Last week, we discussed how to find a good daycare to fit you and your dog.
This week, we’ll talk about recognizing red flags at a daycare you might visit.
I asked dog professionals for red flags that tell them the daycare is not safe.
Jorge Melara (Wisconsin) Spray bottles of vinegar labeled “Timeout”!
Kasia Mikurda (Texas) Chaos and squirt bottles standing around.
Yuki Comerford (Nevada) They don’t let you see the play yards/kennel areas.
Jules Weber (Maryland) They “supervise” with cameras instead of actual human beings.
Carol Byrnes (Washington) And even then, they are staring at their phones instead of looking at the cameras anyway.
Brae Raphael (Oregon) Spray bottles! Horrific smells! Dog hair everywhere, you’re not greeted right away, they won’t give you a tour, and they won’t answers questions.
Clair Eccles (United Kingdom) Too many dogs, not enough people, devices used, no protocol, no body-language skills, no places for dogs to have peaceful, quality rest.
Kim Rinehardt (California) Too many dogs, not enough supervision. If there’s a problem, are there sufficient people to intervene? Because if not, RUN! Doggy daycares should be staffed sufficiently for their worst day, not their best. No matter how well they screen the dogs, there are going to be occasional conflicts when you put a bunch of dogs together. A well-staffed facility has enough eyes to notice problems, and enough bodies to intervene in a safe way. I would prefer to see multiple small social groups rather than a single large one as well, though that’s rarely what most of the pet-owning public wants to see. BIG RED FLAG—any talk of pack leadership or dominance. It indicates an enormous lack of understanding, knowledge, and education. You definitely don’t want to leave your dog at a doggy daycare run by people whose source of knowledge is the television.
Marilyn J Wolf (Indiana) More than sufficient staff; are there multiple present? I used to take a client’s dog to daycare and there would be ONE person there. With multiple runs of big and small dogs inside and outside, and checking dogs in. One.
Photo by Steven Cogswell
Frances Dauster (Alabama) If they have live videos, spend a few days watching. You might be surprised what you see—airhorns, spray bottles, dogs standing around eight hours a day on concrete, 15+ large dogs per one person in a room not bigger than my living room . . . ugh.
Marilyn Marks (Connecticut) Barking. I know it’s a natural thing and it takes a super-expert to run a quiet daycare, but barking from crates/cages, barking from one side of a fence to another, barking at people through windows and doors are, to me, all signs that warehousing dogs is what’s going on (despite best intentions). It shows a lack of knowledge about how to utilize space so that dogs remain calmer. It is not good for dogs to be in a state of such frustration and arousal for very long. It’s equivalent to a child’s classroom or playground where the kids are out of control and the teachers are flailing their hands and arms to get them to stop.
Elisha McCallum (British Columbia) Inability to see or walk around the daycare space where the dogs play, lack of references from current clients, no separate crate or quiet space for older or aroused dogs needing time-outs, and any evidence whatsoever of shock or pinch collars. And really strong cleaner or urine smells inside are a non-starter for me.
Kat Camplin (California) They won’t let you see the play area. The facility smells. The human-to-dog ratio is 30 dogs to 1 human. There are toys or objects of conflict in the area. There are squirt bottles stationed everywhere. There is no time-out or rest area.
Jessica Stinson Hudson (Alabama) When you watch a live feed and see:
1. Teenager hanging out with 15+ dogs, picking her nose every five minutes, petting dogs while they jump up one minute, spraying them with water bottle the next, and basically oblivious to any kind of meaningful social interaction.
2. Dude appearing to try to train a group of dogs to stay back from the gate by ripping the spray bottle from his belt and pointing it at all the dogs in a slow arc like he’s an eight-year-old playing with a toy gun.
Amy Suggars (Ohio) Odor and level of cleanliness. If it smells bad and looks dirty, that means the owner doesn’t pay attention to details. That means they may not be as vigilant when watching the dogs interact or as scrupulous in making sure all attendees are healthy and up to date on their vaccinations.
Not having an attendant on-site is a bad sign. I dropped in to a local facility when I was looking for a doggy daycare for my dog. Although I arrived during posted hours, no human was around and all dogs were contained in individual outdoor runs. They were not playing with each other or having any attention at all. My dog would be better off at home and it wouldn’t cost me anything!!
Trish Ryan (New Jersey)
▪ They leave your dog’s collar on.
▪ They don’t evaluate.
▪ They have only outside play areas.
▪ Poor ratio of trained staff to number of dogs.
▪ No nap time/rest time for dogs to take a break.
▪ You’re unable to watch your dog in a playgroup.
▪ Your dog shakes when you bring her/him there.
▪ No cleanliness.
▪ And my all time favorite . . . you have to make an appointment to tour the facility. Nope, sorry, I prefer unannounced visits in real time.
Sonia Fetherling (Illinois) Seeing a increase in behavioral issues from your dog. I see clients all the time who have been sending their dogs to a local daycare, and the dogs’ behavior worsens (at home, on walks, and at daycare). That tells me the place is not properly moderating the play, etc. Often, after I ask questions and get histories, one of the things I recommend that [clients] stop doing is going to daycare, or stop going as frequently. That depends on the behavior, the dog, and the daycare.
Carol Byrnes (Washington) Ask your dog. How does he act when he gets home? A dog that is subdued and not himself could indicate that he is recovering from a stressful experience. Exhaustion is much different than satisfied and relaxed after a good day of healthy play with friends. Is he excited to go in the building the next time? Is his behavior around new people or other dogs a change for the better or is it worse? Does he smell like urine, have unexplained injuries? If he needs a bath after a day at daycare, that’s a red flag. If he’s suddenly shy of some people, that’s a huge red flag. If he is overly ramped up or defensive around other dogs, that’s a sign your dog may not benefit from daycare the way you hoped, even if it’s a great daycare.
If he doesn’t want to go in, go home!
Next week, we’ll discuss what dogs might be well suited to attend a great doggy daycare, as well as what dogs might not benefit from daycare at this point in their lives . . . and why!
