Picking the perfect dog daycare can be daunting, especially when your list of options is lengthy and you don’t know where to begin. Every pet owner wants nothing less than the best for their beloved dog.
In this article, we gathered tips that can help you in picking the ideal daycare for your furry friend:
- Visit the Daycare
It’s essential to tour the various daycare facilities to check on cleanliness, safety, and even the conduciveness of the environment before settling on a particular facility. While on your exploration, try to spot safety features like proper ventilation via open doors, solid and long-lasting fences, a fresh-air exchange system, and many more. It’s also vital to ascertain whether the daycare has put in place safety precautions or not.
- Find Out if Separation of Dogs is Appropriate
Although all pets play in the same room in some daycare facilities, a serious dog daycare should group dogs based on several factors like age, temperament, size and place them into separate playing rooms. Although it’s common for small breeds to play with larger breeds, it’s vital to ensure your furry friend is safe while at the same time having fun with other pets.
- Ensure the Facility Has Adequate Staff to Look After the Pets
It’s essential to inquire about the staff-to-dog ratio of the daycare as this will help you determine whether your dog will be well-cared for and given the attention it deserves.
In some states, the ratio of humans to dogs for daycare is explicitly defined, so confirm with the daycare management about potential state guidelines. For example, the standard ratio for dogs to staff in most organizations providing dog daycare services stands at 15:1.
Some daycares make adjustments to the standard ratio based on dog groups. Premier Los Angeles daycare has adopted a ratio of one staff to 10 dogs for more vigorous breeds and one staffer to 20 dogs for less-vigorous species.
- Opt for Daycare with Programmed Activities
When searching for a dog daycare facility, make sure your dog will have ample time to interact and play with other pets.
Inquire from the management whether or not there are programmed activities the pets will undertake throughout the day. The scheduled activities should be helpful in the betterment of your pet’s behavior.
- Comprehend the Policies
Read and understand the daycare policies, especially those that touch on treats and toys. If you are certain that your pet can be offensive with other pets or hardly gets well along with toys, inform the daycare management so that they can be vigilant on your fluffy friend.
Additionally, inquire from the daycare staffer regarding their use of treats to reward decent behavior. If your dog is on a special diet, inform the manager.
Final Word
Choosing the ideal dog daycare that fits your dog’s needs and meets your set standards has numerous benefits. Although finding the perfect daycare can be challenging, you can always make inquiries and seek recommendations from other pet owners to help you find the best dog daycare center for your pet.
