Almost 50 million households in the United States have furry family members, including 76 million dogs. A dog can be a great addition to just about any family, but busy pet people often struggle to maintain a healthy balance between work, family obligations, and other responsibilities. When you cannot be there for your pet, doggie daycare can. At Playful Pack, we offer the love, playtime, and supervision your pup needs whether you’re at work, at play, or something else. Daycare can be an excellent alternative to dog sitters and dog walkers with exciting activities to enrich a pup’s life and fulfill their instinctual needs. However, not all dogs enjoy the energy of doggie daycare, and some might thrive in a more low-key environment.
How can you tell if daycare is the right choice for your pup?
Dog's Age
Young dogs, specifically those over six months but not quite full adults yet, often love daycare. They tend to be highly dog-social, active and energetic, and excited to explore new sights and smells. The energy of dog daycare suits them well and can help them burn off their puppy energy, which translates to improved behavior at home.
Seniors might be less tolerant of the daycare environment. Older dogs can become more dog-selective as they age, preferring to play with specific doggy friends. Others might be able to tolerate positive interactions with a wide range of dogs but do not necessarily want to play with those dogs. These dogs might still enjoy limited time at daycare, but the benefits might not be as noticeable as with younger, more social pups.
Older dogs that experience dog reactivity or aggression might find doggie daycare to lead to sensory overload and trigger stress and anxiety, making it a poor fit in many cases.
Dog's Temperament
Friendly, outgoing dogs often love dog daycare because it allows them to engage with other people and dogs. They’re not the only ones that can benefit from daycare, however. Dogs with separation anxiety or boredom can also enjoy daycare. When your dog is at Playful Pack, they’ll enjoy ample mental stimulation, physical exercise, and social engagement with other pups and our dog-loving staff. All that activity can translate to fewer instances of destructive chewing and problem barking to ensure better behavior overall.
Choosing the Right Dog Daycare for Your Pup
If you think your pooch would enjoy doggie daycare, Playful Pack encourages you to schedule a free temperament evaluation. You can check out our facilities, designed to meet dog-specific needs in safe, structured environments. Much like a dog park, dogs can meet, play, and interact here, but unlike parks, all interactions occur in a safe, professionally supervised environment. We separate our pups into “packs” according to size, play style, and temperament to ensure each dog’s unique needs are met properly.
Dog daycares can also provide structure and security where dogs can play and interact, but unlike dog parks, the interactions all occur in a safe, supervised environment. At Playful Pack, we separate dogs into “packs” according to size, temperament, play style, and other factors, ensuring each dog’s unique needs are well met.
After your dog’s free temperament evaluation, they’ll get to stay for a day of free daycare, where they can explore our facilities freely. Our locations often offer indoor and outdoor playrooms and a comfortable, cage-free atmosphere where dogs can join in the fun or rest on one of many couches or cots as desired. Activities change daily and include everything from bacon bubbles and themed parties to agility courses and story time. You can keep track of all the fun through live webcam feeds, social media pics and videos, and daily progress reports.
Contact Playful Pack today to schedule your dog’s free temperament evaluation. Find your closest location at PlayfulPack.com.