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What Is Pet Day Care?
Many people shudder at the thought of leaving their animals home alone. Like children, pets require love and attention during the day as well as at night. From this fundamental belief was founded the idea of pet day care. At day care your pet will be fed, groomed, trained and played with any time you are not available to do so.
Many people shudder at the thought of leaving their animals home alone. Like children, pets require love and attention during the day as well as at night. From this fundamental belief was founded the idea of pet day care. At day care your pet will be fed, groomed, trained and played with any time you are not available to do so.
Many an owner has come home to a destroyed home, chewed up shoes or an escaped dog running free in the neighborhood. Dog daycare eliminates that problem by providing a safe place for animals to stay and play while their owners are away.
The focus here is not entirely on training, however. Day cares for dogs are intended to provide a safe, happy place for a dog to go while their owner is at work, and they allow the animals plenty of play time, often complete with canine playground, as well as an in-depth grooming regimen daily; they will clip the dog’s nails, clean their ears and eyes, bathe them and trim their coats when it is needed. More in-depth grooming options may be available; however, this varies by facility.
Day care is available for pets whose owners wish to drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the evening after working hours. Again, bedding, toys and feeding bowls are often provided. While facilities of this type can be found for most small animals, dogs are the main focus, and many more facilities for them can be found than for others.
At doggy day care, dogs are cared for by a staff of trained professionals, educated in dog behavior, safety and health management. They are groomed and provided training by an experienced trainer according to their level of knowledge.
Canine boot camp can seem like a gift from the heavens, but owners should be careful. Beware of programs that claim to give you a perfectly trained animal within a matter of days; while a dog may be able to learn a trick or two in that time, it is unlikely the training will stick with them once they have returned home. Observation of their training techniques is important as well; while results are important, excessive force should not be used.
As with a child care facility, guidelines are established for feeding and napping, with food bowls and sleeping space provided by the day care. Any nutritional or physical needs the dogs have are observed, with any problems discussed with both the owner and a veterinarian. In this way, all parties are involved in a dog’s care, and the chances of a dog being cared for improperly are greatly reduced.
Each dog should have its separate space, with plenty of time allotted for feeding and rest, and an isolation area should be available for any animal who becomes uncontrollable. Information on these programs can be obtained online, through your veterinarian, and through the SPCA.