Doggy Daycare, is it a terrible thing?

[BackToLurk]

I put my puppy (5 months old) into daycare for one day. I need to do this to get some work done and also because I will need a night in kennels in a couple of months, and thought this would be a good way to test how he might be & get him used to the people. The daycare said he was great, sent me photos and he seemed to love it. The plan is for him to go one day a week. However, I mentioned it in passing to his dog trainer who said they don't recommend it for any dogs as they pick up bad habits. Is it really that bad?

I’m not an expert but I feel it’s better the dog has care or company in a well chosen setting that you’re happy with than potentially being left alone during the day. Our dog is very sociable and loves the occasional dog care day when we can’t be around in the day or have a break.

Who knows maybe he'll pick up some good habits from the other dogs? I think all you can do is see how it goes, but it's good to get them used to being away from you so I'd keep it going if only for that.

My two dogs go to daycare twice a week. It’s an amazing daycare that was recommended by a really great trainer. We don’t need it for care as we WFH so could take them out instantaneously if we felt there was an issue.

It’s been brilliant for them. The daycare has loads of agility equipment. The owner loves dogs and she and her staff are amazing at understanding what dogs socialise well together. The health and safety procedures are great too so I’m not concerned about my dogs picking up illnesses.

My dogs come home muddy, happy, and exhausted. It’s probably the best thing I do for them. They literally bound in every morning without a backwards glance. I get daily videos and photos of what they’ve been up to. It’s very sweet.

They’re very well socialised and the daycare also does boarding so we feel so much better leaving them overnight on a setting that they know and love.

For goodness sake. It's better than being left home alone all day! Life happens, sometimes you need to send a dog to daycare. Don't overthink.

There's daycare and then there's daycare.

I think those big commercial facilities with 30+ dogs in one big space are absolutely (and IMO they should be illegal). But a small daycare in someone's home with 3-4 well matched dogs is a whole different kettle of fish and can be great for a young dog in terms of socialisation and company.

I'm a dog walker and unfortunately know lots of dogs who had bad experiences at daycare. It's not that there were fights, it's that there are just too many dogs in one space and they found it absolutely overwhelming and borderline terrifying.

I think your dog trainer was (politely) saying that he doesn’t agree with dogs being put into daycare full stop.

’Bad habits’ was code for ‘disagree with it but I am trying to be polite.’ Lots of people feel negatively/disapprove about/of people who use dog day care or dog walkers.

The breeder I got my youngest from used it as a vetting question - if you planned to use dog day care or dog walkers regularly she wouldn’t sell to you (and she only told you so after she’d asked the question!)

My dog went to a daycare 3 days a week between around 6 months to a year old and then a dog walker 2 days a week. He used to hide when the daycare man used to come pick him up. Whereas the dog walker he couldn’t get out the door quick enough (we stil have the same dog walker 5 Years on).

I think the daycare was all overwhelming for him as they had around 20 dogs. Whereas the dog walker only has 3-4 when she takes them out. So I stopped the daycare (Covid happened anyway so I worked from home the following 3 years)

wouldn’t put him in a big commercial day care environment again. Nothing bad happened (that I know about) but the fact he hid and ran upstairs everytime the guy came to collect him, proved to me he didn’t like going

Thanks all. The daycare he is going to has about 30 dogs max BUT they are placed in smaller groups of no more than 4, matched for play styles etc. They also have down time - the owner was very keen to point out that they don't just let them run riot all day. They send photos and report back. They also insist that when dropping off dogs stay in cars until the kennel workers come and get them to make sure they control interactions as they know the temperaments of the dogs. I'll obviously keep checking he seems ok with it, but I think as @MiltonNorthern suggested, I'm overthinking it. (As I do with everything)

Mine absolutely loves it, runs in and ignores me when I pick her up ! She sits down and refuses to go to the car because she wants to stay !! She’s been going 3 x a week since she was 5 months and it’s helped so much with her socialising, and she is exhausted when she comes home

My dog used to run and hide when it was time to go and I ignored the dog’s signs because the woman kept saying she would settle in soon. Wish I’d listened to my dog quicker and not the woman I was paying to take my dog there.

Depends on the daycare and the dog. For a pup it’s much better than being stressed at home (most are until adult and they are slowly taught how to cope) but it’s not something I’d do for the sake of it. It can really turn dogs into thugs unless managed properly.

I used to work for a large UK welfare charity and I 💯 agree with this poster. Too many mismatched dogs together can be lethal. They can be fine if outdoors or given plenty of space, but too many together and trouble can spark at any moment.

The daycare he is going to has about 30 dogs max BUT they are placed in smaller groups of no more than 4, matched for play styles etc. They also have down time - the owner was very keen to point out that they don't just let them run riot all day. They send photos and report back. They also insist that when dropping off dogs stay in cars until the kennel workers come and get them to make sure they control interactions as they know the temperaments of the dogs.

That all sounds like bollocks - no offence OP.

30 dogs, but they have them in groups of four? So they have 7 people (at least) working there all day - because they should be supervising every group all the time (which they almost certainly aren't).

That argument then makes the below seem like even bigger bollocks;

'Control interactions,' - how? By having all four dogs on leads when they first meet? So they then have 4 people holding leads of all four dogs (because you can't just have one on the lead and three running loose - that's dangerous and a recipe for problems). But okay, if they're doing that properly...who is supervising the other dogs to ensure nothing happens? And you cannot 'control interactions,' - having a dog on a lead does not automatically give you control. My cocker spaniel can nearly tug me off my feet when she wants and she's tiny. If a dog wants to attack another dog it will, and a lead won't stop it.

