In the United States, about 45 million households own a pet. This means about 50% of homes in America have added pets to their family.
Of those pets, it’s safe to say a large percentage of them are dogs. Dogs are animals that need love and attention to feel safe and secure throughout the day.
Some owners cannot be around their pets as much as they’d like due to work commitments. Therefore, they often enroll their dogs in doggy daycare to give them the enrichment they need.
Keep reading for helpful tips on choosing the best dog daycare in your area!
1. Research
When wondering how to choose a dog daycare, you should always do your homework. Researching all the daycares available will give you an overall idea of what you should be looking for. If it’s the first time you’ll be searching for a facility, this will help you out immensely.
Your research should start with finding a list of the closest pet daycare businesses in your area. Once you have a decent list to choose from, you can then begin seeing if their requirements fit your dog’s needs and breed.
Remember, some facilities won’t accept specific breeds and only hold daycare from certain hours. Most places have a breed list on their websites that you can look up quickly.
2. Check Reviews and References
After you’ve found establishments that will work for your pup, you can then begin investigating their practices more closely. First, look up each business and find their review page. You’ll find various reviews left by pet owners and get an overall idea of how they conduct business.
If they are primarily positive, it will likely be a good daycare for your dog. However, always pay attention to any negative reviews that look alarming. Remember, everyone’s opinions and standards are different, so always take reviews with a grain of salt.
After reading reviews, you can narrow down your choices to a few daycares. This smaller list can now be looked into deeply to ensure your pet has the best care. Start by requesting a reference list from each of the facilities you’re interested in.
This list will have the contact information of previous customers. In order to get various thoughts, it’s a great idea to call three to four references. Here, you can ask about their overall rating and if they would use their services again.
You can also take this opportunity to ask any questions you may have. It may be good to ask about management, overall care, and daycare activities.
3. Licensing and Insurance
Leaving your dog in the care of others is a significant responsibility. This responsibility means you’ll want to ensure the daycare is set up correctly with legitimate licensing and insurance. These policies can make all the difference in the event of any accidents.
Each daycare facility should be appropriately licensed to take care of pets. They should have their state-regulated certificates displayed somewhere in their office.
If they are unseen, ask about their licensing and code certificates. Failure to provide these documents is a massive red flag, and you should choose a different establishment to work with.
Additionally, each company should have insurance policies in place. Insurance will keep you and your pet in good hands if any accidents occur. These policies will also legally bind the daycare to hold responsibility for any incident.
4. Employee Background Checks
As you drop off your pet for daycare, you want to ensure they are in the best hands available for care. Background checks on all employees in the business will give you peace of mind for your pet.
These checks will ensure the employees do not have a criminal past and are trustworthy. If a company does not offer these checks, you may want to choose a different daycare to ease your mind.
5. Doggy Activities
Many people take their dogs to daycare to give them exercise, enrichment, and socialization. This is a great way to keep your pet entertained instead of being bored at home while you’re away.
Always ask what your pet will be spending their days doing. The daycare facility you choose should have activities to keep your dog busy and happy throughout the day. Some activities should include swimming, playing, puzzles, rest breaks, etc.
6. Emergency Training
Emergency training is a crucial requirement each pet establishment must have while caring for your dog. Those that do not have proper training may not meet the legal needs for these services in some states.
Each facility should know precisely what to do in any pet emergency. Their training should consist of:
- First aid
- Pet body language
- CPR
- Safety procedures
- Pet communication
These aspects could be the difference in the life or death of your pet. It’s crucial to double-check that the daycare you’re interested in is well versed in all of these emergency training methods.
7. Make a Visit
The last step in making your overall decision is to visit the daycare yourself. You can take your pet to see how they react to the environment and staff. This first impression will tell you a lot about how your pet will be cared for.
Always do a full tour of the grounds to see exactly where your pet will be kept. This tour will also give you insight into what your dog will be doing and what size group they will be interacting with.
Choosing the Best Dog Daycare
Choosing the best dog daycare for your furry friend just got easier with these tips! Remember to do your research to ensure your dog’s needs are always met. Don’t forget to visit our site to read similar news and articles today!