Dog Walking And Doggy Daycare
- Thread starter SuzanneSB
- Start date
DevonW
Well-Known Member
I think dog walking and doggy day care can be a great thing if run correctly. I was considering bringing Thor to doggy daycare because my family doesn't follow instructions at all - I hated coming home from work and having my dog do something bad because my mum thought it was cute.
I would look for someone who is capable of following directions to start --everyone trains their dogs in different ways-- this is what he can and can't have -- if he does this do that type of thing. Someone who can adequately read dog body language especially at a daycare where there are dogs loose together. I would ask them how they would handle certain situations such as barking and rude dogs
I'd like to see them handle their own dogs first. I'd like to know where my dog is going to be walked. Whether or not you're going to keep him on leash all the time --if not is the area away from busy roads? Is it fenced? What are potential dangers around? (This is also a trick question because I don't want anyone walking my dog off leash except me)
Are you insured? To you have your business license? All those fun legalities because dogs can and are a liability in most places.
I ended up choosing not to go with a Doggy Daycare because all the ones around me were run by people who believed that because they owned a dog they knew everything.
I would look for someone who is capable of following directions to start --everyone trains their dogs in different ways-- this is what he can and can't have -- if he does this do that type of thing. Someone who can adequately read dog body language especially at a daycare where there are dogs loose together. I would ask them how they would handle certain situations such as barking and rude dogs
I'd like to see them handle their own dogs first. I'd like to know where my dog is going to be walked. Whether or not you're going to keep him on leash all the time --if not is the area away from busy roads? Is it fenced? What are potential dangers around? (This is also a trick question because I don't want anyone walking my dog off leash except me)
Are you insured? To you have your business license? All those fun legalities because dogs can and are a liability in most places.
I ended up choosing not to go with a Doggy Daycare because all the ones around me were run by people who believed that because they owned a dog they knew everything.
648117
Honored Member
With the daycare, I would want to know that there will always be someone watching the dogs.
When we were getting some renovations done at our house we sent our two cavaliers to daycare for a couple of weeks and one day when we went to get them the people told us how they lost our dogs for a bit.
I think they thought the story was funny but it actually just showed that no one was wtching all the dogs, anything could have happened, what if there had been a fight?
What happened was they couldn't find our dogs outside (the daycare has an indoor and outdoor bit, they do grooming too, I think they just let the dogs run around while they groom so arn't really watching them all that well). There was a van parked in the yard where the dogs were (belonging to one of the people who work there, it was all properly fenced) and they eventually realised that our dog were curled up asleep in the van (they thought that was very cute and wished they had taken a photo
). But the fact that they didn't know where our dogs were was concerning, thankfully they were safe, but something horrible could have happened while no one was watching. We have not taken any dogs back there and decided not to take Lewis there for grooming because he would not be able to handle all the loose dogs running around.
When we were getting some renovations done at our house we sent our two cavaliers to daycare for a couple of weeks and one day when we went to get them the people told us how they lost our dogs for a bit.
I think they thought the story was funny but it actually just showed that no one was wtching all the dogs, anything could have happened, what if there had been a fight?
What happened was they couldn't find our dogs outside (the daycare has an indoor and outdoor bit, they do grooming too, I think they just let the dogs run around while they groom so arn't really watching them all that well). There was a van parked in the yard where the dogs were (belonging to one of the people who work there, it was all properly fenced) and they eventually realised that our dog were curled up asleep in the van (they thought that was very cute and wished they had taken a photo
). But the fact that they didn't know where our dogs were was concerning, thankfully they were safe, but something horrible could have happened while no one was watching. We have not taken any dogs back there and decided not to take Lewis there for grooming because he would not be able to handle all the loose dogs running around.
MaryK
Honored Member
I would definitely want any one walking my dog to be properly accredited by a Positive Reinforcement Training Center. This may be a bit harsh, but as my boys are very precious to me, I would want to be absolutely certain that anyone handling them was properly qualified. Just as the same if I had kids.
Doggy Day, the same and also that they are properly watched ALL the time. I wouldn't have thought that cute either what happened to Holly and Lewis if it had happened to my boys, I too would have been disgusted.
There was a doggy day care very close to me, I was going to send Ra Kismet there for a day or two a week, but didn't do so as I saw the owner behave rather badly towards a dog who was in for grooming and awaiting the return of his/her owner. The center has recently closed down, not I feel, entirely due to the economic situation here either.
I agree with DevonW, all those questions are relevant.
Doggy Day, the same and also that they are properly watched ALL the time. I wouldn't have thought that cute either what happened to Holly and Lewis if it had happened to my boys, I too would have been disgusted.