Even IF they have 7 people at some point, these people are leaving dogs that do not know each other unattended. It's a recipe for disaster. They're a day care. They don't know the temperaments of the dogs - and people lie. 'Oh my dog loves playing,' - usually bollocks and right up there with 'he's very friendly.' They cannot be sure they are matching dogs properly. It's a complete guess.

There is no way they are doing the above you think they are. Literally no way. Not unless they're not turning a profit. Sorry, OP, but I think you're being taken for an absolute ride here.

I have to agree with @Devilshands.

I don't see how they can have 30 dogs in groups of 4 without employing at least 8 members of staff (as otherwise who is supervising when one goes for a wee or has their break)?

I would also have the same reservations about the controlled interactions - having multiple dogs on a lead for introductions is incredibly dangerous but if you have them off the lead, how do you easily step in and intervene if it all goes badly wrong?

A daycare with that many dogs just sounds incredibly stressful to me 😬 I work in the industry (as a walker) and follow a few commercial daycares and a lot of the dogs on social media look stressed as fuck to me.

Our dog is 6 now and has gone to day care since a pup. He absolutely loves it. Bolts out the car as soon as we get there.

Obviously it depends on each setting/dog but a huge benefit for us is how social/well mannered he is around other dogs. Ours is quite a small daycare though on a farm. Dogs are matched in groups depending on size/temperament and pups are kept separate altogether.

He only goes a couple of times a month now and we usually don't need for him to go but send him as he appears to enjoy it so much.

Thanks for the feedback. Just for clarity, it is dog day boarding so they have individual kennels, with bedroom areas and the small groups are for exercise, rather than being with the other dogs all the time. I know they exercise some of the dogs individually, if they feel that is better for the dog. I'm not entirely sure how many people are employed there, but I did see an ad from year for a vacancy and what I do know is they only employ experienced dog handlers/kennel assistants and they specified that applicants should be over 25 with an excellent understanding of dog body language & behaviour. The owner is there all the time - it's on her farm, and I get the feeling she is very picky about who she employs. TBH I got a much better feeling from her, than the multitude of dog walkers I also looked at whose only qualification seemed to be ownership of multiple leads & a branded jacket.

I'd be interested in what you think may be a good alternative to 'doggy daycare'?

I'd be interested in what you think may be a good alternative to 'doggy daycare'?

One that doesn't take 30+ dogs a day would be preferable 😬

From your description it sounds like they're maybe kennelled most of the day with just a few chances to play?

Our dog goes to a daycare 2/3 a week. He started at 6 months old onyl going half a day a week. He loves it and it’s the only place he runs into and doesn’t look back for me. He isn’t keen on rain so it’s the onyl way he gets enough exercise as he’s very high energy

Do you have a more wider objection to people using kennels at all @lifebeginsaftercoffee?

I'd be interested in what you think may be a good alternative to 'doggy daycare'?

Tbh what you've described isn't what I would call 'daycare' I'd call it kennelling.

A day care with 2-3 dogs that is not designed to make a huge profit - such as the one my sister uses - are fine. I don't approve, but I think it's better than the alternatives such as ones that have 30+ dogs (for all the reasons listed above) or kennelling your dog for a day with only one hours exercise and maybe a few play sessions (at best).

Most of the 'qualifications' that people have these days to claim they're experts in dog behaviour and body language etc literally mean nothing. It's like 'five star licensed breeders' - when you actually look at what they have to do to get their license/degree you realise that anyone could do it.

The 'can't be under 25' just tells me that they want to make themselves sound impressive but haven't actually given it any thought. Why 25 but not 24? It's not like people suddenly become dog savvy at 25 when they're not at 24. They've done that for insurance reasons.

Ultimately, these places are businesses and they put their needs above the individual dog(s) and they always will. I would never leave my own dog in that sort of environment as my dog will always come first.

But it's your choice.

@BackToLurk

I think that was uncalled for. YOU asked for opinions!

I agree with her.

i don't like kennels at home & much prefer either having someone stay at the dogs house or home boarding. I'd look for someone who only has a couple of dogs at their house to build a relationship with, who I'd feel comfortable with having my dog if I went away or was incapacitated.

Wait. What? It was a genuine question. Not sure where you've got 'uncalled for' from. I was trying to gauge a wide range of views based on an initial comment by a dog trainer. As the thread demonstrates this isn't a universal view - a PP mentions using a daycare recommended by a trainer - so it is interesting to see what people's experiences have been.

Someone who doesn't like kennels full-stop, under any circumstances will have a different view to those who do. That's relevant.

Thanks @Devilshands That's a useful response & it's good to know where you're coming from. I'm going to monitor very carefully & I will also look at smaller providers. As I said initially, this is part of a long term need as I will have to find him overnight care very occasionally and some of the smaller ones don't provide that. I also need someone who is happy & confident with his breed - he's a staffy mix - as one kennels already said they don't generally take them. (Ironically I think they run a massive daycare with about 100 dogs so probably well-swerved)

After your post @Devilshands I thought I’d check out their qualifications. They are IMDT trained, if that means anything

Not at all.

My point was that what you go on to describe isn't what most people think of when you say the word "daycare", that's all.

I personally don't see the benefit of paying for a dog to be kennelled alone for most of the day when they could stay at home with a dog walker coming in/out.