I made a decision to rescue a red-zone dog in October. 6 weeks before I had to go on my annual vacation which would only allow two dogs. (Signal made three).

Because of this very issue I did NOT want to use a boarding or daycare facility. So I researched and found a very reputable (recommended by my vet) pet sitter business who had been in business a long time. I had them come to my house and meet my dogs (all) and made sure they were comfortable in handling them all.

They handled Signal and the vacation flawlessly, passing my test. Even though I was leaving Signal this time, there might be a time in the future where an emergency may keep me away from home (such as if I was hospitalized from a car accident). In this case a quick phone call will have my dogs taken care of. The information (a "please call these people to take care of my dogs" typed card) is in my wallet between my driver's license and my insurance card.

Also, for many of us who live in disaster areas, what if you have trouble getting home? Is there someone, an neighbor or close friend, who might swing by to ensure the dogs are ok?

I have arranged for my next door neighbor to not only turn off my gas and water, but to go into the yard and give the dogs their food and make sure they have water!

I worked local and national disasters for 15 years and please believe what Cesar says about the emotional challenge, even under the best of circumstances! It is a thousand times more difficult, if you wait until there is a personal emergency or situation, to try to come up with solutions like these, no matter which option you chose!

I got a rescue pup at 10 weeks and worked too far from home to come home and let him out midday . . . so I took him to daycare for most of the first year of his life. He has turned out to be VERY well-socialized with dogs and people and I don't regret the expense (not cheap at $17 a day!!) It was a huge rationalization for me, it's cheaper than human daycare!!

The idea of a "pack" at a dog day care doesn't really apply to me as the dogs who come are different every day. (To me, a pack is a group of wolves - a breeding pair and their offspring.) Normal dogs (without physical problems, who had a good start in life (i.e. not removed from the litter too soon)) normally & naturally are hard-wired with ritualistic behaviors that help them avoid serious conflict... Check with dog daycares and make sure they have a high staff to dog ratio. There should be at least one person for every 10 dogs and at least 2 people on the floor observing dogs at all times. Ask what kind of cleaning supplies they use and ask if the floor is non-slip... Bleach for example cleans and kills germs but when mixed with ammonia, found in urine, it creates a noxious toxic gas... Ask the daycare what methods they use to control the group of dogs. Time outs and redirection should be the most prominent methods used. Squirt bottles are acceptable to me but maybe not others. Choose a daycare that has a nap time mid day. Avoid daycares that would use physical punishment for any reason. Choose a daycare that prides itself in safety. A daycare that employs trainers who use primarily positive reinforcement based training methods would be my pick. (I would not trust the skills of any trainer or person using punishment techniques. Not only would I disagree with anyone treating my dog in such a way but it could damage my dog. Punishment can have terrible side effects, including aggression.) A good trainer should be using up-to-date training techniques have up to date certifications through a reputable program, be skilled in reading dog body language, and have a good understanding of how dogs learn. Daycare can be a great thing, but it is not right for every dog. Choose a daycare that evaluates dogs before they come for their first day. When dogs play together there is always a chance of an injury but it is rare because dogs are social animals. Normal dogs (without physical problems, who had a good start in life (i.e. not removed from the litter too soon)) normally & naturally are hard-wired with ritualistic behaviors that help them avoid serious conflict... Socialization has wonderful benefits if you can find a good safe daycare. Watch your dog upon coming and going from the facility. The dog might be apprehensive for the first few visits. That's normal. As soon as you depart the dog normally relaxes and normally begins to have fun. If that never goes away & he seems horrified, listen to him. He doesn't want to be there for some reason, so find an alternative. PS Daycare does not replace or change the amount of exercise needed for most dogs!

As the owner of a dog day care and a Certified Pet Dog Trainer, I have seen this scenario so many times that I can easily agree with the first paragraph. However, I offer the following expansion on these initial comments.

We also offer boarding, but when I speak to potential clients, I recommend these solutions in this order:

1. Take your dog with you!
2. Have someone you know and trust to stay at your home while you are away.
3. Have someone stop by to do the necessary things and spend some time exercising and visiting with your dog.
4. Have your dog stay at a friend's home, ideally someone who knows the dog well and where your canine companion has been before.
5. Board your dog.

Mr. Millan wrote, "Research a number of facilities before making a decision." Research is not enough; visit the facility, meet the owners and employees, and check their references. And be aware that a kennel that meets a friend's dog's needs may not be suitable for your puppy.

