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Doggie Daycare: A Place to Run and Play When You're Away

When you've come home from a long day at the office, all you want to do is relax. Relaxing is not an option when your energetic and exited dog greets you at the door. Or, maybe your dog is so excited to see you because he has a hard time being alone all day. Perhaps you have a puppy that needs to be socialized, and make some friends of his own kind. All these reasons and more are why you should consider bringing your dog to a local doggie daycare. Doggie daycare is a place where you can bring your dog for plenty of socialization, play, and exercise.

Socialization is a key part in ensuring the happiness of your dog. Dogs are pack animals, so they want to be around other dogs. Doggie daycare is a great place to socialize your puppy, because it is a controlled and supervised environment. Your dog will be supervised all day by a trained staff. While it is best to start socializing your dog when he is young, it is never too soon to start socialization or improve your dog's social skills. Once your dog is properly socialized, you can take him to more places, and not have to worry about how he will behave around other dogs.

Part of socialization is learning the "right" way to play. While it may seem strange, there is a proper way for dogs to play. Next time you're at a dog park or around a group of dogs, observe the way they play. You might notice a few bad habits:

1. Two dogs are playing, one dog stops, and the other dog begins to bark because he wants to continue to play.

2. Play that is too rough: this is common with puppies because they do not understand what it means to be gentle.

3. A dog that runs up to other dogs and just barks in their face to initiate play (these dogs aren't the most popular).

These are the most common undesirable behaviors I have seen while working at a doggie daycare. With puppies, these problems can be stopped before they even start. Puppies are "clean slates," and can be shown the proper way to play. With older dogs, it is a little more difficult to correct. It can be corrected, however, especially if the dog comes to daycare often. The more time a dog spends playing with other dogs; he can be corrected, and will improve. It is important to realize that any training received at daycare MUST be continued at home. Consistency is key.

Last, but not least, your dog will get exercise at daycare. Doggie daycare can serve as a supplement to your dog's daily exercise routine. If possible, try taking your dog on a walk before bringing him to daycare. This will allow him to burn off a little energy, but he will still have enough to play throughout the day. Your dog will spend most of the day running around outside with the other dogs and staff. When you pick your dog up from daycare, he will be exhausted, but still happy to see you. You can now go home and spend a relaxing evening with your dog, knowing that tomorrow he will be ready and willing to do it all over again.