1. Introduction to Puppy Day Care
Dog owners have a hectic schedule during weekdays and they cannot be at home to tend for their puppy. Their little munchkin needs care, training and supervision which only a pet care facility can provide. Pet Professionals initiate the pup with early socialisation, exercise and educational activities that develop good manners, boost confidence and help them learn how to play well with others. Day Care is the safest and most effective choice for busy families who want the best for their pups. Puppy Day Care helps fill the gap between what you need to do and what they need from you at this special stage of their life. They offer short-term Day Care of up to 5 hours for puppies aged between three and five months. They have puppy areas at their facilities specifically designed for supervised play between puppies and sedation-free social and generally well-mannered older dogs. Their experienced pet care professionals supervise all play groups, offering guidance to help build confidence in all their furry guests, encouraging good manners and redirecting inappropriate behaviour. They want all their furry guests to play nice and have fun! Activities during Day Care may include commando crawling through tunnels, racing around on their doggy agility equipment, digging in the sandpit, jumping in the paddling pool, chillin’ on the towel sunbathing, munching the treats they hide for them and having free play. Making puppy friends and getting tired-out during the day are good for both their mental and physical well-being. Many pet experts believe that happy, tired puppies are better puppies and this is definitely true!
2. Benefits of Puppy Day Care
While long hours at work may leave you with uneasy feelings about leaving your pup alone, there is a solution. Daycare allows your puppy to socialize with their peers, expend pent-up energy, and get specialized training. More importantly, leaving your puppy in someone else’s care allows you to focus on work knowing your puppy is safe and happy being supervised by trained professionals.
Socialization is a major part of puppy training and daycare allows your pup to interact with other dogs while supervised by trained professionals. Puppies specifically learn to play gently, share toys, and learn the “rules of the pack”. They do this in part by having their behavior corrected by older dogs, and older dogs will also teach them how to play properly. Puppies also learn how to be gentle with humans and can be supervised so that their interactions with other dogs and humans are safe and healthy. Daycare creates opportunities for dog-reactive and fearful pups to overcome their discomfort through positive experiences spent together in daycare. Playing with other dogs can help keep your pup healthy and tired when it’s time to go home. Many of our schoolers return tired and happy after a long day of positive supervision and training.
Just like for humans, our dogs crave mental and emotional stimulation. Imagine if you sat inside a house by yourself for eight hours every day. Doing the same old boring things would become redundant. Making your dog’s world a boring place just isn’t fair to him! Daycare provides puppies with outlets for physical exertion and satisfies their need for mental stimulation. Under the careful supervision of your daycare helpers, your dog can have a fun-filled day of activity, mental stimulation, and socialization. This can help your puppy bond with his daycare helpers so he can be more adaptable and burn off pent-up energy. Many dogs become bored and destructive at home alone during the day waiting for their owners to return from work. With daycare, your dog can play with his buddies during the day and be satisfied when it’s time for a quiet evening at home with the family.
2.1. Socialization Opportunities
Puppy Day Care gives your furry friend a lot of chances to socialize while you are busy with work or errands. Puppies at this perfect age are usually highly social and love meeting the other puppies. Although small, playful, and gentle puppies can learn to love and interact with older puppies all day, things can get out of control when the ages are not all at the same stage with very big age differences. And you don’t want just any other puppies playing with yours. You want puppies that want to play with your puppy too. A Puppy Day Care creates an opportunity for your puppies to be together, interacting with one another at the RIGHT age, FUN level, and ENERGY level. Because a well-balanced dog means a happy owner. And that’s what we want.
