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We have an interview with a doggy daycare near my job later this month. We are thinking about having our dog go there 2 days per week to break up his days spent alone while we work. We're still working through his separation anxiety with the help of a trainer and we think he could use the exercise/socialization when I head back to work in August.
We are totally new to the concept of doggy daycare and are wondering, what should we look for when we check it out? What questions should we ask? This is the place we are checking out: Camp K-9 Resort - Camp Daycare Any suggestions? Thanks!
The most important things to me, which I would try to observe first (and then ask questions after seeing what I could on my own):
Space - do they have good sized areas for the dogs
Cleanliness - do they clean up asap after each dog incident, does the place smell ok; do they walk them as part of the daily routine or do they "go" in the room?
Security - do they have multiple doors and steps to get into dog rooms/areas to ensure safety
Screening - how thoroughly do they screen your dog (don't ask, observe this). This is how thoroughly they will screen other dogs as well. What records do they request? Do they ensure all immunizations are up to date? Do they require and enforce (confirm) heartworm and flea/tick prevention?
Do they have a webcam where you can see what's going on?
And most importantly to me: do they have a good staff in adequate numbers? What is their limit for the number of dogs per room/area and how do they manage them? For example, do they have big, medium and small dog rooms; how many attendants per dog (ratio, this is important); are the dogs attended at ALL times; how do they handle disputes and how do they get trained to handle issues. Do they do mandatory breaks during the day (food and nap time).
Off the top of my head those are the first things I think of. Management of the dogs is critical. If they are cramming too many dogs into a place to make more $, that's bad. They should have a stated and enforced maximum and know their clients; personalities and how well they mix together.
I think didee had great suggestions, especially about the supervision. One daycare I checked out allowed several dogs to be in a room by themselves with the door closed. When I questioned this they said the dogs knew each other so it was ok. Never ok to do this - you never know when one may be having a bad day and start a fight. Before you know it, several are fighting and injuries can occur. I would not allow my dogs to stay there. And, I think the doggie cam is a great idea.
Excellent replies, I wish I had looked into those things prior to my lab getting injured (twice) at a doggy daycare. The second time was just today (he got bitten). They have everything didee suggested except a big one - not enough supervision of the dogs. I will not be back and am leary of doggy daycare now.
I LOVE my doggie daycare. LOVE. They have unbelievable ratings in this area! They have cameras that you can check to see what your pup is up to during the day! They have mostly outdoor facilities, given the awesome year-round weather here in San Diego, but also have some indoor space for those 2 days a year that it rains! This was very important to me, since the ones with indoor only spaces smell terrible and teach your dog to pee inside. The pond is a huge hit and I can always find my PC on the pond camera, since he loves the water! They are very active on their Facebook fan page and post pictures of the dogs every single day! They are not cheap and do not offer discounts for multiple dogs...that is my only complaint. But honestly, they are worth every penny. Here's a link so you can see what different areas of the country offer.
Great suggestions everyone, but I have other suggestions to add. See how they react to your dog when the staff greets then and how interactive & caring that they are. Also, if you ever decide to leave him overnight, find out if they have staff 24/7? A lot of places leave in the evenings and there is no staff at night, as I found out.
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