There was a doggy day care very close to me, I was going to send Ra Kismet there for a day or two a week, but didn't do so as I saw the owner behave rather badly towards a dog who was in for grooming and awaiting the return of his/her owner. The center has recently closed down, not I feel, entirely due to the economic situation here either.
I agree with DevonW, all those questions are relevant.
648117
Honored Member
It wasn't Holly and Lewis it was the cavaliers we had before them. I would never take Lewis to daycare, he would not be able to handle all the dogs, that's why we went somewhere quiter for grooming, where the dogs get put in individual cages and the lady who does it only grooms small dogs now.
We thought about taking Holly to daycare when she was little to help with socialisation and because she was (and still is) a naughty little brat so everyone could have a break from her but then decided that it could potentially go so wrong and with what happened to our cavaliers (the lack of supervision) I decided it wasn't worth the risk.
raymond upton
Well-Known Member
I was going to take jerry to be boarded the weekend before christmas when we went there a couple weeks earlier they said we'd have to bring him in for a couple of hours trial to see how he behaved when we brought him there the owner met us at the gate and made us fill out two pages of info outside in the cold she had no office we then brought jerry in to where the other dogs were at and she let out a couple of other dogs he was immediately attacked by another dog but he just laid down on his back and submitted the lady then yelled at jerry who'd done nothing wrong then i noticed they're fences were only four feet tall that was a big concerne and i noticed that the owner was the only staff around and she was much too busy to properly supervise all the dogs running around then jerry jumped up on her looking for attention and she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to the ground and yelled at him even after we explained to her we were working on this and if he jumped up to turn her back to him so that was the last straw for that place i wasn't going to leave him with that mean lady
MissyBC
Experienced Member
I run my own dog walking/sitting service from home - started out by word of mouth. 
(and love it - and so do the dogs. All the dogs love me!) (I don't dog sit now that I have my own dog, but I do bring the Shelties that I've known for 8 years over once in a while).
I've been in business for 8 years. All the neighbourhood dog owners used to call me the "dog whisperer of the neighbourhood".
I had a German Shepherd/Collie mix for four years before starting up. I missed my shepherd/collie - she had to be put down because of cancer - and I asked a neighbour if I could walk their dog, but then asked if they would like it if I started watching them in the fall - which turned into a job, which then turned into walking dogs for other neighbours as well.
I hope you get your questions answered. Dog walking/sitting is sooo rewarding!! I love my job (most days)! 
(and love it - and so do the dogs. All the dogs love me!) (I don't dog sit now that I have my own dog, but I do bring the Shelties that I've known for 8 years over once in a while).I've been in business for 8 years. All the neighbourhood dog owners used to call me the "dog whisperer of the neighbourhood".
I had a German Shepherd/Collie mix for four years before starting up. I missed my shepherd/collie - she had to be put down because of cancer - and I asked a neighbour if I could walk their dog, but then asked if they would like it if I started watching them in the fall - which turned into a job, which then turned into walking dogs for other neighbours as well. I hope you get your questions answered.
Dog walking/sitting is sooo rewarding!! I love my job (most days)!
MaryK
Honored Member
Ooops my 'bad' sorry
I don't blame you not taking Holly and Lewis to Doggy Day Care. It's not worth the risk that's for sure!
SuzanneSB
Well-Known Member
Thank you all for your comments, they are fantastic and really helpful.
I am not currently officially trained but would definitely consider this. I do have two dogs of my own but don't think I know everything about dogs, nor claim to be an expert.
I have a few friends who are dog walkers and one is a dog behaviourist and I have watched, learned and taken advice from her for 3 years now.
My dogs are my babies and I would treat any dog the way I would treat mine, with love and care - and boundaries
I am not currently officially trained but would definitely consider this. I do have two dogs of my own but don't think I know everything about dogs, nor claim to be an expert.
I have a few friends who are dog walkers and one is a dog behaviourist and I have watched, learned and taken advice from her for 3 years now.
My dogs are my babies and I would treat any dog the way I would treat mine, with love and care - and boundaries
MaryK
Honored Member
Great, word of mouth and example are the best forms of advertising!!!!!!!!Thank you all for your comments, they are fantastic and really helpful.
I am not currently officially trained but would definitely consider this. I do have two dogs of my own but don't think I know everything about dogs, nor claim to be an expert.
I have a few friends who are dog walkers and one is a dog behaviourist and I have watched, learned and taken advice from her for 3 years now.
My dogs are my babies and I would treat any dog the way I would treat mine, with love and care - and boundaries
