Interviewing at a Doggy Day Care

Ask dog friends, your veterinarian and, especially, your dog trainer which doggy day care facilities they recommend and why. Then, take a peek at their websites for additional information. Once you’ve selected several locations, set up face-to-face interviews with dog day care staff before bringing your dog. Keep your dog home when interviewing. You need to focus on asking questions and watching play sessions in progress.

Don’t forget to print this article. It provides acceptable answers to questions asked as well as acceptable solutions to common issues during playtime. Lastly, trust your gut. If something seems off, leave. I wish more pet owners trusted their gut. It’s usually always right. 🙂

Remember: dog day cares teach dogs how to play politely with other dogs. This should not be a free-for-all, which teaches dogs to fend for themselves or bully and hurt other dogs. There should be rules and boundaries.

RELATED: Choosing the Best Doggy Daycare

Person-to-Person Interview

• How are your staff members trained?
  • All staff members must be trained in canine body language, managing groups of dogs, recognizing illnesses, preventing dog fights and so forth.

• How much experience do they have before managing a play session?
  • Must have at least six months of experience before managing play sessions alone.

• Is there a limit to the amount of dogs during a play session?
  • Maximum of eight dogs per one staff member.

• What happens during a pre-screening process?
  • A staff member asks questions about your dog.
  • A staff member meets and assesses your dog’s personality.
  • If all goes well, your dog meets a friendly dog.
  • For the next week, your dog learns to play with a small group of dogs.
  • During screening, don’t allow your dog to jump in and play with eight dogs. That’s scary.

• Do all dogs pass the pre-screening process?
  • No, only dogs that enjoy playing with other dogs are allowed to play.

• What vaccinations do you require?
  • Minimum should be rabies.
  • Contact your local veterinarian for required vaccinations in your area. Requirements depend on region.

• What happens if my dog is injured?
  • Your dog should immediately be driven to a local vet. Ensure the facility doesn’t employ a wait-and-see method. When in doubt, get it checked out.
  • Once a vet examines your dog, then the staff member should contact you. So many dogs have suffered for hours, waiting for a call back from their pet parents. Insist your dog is seen first.
  • The facility must work with a local veterinarian during the day and an emergency vet after hours (after 5pm). Ask for his or her name and location.
  • Will day care reimburse vet bills if caused in their facility? It’s best to find out now.

• Are staff members certified in pet first aid and CPR?
  • If so, with whom? Red Cross and Pet Tech offer excellent training on pet first aid.
  • If not, why are they not trained?  What happens during an emergency?

• If my dog is not having fun during playtime, what will happen?
  • Your dog should immediately be removed from the play area.
  • A staff member should call and inform you of the situation (after your dog is removed from the play area).
  • I would highly recommend picking your dog up and not enrolling in play sessions any longer.
  • Ask if there’s a refund if you decide to no longer bring your dog to day care.

• My dog can be a bully, is he or she allowed to play?
  • No. There should not be any promises of training, socialization or trial periods. Bullies should be removed immediately and not allowed in class.

• Will my dog have plenty of rest time?
  • Tired dogs get cranky and will squabble so quiet times (naps) should happen at least once per day. Older dogs may require more rest periods.

RELATED: Appropriate Puppy Play

Watching Play Sessions in Progress

When watching play sessions during your selection process, it’s important to observe structure and consequences:

• What happens when a dog bullies another dog?
  • The bully should be removed from the playgroup.

• What happens when a dog is tired and lies down for a nap, but other dogs keep pestering him?
  • Place tired dog in a kennel to rest.

• When play sessions become too rowdy, what happens?
  • A staff member interacts play by walking between dogs or separating them.

• What happens if a dog yelps?
  • A staff member must thoroughly check out the yelping dog or better yet, remove the dog and have someone check him or her out. Then, let the dog rest before bringing him or her back to playtime.

• What are staff members doing during playtime?
  • They should be constantly walking around and monitoring dogs playing.
  • They should not be on their phones, only playing with specific dogs or ignoring scared dogs.
  • Honestly, this is not an easy job. They are constantly hustling.

• Are potty accidents cleaned up immediately?
  • Yes, and all accidents should be cleaned immediately. A mop and bucket should be in the play area.

• Watch staff members’ hands. They should be gentle and friendly.
  • There should be no hitting, slapping or roughhousing.
  • Staff members should be happy to be there.

How to Choose the Best Doggy Day Care

It’s not that hard. It just takes visiting several locations, watching and asking questions. Keep your dog at home when interviewing potential doggy day care locations. You’ll need to be focused and ask lots of questions.

Qualified Staff

This is a must, as qualified staff can spot bullies, scared or shut down dogs and ensure dogs are having a positive play experience. All staff must complete training on canine body language, manage dogs effectively, introduce dogs positively and break up dog fights (unfortunately, it happens). Plus, they must have at least six months to a year of experience before managing playing dogs alone.

Thorough Pre-Screening Exam

Oh, this is important too, but only if exams are completed by qualified staff. Your dog must be screened before being allowed to play with other dogs.

During the screening process:

• Dog day care staff are gathering information about your dog’s play style, personality and health, which is invaluable in ensuring a fun time by all.
• If all goes well, an experienced staff member may introduce your dog to another (one) friendly dog and then move along slowly. Dogs should be introduced to a small group of polite dogs (two to three) at first and allowed to play under supervision. After a week or so, your dog can meet and play with a full play group.
• During a pre-screening test, your dog should never be placed in a room full of dogs as a screening test. Information must be gathered with you and your dog alone first. Before this happens, take your dog and leave.

Doggy Day Care is Not for All Dogs

Dogs that are scared, fearful, anxious, growl, snap, bite or refrain from engaging in play should not attend day care.

Forcing scared or aggressive dogs to meet other dogs will make fears worse. They won’t overcome their fears, but they will learn how to fight instead of play. I know you don’t think this can happen to your dog, but this happens every day, if not several times a day. If your dog doesn’t want to play, don’t make him. Think about it this way: if you’re scared of spiders and someone locks you in a room filled with fast-moving spiders, your fear will only worsen.

If a staff member is hesitant about adding your dog into a play session, listen to his gut reaction and don’t push the issue further. Many dogs are pushed into playgroups because pet owners want to socialize their dogs. Don’t do it. It’s not worth it. Invest in a fabulous pet sitter instead.

Limit Amount of Playing Dogs

One staff member for eight dogs is plenty. Staff members are present to ensure all dogs are having fun, playing politely and removing dogs that are tired and no longer having fun. With too many dogs, this won’t happen and it becomes a free-for-all, meaning your dog learns to threaten other dogs to keep them away.

Pushy Dogs are Not Allowed to Play

Bullies are everywhere: at schools, in our workplace and, yes, even at doggy day cares. Pushy dogs constantly pester (pick on) other dogs by pinning, holding a dog in a corner, chasing and rolling, and/or body slamming. Bullies should not be allowed to practice this behavior during playtime. They will only worsen and it’s not fair to other dogs. Bullies must be removed immediately. And if they continue the behavior, bullies should not be allowed to play again.

RELATED: Stop Bullying Behavior

Health Comes First

Potty accidents should be cleaned immediately with disinfectant and free from any odor. Also, dogs must be vaccinated with regular fecal checks, as disease spreads quickly when large groups of dogs are housed together. Lastly, play areas should be disinfected once all dogs have gone home for the day.