‘Preschool’ for stressed pooches
More and more dog owners are leaving their pooches in daycare. But, Catherine Hubbard asks, how do you choose a good centre?
There are bubbles, story readings, dress ups and cuddles – but this is no kindergarten and those attending can be far older than toddlers.
Daycare for dogs has risen in popularity as pet owners return to the office and canines, hit with separation anxiety, yearn for company, says The Dog Spa owner Nicky Fearnley.
The Nelson doggy daycare centre has been open since 2013, and charges about $35 a day per dog for an eight-hour stay.
‘‘It’s no different to sending your toddler off to pre-school,’’ Fearnley said.
‘‘You’ve got dogs at home that bark and annoy the neighbours, and then they have noise control or the pound or someone [coming].
‘‘Coming here, they’ve got other dogs to interact with, they’ve got the daycare mummies to cuddle them. It’s pretty nice to be able to come and do something like that rather than be at home all day long.’’
Daycare, however, doesn’t suit every dog. For that reason, the centre does a trial and a temperament test to make sure that everyone gets on.
Barking and activities part of the day
Most – 99% of the dogs – just play with one another and find their own tribes. ‘‘That’s where they’re content and they find their mates. There might be five of them together, there might be two of them,’’ while others are better described temperamentally as ‘‘couch potatoes’’.
With about 35 dogs turning up daily, barking is a fact of life, but the building is in an industrial area and the neighbours are ‘‘lovely’’.
Activities include dress ups – in costumes such as a banana, a lobster, Elsa (from the movie Frozen), and Hawaiian shirts; story time, play gym, and bubble time, (the blowing of bubbles in front of a fan), which some dogs ‘‘go absolutely crazy’’ for.
Staff take photos of the dogs in their outfits and share them with the ‘‘parents’’ on Snapchat. One staff member has a ukulele and sings and plays, which Fearnley says they ‘‘seem to enjoy’’ while other dogs like being brushed.
Choose well, but accept your dog’s wishes
Owners notice that their dogs are zonked after a busy day playing.
‘‘Some of the dogs when they hit the car, that’s it, they are out to it, they’re absolutely worn out,’’ Fearnley says. ‘‘They really like that.’’
SPCA scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan said doggie daycares can be great for really sociable dogs who love time to play with other dogs.
However, that wasn’t everyone’s dog.
‘‘Some dogs may find that environment quite overwhelming.
‘‘Like people, some dogs are extroverts, they are the life and soul of the dog park, they love all their dog friends.
‘‘Some are introverts, and if they were a person they’d probably prefer to be curled up with a good book or, hanging out one on one with a preferred friend.’’
A reputable doggy daycare would normally have some kind of trial process or assessment, and owners should ‘‘absolutely not be offended if they get the feedback that the doggy daycare environments is not the right environment for them’’.
For owners worried about their dogs being left alone at home, there were lots of other options, such as having a pet sitter or a dog walker pop in, and at the SPCA, they definitely encouraged workplaces to consider being dog friendly, she said.
The doggy daycare industry, the SPCA says, is ‘‘currently poorly regulated’’.
The SPCA developed and launched voluntary standards for doggy daycares in October 2020, under which doggy daycares are audited twice a year, however, Covid had complicated processes in terms of being able to get on site for initial visits.
‘‘It could be unnerving for people to find out that anyone can set up a doggy daycare, there is no set experience or qualifications you need to have.
‘‘And that means that anyone could decide tomorrow to open one up, which obviously, comes with certain risks.’’
Doggy daycares, however, did need to comply with the Code of Welfare for Temporary Housing of Companion Animals.
In 2017, an Auckland daycare centre closed after a dog was found dead in a pond. And last year, a puppy’s death at a Canterbury daycare centre prompted calls for stricter regulation in the industry.
Vaughan said she was ‘‘definitely a helicopter parent’’ with her pets, and if she was looking for a daycare facility, the number one thing she would be seeking was transparency.
‘‘They should be willing to talk to you about their facilities and their policies.
‘‘I would really be asking about qualifications of staff, staff to dog ratios, we recommend one member of staff to 15 dogs or less, and fencing and safety features.’’
When the SPCA did see cases where things have gone wrong, it was usually due to lack of supervision, or lack of safety features, such as inadequate fencing, she said.
Fencing should be at least 1.8 metres high, and ideally, should have double gates to prevent escapes.
She would also ask about how staff deal with disruptive behaviours.
Vaughan said she would be mortified if staff used physical punishment on one of her animals, for instance.
Another question to raise would be what happened if your dog became sick or injured while on the premises.
‘‘Look at online reviews and don’t be afraid to ask the doggy daycare if they belong to certification programme and about staff experience or qualifications,’’ Vaughan advised.
‘‘And if an incident does happen, please do report it.’’