Dogs 3 months and older who have not had the opportunity to socialize with other dogs in a positive, friendly manner are more likely to have fear aggression and problem behaviors later. The right Puppy Day Care will allow your puppy to be around other puppies every day, so the puppies learn with doggie interaction how to use their mouth, ears, eyes, and tail to show each other “I’m playing with you!” and “I don’t want to play!” A Puppy Day Care kind of atmosphere allows your puppy to learn small lessons every day, which means he can grow up with excellent social skills, and in the process, hopefully submit quietly to older dogs. Wild young teenage puppies who play too rough with their friends may get scolded by older dogs, so it’s part of the natural process of growing up! But you want other puppies to play with your little ones first so they learn to have fun and enjoy being friends before the natural disciplining process begins as the puppies move into their teenage years and become violators.
2.2. Mental Stimulation
Every dog lover will agree that on days when it rains and storms are brewing outside, your puppy gets bored. He makes himself comfortable on the couch and if left to his own devices, might chew up the cushions. But what should we expect? Chewing stuff left in the living room is a sign of boredom and an empty tummy. Dogs that have been cooped inside the house must be craving some chewing action to release all the pent-up energy.
Just like humans, dogs get bored. Too much rest, they start losing their wits. They need some mental stimulation and activities that can get their brains working so that they become more alert and attentive. Walks, fetch games, obstacle courses – all need planning and thought. Puppies and adult dogs alike love to chew on toys and objects. It’s part of why we love them – the rich sounds of chewing that reach our ears from inside the house. There are even special toys that have been designed to turn into multi-sensory experiences for your furry friend. Chewing, snuggling, scratching! When the tiny bumps entangle him, they’ll remind him of your soothing embrace.
While puppies and dogs enjoy the comforting act of chewing, a lack of stimulation will result in destructive chewing. To divert their attention, squeaky and stuffed toys can be a great alternative. Rubber balls filled with kibble will not only keep him busy chewing but will also satisfy his hunger. If you’ve never seen a dog work a treat-filled activity ball, you are missing out. You’ll quickly learn not to call on your pet dog for supper while he is busy with his puzzle toy. You can always rely on your pet to let you know when it’s time to shovel in some food, using his very high-tech methods. Dogs love interaction with their humans so the next best option to toy companies marketing alone is two-some!
2.3. Physical Exercise
It will be a rare dog that does not love to run. This pretty simple fact makes the option of day care great for access to a regular and safe outlet for their energy. Not only does exercise ensure hygiene and physical benefits for your dog, it also allows you to meet their natural instincts to a degree. Dogs need to move–day to day walking doesn’t often meet the requirement. Off leash exercise allows dogs to drive and hunt, perform non-verbal communication through body language to other dogs, and more. These things and others are often vital for canine mental well-being. Taking a dog for a walk every day means that they are mostly just ambling about, nose to the ground sniffing whatever scent they are interested in at the time. This is great and all, but it does not utilize a dog’s body in the way that plays, runs, wrestling, and playing chase with other dogs can. These are the exercises that are necessary to tire dogs and restore balance to their lives. If off-lead exercise was not a danger, you would have experienced friends who have dogs that have excellent recall. People would tell you how they can take their dogs to the dog park and the dogs run, wrestle, and climb until they are exhausted. Or how they trust their dogs to run while hiking and know they will not run off. For many a puppy parent or nervous doggy dad or mum, it is a danger to let your dog off lead. Allowing your puppy to run free is extremely stressful when you cannot trust them not to be frightened by something and run away, or if you are simply uncomfortable with them not being near you. Because of this, it is uncommon, if not impossible, to find off-lead exercise opportunities for your dog, other than while you are out together. Because of their size, they are bonding to you. However, dogs become independent in the use of their bodies and they impact other dogs. Doggie day care allows dogs to be safely and positively exercised.
