Day Care or Not?

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

There is a Puppy Creche just around the corner from my cottage and I was thinking that my new Puppy would benefit from it a couple of days a week.  Seeing some posts about dogs picking up all sorts of bugs from other dogs I'm now having second thoughts and wonder if I should employ a dog sitter/walker for those times instead.  I had wanted the puppy to have lots of 'safe' doggy friends but I think maybe I will have to be a little more selective about this idea.  Any thoughts on this subject would be welcome.

[Sylvia and Malley]

In theory - it is a great idea, right?  We took Malley this past thurs and she has been sick to her stomach since.  Probably just a fluke - but I don't know.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Once your new puppy has had all of its shots I think puppy day care would be a wonderful thing a couple of days a week!  If I have to be gone for more than a couple of hours - I take Rooney for a 1/2 = 6 hours or less.  I bought a package of 20 visits and I don't need to call ahead.  Reputable Day Care will screen dogs and reject those with behavior problems and even an approved dog would not be allowed to attend while ill.  Can they always tell, no.  But as with children, you don't want to over shelter either.  I say the benefits out weigh the risks for us.

[Sylvia and Malley]

I am hoping to see more posts like this one!  I am so hopeful that Malleys exp was a fluke!

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Sadly...I cannot post a rave review on the daycare I used to take Frankie Girl to. She contacted a cough twice within the six months she was going there one a week. My vet told me that she had probably caught it from one of the dogs there but as someone else mentioned, as with pre-school, you just cannot overly protect them. The environment was inside (there was no outside play although we are in So. California) I am thinking that maybe if there was an outside doggie daycare, it might not be so germ catching. We take our dogs to the local doggie park constantly and she plays with all the other dogs there and had never caught a cough again since we stopped sending her to daycare. I think socializing your puppy is a fabulous thing to do and I hope you have better luck that I did with the daycare you find. I must tell you that Frankie adored going there and they had a web cam so we could watch her play, but sadly, I feel that maybe they did not screen the dogs that attending as best as they could have. Good luck.

[Jennifer and Jack]

When I got Jack I worked four 10 hour days a week. I brought him to daycare. Not a chain daycare, this was a local day care that I really liked, It was more of a natural setting daycare. Since  he was 10 weeks old he went there. He used to scream when I would pull in the parking lot to get out of the car. When I would try to kiss him good bye in the morning, he would have none of it. He just wanted to go and play.

 

They incorporated all kinds of play time, pool time, etc. He was there for a good year and a few months on and off but at least a few times a week and NEVER got sick from anything. I will shamefully admit now that the daycare center all though they say they do, never once asked for Jack's shot records. I should have known better but he just loved it so much. They had a great balance of rest time mixed in with play time, and they kept the groups small, no more then four or five to a gated area. They were fit to size etc. 

 

Unfortunately, the daycare center got such a great reputation, and they became overrun with dogs. I can't say for sure but the last three times he went to this particular daycare center, all three times he had tape worm!! When I tried to talk to the staff about it, they only said their dogs were getting it too.

 

The owner had a terrible attitude of well, it is hot here and flea's happen. I tried to help her come up with solutions because Jack loved it so much. I offered to help her make sure all dogs were up to date on shots etc, Also, some centers I know of when a dog comes in with fleas they treat it and you are charged period. She was not open to my help, so I pulled Jack out, since I was home with him anyway.

 

I tried Camp Bow Wow, He hated the one in Columbia, all concrete floors, no place to escape other dogs if he was tired and needed a nap and it was a lot of craziness all day.

 

If this is a reputable daycare center, I would bring my dog to it, The benefit Jack got from being around other dogs all day and playing, and the social skills not to mention the energy burned was well worth it. They need to be socialized, or IMO only, that is why some dogs go ape when they see another dog walking. They need to be used to playing with seeing and dealing with dogs.

 

Funny thing is, I am very on the fence, I don't leave Jack home for more then five hours by himself either, I either bring him to a friends house to play or daycare. I have a day full of out of town doctors appointments tomorrow and I am biting the bullet and I am bringing him back to his old day care for the day. Hoping that the fleas have all died from the winter and that it is too early for the spring ones to have taken over. I will give him a Capstar when he gets  home just to be sure.

 

SO in the longest way I could answer you, I am for daycare as long as your baby is up to date on shots.

 

Jennifer

 

[Pam and Ginger Snap]

What's a Capstar?

