Dog Manners Courses Sydney – Is Dog Daycare Good for Your Dog?

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Is Dog Daycare Good for Your Dog?

What do you picture when you imagine dog daycare? Groups of happy dogs romping, playing and running, happy tails and wide grins, and snuggle buddies relaxing after a morning of fetch and fun? This idyllic picture is what most dog owners assume dog daycare must be like for their pups — and it can be! But most likely it is not. Try another picture: Loud barking and crying (from the anxious dogs) while frustrated staff members yell at the dogs and try to manage the over-aroused dogs from bullying others. I used to work in dog daycares, in one big one with 200 dogs per week and one smaller one with 100 dogs per week. And unfortunately, it is not all fun and games.

Well-run dog daycares consider carefully what kind of dogs will fit in with their existing dogs and work hard to ensure all dogs in their care are having a good time. Safety should be the top priority, but emotional and behavioural well-being is another thing that should always be considered. There are some management and training techniques that can be used in a group environment, but the reality is that it is very limited. Some behaviours are incredibly difficult to train or manage in a large playgroup and time-outs are often the only safe way to manage the dogs in daycare.

What Determines Whether a Dog Will Do Well in Daycare?

Does your dog truly enjoy interacting with strange dogs or do they simply tolerate being around them? Do they make it clear that they want nothing to do with other canines, or do they prefer the company of only one or two playmates? Many dog owners think that their dog will enjoy being in a daycare with other dogs simply because dogs are pack animals. But even though dogs are social pack animals, they don’t form one super pack with all the other dogs in the world. Actually, dog daycares and parks are a very unnatural set-up for canines that would normally only socialise with their own family unit.

While our intentions might be good and we want to make sure our dogs have a well-rounded and happy life, putting a dog who doesn’t really enjoy group play with strange dogs into that environment can cause stress, fear, anxiety, and aggression. Dog daycare isn’t suitable for anxious or fearful dogs, anti-social dogs, reactive/aggressive dogs, over-aroused bullies or obsessive dogs that bark/herd/chase or hump other dogs non-stop. Unfortunately, I’ve seen all these types in daycares or trying to apply to get in.

Consider where your dog falls on the sociability spectrum described below before taking your dog to dog daycare:

Training and Behavior Modification in a Daycare Environment

While some behaviours can be trained at dog daycares, there are behaviours that can not. This means that if your dog is already exhibiting them, they will likely increase and get worse in a daycare setting. Personally, I do not recommend any kind of training in a dog daycare. It is simply not a great environment for it.

Here are some behaviours that are very tough to address in most dog group play environments:

• Resource guarding
• Pestering or obsessively targeting other dogs
• Aggressive herding
• Over-excited play
• Fear
• Aggression
• Excessive barking
• Humping
• Separation anxiety issues
• Anxiety

Not Going to Dog Daycare

Sounds simple, right? Well, it is! If your dog’s physical exercise and mental stimulation needs are being met at home, there is no need to put them in dog daycare. Especially if they don’t enjoy it! Don’t feel bad if your dog doesn’t do well in a dog daycare — as long as they have your companionship and love, along with the proper amount of physical exercise and mental stimulation, their life is great!

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