Doggy daycare for puppy - impact on behaviour and training?

[PoochMama]

My 5 month old puppy is due to start doggy daycare (with a woman that looks after a small number of dogs at her home).

I'm feeling a bit torn, as we've worked really hard on training and I'm worried about the impact that daycare might have on her as she's so impressionable right now!

She is so excited about seeing / playing with other dogs, we can't let her off lead. We're training recall etc but it's a work in progress! Same with loose lead training.

She'll be starting doggy daycare 1 day per week to begin with with the view to doing a 2nd day once settled.

Now the time has nearly rolled around, I'm worried about her picking up bad habits. Or, make her even more OTT excited to see other dogs. She's already strong, so keen to not create any issues.

Would love to hear your experience - good or bad.

My boy went from 6 months old, up to 4 times a week. I had the same worries but actually what was invaluable was my dog learnt to be a dog in a pack! He learnt pack behaviour and I'm sure it's why he gets on literally with every dog. He knows how to be a well rounded and socialised dog.
You have to trust the daycare. My boy was always off lead and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

My experience is that dogs are adaptable! Dogs accept the rules that are set by people in certain environments - so he'll know at home he has to behave in a certain way within certain constraints. For example I share my dog with my ex and dog adapts very well - we have different routines and rules and he knows what is acceptable where.
One day of doggy day care will not undo work you've done. Having said that do tell your daycare the rules you have. They'll be used to it I'm sure
He'll be fine!

Sorry, she!

I think it varies massively from dog to dog, and you won’t know until you try!

I have two dogs who have very different personalities. They go to DDC together two days a week and absolutely love it. I collected them an hour ago and they’re both sound asleep on the sofa after running around all day 😂

For us, DDC has been an absolute godsend as there’s no way we could entertain our dogs as well as 15 other dogs do. We’re lucky that our DDC is really caring and do so much with the dogs- my two have developed lovely manners and have learned a lot of commands that I wouldn’t have even considered to teach them. They have an open visit policy meaning owners can call in at any stage, and we get constant photos and videos.

I think you need to trust that you know your dog well enough to know if they love something or hate it. With mine, they make it very clear when something isn’t to their liking- the fact that they nearly crash through the car window every daycare morning to try and get out of the car and into their friends make me 100% confident that they love it.

My previous dog (springer) went to DDC 2 days a week from being 4 months old & I had all the same worries but there were no negative effects and he was a well behaved, social and happy dog until he died suddenly aged 14.

New pup, 12 week minature poodle, has got his name down at DDC and will be starting 2 short days there soon.

So, my pup has been to doggy daycare for a few sessions now - and I'm not sure the woman and her set-up is ideal. After the first session, she wanted my pup to wear a headcollar as she said she hurt her arm and made her hands 'red raw' when she walked her. (She is excited and does pull towards other dogs).

Not long after, she said she had to tell her 'no' countless times but she just didn't listen - and growled at her when she tried to stop her playing with another dog. She's absolutely no way aggressive. But she is confident & quite strong. I feel she is a high energy young dog (and possibly over stimulated with other dogs around) - she's not the best person to look after her.

tbh, it doesn't seem like she likes her too much!

What other options should I explore?

And yes, I am training her and she's also going to obedience classes.

What breed is your dog? I think that's a key bit of information before anyone should really provide advice on how to proceed.

A cocker spaniel displaying that behaviour is an issue, but not the end of the world. A GSD? I wouldn't be happy either if I were the doggy day care owner.

She's a labradoodle...

Aand yes, she's well bred and I've met the parents etc. etc. And no, I didn't get her because she's a 'designer dog'... we've had one before.

She is a big goofball and loves all people and dogs...

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks my last post isn't aimed at you, just getting ahead of other posters that lie in wait for a doodle owner to post!

Kindly OP you need to let the dog off lead whilst they are young. They won't go far from you/the pack. It's instinctive for most dogs to keep owner in sight. For a labradoodle I can't see an issue.

Trying to hold onto the lead whilst an excitable puppy is desperate to play with the other dogs doesn't sound sustainable. Not fair on the dog.

If you are worried go to a closed in park to check what happens. You need to do this now whilst dog is young though.

That'll be the problem then @PoochMama.

You've got a big, strong, dog that even at 5 months is probably a lot stronger than something like a Cocker Spaniel, that is tugging on the lead and has growled.

Lots of people (rightly or wrongly) will be more lenient with smaller dogs misbehaving because it is more managaeble. But when you buy a dog that can easily grow to be 30+KG there is more responsibility on you from day dot.

Honestly, I don't think you have any options other than to really engage with this dog-sitter and try to find out more about what has been happening. If your dog has growled at the pet-sitter, if she is any good and respected and you take your dog elsewhere and put it in a new placement...chances are the new dog-sitter will find out - the dog community is small and people talk all the time, particularly in these sorts of professions (it's how they know to avoid problem people who don't pay on time, or who have problematic dogs). And you don't want to become a pariah, so engaging with the current woman to find out exactly how the growl happened - was she holding your dog, was your dog threatened - is important. And crucially whether there has been anything else that has been alarming (I also wouldn't be happy with a 5-6 month old puppy not knowing 'no' or not knowing when/how to stop. Impulse control is incredibly important).

