Although I’m sure there is someone out there doing doggie daycare well, there’s probably nothing in all of modern life with dogs that I dislike more than the creation of large group play centers, mainly called “Doggie Daycares.” These facilities are often disguised with names like Camp Something, but they are almost all the same.
Picture a warehouse with vinyl fencing separating play areas, some turf, some colorful children’s playhouses and obstacles, water bowls, and 40 dogs in various stages of play, fighting, anxiety, and outright panic. Each play area is managed by one 18-20 year old with 0-6 months of experience. I say only 6 months because after that, they often become managers, due to the high turnover of employees in these types of facilities. The doggie daycare business model is to get as many dogs as possible with as little staff as necessary so that the owners have the highest profit possible. Needless to say, this business model is not good for any dog. The best thing for a dog is a business with a much higher human to dog ratio, and a higher “years of experience” to quantity staff ratio as possible.
Most doggie daycare owners are business people, not dog trainers or behaviorists, or even animal care professionals of any kind. They may be dog lovers or rescue advocates, but they are rarely professionals dedicated to studying behavior.
If you can’t already tell, I hate “doggie daycares.”
The only pro of these kinds of centers is that your dog will be tired when it comes home.
The cons exponentially outweigh the pros.
There are dog fights. A lot of them. Search YouTube for “doggie day care dog fight” and your mind will be blown.
If your dog is over confident, he will bully the nervous dogs.
If your dog is nervous, he will get bullied by the confident dogs. He could learn to stay away from them, or he will learn to react aggressively when they come near him and thus remain safe from their attacks. Your dog may now react that way whenever he sees another dog.
Your dog may come home with injuries because of sustained arousal with fatigued muscles, which can cause falls and slips.
The sheer numbers of dogs at doggie day care facilities may cause over-arousal in your dog when it sees other dogs.
Doggie day cares are also hotbeds of kennel cough, other canine upper respiratory infections, and diseases of all kinds. The close quarters make it nearly impossible not to spread these illnesses.
Your dog’s energy expenditure at a doggie daycare is unproductive, versus the kind it would receive from regular walking and training. I recommend any dog owner provide as close to 100 percent of their dog’s energy expenditure as possible through play, walking, and working together. This is what builds a close relationship between you and your dog.
There must be some trainers out there who have created good daytime solutions for dogs’ needs. Some do small group play after assessing the dogs’ play styles and personalities. Some places provide one-on-one training throughout the day and solo yard time. But these examples are not the norm.
So it’s a big resounding NO from me on doggie daycares.