3. Choosing the Right Day Care Facility
When it comes to finding daycare for your fur baby, you wouldn’t want to trust just anyone with their care. You want to be sure they are safe, happy, and well taken care of. Listing out priorities you have for your chosen daycare will make it easier to narrow those options. You may ask yourself what services are the most important. Do you want a location that is most convenient? Does your pet have special needs? Are you wanting a facility with the best amenities? After considering all your options, scheduling visits and consultations with potential daycare facilities is the best way to make your final decision. Staff and pet interactions are critical to ensuring everything is balanced between those in charge, the dogs, and the environment. Staff training is very important in this process as well. You would want to make sure that any staff where you board your pet have first aid training and have been made aware of animal body language and any behavioral issues to be mindful of. Also, examine which dogs will be attending daycare at the same time as yours and if they have had any behavioral problems during their stay in the past. Location is one of the more basic considerations while selecting a daycare. People will normally want a daycare that is nearest to either their home or workplace and is easily accessible during commute hours. Proximity to main roads, highways and work routes usually qualifies for an easily accessible location. Many facilities are located near or at training facilities or veterinary clinics, allowing for an easy transfer for the animal when needed. Some are located on farms or away from the city, allowing for plenty of space and area for dogs to run around. You may want to consider a daycare that allows for flexible drop-off and pick-up times and may take late reservations. You would also want to look for flexible schedule offerings, if your schedule varies from week to week. The majority of dogs do best with highly regimented schedules, similar to daycare toddlers or young children. However, all dogs are different and not all would feel best with that level of restrictiveness in their day. You might want to consider the play area offered by the daycare you are interested in. Play areas that have variable surfaces, such as rubber, cement or grass, usually make for the safest and most sanitary indoor and outdoor environments. Look for well-kept and sanitary facilities. Indoor daycares should provide climate control with heat and air conditioning, as well as appropriate ventilation. If your pup has a tendency to bark or howl, you may want to consider a daycare that is sound-proofed. You might also inquire about nap times for your pup. Some facilities allow naps on their cages or will section off a portion of the space for quiet time. While at grandma’s or a dog-friendly hotel, an occasional nap is common for most dogs. Other features, such as pools, play equipment, and systems to cool off dogs on hot days are a plus. All-day daycare for your pet requires having staff on hand to tend to your fur baby’s every need. Because of this, you would want to make sure that staff members are trained in any and all basic services required, as well as trained while spending time with the animals during the duration of their time at the daycare, before being left alone with the animals. A formal certification is not required for anyone working with animals. A daycare with such certifications can put any concerns to rest. However, most employees would spend plenty of hands-on time with dogs and would be trained and monitored by other staff members. Any employees where you leave your pet would ideally be knowledgeable about animal behavior and know CPR and First Aid.
3.1. Location and Accessibility
Location and accessibility are important factors when choosing a facility for your little friend. All facilities have different operating hours and locations, and having convenient access to and from puppy daycare is hugely important. Most people drop off their pet puppies early in the morning and then pick them up at the end of the work day. The preferable location for puppy daycare should be near home or on the work route so you can dash by easily if you need to. The nursery commonly has limited pick-up and drop-off hours, which can impede plans. If you think you might need to pick up your puppy late after a company work dinner, be sure to find out if the daycare provider is open during the evening hours. The location is very important for those busy pet owners who might need to rush home if they have a last-minute work-related cancellation or need to pick up their dog for whatever reason, which can cause a delay in your daily itinerary. If the kennel is too far away, going there and coming back might take a while. Your dog will most likely spend a major part of the day in the car. This is a waste of time — both yours and your puppy’s. A daycare that is located near your office is a great option as you can visit your furry friend during your lunch break. If there are any puppy daycare facilities close to your workplace, nothing beats convenience during lunch. However, pick-up and drop-off can definitely be a hassle if the puppy daycare is located next to your work or home, and you live or work in an area where corporate is heavy with a high volume of traffic and are still facing the hurdle of going through heavy traffic during peak business hours.
