Choosing the best day care for your dog

Having a dog is a great addition to the home, but sometimes the demands of work don’t fit with your dog. Maidstone dog walker investigates the different types of dog day care so that you can choose the best for your dog.

We are working longer hours and as our lifestyles become hectic we can find that our pooches are left at home for longer periods of time. Many people are now opting for doggy day care as a way to alleviate the boredom and isolation for a dog.

Doggy day care is becoming big business with a variety of options to choose from. Including dog walking, small day-care centres and large creche rooms which house numerous dogs. You need to think carefully about all the options, make basic checks and consider how the setting will affect your dog.

Large Day Care

There are more and more of these nursery type day care centres popping up. They are usually large industrial rooms with partitioned areas to separate dogs.  It is important you do your homework with these places. Ask lots of questions about screening.  Look around and talk to the staff.  Are they trained? Are the dogs left unattended, security arrangements and experience of staff. How much walking do the dogs get per day and how many dogs are taken out at a time? Poppy and Pals Pet Care Ltd walk a maximum of 6 dogs unless at our secure field.  All dogs are carefully selected for the walk to ensure they are all happy.

The challenge with this type of day care is how much individual attention is given to dogs. When you have 30 – 40 dogs in a setting how much time can actually be given to each one? Do quieter dogs miss out because they aren’t barking as loudly? For a quiet dog who prefers the company of few dogs, this type of setting could be over stimulating and potentially very harmful.

 Small Dog Day Care

Smaller day care places are usually held within someone’s premises. Many have land where dogs have lots of opportunities to play and run about. The laid-back, homely environment is what your dog will be more used to.  Far fewer dogs will be accepted and the smaller day care centres are usually much fussier about the dogs they accept.

 

Small dog walkers are usually local to the areas so may already know the dogs and owners.

At Poppy and Pals we provide a small day care service for four hours and also offer a daily dog walking service. Your dog is treated like one of our own and ensure they enjoy all their time with us. For more information about our luxury day care and dog walking services please click here.

When considering doggy day care, put the needs of your dog first, and don’t rely purely on convenience and cheapest options. Not all dogs will suit large day care settings, older dogs or those with medical needs. Many dogs could find these environments overwhelming and unpleasant. If your dog is not social, this type of environment could cause considerable anxiety and exacerbate any problem behaviours.

 

A great place to start is to meet with a local dog walker or visit a small day care centre. Ask questions and watch how the staff and dogs are interacting with each other. Ultimately you want your dog to be cared for in the best way possible.