Dogs all have their own distinct quirks, play styles, behaviour patterns, and preferences. They also have unique care needs.
So, even though your neighbourhood dog day care might get rave reviews from a friend or neighbour, it may not be the best match for your dog. Before you choose a dog day care for your pup, it’s important to ask a lot of questions to make sure it’s the right fit.
Below, we’ll go over a few key questions to ask when vetting doggy day cares and signs you might want to consider other options for pet care.
Questions to Ask a Doggy Day Care Before Enrolling
You’ll most likely find two different options for doggy day care: facilities and in-home businesses.
Facilities are typically larger operations that have a roster of staff caring for dozens of dogs each day.
In-home doggy day cares are often run by one dog sitter. They take fewer dogs, so the sitter can give each dog personalised attention.
Both options can be a good fit for many dogs, but it’s important to ask questions about the following factors before you make your choice.
Behavioural assessment and safety questions
Most day cares require new dogs to do a short trial. This trial period allows them to understand how your pup plays and socialises with other dogs.
“A trial allows the staff to evaluate your dog’s social skills, comfort level, play style, and ability to handle stimulation,” explains Dr. Karen Halligan, veterinarian and host of the Collars and Cents podcast.
Ask these questions to understand what the day care considers in its initial assessment:
- Do we need an appointment to drop by the day care?
- For in-home sitters: Will you meet us in public before I drop off my dog?
- What do you consider in a dog’s behaviour and play style when deciding if they’re a good fit?
- Are there any behavioural red flags that would disqualify a dog from your day care?
Staffing and training questions
At any dog day care, experience and understanding of canine body language are vital, says Chris Edge, certified dog trainer and founder of K9Edge Dog Training. “The best employees are constantly reading dogs for signs of stress, fatigue, or overstimulation and intervening.”
These questions will help you determine if the day care staff or sitter understands dog body language and behaviour:
- For facilities: What’s your dog-to-staff ratio? For solo day care owners: How many dogs do you typically host in a day?
- What body language cues or behaviours do you look for during playtime?
- If you see concerning behaviour, how do you intervene or redirect the dogs?
- Do staff or sitters have any certifications in dog behaviour, like Fear Free, or accreditation from a recognised body like the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) or the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC)?
- Does your service meet the minimum or higher standards as set out under your Animal Activities Licence? Can you produce a copy of your licence to confirm this?
Environment and play area questions
Dog day cares have both indoor and outdoor play areas so dogs can alternate between exercise and a calmer environment indoors.
These questions can help you learn more about the day care’s play environment:
- How much time will dogs spend inside and outside every day?
- Do you have air conditioning and heat inside?
- Do you have structures for dogs to play with, like tunnels or platforms to climb on?
- How often do you sanitise the play areas?
Play group and socialisation questions
Most of the time, day cares split dogs into smaller play groups so they’re easier to supervise.
“Look for a facility that evaluates each dog as an individual and places them into a compatible playgroup based on personality rather than breed alone,” says Dr Gary Richter, vet and founder of Ultimate Pet Nutrition.
These questions can help:
- How many dogs are in a play group?
- How do you organise play groups? By temperament, energy level, breed, size, or other factors?
- How much active time and downtime does each playgroup get in a day?
- How do you keep dogs in a playgroup from getting overstimulated?
Schedule questions
“Dogs don’t need to play nonstop for eight hours,” Dr Halligan says. They can easily become overstimulated, which could translate into behaviour changes at home.
That’s why most dog day cares break their day into structured periods of playtime and rest time. They may also offer a “lunch break” for food.
These questions can help you understand how your pup will spend their day:
- What’s the ratio of rest to playtime during the day?
- Do dogs spend rest time together or in individual kennels?
- Do you give meals in the middle of the day? If so, how do you prevent resource guarding of food?
- How many toilet breaks do dogs get during the day?
- What’s your rainy day schedule like? Do you offer any indoor enrichment activities?
Health and medication questions
Any reputable day care should ensure that all dogs attending are healthy—and that they stay that way.
These questions can help you find a day care that works to keep all its clients healthy:
- Do you perform wellness checks on dogs at drop-off?
- What vaccines do you require for puppies and adult dogs? Is it just the minimum, two-weeks-prior DHPP requirement, or do you also request kennel cough and worming? How do you need this confirmed?
- Do you need a clean bill of health from a vet before a dog can attend?
- How do you sanitise the play areas and rest spaces throughout the day?
- Can you give my dog their medication? Do you have experience with pills or inhalers?
- Do you have a vet on-site or a relationship with a nearby vet?
Emergency plan questions
It’s one thing to know how a dog day care runs when everything goes according to plan, but you also need to know how they’ll handle emergencies:
These questions will help you learn more about the day care’s emergency routine:
- What’s your protocol for breaking up incidents?
- How do you assess dogs for injuries?
- How far away is the closest emergency vet?
- How will you transport my dog if they need medical attention?
- Do sitters or staff have training in pet CPR or first aid?
Cost and convenience questions
Feel like you’re close to finding the right fit? Before you sign your pup up, make sure the day care suits your budget and scheduling preferences with these questions:
- What is your base price per day or per week?
- Do you offer discounts if my dog stays multiple days a week?
- Do you have a window for pick-up and drop-off times?
- Do you offer any additional services, like grooming or training classes, for an extra fee?
Adapting Questions to Your Dog’s Needs
“The best day care tailors activities to each dog’s personality instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach,” Dr Halligan says.
These questions can help you understand whether a day care can adapt to your dog’s specific personality needs or behaviour quirks:
- How do you handle escape artists? Do you have “airlocks” to stop dogs from bolting?
- If my dog is tired, stressed, or overstimulated, can you customise their schedule?
- Can you use the cues my dog already knows?
- Can you give puppies closer supervision or put them in a separate play group away from older dogs?
What To Do if Doggy Day Care Doesn’t Work
Dogs who are friendly at home or at the park won’t necessarily enjoy a day care environment,” Dr. Halligan says.
Even a doggy day care that seems perfect may not work out in the long run for your pup. For example, Edge says dogs who tend to get overstimulated or are especially anxious or reactive would benefit more from staying with a dog walker or sitter.
Options for keeping your pup supervised during the day include:
- Walkers: Dog walkers will give your dog a break from the sofa or their crate by taking them out for exercise when you can’t.
- Drop-in visits: A sitter will stop by to offer playtime, toilet breaks, fresh food, and anything else your dog needs to stay comfortable until you’re back home. Most drop-in visits last around 30 to 60 minutes, but some sitters will stay for longer.
- Pet sitting: If your dog needs medical care, individualised attention, or constant supervision throughout the day, a solo pet sitter can watch them just like you would. The sitter can come to your home, or your dog can stay in the sitter’s house without the distraction of other dogs.
Start your search for nearby sitters and dog walkers at Rover!
