How to Know If Doggy Day Care is Right for Your Dog
I’d say 30-40 percent of dogs don’t enjoy playing with other dogs. Shocking, right? It’s true. If your dog doesn’t like to play with other dogs, it’s okay. Yes, it’s totally normal. Not all humans enjoy hanging out with a large group of people, especially rowdy young ones so why should our dogs? 🙂
Wild dogs certainly don’t play in large groups. They have friends and that’s it. If someone is rude, that person is kicked out, which doesn’t always happen in doggy day care.
Signs Your Dog May Not Like Doggy Day Care
Dog is Fearful Around Other Dogs
If your dog runs away, hides, folds ears back, tucks tail or acts generally afraid of other dogs, then doggy day care is not for him. Throwing your dog into a group of playing dogs won’t help. It’ll make it worse. I see the repercussions daily. If this happens, scared dogs will usually sit away from the playing dogs and freeze (look away and become terrified) if a dog approaches.
If dogs continue to approach and pester a scared dog, he’ll learn to fight. He is freaked out and trying to defend himself (offensive aggression). If you were afraid of snakes and were thrown into a pit filled with slithering snakes, I don’t think it would help you overcome your fear. It would make it worse. It’s the same thing with dogs so don’t force them.
RELATED: Dog Aggression
Dog Acts Aggressively Around Other Dogs
“My dog is fine with other dogs during day care, but lunges and acts aggressively with other dogs everywhere else.” Oh boy, I hear this a lot from pet parents. During behavioral consults to address their dog’s aggression toward dogs, I see a frightened dog that’s learned offensive aggression to mean: “I better get them before they get me” (defensive aggression). Yes, this was probably learned during doggy day care.
Understand aggression is a symptom of anxiety. If a dog can’t get away, he will either freeze or fight. The same happens with us–remember the snake pit? 🙂
Is This Your Dog?
Don’t beat yourself up. You do better once you know better. Pull up your bobby socks and enroll in a relaxed rover class, which addresses fearful and aggression behaviors around other dogs. Now, find an excellent pet sitter for leash walks and potty breaks.
READ MORE: Dog Day Care Interview Questions