You don’t want to leave your dog home alone for hours on end, but you’re busy and can’t be there all the time – and that means you need a doggie daycare you can trust. But how do you choose the best dog daycare, and what should you look for in a facility that you’re considering? This guide explains.
How to Choose the Best Dog Daycare
First things first: Both you and your dog must be comfortable with a daycare facility before you should even consider leaving your beloved pooch there. Always choose a daycare that allows a canine meet-and-greet so you know that your dog will be happy and well cared-for while you’re away.
From there, use these tips to choose the best dog daycare for your four-legged family member:
- Make sure the facility has proper safety procedures in place
- What type of training does the staff receive?
- Ask about the dog’s daily routine
- Learn about entry requirements for dogs
- Ask about kennels and how often they’re used
Here’s a closer look at each.
Tip #1 to Choose the Best Dog Daycare: Check Safety Procedures
Before you enroll your dog in daycare make sure that the facility has proper safety procedures in place. What happens in the event of an emergency? How do they keep track of all the dogs to ensure everyone is accounted for? Do they have a plan for natural disasters or other unpredictable emergencies?
Tip #2 to Choose the Best Dog Daycare: What Type of Training Does the Staff Receive?
Handling a large group of dogs isn’t something a novice person should be doing. Reading dog body language and managing a large group of dogs requires many hours of training with both classroom type work and on the job training with an experienced mentor.
Related: Check out the four-legged fun with Canine Cowboy’s dog daycare photo gallery
Tip #3 to Choose the Best Dog Daycare: Ask About the Dogs Daily Routine
Dogs like predictability. To ensure dogs remain calm and confident it is important to keep them on a set schedule for potty breaks and other activities. Daycare dogs should get multiple potty breaks per day. Also, dogs rest differently than humans and need time during the day to nap and have downtime so they don’t get overstimulated.
Tip #4 to Choose the Best Dog Daycare: Learn About Entry Requirements for Dogs
To ensure the safety of your dog make sure the facility requires updated vaccination records, dogs to be spayed/neutered, current on flea/tick prevention, and a thorough behavior evaluation.
Related: 7 tips to make road-tripping with your dog a breeze
Tip #5 to Choose the Best Dog Daycare: Ask About Kennels
Talk to daycare providers about whether they use kennels for the dogs who stay to play. Ideally, you’ll find a kennel-free dog daycare facility near you that can keep your pooch entertained – and not locked up – all day. (After all, what’s the difference between leaving your dog home alone and taking him to a daycare that will keep him in a kennel?)
Do You Need a Kennel-Free Dog Daycare?
If you’re looking for the best dog daycare, Canine Cowboy is the place for you. Our kennel-free facility would love to invite you for a meet-and-greet with your pup to see if we’re a good fit.
