| If you are going to be away all day, dog daycare | | | | 4. - Make sure the floors have a nice no-skid |
| may be just the thing for you. In a dog day care | | | | rubber surface and not concrete. If dogs run on |
| center, your dog will get to enjoy fun play | | | | concrete too much, it is bad for their pads. |
| sessions with other dogs as well as human | | | | 5. - Make sure they are a no-cage facility. The |
| company. This will help to socialize him and | | | | dog daycare facility should have nice rooms with |
| increase his confidence when facing new people | | | | beds or a soft surface for the dogs to rest. The |
| and new dogs. It will also provide him with good | | | | entire facility should be well ventilated so that it |
| mental and physical stimulation so that he will be | | | | will be comfortable for your dog. It should have |
| calm and happy to sit by your feet when you get | | | | ceiling fans or air conditioning for the summer, and |
| home. | | | | heating for the winter. |
| Leaving your dog home alone, all day, may cause | | | | 6. - Make sure that they group the dogs properly |
| him to get destructive, because he has too much | | | | during play time (e.g., small vs big, active vs |
| energy, and bring about separation anxiety issues. | | | | non-active). Make sure that the play-group |
| Note that dog daycare centers are very different | | | | assigned to each handler is not too large. This |
| from the usual boarding kennels because they | | | | ensures that the dogs will be well supervised and |
| have many playgroups during the day where your | | | | reduces the probability of fights and bullying |
| dog may interact with other dogs. They also have | | | | behavior during play. |
| nicer facilities, are commonly no-cage, and have | | | | 7. Kennel Cough. Make sure your dog is |
| trained staff to supervise your dog. | | | | vaccinated for kennel cough. Both my Shiba and |
| Before putting your dog in daycare, consider the | | | | Siberian have gotten kennel cough just from |
| following: | | | | staying overnight at an emergency room. Even |
| | | | though they try to be careful in these daycare |
| 1. Temperament of your dog. Dogs that are most | | | | centers, kennel cough is highly contagious. |
| appropriate for daycare have easy-going, | | | | Daycare centers have a large number of dogs |
| submissive personalities. My Siberian Husky is a | | | | each day, that interact closely with each other, so |
| very relaxed, easy-going dog, and she pretty | | | | there is a very high likelihood of getting infected. |
| much gets along with all the dogs and all the | | | | A well-managed daycare center is a great place |
| people she meets. We send her to daycare quite | | | | for socializing your dog to other dogs. Unlike dog |
| often. She enjoys herself and comes home happy | | | | parks, daycare play sessions are well supervised, |
| and tired. My male Shiba Inu, is a stress puppy. He | | | | by trained staff. The play groups are not too big, |
| likes routine and becomes stressed whenever | | | | and they try to group dogs with similar size, and |
| there is any change, and whenever we are not | | | | energy levels together, so they will get along. |
| around. I have tried putting him in two different | | | | Daycare centers usually have a meet-up |
| daycare centers (one afternoon each) and he | | | | interview, in the beginning. They will only accept |
| totally hated it. He came back very depressed | | | | social dogs that will fit-in to their facility. Many of |
| and started whining in the car for several days | | | | the dogs there are also regulars and have had |
| thereafter. His temperament makes him unsuited | | | | good practice on dog socialization manners. |
| for daycare. | | | | On the downside, daycare costs can be |
| 2. Dog daycare facilities. | | | | somewhat high. There is also a high likelihood that |
| 3. - Make sure they have a competent and | | | | your dog may get sick. While daycare centers do |
| trained staff. Make sure that all handlers use | | | | require dogs to be properly immunized, it is |
| positive reinforcement techniques, i.e. no hitting, no | | | | difficult to detect and separate those that may |
| slapping, and no pinning your dog to the ground | | | | have the cold or flu. Unless your dog has a strong |
| (alpha rolls). Rather than helping to socialize your | | | | immunity system, he may get sick more |
| dog, these bad experiences may make him | | | | frequently from his exposure to large numbers of |
| fearful and aggressive towards other dogs and | | | | dogs. |
| humans. | | | | |