Choosing the Best Doggy Daycare
Doggy daycare is a great way to give your pup a change of scenery, lots of exercise, and canine companionship. For many dog owners, it is a way to have peace of mind knowing that their furry friend is being cared for while they are busy taking care of personal responsibilities. With that being said, it is important to choose the right daycare for your specific dog. How do you know which one you and your dog are going to be happy with?
To begin, they should be more than happy to be patient and thoroughly answer any questions that you have for them.
Questions You Should Ask a Doggie Daycare Center
- What is your staff-to-dog ratio?
Logically, the more staff to the least number of dogs is best! One highly-experienced staff member for every 10 dogs is acceptable, but one staff member to 5 should be considered excellent.
Also, find out if these individual groups are separated. If not, inquire as to how many dogs are grouped together at one time. This is to make sure that your dog is grouped with temperaments that are well-matched and that he never feels crowded.
- Are dogs grouped by size?
Some doggy daycares only care for small dogs, and others just for large. Make sure your dog will be grouped with the size of dogs that he will be most comfortable with.
- What type of fencing and safety features do you have?
A doggy daycare should have fencing that is at least 6 feet tall. This is to make sure that dogs won’t be able to jump over the fence and run away. Let the facility know if your dog likes to dig under fences or jump over them.
Another aspect to look for is a set of double doors that lead directly outside. This is so that dogs never have access to the outside world through only one set of doors. A secondary set of doors will prevent your dog from making a run for it.
- What if my dog becomes hurt while at daycare?
It is important to know what their protocol is should your dog become injured in any way. How soon will you be notified? What is their standard plan of action? A good dog daycare will have forms that you can fill out that authorize them to bring your dog to the vet if needed.
- Is there a particular routine that the dogs follow throughout their day?
Much like with children, having a regular routine helps dogs to relax, remain peaceful and behave better. Some daycares have a scheduled nap time, where the dogs are placed in kennels for example. Others gather dogs for game time at particular times of the day.
- Will you tell me a little about your cleaning protocols?
Every doggy daycare should have cleaning procedures in place to keep your dog as healthy as possible. With that being said, perhaps the best way to judge how clean a daycare center is would be to do a walk-through. It should look and smell clean, without an overbearing smell of chemicals.
- What are your requirements for vaccination, spaying, and neutering?
Unprotected dogs can easily get sick when they are not properly vaccinated. Responsible doggy daycares will require their inhabitants to show current shot records. In regards to spaying and neutering, most doggie daycares require this procedure to be completed between 6 months and 1 year of age.
Final Thought
Perhaps the most important quality that a good doggy daycare should show you is their openness. They should be patient with you asking questions, and thorough with you in answering them. They should gladly welcome you in for a tour of their facility at a time that won’t disrupt their schedule. While asking others for recommendations is usually helpful, meeting the staff and using your intuition about the place can be as well.