Any Good Doggie Daycares Around?? (day cares, how much, home)

[macalan]

It's been awhile since we looked at these, over a year, and I hope I don't offend anyone, JMHO - but what I saw of the doggie day cares we toured here didn't inspire confidence.


A lot of them were not clean - I know "doggie smells" will be in them, but should not be to the point of making someone nauseous.


Surprisingly, even when we had set up tours, none of these places had the dogs outside playing - they were all in their "kennels" making me wonder how much playtime they actually get.


And maybe it happens at all of them, but I remember reading reports of dogs dying at one or two of them and the owners not being contacted or the dog brought for ER care in a timely manner. Two sides to every story, I know...


But after touring 4-5 daycares in the area we gave up.


Back home we had a great daycare attached to a vet - great for peace of mind should anything happen. Spotlessly clean, and there were two very large outside fenced areas - one for big dogs, one for little dogs - with high fences (great for dogs who are jumpers like ours).


They had certified trainers as part of the team, and supervised play with sufficient CPR trained staff - only 8 dogs to a person. They were very good about supervision - dogs would be pulled for time outs or taken inside if they got too hot. Our dog has a lung condition and limited heat tolerance, so it was important to us that someone was keeping a close eye on her.


Our daycare at home didn't have it, but I have seen daycares that have indoor play rooms - this would be great for play during the summer heat.


Granted, we are very fussy - but our dog is our baby, as I'm sure many of you feel about yours. We try and stay away from dog parks - too many uncontrolled dogs - or should I say owners that don't properly control their dogs.


We won't have a big yard and we would like her to get some social/play time.


Does anyone have any recommendations?

[SkyNSea55]

We are in the same situation. Toured everything here and just don't feel comfortable leaving him.
Our vet told us the best situation would be a dog walker. But we need someone who is trustworthy and who can handle a very sweet 65 pound dog who happens to be leash aggressive. Maybe a K-9 police officer? My poor husband needs a vacation! Also looking for suggestions...