All about Dog Daycares
By: Ginny Woodyowners, due to time constraints, face the problem of leaving their beloved
dog at home for extended periods of time. Dogs are social animals and leaving them alone
at home will lead to behavioural problems that are difficult to cure. Dog daycare is the
ideal solution under such circumstances to keep their dog healthy both at physically and
mentally.
Types of Dog daycare services available
Generally three type types of services are available for taking care of your dog during
day time. They are:
Dog sitters
Dog walkers
Dog daycares
Which Type of dog daycare Service is right for your canine?
Selection of service required depends on following factors:
Duration of time the dog has to be left alone
Dog specific parameters such as
o Age
o Health
o Behaviour
Cost of service
Dog sitting may be a suitable option for very young puppies or old dogs. A dog walker
service can be considered for old and matured dogs and dogs that are to be left alone for
reasonably shorter durations. Dog Daycares will be the best solution for a majority of
dogs. Dog daycares are cost effective and help your dog in socialising with other canines.
Remember that the well being of all the dogs at the facility is the most important factor,
so aggressive dogs or dogs with behaviour problems generally will not be accepted by dog
daycares.
Services offered by dog daycares:
Dog daycares offer a wide range of services for the well being of your pet dog. The
services offered include:
Scientifically designed dog exercise routines
Group play and socialising routines with other dogs of similar size and nature
Veterinary doctor attention and services, as desired or required
Dog training facilities
Personal attention by well trained professionals
Dog grooming services
Selecting a dog daycare facility:
Demand for dog daycare services has been on the rise in recent years, resulting in an
increase in number of such day care facilities. Some well known dog daycares operate
throughout the country by franchise arrangement, offering similar quality and types of
services everywhere.
With so many operators in the market, selecting a suitable one becomes tough and certain
tips for choosing right dog daycares for your pet dog are:
Preliminary screening
Collect all possible information about facilities available from various sources
o Consult friends and relatives for their opinion on specific dog daycares
o The Internet is a good source to get preliminary information on day care centers near
your area
o Veterinary doctors and pet stores can give information on good dog daycares
Evaluating a specific dog daycares
Select a final few based on the preliminary screening and contact them to get additional
information to help in making a final decision. Your dogs health and hygiene should
be the primary consideration in the final selection
o Information on service offered
o Number of years in service
o Credentials of personnel
o Personal inspection of the dog daycare facility
o Hygiene and cleanliness
o Types of exercises provided
o Veterinary doctor support
o Type and number of dogs served
o Dog to personnel ratio in the facility
o Flexibility of Drop-off/Pickup schedule in the dog daycare
o Security arrangement
o Arrangement for emergency handling
o Pricing
Things to note during personal inspection
Often dog daycares promise many things to attract clientele. A personal visit prior to
selecting your dogs daycare facility ensures that the company is able to provide the
services being advertised. In addition to validating services, here are a few suggestions
for items you should be looking for during your first visit to the dog daycare facility.
o Check for any bad odor in the facility
o General surrounding and appearance
o Check the security of the area Example: Are all fences latched and good condition
to prevent your dog from escaping?
o Food and water quality
o Frequency and method of cleaning (If they use Wysiwash Dog Kennel Cleaner in their
facility, you can be assured of cleanliness of the dog daycare facility)
o Complete a visual check the health and temperament of the dogs handled by them
o Observe and ascertain the behaviour of the staff when they are interacting with the dogs
Dog Daycare related issues
After deciding on the dog daycare facility, specific factors about your dog have to be
discussed in detail with the staff. The information shared should include the following:
Immunization requirements for your dog
Many dog daycares require your dog to be vaccinated for rabies, DHLPP and kennel cough.
Specific flea control programs are also recommended by some centers.
General behavioural pattern of your dog
Food habits
Medicines required
Contact person and address in case of emergency
Current Veterinary information
Is your dog spayed/neutered?
Age
Dog daycares, if identified and selected properly can help your dog remain healthy and
sociable. Good dog daycares can also help in providing advice for the general well-being
of your dog.
Author's Resource:
Ginny Woody is a dog lover and web designer with over 10 years experience in pet related
industries. Visit BreedersDomain.com to find Dog Daycare
Services in your area. Interested in products designed for dog boarding and dog
daycare facilities? Visit Wysiwash
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