[Dailydrool] Dogs alone during the day

[Valerie]

Weighing in on crates, etc. My two hounds are both crazy claustrophobic about crates. Even rooms with closed doors. both are rescues and botH came witH bad previous experiences with confinement.  if confined in a small space, both will thrash and howl and bite at the bars and injure themselves. So if I need to confine either, I put the hound in a room with high ceilings and a baby gate he can see through to the rest of the house. when at the vet's for dentals and the like, the vet moves the dogs to the large animal pen as soon as they are awake at all. Having space above their heads seems to matter. But mostly, if I will be away more than an hour or so, I drop the dogs off at doggie daycare. 

Regarding doggie daycare--like child daycare--the facility really matters. Are the dogs carefully screened before being accepted? What is the ratio of workers to dogs? What are the physical facilities like? How do the workers handle naughty behavior and conflicts? Can the owners come observe at any time? What are the provisions for medical backup? Requirements for vaccines and flea prevention? Policies on illness? and so forth. we have a really good daycare that lets you drop off and pick up for anywhere from a couple of hours to boarding. the dogs enjoy going ther--Harley more so than Bo, but Bo likes to hang out worth the staff and get ear scratches nonstop.