The God of Frolic

Dogs can generally police their own play pretty well, as long as they are grouped properly and well-behaved. But that does NOT negate the need for competent supervision in a situation like daycare, where play styles and training levels are not congruent. Play must be supervised in person by someone with knowledge of dog behavior at all times! It’s not good enough that someone is observing dogs from a bank of cameras. They won’t be able to intervene if there is a problem.

And does that 18-year-old new employee (who until last week worked at Starbucks) really know anything about dogs? Sadly, this is more common than you think.

The popularity of daycare has given rise to many entrepreneurs thinking that it’s an easy way to make a buck. They don’t know much (if anything) about dog behavior, and haven’t thought through the safety concerns of multiple dogs at play with minimal supervision. They avoid problems with sheer luck. How long will their luck hold out? They may “love dogs,” but taking proper care of people’s pets requires more than love! It requires common sense, business smarts, thorough knowledge of dog behavior, training basics, managerial skills, and more. And unless the dogs who come to the facility bring credit cards strapped to their collars, running a dog boarding/daycare facility requires a love of people, too.

NOTHING irks me more as a canine professional/educator/customer service provider than business owners waxing on about how much they “loooove dogs” and then treating the dogs’ owners with contempt.

Ask your daycare if there have ever been any serious injuries or deaths to dogs in their care. Have them explain.

• Play sessions interrupted by several “time-out” breaks

Time-out is as important during playtime as the playtime itself. It gives dogs a chance to cool down physically as well as mentally, a definite need. Facilities that brag of being “cage-free” may appeal to the dog owner, who thinks cages are “cruel” (and loves how nice and tired Fido is after a day at daycare—what a time-saver!) but time to decompress, rest, and be away from frenetic play is an essential part of being a dog! The dogs can play supervised for a while, then be crated for a while, and then play some more. Is it more work for the employees? You bet. That’s why many places don’t do it, sadly. They allow in too many dogs per day to make it feasible.

Crates keep everyone cozy and safe at night. It’s fine if the facility uses kennel runs, or has small “suites” for this and for time-out.

This helps dogs be less stressed, and stay on their food. Nothing freaks out thoughtful daycare owners more than dogs who quit eating while in facility. If your dog is strictly a day boarder, this isn’t an issue.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but there are people who are just in this business for the money. Do they greet your pup enthusiastically when you arrive? Do they regale you with his exploits when you pick him up? Do they seem to really like him, and the other dogs there? Do they listen to and follow your wishes regarding feeding, playtime, training, and scheduling? Or do you overhear them complaining about certain dogs (or their owners) when they think you aren’t listening?

Many dogs have specific likes and dislikes or certain needs, and it’s not just wishful thinking to wonder if the dog’s needs are being met. You shouldn’t have to wonder. While the staff has lots of charges in their care, the fact that your dog doesn’t want to play with “rough and tumble” dogs, but prefers quieter ones, or gets cranky after too much play, should be heeded. More than once I’ve had clients tell me that they specifically informed the staff about their dog’s play issues, and the staff ignored them, and the dog got into a scuffle, for which he was banned from daycare.

Scuffles and accidents happen. Most dog-savvy people know this, and know what is just going to blow over, and what won’t. They are in charge of keeping all the dogs safe, so they should be concerned when things actually get out of hand. Understanding dog body language and behavior is key to being a good daycare operator. Kicking dogs out because of minor scuffles that the humans misinterpreted is not good business. Nor is allowing “bullies” or fighters to remain, where their behavior is detrimental to the safety of the friendly dogs.

Good daycares have personnel that engage with the dogs, and intervene when necessary. It’s not the most exciting job, which is why some daycares use young people with little or no dog experience. There is a lot to be said for gaining experience on the job, but it shouldn’t be at paying customers’ expense! It takes more than watching a quick video about dogs to know how to keep them safe.

This sounds obvious, but here’s the problem: most easy-to-clean surfaces are simply not safe for dog play, indoors or out. The ones that are both are expensive. Concrete is the cheapest flooring option for large indoor surfaces, and it cleans up nicely, but it can be hell on dogs’ orthopedics. Sealed concrete is ridiculously slippery, sometimes even when dry. Slips and falls happen quite a bit as dogs roughhouse, and dogs are pretty good at hiding injuries. If a dog gets hurt during play, several things can happen. Either he’ll be left in the play area and become very sensitive to contact, which can quickly become aggression towards anything coming at him, or he’ll attempt to remove himself from the fracas and hang in the corner. If the staff doesn’t notice, other dogs will continue to try to engage with him, and he may escalate his attempts to get them to leave him alone.

Not to mention that injuries are painful, emotionally upsetting to owners, and expensive. So are communicable diseases.

Both are preventable, though.

A quality daycare will use better flooring to ensure the dogs’ safety. Rubber matting isn’t cheap, but what price can you put on safety? It needs to be sealed, durable, and checked often for wear and tear. Daily sanitization (unless no new dogs will enter that day) is excellent.

Outside, there aren’t a ton of options. Grass dies quickly underneath playing dogs’ feet. Dirt is horribly messy, and becomes an uneven, and dangerous, surface after a while. Pea gravel drains well, but isn’t exactly comfortable. Mulch is an OK option, if it is in smaller pieces and replenished often (though some dogs like to gnaw on it). There are a few types of rubber matting for outdoors, but I haven’t visited a daycare yet that uses it—it’s very costly. What works best depends on the climate, number of dogs on it daily, and sanitation protocols.

Just because you can cram 100 dogs in a play area doesn’t mean you should! Some facilities don’t turn daycare clients away, and keep packing them in, adding to the incidence of fights and injury. Space is a dog’s main language, and dogs think spatially all the time. They need room to maneuver properly to avoid confrontations and keep the play smooth. Jamming too many dogs in a small play area is asking for trouble, especially if there is only one supervisory employee. Too many dogs in a space creates static, and static creates tension, and tension leads to fights. One of the great things about dogs is that, because they are social creatures, well-adjusted ones do everything in their power to avoid confrontation. By controlling and patrolling the space they play in, experienced humans can keep the play fun and non-threatening.

My Basic and Intermediate training classes all have an off-leash socialization component built in. It makes class go more smoothly, it helps owners learn about their dogs, and it helps dogs learn about being dogs–under competent supervision. Safety is my number one concern, always. I can safely control and patrol a medium-sized yard with up to 12 dogs at a time, and I have done so without incident for over 13 years. I require owners to move about, I keep the dogs moving, I match play styles, and I do not multitask. (It goes without saying that I do not allow aggressive dogs in these groups.) Many of my professional training colleagues do this as well, and they report great success with it. I know for a fact that being prepared for problems and having lots of dog knowledge are crucial to making it work.

Employees should have a workable number of dogs to watch, in a decent amount of space, and they should keep the dogs moving! If a particular dog is not engaging and keeps leaving the play, he should go into “solitary” for a while, as he is clearly saying it’s where he’d rather be.