I have to check up on my doggy daycare don't I?

[LaurieFairyCake]

I had to go out last week before they picked the dogs up. And when I came back after a couple of hours they were only just turning up

They made a huge excuse but I’ve subsequently found out they didn’t pick my friends dog up at all! Claim it was a miscommunication.

What would you do? It took me ages to find someone I wanted to try out.

I would say the trust is gone so would start looking elsewhere. They should have contacted you if they were going to be two hours late.

My dog walker comes to the house but offers a taxi service too for people using doggy daycare, so you could find a new doggy daycare and use a separate dog walker to taxi them there and back. That way you would have the benefit of being able to check with the daycare that the dogs were dropped at the expected time etc.

I offered to drop them down to them, I walk past their house on the way to work

They said they’d already be out picking up dogs

I’ve literally only been using them a couple of weeks

That's terrible! I would text them and make it very clear so there is no miscommunication. Then I would set up a camera (you can buy these off amazon) to keep an eye on them.

Hopefully it won't happen again but it sounds like they do this often...

I wouldn't trust them, I'd buy a cheap camera and set it up to see when they are turning up!

Hmm sounds odd to me all my local doggy daycare places charge extra for pick up/drop off so seems odd to me that they would prefer you not to drop off.

Have you seen inside the house? The apparent lack of willingness for you to see the premises would also be ringing alarm bells.

And yes, install a camera, if not for this one then for the next day care.

If you are happy with the actual care then I would just tell them that in future you will be dropping them off . Do the dogs seem happy ? Do they drop them home or can you collect them?

They have keys for my house and they pick up and drop off. I’ve not seen their place, I think they’re having work done.

Two hours is a long time, did you believe the excuse and do you think they would have told you they’d been late if you hadn’t ‘caught’ them?

My daycare person picks up from the house as I’m already at work, then I collect him on my way home as I have to drive past her house anyway. I’ve got door sensors that tell me when it’s been opened and closed and once she was about 20 mins late and didn’t tell me, but in the last couple of weeks she’s actually come about half an hour early which she also hasn’t really mentioned but I won’t complain about at all as my half day is even longer!

It depends what you are ok with, I don’t mind 20 mins, sometimes traffic is bad, sometimes a different dog won’t cooperate and the ‘time’ before could run on slightly. But two hours is a long time for them not to have had a backup plan or phoned you to say there was a problem.

I wouldn't trust them , sounds like your instinct is telling you they made excuses and weren't honest.

I would find someone else

Yep my instincts are telling me they’re not being as professional as they need to be.

They have 8-10 dogs a day @£25 a day - that’s almost £5000 a month for Mon-Fri work -and I know they have dogs at the weekend too. I really would expect them to be really attentive for that as that’s a really good salary imo.

that's a lot of dogs , I'd want to be checking that they all get along well and where they are spending the day

I think I find it even more concerning that you aren't allowed to see premises. I'd wonder if they were really just shoving them in to individual outdoor kennels or indoor crates or that the house was covered in dog shit, clutter or unsafe in some way.

How could someone offer the right environment when they’re having work done? No way I’d leave my dog with them... (and I’m a person who thingks dogs are dogs not babies, but this....)

Are they licenced for that many dogs?

When organising day care or walking for my dog, I've visited each premises, met the other dogs she's with as far as I can, checked their insurance policy and provided them with our full details for emergencies as well as her commands for behaviour (not all the norm especially for recall). Why can't you see their house?

I'd be very wary , I remember a thread on here a while ago started by a lady who's dog was being mistreated at daycare , I think the RSPCA contacted her or something when the place had been reported to them . I wouldn't be sending my dog anywhere that I hadn't got reasonably free access to inspect i.e. When dogs are there and not pre arranged . Makes me glad that my dog is so antisocial that we never use any dog care / walkers etc . If I'm going to be out for long dh comes home from work and works from home for a few hours over lunch .