3.2. Facility Amenities
Choosing the right puppy day care centre—from the cute puppies to the trained talent—can be a daunting task for even the nicest and most altruistic dog owners. Your choice means more than helping you stay sane, but more importantly, ensuring your puppy is provided a safe environment where they can learn, interact and grow free of negative behaviours. When researching what to look for, a great start is to think about how you want your furry one to spend their time at school. Pups tend to be a reflection of their owners, but typically puppies kept inside long hours, alone, without proper exercise and socialisation tend to deliver dogs with negative behaviours. Factors like negative behaviours change the environment at dog parks, dog beaches and walking tracks making it unpleasant for others—both two-legged and four-legged. Amenities can be as simple as fencing around a sand pit for smaller dogs or just having a nice clean play area for larger dogs. However, a more on-the-go dog owner might prefer some kind of activity to entice that energetic little bundle of joy before contemplating doing doggie training lessons else to have it do on-going training along with fun time socialisation at day care. Simple things like toys, agility equipment, dams or pools can be entertaining. For dog owners with more than one dog, having amenities to accommodate small dog play groups alleviates the concern of safety for both dogs and people.
3.3. Staff Qualifications
Kennels or day care services run by people whose only experience with animals comes from a willingness to be around them or who don’t actively dislike them, and maybe have had dogs of their own, may not provide the best care of your pet while you’re away at work or play. If they’re like my cat, regardless of their comments of how well sorted care facilities are, the critters don’t understand them; they’re only a little longer conversation before the death-like, thousand-yard stare comes back. As such, knowing whether staff have any specialized training may make what would, in other circumstances, be a seamless service stand out in your mind at the end of the day as a desperately needed pit stop or a place to avoid for your pet’s sake.
While any properly trained, qualified, and certified worker should be able to recognize and respond to basic behavioral signals, special needs and exceptionally introverted animals may need staff with specialized training, such as ethology or applied animal behavior, who are able to work under the animals’ timelines and who can recognize their body language and individual signals. Since they’re more often trained to see and respond to behavioral triggers and thresholds than most staff without special training, veterinary behaviorists would be the staff to consult about possible issues or needing training for your pets, and who could also provide specific signals you might not know about. Facilities having such staff on-site reduces risks when introducing to, or medicating during, their decompression phase, such as redirected aggression or contagious upper respiratory tract or gastroenteritis infections, as not providing this extra time can lead to a potentially disastrous, unsafe, or even fatal result.
4. Safety and Health Considerations
Safety and health considerations are important for dog caretakers, pet parents, and dogs when cohabitating. At puppy daycare, it is important that dogs be free from canine gastroenteritis and parachain virus, as no vaccine protects dogs from these diseases; virus shedding may occur before symptoms develop and for days to weeks after diarrhea symptoms resolve. Vaccinations known to reduce the prevalence of severe disease among the dog population are canine parvovirus, canine distemper, canine adenovirus, and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Vaccination requirements for participation in daycare vary but are typically recommended to match requirements for boarding at the same facility. It has been recommended that most dogs receive vaccination against canine parvovirus, canine distemper, and canine adenovirus. In some areas, risk-based Bordetella vaccination is required.
Dog daycare facilities should have protocols in place for emergencies such as respiratory or gastrointestinal disease outbreaks and for injuries to the dogs in their care. Properly designed indoor and outdoor facilities with a safe and secure design can help reduce the risk of injury. All daycare attendees should be actively supervised during playtime; staff supervision has been shown to prevent injury during rough play, the most common cause of serious injury. Facilities should have a “next person on staff” policy to reduce the risk of injury. A data-driven dog services company uses proprietary software and algorithms to monitor the health and wellness of every dog in their care. A pet parent will receive a text message if their child gets hurt, and because of this no first aid or serious injury has gone unreported or unnoticed.
4.1. Vaccination Requirements
While we all love our puppies, little do we think about the possible health risks they may inadvertently pose to other, older dogs or cats who frequent a Dog Day Care. A well-established Dog Day Care will have strict Vaccination Requirements for all pets using any facility, however, these may change in specifics from Day Care to Day Care. Our Vaccination Requirements are listed below.
