How to Find Doggy Day Care

If you worry about leaving your dog home alone during the day, you may want to consider enrolling him in doggy day care, where he can socialize with four-legged friends.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Do a search online or in the yellow pages to find a program that's near your home.

2. Ask other dog owners you meet at the park to recommend a program they have used, or check with a local pet store, veterinarian or grooming parlor for references.

3. Call the humane society in your area to see if it runs a day-care program for dogs or can direct you to one.

4. Browse the Sunday classifieds section of your local newspaper to find ads for local programs.

5. Visit the day-care center you are considering before enrolling your dog. Find out what types of activities are planned for the dogs during the day.

6. Make sure your dog is old enough to attend the program you choose. Five or six months is usually the minimum age.

7. Have your dog spayed or neutered in advance to avoid pregnancy.

8. Take your dog to your veterinarian to be sure your dog is current on vaccinations, is parasite-free and is in good health before his first day of attendance at the program.

9. Expect to pay $15 to $25 or more for a full day of care.

Tips & Warnings

• Doggy day-care centers should be clean and odor free, and the dogs should be well-supervised. Check to make sure that there are enough caregivers to provide proper supervision.
• Even if you don't enroll your pet full-time, you may want your dog to attend day care if you have any maintenance people coming to your house during the day. This is also a good option to ease your mind during a particularly stressful week at work or when planning a special event at your home.

on 11/22/2005 As someone who works in 2 doggy daycare centers, I can tell you that it is ultra important to take a full tour before bringing your pet. The place should have boarding options and should allow you to see exactly where they will be sleeping and eating. Not all places will let you, so steer clear of those. The dog to staff ratio should be low and they should be supervised at all times. The staff should be knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating. Go with your gut instincts but also talk to their clients to get their opinion as well. If the place doesn't require proof of vaccinations or spay/neutering, don't go. Choose a place that doesn't smell too much (a little doggie odor is unavoidable but it should not be overwhelming) and make sure they only use pet safe cleaners (no bleach!).