Please do not dismiss your dog as not being aggressive. Just because you have never seen that behaviour in your dog does not mean she is not reacting that way when others are around and you're not there.'m not saying your dog is aggressive, but people in your dog sitters profession do not throw those accusations around lightly given the consequences.

Ultimately, every dog owner has a responsibility to take these sorts of allegations - but particularly with young puppies - incredibly seriously. Because this sort of behaviour does only get worse if it is not properly handled by someone experienced.

FWIW, I would ditch obedience classes - they're a waste of time as most people seem to spend most of their time stood around waiting to be told to get their dog to sit. Book 1-2-1 sessions with someone experienced in high-energy, high-drive dogs. I also think you need to do desensitization to other dogs with your girl - don't let her greet other dogs. Make her sit, treat in your hand, until they pass her by.

I hope that's helpful!

Yes, she's been off-lead sparingly since my initial post. Still with the training lead trailing behind her, but she's been pretty good - albeit still excited to see other dogs.

Yes, if she was scaled down in size, I think the issues wouldn't really be a problem and would be interpreted differently. I specifically chose this person as she's had a very similar dog previously herself, so I felt she would have a good understanding of her temperament. Outside of what she's told me, I think she's just not the best fit for my pup... all other doggy minders we've had had seemed really doting towards their dogs (but calm/firm) but I just don't get that impression with her.

I'd want to know more about the dog sitter really before making a judgement.

Is she a trainer or behaviourist? Does she have any qualifications? Knowledge of dog behaviour and reading dog body language?
Or is she someone who thinks having someone's dog for the day is an easy way to make money for very little effort?
If the former, then I agree with Landsharks' post. If the latter, find someone else.

Why is your pup being told 'no' a lot? Is she untrained or is the dog sitter expecting a puppy to be like a calm adult dog?
How many dogs does she have? Are they allowed to play, but it was getting out of hand? Or is play banned altogether?

Going purely off what you have said, I wouldn't want her looking after my puppy. But I'm a soft touch and my dogs rule the roost. 😂

She absolutely isn’t a trainer or behaviourist - or have any qualifications to say she knows lots about dogs. But, she seemed to have some positive reviews and had a similar dog previously herself, so I thought she’d be familiar with their temperaments and energy levels.

I think she’s being told ‘no’ because she was pestering one of the dogs, who she just wanted to play with non-stop.

I also think she didn’t nap very well there, and she still needs a good amount of napping during the day. So, I think it's a combination of her being young dog, being possibly over-tired, plus over-stimulated with the other dogs? She's been around other dogs and have played with some... but she thinks they're all her best friends. She probably hasn't been told 'no' enough by other dogs to recognise when she needs to pull it back.

As far as training goes, she knows all the basics. But, when she's over excited or over tired, it goes out of the window.

Our dog is very high energy. We found the best fi for him was a larger daycare where they separate the dogs based on energy/size. At home daycare just wasn’t right for him.

That's interesting @Mirrorxxx I think perhaps that's the route we might need to go down. When you read stuff online, it seems to suggest that home-based daycare settings are better for puppies, but I guess that doesn't apply to energetic, confident dogs - unless the person looking after them has the same level of energy!

@PoochMama it has also meant he can always find a dog that wants to play. He’s great with all dogs outside of daycare as he mixes with so many of them.

@Mirrorxxx good point!

@PoochMama Does the pet sitter have stair gates or barriers in place, so the dogs can be separated if needs be?
When my puppy was annoying either me or my other dogs, I put her the other side of a stair gate for some time out. It used to only take her 30 seconds to calm down. And she'd sometimes then lie down and sleep.
An over excited puppy, who wants to play, isn't going to listen to being told 'no'.

^^This. Mine go to a boarding kennels/doggy day care dogs are out with into a large fully enclosed area with dogs of matching size/personality/energy levels/ sex obviously with a bit of leeway on everything but sex. One of my dogs loves large bouncy dogs despite not being overly large herself! Or at an owners request on they’ll put them out on their own. They very carefully assess each dog before putting them out with other dogs.
It’s a large establishment but mine love it and can’t wait to get in the door and I notice nearly all the other dogs who go there rush in as well. Staff are fully trained in dog first aid etc, you can’t open one door without shutting another and they were very knowledgeable and helpful giving advise about my younger dog who I adopted as an adult and who was at times was very anxious, It’s not cheap I know people 50% less for than I pay and use a similar set up to that which the OP is using but I for me I prefer the professional set up.

I'm not 100% sure of the full set up, I didn't tour the full downstairs area when I visited initially as she had other dogs separated in a different room when we met.

@Fromyonfarcountryblows I’m starting to lean towards a larger daycare facility, for sure. I’ve made a couple of enquiries, both of who will pick up from my home as well. I'd dismissed those previously as they’re in the opposite direction to my workplace, whereas this current one is literally en route.

I think it really depends on the setup and your dog’s needs. I have a young GSD and although it’s not considered daycare, on two days a week he is picked up by our dog walker (who is also a trainer and owns GSDs herself) and she takes him to a secure field with the ‘pack’. She is careful about integrating new dogs into the pack, and while with her the dogs have access to agility, scent work and lots of basic training. It works well for him and really works his brain and tires him out.

I also have two older dogs (not GSDs) who attended daycare when they were younger and it sounds a similar setup to your current one. It worked fine for them because they were happy with one walk and cuddles for the rest of the day, but it wouldn’t suit my GSD.