Daycare - just a bad day or should I raise it?

[StaceyF90]

My dog goes to daycare once a week. He loves it and we usually enjoy him going.

We asked that he is not walked off leash or goes swimming in their river. They have several acres of enclosed land, lots of sofas and beds, agility equipment, etc, so plenty for him to do. He's still a puppy so recall and swimming are things we are working on with him.

Daycare sent me some photos today of him walking offleash (not in their fields) and also swimming in their river.

He got injured at his last daycare, but this place has been fantastic until today. I'm worried if I say something to them, they might get offended and not let him back.

Do I let it slip and hope they don't do it again or should I raise it?

I think maybe just politely mention you'd prefer him to not go walking without the leash and swimming in the river because the fact they sent you the pictures means they probably just forgot. So just remind them now as otherwise it could continue and problems may occur and don't mention it again unless it comes up.

Sorry the last sentence is a bit confusing. Remind them about how he isn't allowed to swim etc. but once you've said that don't mention what happened again unless you see it happening another time

I would remind them. I am sure they simply forgot but if you don't speak up, expect it to become a common occurrence.

on one hand you have clear instructions which they’ve ignored but ….if they have control what’s the issue? Most dog places wouldn’t let a dog off lead if it doesn’t behave?

I'm a dog walker and if my clients ask me to keep their dogs on lead, then that's what I do - no matter how good their recall or how annoying it might be for me.

It's also worth pointing out that their insurance won't cover them if they don't have permission to have him off the lead and something happens (injury, he runs off, he causes an accident somehow).

They need written permission from you to have him off the lead off their property.

However, having said all that, if they have enclosed land then I don't really understand why he needs to be kept on the lead there - surely the whole point of daycare is to send your dog somewhere secure where they can be off the lead with other dogs?

I think he is allowed to be off lead in the enclosed fields but needs to be on lead when out of these fields, which he was in the photos.

Ah my bad @RunningFromInsanity I must have misread it.

Thank you for all the responses.

I took the advice and sent them a message yesterday just to remind them, they've read it but not responded yet.

I think if they don't respond I'll just mention it again when I drop him off but otherwise wait and see what they do.

To answer some of the questions, his recall isn't good. He'll generally stay with the pack but if he gets scared or very excited he will run off. In their photos I've never seen a dog on a lead; they normally take the dogs who are allowed off leash to the woods and river, those who aren't allowed off leash stay in the enclosures and play games/training.

For his swimming he's still a puppy, 11 months. We take him swimming most weeks and when he's tired he just stops swimming and needs bringing to the side. We know the signs of when this will happen so call him to the side before it does. I'm maybe being overcautious but if there are 10 dogs in the water I don't think they'll notice it with him, that's why we've asked them not to take him

She's responded and just put OK.

No comment along the lines of she will mention it to her team or an oops we forgot, won't happen again.

I’d be a bit pissed with that response to be honest and wouldn’t have any faith that they will keep him on a lead..

I am as well. I doubt its the first time they've not listened to our requests, it's just the first time we found out.
DH says to deal with it carefully as he says the dog has run off yet....
They've said the contract we signed means we accept they have no liability. We pay vets, etc if he gets hurt or runs off. Not sure how legal that is!

Sorry, typo - hasn't run off yet

Perhaps start looking for alternative day care. They are not following instructions and you will be liable if anything happens.

I wouldn’t be sending him back there.

They clearly don’t give a crap what you say or think.

They've said the contract we signed means we accept they have no liability. We pay vets, etc if he gets hurt or runs off. Not sure how legal that is!

It's not legal.

The person in charge of the dog at the time of the incident is the one responsible. That is the law. If the dog bites someone, the owner could also be prosecuted under the dangerous dogs act but that doesn't absolve the business of their responsibilities.

If they don't have your explicit permission to let the dog off the lead in public, they will find that their insurance won't pay out in the event of an accident, and they could end up with a hefty bill.

Put it this way - a contract has to be legal. You can't just write whatever you want on a piece of paper and use that to get out of your legal responsibilities.

