How Does a Doggy Day Care Worker Spend a Workday?

What is Doggy Day Care?

Doggy day care offers a place for people to drop off their dogs during the day, knowing they will be mentally and physically stimulated instead of lying in crates while their families are at work or school. Dogs who suffer from separation anxiety or are young and very active can benefit, as can dogs who need to learn to interact with other dogs.
A good doggy day care makes sure workers are in attendance at all times when dogs are mingling with each other. Some doggy day care facilities also offer boarding, grooming and training and workers often need to have some experience with grooming and training. Most operate Monday through Friday, although some offer additional weekend hours.

A love of dogs is an obvious requirement for a doggy day care worker, but other skills are also important. Some knowledge about dog behavior and management is necessary. Tensions can escalate quickly in a group of dogs. A doggy day care worker needs to recognize canine body language and step in to calm and separate dogs when necessary. While the worker may interact with and cuddle with the dogs, her job is to be a pack leader to maintain control.
Knowing how to handle unruly, stressed or bossy dogs of all sizes is important. Knowing what to do in a medical emergency or how to spot symptoms of an injured or sick dog is mandatory. Cleaning up after the dogs is part of the job as well. Extra skills like grooming and training are useful, since many day cares offer these services and look for workers who can help.

Mornings are busy, as people drop off their dogs on their way to work. The doggy day care worker is usually on the job by 7 am to accept dogs. On a dog's first visit, the worker assesses him and introduces him to the other dogs. Workers generally are responsible for 8 to 10 dogs at a time. They may encourage shy dogs to play, throw balls and Frisbees and monitor dogs to ensure they are interacting well. As the dogs start getting worn out from playing, the worker puts them in kennels and crates for a midday nap. He may need to feed younger dogs. While the dogs are confined, the worker changes water, cleans food bowls, sweeps up dog hair and picks up dog waste from the outdoor area.

After a nap, the worker lets dogs out to interact again and plays with and watches them as before. Afternoons are a good time for the worker to groom or train dogs. Grooming may be anything from a full clipping and bathing to cutting toenails and cleaning ears. The worker may also do short training sessions with some dogs, depending on her level of expertise. She may take the dog on short walks to practice leash manners, work on basic commands like sit, down and stay, or run the dog through competition obedience or agility practices for more advanced dogs.
Owners start showing up towards the end of the day. The worker gets the dogs and makes sure the client has anything else he brought in, like food, toys and leashes. When all the dogs have been picked up, the worker cleans the kennel areas, mops the floors and cleans the water bowls.