[Camilla and Darwin]

I don't think it's right for every dog, but many absolutely love it. We are rarely gone longer than 5 hours at a time but we still put Darwin in daycare on occasion. He really loves it, and it is a fairly controlled environment. Every dog is screened to make sure they are friendly and play well, and all dogs are up to date on vaccinations. The daycare we use even has nap times, peanut butter filled kongs and webcams so you can watch them play. It works for us!

 

I also wanted to add that yes, there is a risk of your dog getting ill. That can happen with large groups of dogs. They do watch out for dogs with illness at good establishments, but of course there is a risk.  But like Jane said, you shouldn't over shelter your child, why your dog? Would you not let your child go to play dates or parties because they might get a sickness? Of course not. 

[susan kaput]

If it's a good environment, by all means yes.  I took my dog, Angus, to a daycare once a week for a couple of years (with some breaks in the regime).  It really helped socialize him, and, since he was familiar with it, I even boarded him there a number of times for a couple of days each time.  Sadly, the woman who ran the place passed away last year.  He never got any kind of illness from being there, and was so excited to go, every time.  Go for it.

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Well of course your puppy won't be going to daycare before he or she is fully UTD on vaccinations and any daycare that is worth going to shouldn't allow you or other to do so (4 months). Daisy goes each Friday, the facility is clean and all the dogs are temperament tested and healthy with records. She loves it and it's a great way to socialize your pup and also give you a break.

[Dori & Rua]

I am all for daycare.  Rua goes Tuesdays and Thursdays.  We both work and I wanted a: for her to socialize with other dogs, b: be able to exercise off some of her little energy, and c: make sure she wasn't bored all week long.

 

So, I love it...she is really tired after being at daycare, she gets along well with the other dogs (she is in the small dog section), and she must not be bored because she hasn't been destructive (other than an occasional napkin or other paper product.  She loves going...her tail is wagging a mile-a-minute when we walk in the door.  She willing goes to whoever is there to take her to her section...I can look in a couple of times a day (they have a webcam set up) to see how she is doing.

 

She hasn't gotten sick, but I do know that shots are necessary and you have to provide proof.  I was there picking her up after work one day, and I heard them tell someone ahead of me that they needed updated proof of shots...so at least I know they are paying attention.

 

The place is also where Rua goes to get groomed.  Tuesday, in fact, Rua is going to just have her nails cut, a sani cut, and a trim around her eyes and pads.  Works out really well.

 

I pay $340 for a pass that lets her stay 20 days (breaks down to $17 per visit), which just about covers two plus months.  I took it out of my wine budget!  :-)

 

I did check out the place in person first.  Also, they have been rated #1 for the past 3 or 4 years in "Best of Omaha"! 

 

I agree with Jane, you don't want to over shelter!

[Martha & Cooper]

I just started taking Cooper to daycare on occasion, just to get him some playtime.  He seems to love it.  I picked the same place that I take him to get groomed, but am also thinking about another one that has webcams, where you can log on to watch, (Debby Bee mentioned it).  The one he has been to is very structured, with a schedule for the dogs, just like a preschool.   Begins with Introduction time for the dogs, playtime, pottytime, snacktime, naptime, then it starts all over again.   They also insisted on shot records before they would groom him the first time and they had to be updated when I wanted  the daycare.  For Daycare they insist on the Kennel Cough vaccine every 6 months at this particular center.   They did a "temperament test" to be sure he would get along with the other dogs and personnel.  I liked this idea, even though I know it isn't foolproof, but at least I know that all the dogs there have been checked for aggression.   They like me to take him in first thing in the morning if he is going, so he doesn't miss the "introductions", but I can pick him  up whenever I want.

[Lynn D.]

I just took Echo to his first day at day care about 10 days ago. Initially his pads were raw, tender, etc. They have small round rocks on their playground. There must have been another injury that they didnt tell me about. The injury caused a very large abscess burst on the back of his leg, he had surgery on Fraiday and will have another possibly tomorrow.

All I wanted to do was to socialize my dog and wear him out a little. Ugh! I so regret this now. Up till now it has cost me just over $800.

 

I am so heartbroken. All this has really caused me a ton of work. And now I am not sure of what to do with Echo when/if I go to work. I should have taken him home when they told me they could have up to 65 dogs at the same time in this very small area the size of a townhouse's back yard.