"Dog day care can be a fantastic pack experience for your pet if he is socialized on a regular basis." I (think I) understand vetfirst's pack commentary, and I agree with it. Dogs come and go all day long, and the mix changes almost by the minute, so at least for us (and the numerous other day cares I've visited), I don't see pack behavior (a muddy term to begin with) developing, particularly in a properly supervised environment.

"A reputable day care facility will turn away a dog with behavioral problems right from the start." Confusing. Is _any_ behavioral problem unacceptable? We allow dogs who jump up on people (and we teach them not to with inoffensive methods). We let in very barky dogs. What about shy dogs? A little shy, somewhat shy, or very shy - so shy, in fact, that there's the potential for fear biting, particularly where a clueless puppy who cannot yet read body language very well is involved? Do we not let the puppy in? And there are so many gotchas here. How are the dogs evaluated? Who is doing the evaluation and what is their experience?

"Since they have a “pro-pack” approach to taking care of dogs, so insecure, fearful, aggressive, or dominant dogs do not make good candidates because it takes one unstable dog to send the whole place into chaos." Day care is a valuable tool in dealing with insecure or fearful dogs - with the right environment. One of our best day care dogs started out with such significant separation anxiety that she was a danger to herself, but we spent a lot of time working with her (read Patricia McConnell's "I'll Be Home Soon"); should she have been kept out of day care? If it's true aggression (the dog intends to cause damage), hopefully the owner already has enough of a clue to not even try to put the dog in a play group. Dominance is a whole 'nother topic. . . What is an unstable dog? Pet pooches have good days and bad days, just like people do. And even a generally good dog can cause chaos, which is why experience and supervision are necessary on the day care floor.

Dog day cares are a tremendous resource, provided that they are properly equipped to deal with their canine charges. This entry has a thesis, but I'm not sure where it was trying to go from there. - g^2

SHE IS A 5MONTH OLD CHOCOLATE LAB.

HOW DO I MAKE MY PUPPY STOP BARKING WITHOUT INVESTING IN A SHOCK COLLAR?
HOW DO I MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM THE PUPPY BEING CRATE TRAINED TO HER BEING HOUSE TRAINED?

Desperate #10 -- We humans shouldn't try to STOP a dog from barking. Barking is a natural behavior that dogs have to do. Patricia McConnell was mentioned in an earlier post, and she writes a lot about how humans always try to stop their dogs from barking. What you need to do is train the puppy what kind of barking is appropriate (some IS) and what kind is not (based on your preferences). I think it's unrealistic to expect your dog to stop barking altogether. I imagine the kind of barking you're referring to is demand-barking, or separation-barking. Remember that your dog is a puppy -- she is still learning her place in the world and her place in your pack. Puppies do not like to be separated from their pack -- she sees you as the only pack she knows, and if she is barking while separated from you, that's her way of communicating unhappiness. Give her some challenges, toys to play with, etc if she is in the crate or outdoors without you. Give it time, and involve yourself in a good training program. I can' recommend anything about crate training because I don't use crates. I have always housebroken my dogs the old-fashioned way -- newspaper spread on the kitchen floor and teaching them to go to the door when they need to do their business.

My experience with dog daycare has been very positive! We live far from "town", and have an extremely high energy Lab that must walk/run/bike/ski at least 2 miles a day to keep her (and us) sane and happy.
She was evaluated by the owners first, and on the 3-4 days a month when noone can take her out, she goes to daycare. She blasts around the facility for 9 hours straight with the other dogs, wrestling, playing, jumping in and out of the wading pools, etc.
When I pick her up she is happy and very tired. Since she is our only dog, it has really helped her socialization!

hi! my husband and i would like to start up a doggy day care. we will be buying a house in ga with 1 acre of land. what are the laws on this type of business. and with it being owner operated it will be just the 2 of us. what is the best way to get started? we own 3 dogs now. one pitt bull/mix and 2 american bull dogs. very good dogs and very socialized with other dogs. we love dogs. and i believe this is something i would love to do.

Need some advise on how to control barking. We have 3, Maltese, Chauwawa (spelling)mix, and a Beechon/Poodle mix. They even bark at us when we make noise in another part of the house. It doesn't continue for long periods of time but it is often. What can we do?