On Vacation or not home often?
How to choose a Doggy
Daycare
By Joan Hustace Walker
When searching for a day camp or day care for a dog, you should consider these guidelines:
1. Density of Dogs: There should be no more than 1 dog per 58 square feet, and the dog pack should not be more than 25. But, a big room and a reasonable number of dogs does not make the facility a good day care; it is the quality of the center’s programming, handling and interaction with the dogs that separates a good experience from a bad one for your dog.
2. Management: The management should have more than a passing knowledge of dogs; they should be trainers or experienced shelter personnel, and they should have experience managing dogs in groups.
3. Staff: These handlers should have at least 40 to 100 hours of supervised instruction before managing a pack alone.
4. Dogs: Before dogs are allowed to enter the pack, they should be carefully screened for suitability in the program. The interviewer shouldn’t discriminate against any breed, but should carefully assess how the dog might react in a pack situation, understand the dogs likes and dislikes, then make introductions carefully and slowly, allowing for a probationary period with the pack for up to a week.
5. Vaccines: These should be required to be current with all dogs.
6. Spay and Neuter policy: This policy is necessary for obvious reasons – no one wants any suprises!
7. Cleanliness: The daycare should have a policy of sanitizing everything everyday, as accidents happen.
8. Your gut feeling: Even if everything looks right, smells good and on the surface seems perfect, if your gut feeling is that something isn’t quite right, it probably isn’t – so choose another facility.