City Puppies - Putting Your Pups In Print With Our Coffee Table Books About Dogs

Tips for selecting a doggy daycare
provided by Chance to Run Dog Daycare in Salisbury, MA

Prior to enrolling your dog in a daycare, make an appointment to tour the facility. If tours are not allowed it would be unwise to enroll your dog. Of course you should respect the routine of the daycare and expect a tour when it is least disruptive to the population. The two most important goals of any well run dog daycare are socialization and exercise. An indication of a "fun" day will be a tired and well behaved dog when you pick him.her up. Supervised dogs together are the best partners in exercise and play.

Considerations:

Look at the general layout of the facility. Is it an indoor/outdoor?
Are there separate areas for small and large dogs?
Note the cleanliness of both indoor and outdoor areas.
Observe the play area. Is the size appropriate for safe play and exercise? What is the size of the group?
What safety measures are in place regarding accident prevention and safe containment? How high is the fence?
Is the staff experienced? What is the staff ratio per dog? 10-15 dogs to 1 staff person is optimal.
What is the level of supervision?
Is there a scheduled rest period? How long? Where?
Note the daily operating hours. Is there a charge for late pick up or cancellation?

Why dog daycare?

If you work long hours and feel that your dog is not getting the exercise and attention you know he/she deserves...
If your dog has high energy and leaves you exhausted...
If your dog is destroying your home or constantly barking when left alone...
If you note behaviors such as twirling, biting himself/herself, or tail chasing - your dog might be telling you "I'm bored!"

Notes from City Puppies:

You have to remember that a dog daycare should be considered the same way you consider schools for your children, because our dogs are our children. Chance to Run Daycare is a place that we are proud to know and have worked with. The care and knowledge from their staff are exactly what you want to find in a daycare and we would proudly drop our dogs off to them at any time. If they allowed people, we know Nick would sign up.

You can reach them at www.chancetorun.com.