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Doggy daycare is extremely popular and many dog sitters who come to us may feel overwhelmed when it comes to deciding whether daycare is right for their dog and, if so, how often they should go. Or they should leave. They naturally want to make sure they are making healthy decisions about who to trust and how to maximize their puppy’s experiences.
Provided a dog truly enjoys the pace, environment, and social experiences of daycare (and not all do), it can be an incredibly rewarding experience for them and provide a wonderful outlet for its energy.
If you think your dog is a good candidate, the next step is to choose a daycare that is right for you, as not all are equal. This is obviously important because it involves selecting a facility to which you will entrust your companion’s care and this is very important. In order for our clients to be as successful as possible here, we often advise them to have a list of questions ready to ask potential daycare providers that will help point them in the right direction on where to choose. Below is an example of the questions you should ask, along with what you should look for in the answers and why.
How many dogs are there per employee for playgroups?
This is very important because when there are too many dogs for one staff member to manage, safety becomes an issue. No matter how many years of experience working in a daycare, if there are too many dogs and something happens (a risk to the daycare no matter where you go), one person cannot do much. The industry standard is 1 person per 15 dogs, so more than that is too much. We prefer a smaller ratio of dogs per person, as this makes resolving any potential issues much more reasonable. Just as important as this answer, I would also like to know the maximum number of dogs together in a space at any given time. Even if you have 1 person for 15 dogs, if you have 40, 50, or 75 dogs in a room (yes, this happens in some daycares), the safety risk is greatly increased due to sheer volume.
Do they have cameras you can plug in at any time, and if so, are there any blind spots?
This is certainly not designed to induce paranoia in you, but it is important for owners to be able to supervise their dogs simply because it is a comfort to them to see their dog in this environment. Owners know their dogs quite well and can sometimes tell more accurately if their dog is having fun. Plus, we like this in a daycare because it’s a sign of transparency on their part.
Are staff trained in canine body language?
If all they have to say is “yes” without further details, I would ask for more. Most
the establishments that train their staff will be happy to tell you all about this. It is equally important that staff at these establishments are trained in canine body language, and this should be deliberate training on the part of the company. Even if you have a smaller number of dogs than the industry standard, if staff are not comfortable with the scientific understanding of body language, they have no way to prevent conflicts or determine if a dog is really having fun. or are appropriate for playgroup. A good daycare won’t take your money and let your dog be there when he shouldn’t be. A dog who is stressed or has behavioral barriers that interfere with its ability to interact appropriately in very high-intensity social situations like daycare can impact the entire group dynamic.
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How does a dog who is overly stimulated or exhibits “harmful behaviors” behave?
like excessive barking, humping or too rough play?
It’s a big problem. Giving dogs who are struggling time away from the group to decompress by removing them for short periods to spend time in a calm environment is an appropriate response. Squirting with sprays, shaking a box of coins, screaming, growling, or any other aversive means
are not an acceptable answer because these methods can create much bigger problems with
not only the offending dog, but also the other dogs present. And while these tactics may seem reasonable, they can have long-term effects. This means your pup can take this home with them. It is not uncommon for daycares to do these things as a way to defuse or remove problem behavior, but they rarely resolve the problem and these methods carry a very high risk of behavioral fallout (e.g., anxiety, stress, fear and aggressiveness). ).We have run workshops for nurseries to help them understand how to run their playgroups more effectively and when staff use these tools it is because they think they should. Even though there is rarely malice in daycares doing these things, that doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful. Many daycares are trained on how to appropriately address these concerns during playgroups and avoid creating emotional or behavioral harm to the dogs in their care.
How does a dog who regularly shows fear, nervousness or avoidance behave in a play?
managed group?
Removing this dog from the playgroup and explaining to the dog’s owner that daycare is not a good fit for him (whether now or ever) is the answer you are looking for. We’re not just talking about short or momentary interactions, but out of character. We’ve seen dogs at daycare who clearly had no interest in being there…ever. They either sat in a corner, displayed anxious and repetitive behaviors, avoided dogs, hid most of the time, or were agitated around the majority of other dogs. Not all dogs will like it; in fact, most dogs fall into the “selective dog” category during adolescence. So even though they enjoy playing with a few of their best dog friends, that doesn’t mean they want to be friends with all dogs, regardless of their play style.
There is a very big difference between playing with one or two other dogs and playing with a much larger group of dogs in a very different and often much more stimulating environment. Flooding a dog (forcing him to stay in a scary or stressful situation) is not conducive to a fun time and the dog is not likely to simply “get used to it.” Reports about your dog’s behavior throughout his day shouldn’t be completely generic. In our workshops, we sometimes find that trainers are nervous about telling an owner if a dog is something. but very good (as long as there have not been major incidents) and part of our coaching is ensuring that communication, even for information that is not optimal, is extremely important. If a daycare’s first priority is not to ensure that the group of dogs it cares for is a good match for the facility, then it is not a good solution for you and if the staff cannot Don’t give you some personal details about your dogs time there, they probably have too many dogs to watch and that’s a red flag.
Introduce a new dog slowly/do a new dog assessment before
allow them to join?
It should always be yes. No matter what. If they don’t do a slow trial (introducing a new dog to a small group of calmer dogs first and adding other dogs as the newcomer gives signs that he is okay ) or if they don’t require some sort of evaluation, I
I would avoid choosing this place. Efforts to Ensure Your Dog Will Enjoy
themselves in this context are first of all a good sign that they want to keep everyone safe
and happy and help your dog settle in so the experience is positive.
This can seem overwhelming for a dog owner, but despite our warnings about what to avoid, there are some really good daycares out there that take the time to make sure the experience is a good one. Don’t forget to start with half days so you can make them easier. If your dog shows signs of stress upon returning from daycare, contact the staff to find out how your dog is managing his time there and for details. This doesn’t mean your dog is being mistreated, but it may indicate that the length of his stay there or his stay in general is too long. More importantly, they should also communicate with you, especially if there is a problem or your dog doesn’t seem to be enjoying play. Good daycares will respond to questions or concerns with honesty, transparency, detail, and enthusiasm.
If you have any questions about choosing a daycare, or if you work for a daycare and would like more information about our available immersive workshops, please contact us!