How To Evaluate Dog Daycare
How To Evaluate Dog Daycare
Blog Article
How to Spot the Red Flags of a Bad Dog Daycare
If your dog shows a lot of stress signals at daycare such as panting, tucked tail, or avoiding other dogs, this could be a sign that they’re not a good fit.
Avoid facilities that use forceful training methods like squirt bottles, shaker cans, or e-collars. These are not recommended by modern dog trainers and veterinary behaviorists and can lead to long-term behavioral problems.
1. They don’t accept all dogs
Some dogs, particularly adult dogs, are simply not well suited for a daycare setting. This is typically due to poor socialization and insufficient off-leash play opportunities. This can result in a dog becoming anxious around other dogs or developing aggressive behaviors, which is not an acceptable outcome for any pet parent!
A reputable daycare will take the time to thoroughly assess each dog before making a decision to accept them. This includes a thorough health history, proof of vaccinations, bite history, energy level and more. This will help ensure that your dog is placed in the best possible group for them!
A daycare should always be happy to show you their facility. If a daycare refuses to let you tour the facility, this is a red flag. You deserve to know that the facility is clean and properly fitted for each dog. They should also be willing to provide you with detailed information about their incident assessment and cleaning schedule.
2. They don’t have a website
Having a website is a must for any business these days. It’s how people find you, and it gives potential clients a chance to learn more about your services and facilities. If you’re finding a daycare that doesn’t have a website, this is definitely a red flag.
You should also be wary of a doggy daycare with very low or high reviews. This is especially true if the negative reviews make the same complaints over and over again.
Another red flag to watch for is if the daycare does not have a written policy about how they handle dog fights and other conflicts in their care. This includes how they break up scuffles and what their procedures are for assessing injury or illness. This can be a sign that they are not taking the safety of your pup seriously enough.
3. They don’t allow you to tour the facility
Visiting the facility to see how your dog is treated and to meet staff should be an easy part of the decision-making process. If you can’t tour the facility, that is a red flag!
A good daycare will welcome you and give you a tour of the kennel area and the daycare. Ask questions about their cleaning schedule and the kennel-to-dog ratio. You should also ask about their training in animal body language and behavior, as well as their method for breaking up scuffles.
Avoid any facilities that use aversive tools such as e-collars, spray bottles, bark/shock collars, or choke collars. These are outdated methods that go against the principles of force-free positive reinforcement and can cause long-term behavioral issues in dogs. Also, beware of facilities that talk about “dominance,” “pack leadership,” or using physical corrections to discipline dogs – this is also a red flag.
4. They don’t have a staff member available to answer your questions
A responsible daycare should always have someone available to answer your questions. Whether they’re a dog trainer, daycare owner, or veterinary boarding dog boarding student, they should be able to give you honest answers about their facility and services.
They also should be able to tell you how they screen dogs for group play and what their incident assessment process is. This helps keep your pet safe and ensures that they’ll be cared for if any issues arise.
If they can’t tell you these things or won’t let you tour their facility, that should be a red flag. It may mean that they don’t have a well-organized, professional business or that their safety and the safety of their dogs aren’t a priority.