Dog daycares are increasingly common establishments, as, over the years, dogs have become members of families and are often treated like children. As a result, their owners tend to provide a better quality of life, and the daycare center enters this area. But do you know how daycare works? If you don’t know, don’t worry, we’ll explain.
Daycare centers for dogs aim to provide social stimuli between dogs of different breeds, sizes, and ages, through interaction with recreational activities while their owners are working or having another commitment. They usually work during business hours, and you can drop off your dog in the morning and pick it up at the end of the day with the peace of mind that your dog will be safe, well taken care of, and having fun.
To choose a good daycare for your dogs, you should be aware that the establishment requires vaccinations for dogs, if they have deworming protocols and if the environment is completely safe and there are no escape options. Therefore, visit the place before taking your dog and ensure that the establishment fulfills its promises and guarantees animal safety.
Do Dogs Like Dog Daycare?
Dogs generally love daycare centers, as they are naturally sociable animals and need attention and care to feel good and happy. At the daycare, they will have awareness and stimulation throughout the period.
Check out the main benefits for dogs at daycare:
- Socialization with dogs: Interaction with dogs of different breeds, sizes, and ages improves emotional balance, preventing the development of fears or mistrust.
- Socialization with humans: Interaction with people outside your family environment reduces aggression and anxiety.
- Energy expenditure: through the activities developed, the dog starts to spend more energy, so when it gets home, it will be calm, and if it is a dog with destructive behaviors, it will not destroy anything else.
- The practice of frequent physical activity: the regular practice of activities improves mental and physical health.
- Cognitive activities: in the daycare, the monitors develop several activities to stimulate the dogs’ cognition.
- Stimulating environment: The daycare’s whole environment is designed to encourage your dog. At no time will it feel boring.
- Prevention of behavioral problems: through interaction with other dogs and activities carried out at the daycare, many behavioral issues, such as separation anxiety, aggression, and descriptive behaviors.
- Provides well-being and quality of life: the daycare offers an increase in the quality of life of dogs through behavioral improvement, improved health, and enhanced relationship with the owner because a tired dog is a happy dog!
Do Dogs Get Sad At Daycare?
Even with all the benefits, daycare is not always the best option for your dog. You will have to evaluate some characteristics of your dog, especially behavioral issues such as aggressiveness with other dogs and people since daycare can cause many problems with accidents between the dogs and monitors.
Some dogs may feel uncomfortable outside their family environment and become sad and numb, but this behavior usually passes with adaptation in a few days.
Do Dogs Miss Their Owners At Daycare?
In the first days of adaptation, it’s normal to miss their owners and the family environment. But with transformation over time, he will get used to it and will be very happy socializing with other dogs and doing recreational activities.
How Do I Know If My Dog Is Enjoying Daycare?
To know if your puppy is enjoying the nursery, observe his behavior. If your doggy shows to be happy, with his tail wagging, and comes home tired is a good sign that everything is going well. Some daycare centers even have diaries where they write down your dog’s behavior and the activities carried out on the day. Also, the daycare monitors usually provide news during the day, with photos and videos of the interaction between the dogs. So you can observe the behavior at daycare and when you get home.
What Should My Dog Bring To Daycare?
The mandatory items in your pet’s “backpack” will vary according to his needs and the period he will be away from home. However, some things are helpful to put in your dog’s backpack. Check them out below.
- Copy of the vaccination card – The vaccination card is an essential document to prove your dog’s health, and it is always good to have it on hand in case something happens.
- Microchip numbers – Although they are not what we expect, sometimes our pet can run away, and when you find them, you have to prove that it is yours. Therefore, you must have a document that proves that the animal is yours. The microchip is a safe and simple way to have that security. Talk to your veterinarian about how and what procedures to put one in your dog.
- Feed – Some daycare centers may include food in your pet’s monthly fee. Generally, daycare centers provide the same ratio for all “students.” However, the food must follow each dog’s needs, such as size, age and physical condition, so they have adequate nutrition. Therefore, I advise you to send your dog’s meal already weighed in the ideal amount and in the frame of the food he is already used to eating so that there are no gastrointestinal problems.
Precautions I Should Take When Choosing A Daycare For My Dog
Choosing the ideal place to leave your furry may not be easy, as we must consider some aspects. Visit various locations and pay attention to these tips:
- Make sure that the place has a responsible professional who will be able to help your dog if an accident happens.
- Make sure the place is clean and organized.
- Ask questions about the animal’s routine and care.
- See if the place has adequate infrastructure for the number of animals that are there.
- Check if the daycare will ask for a certificate of vaccination and flea and tick control.
- Check if there are loving and attentive monitors for the dogs.
- Observe the body language of the dogs there if they are happy and unafraid of people.
- Check if there are water pots scattered around the place and if they are clean and full of water.
- See if there is a covered area for the dogs to play on rainy and cold days.
Now that you know that daycare is an excellent place register your pet and let them have fun while you’re away!
The main picture is from Kd rome, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