All puppies and kittens need to have received at least 2 sets of their core vaccinations – these vaccinations need to be completed at least 2 weeks before debating puppy/kitten day care/school (around 12-16 weeks old). Your puppy or kitten also needs to be free from worms and parasites such as fleas and ticks to come to Dog Day Care. If your puppy has not completed the entire puppy vaccination series, please bring your pup for a play at Dog Day Care when school is closed until you can complete the puppy vaccination series. You are welcome to expose your puppy to all the dogs they need to socialize with at a nearby Dog Park.
All puppies must be vaccinated against the following diseases at Dog Day Care: • Canine Parvovirus • Canine Distemper Virus • Canine Infectious Hepatitis • Canine Parainfluenza • Bordetella Bronchiseptica
If your dog is not yet 1 year old (ie. still a puppy), it is mandatory that they continue to have their vaccinations every 3-4 weeks until they turn 1 year old. Any puppies over that age will not be allowed into Dog Day Care unless they have been vaccinated every 12 months. There are valid exemptions to vaccination in rare scenarios if your pup has a current health concern or medical problem. For these cases, a veterinarian health certificate is required for frequenting Dog Day Care. You are encouraged to follow the vet’s recommendations regarding boosted vaccinations.
4.2. Emergency Protocols
Emergency situations can happen anywhere, at any time, and doggy daycare is no exception. That’s why at Puppy Daycare, we have stern emergency protocols in place to keep your pet safe and sound while staying with us. Upon your dog’s admission to the facility and a couple of days into their stay, we officially adopt them into our daycare family and our employees become their caregivers. This means we are trained to recognize signs of every dog’s specific personality, their quirks, and their unique disorders, if they have any. It is incredibly important your dog gets along with the daycare staff, as we are their go-to in case of an emergency.
We have trained our staff to recognize signs of all kinds of situations, from a dog feeling unwell to a major injury to act upon. If a dog is feeling unwell, we will recognize the signs so we can escort them back to the office to monitor their condition carefully, away from the playrooms, until they are either good to return to play or until their parents are notified. We have also trained our staff how to react to cuts, scratches, or bruises in case they occur. Minor cases are treated in-house, and if a major injury happens, the dog in question will be escorted to the nearest vet as soon as possible. In the rare case of an emergency evacuation, we will split up the daycare in half and evacuate whichever area has the least dogs present and promptly contact the caretakers. If parents can please keep their phone on, as we may need to contact you regarding your dog.
4.3. Hygiene Practices
Dogs and cats play together at Puppy Day Care every day, for short periods of time, but at high intensity. Who hasn’t seen kids playing together, getting hot and sweaty, and then going to the toilets to wash their hands only to come back looking worse than before? The same thing happens with dogs and cats, but on a larger scale and everyone gets a bit smelly and dirty at the end of the day. Dog and cat owners expect these pets to come back from puppy day care somewhat dirty, and dirty coats often have more doggie smells. Only way to avoid this is by bathing them every day and we will not do this because it will destroy the coats. So what do we do about bad and dirty coats? During our open hours dogs and cats are constantly supervised by staff, but what about outside these hours? For the safety of all, at Puppy Day Care, we apply the following hygiene practices: Our Day Care staff is educated in noticing and reporting the early signs of illnesses or other abnormalities in day-to-day life in dogs and cats, such as coughing, sneezing, vomiting, changes in eating behavior, watering or redness of the eyes, change in stool, worms in stool, crippled or limping, physical injuries, unusual aggression to staff, and the like. The bathrooms were built so that they could provide a secluded area for sick pets. When there are signs of illness or other abnormalities in a pet that can affect the other residents we immediately contact the Pet Owner to pick up their dog or cat. We expect Pet Owners to have a vet check the health of their pets. If a vet states that the dog is not ill, animals can be allowed back into day care.
5. Daily Schedule at a Puppy Day Care
Unlike dog training schools or puppy schools, most puppy day cares operate to a daily schedule that caters to puppies as young as 8 weeks in age based on 5 hours of normal and healthy puppy energy. Below is a typical daily schedule at a puppy day care for puppies under 20 weeks of age. Every puppy day care will have a tailored daily schedule specific to that day care’s core values about providing quality, safe, and positive play experiences for puppies. At a puppy day care, all play activities are supervised by paid qualified canine staff. Imagine a big classroom but for puppies!
