[Dailydrool] About Doggy Daycare

[Marilyn Bickell]

When I was going to school, I took Miko to daycare on my full days. When the
daycare first opened there was a ratio of 3:1, dogs:caretakers. 
Admittedly, they weren't the most experienced people, but I felt comfortable
having Miko there. 

But before taking Miko I went to the daycare and observed the employees and
how they handled problems and how they interacted with the dogs, and if they
actually stayed with the dogs, as opposed to flitting off to the office for
coffee and donuts and chatting with other employees when they should be
outside with the dogs.

The daycare became very popular very quickly, cutting the ratio of
dog:caretaker from 3:1 to 5:1, and no one was hired to close that gap! And
of course the space for the dogs became tighter so there were more
altercations between dogs. I pulled Miko from daycare because of the poor
ratio and loss of space, and started taking her to school with me on my full
days. At the time, there was only one daycare in the area, so I had no other
choice but to take Miko to school with me, which actually turned out to be a
good thing because she kept people away from my vehicle, and we got walks
during the day and precious time together that we wouldn't have if she was
in daycare all day.

A few factors to take into consideration when looking for a daycare:

1. Observe the facility, but do NOT call ahead to ask if you can do that. A
good facility will let you observer at any time of the day, without
question.
2. If you're not sure what to look for, take someone with you who knows.
3. If possible talk with others who take their dogs there and who have taken
their dogs there in the past. That's not always a good policy, because some
people will think an overcrowded facility is a good one.
4. Observe and figure out the ratio of dog/s to human; that will be easy,
because a good daycare will have one person assigned to no more than 3 dogs.
5. Observe, closely, the space available for the dogs. 
6. Do the employees actually STAY with the dogs, or do they chat with each
other and tend to wander off, ignoring the dogs. That will often happen in a
facility in which experience is greatly lacking!
7. Are the employees aware of the body language of fearful or stressed
dogs?!
8. Do the owners of the day care want to meet your dog, first? Will they ask
you about your dog's personality? Behavior? Diet? Medication/s?

Day care should not be a dog in a pen that's taken out once or twice a day
for a 10 minute walk. Day care should be where dogs can interact, safely,
and have plenty of exercise and careful supervision.

Marilyn, Miko (Chasing lizards in Heaven), Bess, RoseyMae, and Beaver
Cleaver, 
Fort Bragg, CA

"You have gone ahead and nothing is the same, leaving paw prints on my heart
that will always remain."- Tibetan Proverb from Prayers on the Wind.