Have you ever thought about or are you currently thinking about putting your dog into dog day care? Are you unsure as to whether it is the right thing to do for your dog? As a caring dog owner, naturally, you will want to do everything right for your dog, and given that doggie daycare would mean quite a significant change to your dog’s daily routine, is understandable why you would want to be sure before deciding to do so.
Ultimately the decision is yours, given that you cannot ask your dog what they think, although we guarantee some dog owners are reading this who will ask their dog anyway and look at them to see if there is any reaction. We know that for sure because we would be doing exactly the same. Anyway, to help you make your decision, we thought it would be useful to highlight the main benefits of doggie daycare, so here they are.
#1 – It Allows You To Go About Your Daily Routine
Whilst many of these benefits directly and positively impact your dog, this one is purely for you. Just as placing a child in childcare makes it easier for its parents to work, study, or simply go about their daily tasks, the same applies to dog owners who place their dog in doggie daycare each day.
#2 – It Helps Your Dog Socialise With Other Dogs
Not all dogs socialise as quickly as others and if your dog is somewhat wary when it sees or encounters another dog, doggie daycare could help resolve that. By spending several hours each day in the company of other dogs, your dog will almost take it for granted and soon be quite happy to mix with other dogs of all breeds and sizes.
#3 – It Can Help Reduce Their Separation Anxiety
Being separated from its owners can make some dogs overly anxious and cause them to display certain behaviours including vocal ones where they howl or whine. By placing them in doggie daycare where there are plenty of distractions, toys to play with, and other dogs to socialise with, your dog will soon forget you were there, and thus its separation anxiety will diminish completely.
#4 – You Can Be Assured That They Are Receiving Professional Care
Assuming you carry out due diligence to ensure the doggie daycare centre you choose for your dog meets all the desired criteria, then you should be able to leave your dog there, safe in the knowledge that they are being cared for by professional and experienced staff with your dog’s best interests in mind.
#5 – Your Dog Will Be Safe
Doggie daycare centres have a duty of care for your dog which includes ensuring that their premises are safe. This means their premises are sufficiently secure so that no dog can escape, nor that anyone can enter uninvited and remove a dog for nefarious reasons. Doggie daycare centres also have protocols and procedures to deal with medical emergencies and accidents too.
#6 – Your Dog Will Get Plenty Of Play And Exercise
Did we mention your dog will have loads of fun at doggie daycare? You are guaranteed that there will be no shortage of opportunities for them to run around, play with other dogs and chase or chew toys when they are there, meaning when you collect them, most of their excess energy will have been burned off making them calm and relaxed when they get home.
#7 – It Is More Affordable Than You Might Have Imagined
One concern that some dog owners have is that doggie daycare will be expensive, however, it is more affordable than you might think. We obviously cannot specify exact prices given that there are so many doggie daycare centres, but rest assured, when you ask one of them for their daily and weekly rates, you will be pleasantly surprised.