5.1. Arrival and Check-in
As puppies arrive at puppy day care, they are checked-in at reception and safely received by their puppy play group. A “slow check-in” ensures that puppies settle in after an often hectic morning of commuting with their owners. During check-in, puppies are engaged with favourite human and canine staff members while also taking one-on-one puppy time to destress after an energetic commute to day care. The process of puppy check-in also begins stimulating excited puppy bladders as they wait in turn for toilet time. Therefore, after check-in, all day care puppies are escorted by staff to their outdoor toilet region to empty bladder and bowel before commencing morning group play activities.
5.2. Playtime Activities
Once all puppies have emptied their bladders and bowels, puppy group play activities commence. Puppies play with each other in supervised off–leash play for 30-60 minute blocks that usually consist of play in one collapse structure and taking breaks on a supervised shaded outdoor deck area that has toys for puppies to chew on, rest on, and only explore when tired. Day care supervision means puppies are constantly observed for signs of too much excitement, overstimulation, or rough play and redirected in a positive manner back into either playtime or nap time. It is this early photo-like socialization processing at puppy day care that combined with off-leash supervision means that puppies are not left to their own devices in “free play” with no adult supervision.
5.1. Arrival and Check-in
The day care staff at our animal facility is dedicated to providing quality care for your dogs during your absence. Staff members are always present during operation hours to supervise the dogs in our care- we don’t crate or kennel them for any length of time. When your pup arrives for daycare, we want them to be just as relaxed, comfy and happy as we are! Dogs are checked in during a staggered schedule to minimize the hustle and bustle of check ins. Dogs are weighed on arrival and return to make sure the same dog goes home with you at the end of the day. When needed, a quick health check is done to make sure everyone is in good health. Vaccination checks are done for all dogs before they are allowed to stay, we want to protect pups from contagious diseases. Please let the staff know if your dog has had fleas, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, been in contact with sick dogs or have been exposed to kennel cough in the last 30 days, so the proper precautions can be taken to protect all the dogs. Anxiety levels can sometimes be high at drop off time… it can be a busy place for a few moments! When possible, we ask that you help lower stress by arriving at the designated time. Have your leaves drop off at a different time if possible so that only a few dogs are coming and going at the same time! Check-in can be done quickly by filling in our Simple Puppy Daycare Program so we can get your dog inside where the fun is!
5.2. Playtime Activities
Now that we have gotten through arrival and check-in, it is time for the fun to happen! Before they check in with their puppies for the day, the staff have ensured that all toys are in the toy bin. Everybody has gotten their own potty break and the room has been set up for playtime. It has been cleaned and puppy-proofed. Staff cannot be too careful, as puppies love to explore and explore. The puppies will play in a supervised area while the daycare team will run the puppies through some fun and challenging obstacle courses using tunnel pop-ups and balance beams. Playing through the courses helps with coordination and builds confidence, an added benefit of puppy courses. Challenging your puppy is always good! The puppies will also have opportunity for supervised time in the yards, ready to sink their noses into who is watering and what is going on. Just check your clothing, your puppy may have a mischievous idea of what to do with the water.
There will always be plenty of time to socialize, with tethered play and introductions to special friends. Puppies also love to have their own private snuggle time with the staff, which is always a plus! Through the course of the day, puppies will learn how to work for their treats – after all, a puppy cannot just ”scream” to get their favourite toy, they have to wait patiently for their turn during organized play activities! Sounds like fun, do I hear a bark? Some barking puppies are just teething, and the tickling will also help soothe those sore gums. Playtime Activities at puppy daycare are designed to develop all the key developmental skills for puppies. What will your puppy be learning today?