I'm a licensed daycare provider so can offer my opinion and advice, if it helps.

You have asked that your dog stays on lead and doesn't go swimming so he should be kept on lead and out of the water until such a time as you both come to the agreement that he can be walked off lead, until then perhaps he could enjoy the freedom of being on a longline recall lead with the understanding that this is used in conjunction with recall training. I'm presuming this was clear on your forms so should be adhered to.
It does sound like a lovely setting, do you know how many dogs they are licensed to provide daycare for? What is the ratio of staff / carer to dogs? Were you shown their insurance and license details at the initial meet and greet?

The forms sound similar to the same kind of disclaimer you would sign if you or any children you may have were doing an activity that could result in an injury. However, the daycare provider should also have insurance to cover any vet costs as a result of injury in their care, which obviously has to be proven.

I would be unhappy with the message you received, a simple apology and acceptance of responsibility as well as the reassurance it won't happen again is much more appropriate.
I would recommend a tracker if you feel your confidence has been compromised. Tractive are very good although unsure if it will show any unwanted dips in the water but it will show if your boy has become lost if he's off lead.

I hope this helps.

Absolutely, public liability insurance is what all professional dog walkers use (or should use).

While it’s your choice, I do think you’re being unnecessarily worried about your dog being off lead. Eleven months is not the puppy I imagined when I read your op.

They may well decide that your dog isn’t suitable for their daycare - as all the other dogs can swim and run and yours can’t. Torture for the dog to watch the others have fun, a hassle for them.

Again, if it’s what you want they have to go with it - but in a daycare setting (which is not the same setup as a dog walker as daycares are usually enclosed spaces just for the dogs in their care) I can imagine it’s not an ideal scenario to have a dog on the lead.

Perhaps use a dog walker instead? That way you have a bit more control.

But I do feel a bit sorry for your dog.

I actually found that having our puppy off lead with other dogs when he was at daycare improved his recall massively. Totally get that they went against your wishes though

But we're not talking about the dog being off the lead in an enclosed space at daycare.

They took her dog off the property and proceeded to let it off the lead without her permission. Not only does this set them up for a whole host of problems if something were to happen, it also shows that they're a pretty crap daycare if they can't use a long line or keep a dog on a lead.

You’re right - sorry - I totally skipped over that part in the OP!

But I still think the OP would be better off with a dog walker than daycare.

This is a bit judgemental. The enclosure is not in question here, all dogs are off lead in the secure area, it is about outside the enclosure.

Lots of the dogs don't swim there. No idea of the reasons why they choose not to.

My dog was bit by another dog, when he gets scared he runs off. They knew this when they accepted him and said some of the other pups do not go off lead either.

But I still think the OP would be better off with a dog walker than daycare.

I suspect using a dog walker would mean the dog that the dog would left home alone for too long.

A good daycare will respect the wishes of the client and use a lead or longline on dogs they can't let off the lead. It's not difficult and shouldn't cause any issues with the other dogs or make things harder for the staff.

A good daycare would also know the law and would realise how utterly stupid they're being by letting a dog off the lead in public without permission. If (heaven forbid) something were to happen to OP's dog they would be in a whole load of legal trouble and could even lose their license.

Thank you for showing it from the daycare perspective too

Yes, we told them these on the application forms and they adhered to it during his trial sessions. No idea how many times they haven't listened to it because the owner had just sent me another message saying he loves the river so it is a shame for him to miss out.

I've asked about their insurance but the lady I spoke with wasn't too sure. They are certified by the council and insurance is mandatory for this. They've had some new staff start so I'm not sure what their current maximum number of dogs is or the ratio. If he goes again, I'll make sure to ask. Those are really good questions

Generally they've been great. Our pup loves most places, dogs and people so their set up really works for him. The team who work there have always been lovely and he has a great time there.

I don't need an apology or admission to be honest. I just want to know they won't do it again until we happy with his recall.

I know in the grand scheme of things, this is a really trivial concern so thank you for all the responses and advise. My pup and I are very grateful!