Whether you are traveling for the holidays or need a place for your pup to stretch his legs while you work, doggie daycares are a booming business.
But they aren’t as comparable to kiddie daycares as people imagine. Dogs don’t stack blocks and color pictures—they run, lick, share water bowls, and get all up in each others’ business ends (and what comes out). A good daycare owner will tell you it’s more like having a kid who plays a contact sport.
So first, here are a few tips to choosing a daycare:
-Choose one that separates dogs. It doesn’t matter if they do it by size or temperament, but you want them taking that step to help keep it a fun place for all dogs (not every dog wants to be wild and social).
-if they have amenities, ask yourself whether your dog knows how to use them. You may not need to spend the money on them. Some dogs are strong swimmers, some are wimps. Some big dogs want to jump on play structures. Others just want to doze.
-Look around—is it clean? Are the dogs happy? How do they interact with them? Also be sure to ask how they handle discipline, injury, and illness.
Then: once doggie is enrolled, watch for signs of injuries that they could miss. Is he suddenly favoring one side over the other? Any skin changes? (Ask your groomer to watch for them or check when you do it).
Watch for other signs of illness like coughing, change in personality/temperament, or change in stool or eating patterns.
If you kennel or daycare your dog, I strongly recommend giving them colloidal silver when they’re at home. Not only will it help keep their water fresh (it does sit out all day) it will help support doggie’s immune system.
Tell us about your doggie daycare!:
