One of the latest trends for dog parents is to send their pups to doggie daycare so their little furry ones aren’t home alone all day while they are busy at work. It may seem a bit extravagant at first, but once your pup comes home happy and tired after a busy day playing with friends and burning off energy instead of destroying your house while you’re away, you begin to see the importance of doggie daycare.
But with so many dog daycares popping up, how do you choose the right one for your dog? Here’s our list of what to look for in choosing a good day daycare.
Tips for Finding the Best Dog Daycare
Doggy daycare is great for busy pet parents who don’t want to leave their furry loved ones alone all day. But you want to make sure you find the right dog daycare for you and your pet. Before you leave your dog, here are a few things to consider when choosing the facility.
Tour the Facility
Not all dog daycares are going to be the right fit for you and your dog. You need to be able to assess the facility before you leave your dog. Ask for a tour so you can see that the environment your dog will be in. Is it clean and properly sanitized? What safety precautions are in place? If tours are not allowed, that should be a big red flag. On your tour look for:
- Cleanliness: Don’t expect to be able to eat off the floor, but the daycare facility should be tidy and smell decent. See if accidents are being cleaned up quickly and make sure the other dogs look healthy.
- Ventilation: Whether through open doors or an air change system, the dogs should be getting plenty of fresh air.
- Fencing & Gating: Fencing is usually what keeps dogs separated for safety and from escaping. Make sure all the fencing looks sturdy and that they are high enough to keep any super dogs from jumping over them. Look for wait gates or a double gated area where new dogs are given a change to get acclimated before joining the entire play area.
Insurance
Make sure wherever you leave your dog is bonded and properly insured. If something were to happen to your dog or if your dog were to cause damage, the doggy daycare needs to have the insurance to cover those costs.
Supervision & Staff-to-Dog Ratio
You’ll want to know who will be in charge of your dog during their stay and how many staff are on duty at a time. A good doggy daycare will provide proper supervision to ensure safely and good doggy behavior. Look for a staff-to-dog ration of about one person for every 10-15 dogs. At Lucky Dog Pet Lodge, we groups dogs together according to size and energy level. And dogs are supervised at all times while playing together.
Experience
This goes along with supervision and staff, but it’s good to know how long the daycare has been in business, who is in charge and what kind of experience they have when it comes to dogs. Look for online reviews of the doggy daycare and ask around to see if it comes highly recommended.
Offers Boarding as an Option
If you are also interested in boarding your pet at some point, it doesn’t hurt to find a daycare that also offers boarding services. It will be easier on your dog to be left overnight someplace if he’s already familiar with the place and enjoys going there to play.
Size
This is one instance where size really does matter. One of the main reasons to bring your pet to a doggy daycare is for them to get some exercise and escape the boredom of being cooped up inside all day. Make sure the facility you choose has both indoor and outdoor space for your dog to play and run around. Inside, look for between 70 to 100 square feet of off leash running space. Lucky Dog Pet Lodge is the dog daycare with the largest outdoor play area in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul metro. We even have special K9Grass that is specially designed for dogs to play on. The non-toxic, antimicrobial grass eliminates mud and increases cleanliness and safety.
Is Today Your Dog’s Lucky Day?
Contact us online or give us a call if you are in the Bloomington, MN area and are interested in learning more about our dog daycare. We’d be happy to walk you through our new member process as well as schedule a tour.
