Puppy Daycare
My dilemma is this... We live in Los Angeles so big open running spaces are few are far between.We also have pretty heavy but manageable travel schedules with our work. I have taken Abby to the local dog park now several times so she can run and play with other dogs, which she loves and is very good at (paw baths not withstanding). I am now considering taking her to Doggie Daycare once a week and when one of us is traveling and the other can not make it home for the lunch walk. Are dog parks and doggie day care derailing the training? Both of these places tend to be a bit of a free for all so she now approaches both of her training classes as a complete spaz and wants to romp and play with every dog. It is making the training classes miserable, especially conformation class. (I admit that I am no dog whisperer when it comes to training but she seemed to listen better before she started these activities) I realize the importance of socializing her and we do take her lots of people/pet-friendly places on the weekends. It is great for her to get accustomed to the activity of a city street, a shopping mall, etc. especially for the ring. I really wanted the park and day care to supplement her exercise opportunities so it is not just walking, with us on a short lead. Any advice would be much appreciated!! Thanks in advance Amy (winkelo) and Abby Los Angeles, CA |
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| I have spent a lot of time talking to trainers about this issue. Many trainers and behaviorist don't like dog parks for herding breeds - the reason appears to be they learn to be pushy and can get in more scrapes than necessary.
I take one of my OES to the dog park - he really finds it a bore. I take the Newfie puppy and he is okay with it. I did use day care for three of our dogs - it was fine and working closely with the people who ran it I was able to pick up on necessary training and enforce training. But they were smart enough to separate my dogs out from the gang when they didn't play properly. we even sent our adult male oes to day care when the newf was a pup so he could reinforce his manners once or twice a week 
More important than socialization is, I think. IMHO training. if your dog doesn't benefit behavior wise from the dog park, or day care don't do it. wait until they are older. Our Irish setter never went to day care, never went to dog park, actually never went to training classes and he is the easiest dog to live with (always has been) his role is a home dog and he does that very well. Our performance dogs in training have other needs - one of which is to learn other dogs are not play things, so too much dog park doesn't help there. Our therapy dog in training needs to learn his place as well. It really depends on your expectations for your dog. Socialization is a loosly used poorly understood term these days. |
| Similar to Kerry, the dog park that we go to runs things in different play groups so it isn't my pack of three against everyone else! They mix it up throughout the day and I've never gotten anything but glowing reports. Everyone that works there is very dog experienced and many are trainers. Even the younger people that stay with the dogs are certified in providing dog day care (I don't know, honestly, what that entails but it seems to work).
Dog day cares that are run like parks wouldn't be my first choice. I like the people there to do stimulating things with them, even if it does just mean changing the scenery or play partners for the dogs. As an aside, Owen's been going with the big boys once a week since he was old enough to do so and he loves it. The socialization part is huge for him. He's done so well that even though they have a 6 month mandatory neuter policy, they're letting Owen stay on because he's so good with everyone. Thank goodness because I didn't know what to do with everyone if they couldn't go! |
| Jake has gone to doggie day camp off and on since he was a puppy (he's 3-1/2 years old). It is well structured and Jake loves the guy in charge. It helps that there is another OES there as well. I work 10 hour days and in the winter I try to send him once a week. Some people send their dogs every single day!!! That gets a bit pricey though. |
| Tonks and Luna LOVE the dog park. We go almost every afternoon. But it is a park they have been going to for a year, since they were 4 months old. They know the majority of the dogs, there, and those dogs know them. When we go to a different park, the girls don't socialize anywhere near as much.
I think if it weren't this specific park, with these specific dogs and owners, we might not go as much. I often do training at the park, as well as free play time. I want to know that off leash, my dogs will obey their commands. And they do. I think its really important, especially in an off leash environment, that the dogs be able to follow all commands. We do Doggie Day Care about once a week. We reserve it for rainy days (no dog park) or days where we know we have a big night out planned, and the dogs will then be tired and sleep while we are gone. Working from home the way we do, we will also use Doggie Day Care in times of short deadlines. The dogs get lots of exercize and fun in, and we get our work done. |
Untill we moved north Dutch went to a doggie play group 2 to 3 times a week for 3 hours in the mornings as she didn't have any other dogs to play with very often and I wanted her to be sociable and she is 
We have a little store near by and they have 5 dogs and Dutch met them all last week and didn't have any problems |
| When Monster was younger she would go crazy at 10pm every night too, for about a half hour. We knew to expect it, and no matter what was happening she would go from "I'm just lazing around relaxing" to "gocrazyfuntimerunaroundrunaroundrunaround!"
