Q: What kind of experience and expertise should day care personnel at doggy day care have?
A: Dogs are incredibly complex mental and emotional animals, with subtle body language and highly individual needs. Being in day care can be overwhelming, exciting or just downright scary for a dog, so the people in charge should have a good understanding of dog behaviour and empathy for a dog’s specific needs.
Many behaviourists encounter dogs who have been harmed, traumatised or have undergone behaviour changes after being in day care, which highlights the need for highly knowledgeable people with practical experience in this field.
Like much of the pet industry, day cares are unregulated, which means that anyone can open a facility regardless of their qualifications and level of expertise. It’s up to dog owners to thoroughly investigate day care facilities, question the personnel on their qualifications and experience, find out exactly where your dog will be during the day and what activities or interactions he may have with people or other dogs, what will happen to him if he does something wrong (the answer should be “nothing”) and speak to other people or professionals in the field about their experiences or knowledge of particular day cares.
If you notice any changes in your dog’s behaviour, then speak to a positive reinforcement behaviourist immediately, and don’t be shy to remove your dog from a facility if you have any concerns about how your dog is being treated.
There are some amazing day cares out there, run by people with qualifications in dog behaviour and training, who stay up-to-date with current findings in research and ensure that each dog’s needs are investigated and addressed appropriately.
Katherine Brown, behaviourist
