Introduction
For many dog owners, finding the best dog day care center for their beloved pooch is just as important as finding a good human one. And why not? After all, dogs deserve to be treated just as well as humans do (if not better). In fact, having your dog spend time away from home can be great for their social development. So before you go running straight for daycare when you’re on your way out the door in the morning or calling up your local friends who have dogs so they can babysit while you go out with friends, it’s worth doing a little research first to find an ideal spot where your furry friend will enjoy spending his day off with other pups!
Location
Location is typically the first thing you’ll think of when choosing a dog day care facility. You’ll want to make sure that it’s convenient for your home and work, as well as safe and secure. Location is also a factor that can impact the cost of your services—the closer it is to other businesses or restaurants, the higher rent will be.
If you live in an area with public transportation options (like buses or trains), you should look for a facility near one of those stops so that picking up your pup after work isn’t too much trouble.
Safety
The staff at your dog day care center should be trained to handle any situation that could arise. This includes training in first aid, nutrition, behavior and grooming. (We’ll cover all of these in greater detail below.)
In addition to basic skills, they should be able to recognize signs of illness or injury and know how to respond appropriately. This means that even if you’re not sure what’s wrong with your pet when he comes home from daycare one day, the staff will have been able to spot it and take care of it while he was there.
The more they know about dogs’ health issues—from vaccinations through common illnesses—the better equipped they’ll be to keep your pup healthy while he’s away from home!
Communication
- Check out their website. Does it look professional? If it’s a mess, that’s not a good sign.
- Call the center and verify that they’re open for business and what times they are open.
- What is their cancellation policy?
- How do they handle refunds if you have to cancel last minute?
Facility and Amenities
How many dogs are there? The more dogs in the facility, the more likely it is that your dog will get along with them and be comfortable. If you want to know how many dogs there are currently at a day care center, ask them! I’ve been to some facilities where they don’t tell you how many dogs are in their care. This can be a red flag that they’re keeping something from you or aren’t being honest about what goes on behind closed doors.
If a day care center only has one staff member, like one person working during the daytime hours, I would think twice about leaving my pup there for long periods of time. It’s not fair for me to expect this person (who is probably not an expert on dog behavior) to handle all of my pup’s needs by themselves! They’ll probably also have less knowledge about training techniques than someone working at an establishment with multiple professionals handling different tasks throughout each day.
What amenities do they offer? Things like play yards/yards for running around outside with other pups; wash stations inside for grooming before entering into indoor areas; separate rooms inside where puppies can rest away from big kids who might try messing with them while playing indoors (but still nearby so owners can see what’s happening); outdoor play equipment such as toys and balls—these things make it easier on both owners AND pups when making decisions about where they’d rather spend their days off work/school 🙂
Enrichment Activities
One of the most important things that your dog day care center should do is provide a safe environment for dogs to play and socialize. You want to make sure that all of the dogs are comfortable with each other, as well as with you or your staff.
They should also give your dog a variety of enrichment activities so they can keep busy while they’re at daycare (and not just sleeping). Some examples include:
- Puzzles – these can be anything from simple toys like Kongs or Buster cubes, which allow them to get treats out by rolling them around the floor with their nose or pawing at it until something comes out; these are great because even if they don’t work right away, there’s always another chance later!
- Obstacle courses – these might include climbing over hurdles made out of blankets tied up together around poles in different spots around an area where lots of dogs go through regularly so everyone sees eachother (no hiding spaces!)
Cost & Day Care Packages for Dog Day Care Center
Pricing for day care centers varies by location and facility, so it’s important to do your research before choosing one. Some centers offer a free trial period, which allows you to get a feel for their services before committing, so definitely take advantage of that if the opportunity presents itself. Other centers offer different packages depending on how many hours your dog will be at day care per week or month. You may also want to consider contacting multiple facilities in order to compare prices and see if there are any specials going on at the time of your inquiry (such as half-off first visits).
You can also save money by getting multiple dogs from one family enrolled in day care together. Some facilities will offer discounts for dogs who go multiple times per day; others might provide discounts based on age or breed (senior dogs may qualify).
After finding a dog day care center that fits all your needs, you and your beloved pooch will both be satisfied.
You will know in your heart that you and your dog have found a great fit. After all, no one wants to spend their days with people they don’t like or who don’t understand them.
Conclusion
I hope this blog post has helped you find the best dog day care center for your furry family member. It’s important to take your time when choosing a daycare facility, but it doesn’t have to be stressful if you keep these tips in mind. Remember that there are many different types of facilities out there so don’t just settle if one place doesn’t work out!
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