About Dog DAycare

The Benefits of Doggie Daycare

Mental stimulation, exercise, and engagement are the primary reasons many owners choose to send their dogs to daycare and be in dog play groups . For dogs that struggle to be alone with destructive behaviors like barking or chewing, daycare can be a great option to help your dog as you also work on teaching your dog more appropriate skills at home or with the assistance of a trainer.   In some situations, dog daycare can be helpful for dogs who are struggling with separation anxiety as a temporary solution while their families work with a positive reinforcement-based trainer, their veterinarian, and possibly a veterinary behaviorist to work through the dog’s underlying anxiety issues. Daycare is not the place to eliminate these behaviors. It is the hope that some dogs will benefit from the social and mental engagement with other dogs.

Our well-run and supervised dog daycare in Pembroke assists owners because of the structured format of our dog daycare program. Instead of dog parks where dogs of unknown health and temperament are set loose (not infrequently resulting in fights, injury, and the spread of illness), our dog daycare involves a more structured and supervised opportunity for dogs to play together. 

We utilize a dog behavior guidance system, through The Dog Gurus, so that our Dog Coaches are all using the same handling techniques and verbal cues. Consistency and structure help form healthy habits while your dog attends daycare at Doggie Works.  The goal of Doggie Works is to provide an environment and experience where your dog is having a balanced day with equal parts mental and physical stimulation together with rest and naps. So, your dog goes home tired and happy but not exhausted.

We LOVE our Dog Daycare pups BUT. . .

 Daycare may not be for every dog.

When considering if your dog should go to dog daycare, it’s important to consider if it’s someplace your dog will enjoy going to, or if it’s an experience your dog will like or benefit from. Doggie Works strives to be an environment that feels like home and is comfortable, with blankets, beds and toys, is smaller in size and able to provide more attentive care to your pet than a larger dog daycare facility.

But is dog daycare good for all dogs? Although many dogs thrive in a dog daycare environment, attending dog daycare isn’t right for every dog, or for every stage in a dog’s life. Every dog is a good dog, but not every dog has the right temperament for dog daycare.

It’s true that most dogs start out as very dog social or are happy to engage with a variety of other dogs when they are puppies. 

However, as dogs reach maturity, most dogs, become more dog tolerant or dog selective.

Dog tolerant, or neutral dogs, may get along with most types of dogs, but still require supervision by our Dog Coaches to help them coexist when interacting to remain successful. Based on our dog evaluation process as outlined by our training system from The Dog Gurus, dogs are evaluated as green, yellow or red in behavior. A smaller percentage of dogs can be aggressive or uncomfortable with all dogs. These dogs are considered red in behavior and do not pass the temperament test. Some of the dogs with traits that are considered yellow, slightly showing signs of stress, will get a conditional pass in hopes that they will adjust to the dog daycare environment with more exposure. And lastly, dogs that receive a green evaluation are dogs that easily pass the temperament test and readily get along with other dogs. Green dogs display a neutral disposition and have loos, rounded body language.

There is a preconceived notion that most, if not all dogs, are dog social, however, that isn’t the case. Only a small percentage of dogs remain highly dog social throughout their whole lives. 

You should be prepared for the fact that not every dog is suited for dog daycare. Sometimes, depending on your dog’s ability to socialize, daycare services could make you dog uncomfortable if your dog falls under any of the following categories:

• Poorly, or simply unsocialized, puppies or dogs are likely to be overwhelmed, over stimulated, aggressive, or anti-social at daycare.

• If there are, or have been, any signs of dog or human aggression, then daycare could be uncomfortable or even unsafe for your dog, other dogs attending the dog daycare, and the team providing care.

• If your dog/puppy has not been fully vaccinated, your dog/puppy is potentially susceptible to illness. Much like a child can get the cold or flu at a children’s daycare, dogs/puppies are susceptible to their own kinds of illnesses.

• Any unaltered pets are challenging to incorporate in dog daycare activities and group play and therefore, are not permitted to attend until they have been spayed or neutered. Again, this keeps both dogs and team       members safe.

Our dog daycare team will do an initial assessment of your dog to determine if they are suited for our dog daycare services, considering their temperament test behavior.  

The Temperament Test and What It is

At Doggie Works, the assessment of your dog begins by letting your dog meet the Dog Coaches to ensure that they can handle your dog with relative ease, touch your dog's collar, hold their leash, and approach them without signs of fear or aggression. They will complete a short Q & A with you before you leave your dog for approximately 30 minutes.

After owners leave our daycare, the Dog Coaches will allow your dog to meet a few dogs of varying sizes and personalities in a controlled area. If that goes well, your dog and their new friends will be brought into a larger play area.

After being given an opportunity to sniff and explore for a few minutes, new dogs will be introduced, one dog at a time. This gives the team the opportunity to see if your dog is going to continue to be comfortable with meeting dogs as the group gets larger and larger. If tails are wagging and positive introductions are made, then you will be able to schedule your dog for a full daycare experience. If we express to you that your dog does not enjoy daycare or is not the right fit for their daycare group, it doesn’t mean that your dog is bad. It means that your dog simply doesn’t want to be there.

The Doggie Works team offer full transparency, as our goal is to provide the safest, most fun experience for all dog daycare visitors. If your dog shows signs that they aren’t suited for daycare, the team will be open and honest about it with you, the owners. We understand that you want the best fit for your dogs.