Choosing a Doggie Daycare is important, but doesn't have to be a stressful decision. You want to make sure that your dog is well taken care of and has a great experience while you’re away from them. There are several things that you need to be aware of when choosing a place to ensure that your dog is safe and that the daycare you select is the right place for them.

It’s not for every dog.

Doggie Daycare isn’t for every dog and that’s okay. Some dogs need a more relaxed setting instead of one that has constant high energy. If your dog is more introverted and isn’t a big fan of being around other dogs, then putting them in a daycare wouldn’t be best for them. Make sure you’re paying attention to your dog’s behavior and personality as you decide between daycare and a sitter.

Temperament Evaluations

The daycare you’re looking into should offer temperament evaluations. Temperament evaluations will help you find out if your dog will enjoy going to a daycare in case you aren’t entirely sure. It focuses on the dog’s stability, shyness, aggressiveness and friendliness. This test will help determine if the dog will enjoy/fit in at the daycare. It’s not solely based on aggression, but whether your dog is going to be stressed or overwhelmed when away from you.

Is it a safe place?

When looking at different daycares you want to make sure that you’re picking one that has a safe environment and knowledgeable staff. The staff should be well educated on dog behavior, behavior management and play style. A professional staff makes all the difference when it comes to making sure your dog is safe. The setting also needs to be secure. If the dogs are allowed to play outside then the facility must have secured fencing.

Vaccinations

Whatever daycare you’re looking into should require all dogs to have up-to-date vaccinations. This ensures that not just your dog, but the other dogs in the daycare are safe. The daycare should definitely ask for your dogs shot record when you’re bringing your dog in on their first day. If you’re bringing in a puppy, make sure to ask the daycare what’s the youngest the puppy can be since puppies can’t get all of their vaccinations at once, they usually span every three weeks to couple of months.

Make sure you’re protecting your four-legged friend when you’re looking for a doggie daycare. In this day and age you want to make sure that employees are interactive and attentive with the dogs and aren’t just constantly on their phones. The facility should be clean and not be overly occupied with feces, mud or dirt and should ask for your dog’s vaccination record. They should also take the proper time to get to know your dog and evaluate them accordingly to make sure they’re the best fit for each other.