break.

How are the play areas staffed?

The key to a well-run daycare is having staff that is both knowledgeable about dog behavior and skilled at managing a group of dogs. Additionally, they should not be overwhelmed with more than 10-15 dogs in a play group to manage. In addition to managing the dogs, they need to keep the area clean and sanitary.

How do they manage the dogs?

Look for daycares that limit the length of play sessions. Dogs need downtime to prevent over stimulation and crankiness. If dogs do get unruly, you want to be comfortable with the methods used to control the group for safety. Giving a dog a time-out for inappropriate behavior is a common method for managing unwanted behavior.

How does the daycare handle injuries and emergencies?

The staff should be well-trained in canine first aid. They should also have cohesive, pre-established protocols in case of an emergency. Further, you will want to understand their process of communicating with you in the event of an emergency and their actions if they cannot reach you.

What are their policies and procedures?

Finally, you want to understand and be comfortable with their policies. This would include health requirements, drop-off and pick-up times, consequences for late pick-up, dogs getting excused from daycare, etc. Also, some facilities provide report cards to keep you updated on your dog’s behavior.

Did you make the right choice?

Your dog will quickly tell you if you selected the best daycare for them. Your dog will seem happy, confident, and pleasantly tired afterward. She should be free of stress or the appearance of being overwhelmed. The next time you drop your dog off, observe if she looks happy and excited to enter or is putting on the breaks with all four paws.

For more tips and advice on training your dog, join the AKC GoodDog! Helpline, a seven-day-a-week telephone support service staffed by experienced dog trainers: www.akcgooddoghelpline.org.