How To Choose a Doggy Day Camp

You love your little four-legged friend and hate the thought of him being alone all day while you're at work. Doggy Day Camps provide a place where your dog can get attention, play, exercise and have social interaction with other dogs to keep him entertained and happy while you're away. Sometimes dogs need something to do during the day to keep them out of trouble or just need more exercise.

But how do you choose a doggy day care? While only a few years ago there were only a few providers of doggy day camp or doggy day care services, there are now many new facilities opening monthly. Here are some things you can do to help you choose which doggy day camp will fit you pooch best:

• You should pay an unexpected, unscheduled visit to the doggy day camp you're considering before deciding to enroll your dog. That way, you can see how smoothly things run when they're not expecting you. Here are some things that you'll want to consider or research before placing your pet in someone else's hands.
• What is the dog-to-human ratio? You don't want your pet just thrown into a pen with too many other dogs and you want to ensure that your pet gets human attention while at camp.
• What security measures are there to ensure that your dog can't escape? Look for double-gated entries and exits for safety. What about the cleanliness of the facility? The camp should be clean, odor-free and germ-free with special equipment to filter the air. Is there a process in place to make sure that no one else can pick up your dog?
• What training have the camp staff members undergone? Are they just warm bodies or were they trained to understand and address the needs of dogs. Do they appear to be loving and caring toward the animals in their care?
• What requirements does the facility have for accepting new members? Do dogs have to be neutered or spayed and be current on all vaccinations? What about tick or flea prevention?
• When does the doggy day care feed the dogs? At what times? Do you have to bring special dog food for your dog's individual needs or does the camp supply the food?
• What happens in the case of emergency accident, dog-fight, or illness? Is there a veterinarian on staff or nearby?
• Are there scheduled activities that are facilitated by staff members or does the activity just consist of dogs playing with each other or walking the dogs?
• Do they separate the small dogs from the large dogs? Is there just one communal area or are there separate areas for separate types of dogs in terms of size, age or play-style?

  Your best friend could benefit from having socialization with other dogs and staff members because research shows that dogs who encounter more individuals and other dogs are less likely to attack others. Socialization is where the dogs get exposed to other animals, sights and sounds to desensitize them from overreacting to out-of-the-normal situations when they occur at home.

• Other things to look for in a doggy camp are any supplemental services they provide, such as dog obedience training or grooming. This could be a benefit for you in terms of time-savings and for your pet in terms of comfort with the staff members that he sees on a daily basis and with whom he has a relationship. There are even doggy day camps out there that provide ancillary services such as pet-sitting, dog-walking, fields trips and excursions for dogs.

If you're not sure that your dog will like day care, you can always take him to visit one for a couple of hours to see how he responds before committing to it. The last thing you want to do is to have to worry about him all day on his first day at camp.

If you're worried about your best little furry friend being lonely or sad while you're at work, research and compare several local doggy day camps or doggy day cares before setting on one. You might also want to ask for references from the facility and check with the Better Business Bureau (you can do this online) to determine if there have been any complaints about the facility.