5.3. Nap Times
At a quality puppy day care centre, nap times are scheduled in between your puppy’s exciting playtime activities. Nap times allow for your puppy to rest away from all the stimulation. Young puppies need to nap for about 2 hours in every 2 hours of awake time – or up to 50% of their day! A normal nap time for young puppies is between 11:30am to 1:30pm. Not only do naps help your pup develop physically but they also help reduce the risk of accidental puppy aggression. Puppies often seem untiring when playing with one another, but in reality, they are quickly approaching a level of over-stimulation which could lead to a young puppy snapping at another and causing accidental harm. Providing your pup with plenty of rest throughout the day helps to reduce the risk of them becoming over-stimulated. Puppies who are not provided careful nap schedules become moody at home while not getting enough sleep and an increased risk of nipping and biting. While it may make it easier for day care owners to host all their puppies’ playtimes together, naps taken inside of playpens will not only make the area less friendly for pick-ups and drop-offs but they also cheapen the experience. Good puppy investment is meant to offer young puppies a great experience while undergoing the necessary growth and development phases. A room full of tile would be miserable for both staff and the puppies at this age. Providing quality soft bedding and care staff who handle your puppy gently when they become tired will help make your pup’s experience a memorable and invaluable one. Plus, puppies are more likely to suffer from long-term separation anxiety and get into mischief during the night if they have to lay in pens and listen to whimpering all day long.
5.4. Feeding Routine
Duration: 20 – 30 minutes (as required). Eating is important, but we want it to be a calm and relaxing event. Most of our puppies will already be eating at least two meals daily when they join us. If your puppy is currently feeding three times daily, we will convert them to two meals as quickly as possible to allow for both breakfast and dinner in daycare.
As a general rule we feed breakfast between 7 am and 8 am and dinner between 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm. Puppies must be fed before attending daycare, so most will have breakfast before arriving. They can usually eat dinner on their return home in the evening. Only the puppies coming for the full day will usually eat at daycare. Before they arrive for the day, we will be clear with you about your puppy’s feeding routine, their eating habits and if you’re likely to need to provide meals for us.
If a puppy is eating meals during daycare, we feed at the following approximate times: Breakfast between 8 am and 9 am. Playtime for all puppies resumes by 9:30 am. Dinner is fed at various other times throughout the day, with the dinner break for different puppies depending on the time of the meal. No puppy who is currently feeding at daycare is left loose in play during naptime. Naptime is the most peaceful time in daycare, so all puppies who are active are in nap! Puppies are normally fed outside in full view of their playgroup or in comfortably adjoining areas. Proper feeding routines are important for puppies, and it is normal for group-fed puppies to be slightly key, with the body language that indicates eating signs of readiness for their meal. Puppies who are relaxed or laying down show they’ve had enough food!
6. Conclusion
It is important to note that not all puppies or adult dogs will thrive in a daycare environment. Some dogs may take longer to adapt to a group setting than others. If you have a pup that is shy, not very dog savvy, or is nervous in new situations, we recommend starting out with a non-cage daycare environment and steadily increasing their interactions with other dogs. The dogs at daycare, especially in a non-cage setting, become each other’s buddies. They build long-lasting friendships, learn how to play with different personalities, and work out pack dynamics. Like parenting, dog training can become a bit of an obsession for us dog lovers. Just as with puppies, there is so much information available about dogs that it can quickly become overwhelming. Fortunately, most of us with dogs love them so much we will do anything to help them live long, happy lives whether at home or in puppy daycare.
Doggy daycare is a great option for the dog who needs and wants to run and play. Provided it is a safe, clean environment with trained staff and playgroups of compatible dogs, daycare can provide the perfect outlet for your high energy pup or adult. Puppies need to socialize with other dogs and people, just as toddlers do. As long as the dogs are fully immunized, and you are sure your pup is indeed a puppy, daycare or puppy kindergarten are the best options. In these classes, puppies can safely socialize and learn basic skills from an experienced trainer. For adult dogs who are not left alone all day at work, or have a high energy job that makes them need a job, daycare is a nice option for social playtime, not a necessity.
