Dog Daycare
Five days a week, Sparky jumps from the SUV and pulls his “dad” in the door. He’s jumping and squirming around like kid on his way to Disney World. He can’t wait to play with all his four-legged friends. Sparky just arrived at his dog daycare. At first, many people think it sounds frivolous to take a dog to daycare. However, if you ask any of the’“mommies” or “daddies” that use it, they will give you a list of all the wonderful benefits.
Most dog owners truly love their dogs as part of the family. However, in today’s busy world, you just cannot be with them every hour of the day. At a proper daycare facility, dogs can play, run, chew, romp, chase, and wrestle with other friendly dogs in a safe, fun environment. A standard day consists of chasing tennis balls, digging in the mulch, climbing play equipment, wrestling, barking, drinking, napping, snacking on dog biscuits, getting belly rubs, chasing more tennis balls, etc. Daycares let dogs be dogs in a healthy, safe way.
Dog daycare facilities have been rapidly opening all over the country to help dog owners with the responsibility of owning and raising a happy, well behaved dog. The vast majority of dogs in this country all suffer from the same problem, lack of appropriate canine stimulation. This lack of stimulation is both physical and mental stimulation that can lead to obesity and a laundry list of behavioral problems. The average dog spends 8-10 hours a day at home alone, waiting for someone to come back and play with them. This lack of adequate stimulation causes dogs to get bored and frustrated. They have no positive outlet for their normal canine energy. This can lead to the development of common behavior problems like barking, chewing, jumping on people and even aggression. A horrific fact is that every day a huge number of “good” dogs are relinquished to shelters because of these types of behavior issues. In today’s environment, most dog behavior problems can be traced back to lack of exercise.
Walks on leash are nice, but a walk on leash is not exercise. Exercise means exertion. It means running off-leash and playing with other dogs. Off-leash recreation is absolutely vital to the quality of life for dogs. This is not a matter of opinion. It’s a matter of fact. Healthy, well-adjusted dogs must have exercise, and that means regular off-leash play with other friendly dogs. “Owners are realizing that dogs are pack animals that need to be socialized around other dogs and people.” (Sporn) This is where dog daycare facilities shine. They allow friendly dogs to play together in a safe, monitored environment all day long. It will take about 10 seconds of watching the dogs in daycare to figure out they are having the most fun they can possibly have. This positive interaction with other dogs builds positive social behavior and provides a huge outlet for normal canine behaviors. It makes for happier dogs. A happy dog makes for a happy dog parent. “Dog daycare is the best thing since sliced bread. Our two babies come faithfully, twice a week, and they are so tired and content, they fall asleep in the car before we make it half way home.” (Chloe/Daisy’s mom). With a tired dog from dog daycare, an owner will have no more destroyed furniture or chewed up shoes. No guilt for leaving your dog alone all day or guilt for not taking your dog for that scheduled two-mile walk. At the end of a day of daycare, you can be sure your dog will be tired and well exercised, and you’ll both be happy.
Matthew Wise, B.A., Certified Pet Dog Trainer, Dakota’s Dog House 813-871-1971.