Since we've put her in day care once a week and upped her time playing (exercise time) we haven't had any problem with her going crazy at night. Sometimes we put her into daycare twice a week, once without her sister, but mostly it's just the one time. I do have to disagree with what somebody said up above. Right now, at such a young age, is the BEST time to socialize with other dogs. The older a dog gets, the more set in their ways they become, and the harder it can be to socialize them. |
We used to call them "the puppy crazies" Only thing is...I still find Mariah occasionally going thru that routine & she's almost 9 years old!  Good thing my husband figured out how to brace the base of the sectional agasint the wall! |
| I have done both doggie day care and dog parks. The only problem I have is at dog parks is similar to what Kerry mentioned. He is very in your face with other dogs, herding etc. it seems like. So we dont go very often.
There is a new area at the dog park area that is not fenced with trails that run all over the mountainside (away from any roads). I love it and so does Obe. It is an off leash area and not many people use it. We walk past the dog park (fenced area) and I turn him lose. He then has the national forest to run and play in. Occasionally he meets another dog and they play for a few and we continue on. Doggie day care I used once and he was good so they said. Just wanted to play, play and attention, attention, attention. For a day it would be ok but to leave him for a week say I would not do it. Simply because he is in full coat and I would have a mess to deal with upon picking him up. I doubt they would groom him during his stay. |
| Our daycare will do grooming, but of course it's at an extra charge. We've found it's normally cheaper than any other groomer and they do a better job, but different places will obviously bring different results. |
| Even though we do day care, I also wouldn't do it for a full week. Tonks and Luna are like Obe; play, play, play. Day care is really tiring for them. On the odd occasion where we have had a week that we have to take them in twice, they are simply exhausted. Our day care does dog boarding as well, and as much as i wanted to use them ( my girls like everyone there and I like the idea of the familiarity while we are gone) I just didn't want them that tired out. |
Darth Snuggle wrote: Even though we do day care, I also wouldn't do it for a full week. Tonks and Luna are like Obe; play, play, play. Day care is really tiring for them. On the odd occasion where we have had a week that we have to take them in twice, they are simply exhausted. Our day care does dog boarding as well, and as much as i wanted to use them ( my girls like everyone there and I like the idea of the familiarity while we are gone) I just didn't want them that tired out.
when we boarded our dogs at our daycare provider - we were able to ask for specific amounts of playtime and "away" time. we also used a private room for them to facilitate the down time. |
| In general, I just don't care for dog parks. I know that's easy for me to say....I live out in the country on 3 acres with 6 vacant acres on one side & another 3 on the other side, have multiple dogs & they have a nice big dog run to play in. What I find to be the problem is the people who frequent the dog parks. Around here at least, they seem to think a dog park is for turning your dog loose & then not watching them & everything will be OK because their dog loves other dogs. Sorry, not all dogs love all other dogs just the same way people don't like all other people! I have enough of a problem walking my dogs on the walking path & the owners who break the rules by letting their dogs walk without a lead! They are breaking the law & don't even care that another dog could possibly maul their dog in the wink of an eye & they couldn't do anything about it because they have no lead on their dog! Of course the worst part is when their "off-lead" dog comes running at my dog. As for when I do have to board my dogs....they are in their individual kennel runs & when it is time for exercise, I let them know which ones can be put together to play nicely. As for the brushing or grooming..........I ask them to not do any. The dogs aren't in really good shape when I get them back after a week or 2 but I can save more coat dematting them myself. Most places aren't trained in how to groom out a fully coated OES. So I always make sure my vacation is to a really worthwhile place because I know when I get home I am looking at 2 weeks of grooming, dematting & bathing |
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