For most dog owners, our animals are like our children, and we treat them as such. We give them all of the love, attention, and affection we can afford. However, with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we can sometimes fall short on this; and their happiness, health, and quality of life can suffer. Thankfully, there are excellent solutions out there to keep your pooch happy and healthy. One very effective solution comes in the form of Doggy Daycare. Doggy daycare provides your pup with many great benefits, some of which you may not be aware of.
1. Socialization
Dogs, by nature, are highly social animals and have a natural desire to be around and interact with others, be it humans or other canine companions. However, when a dog is isolated for long periods of time, their mental health can suffer due to increased stress levels. This can result in many behavioral problems; including barking, whining and howling, destruction, as well as boredom and depression. Feeling neglected for too long can ultimately lead to a dog losing trust in its owner and/or lashing out.
Doggy daycare is probably one of the most important gifts you can give to your dog—and yourself. Regular play with other dogs builds good socialization skills and eliminates owner-absent behavior problems; resulting in a calmer, more confident dog that’s unlikely to bark, bite or become fearful, stressed, or aggressive. In most cases, dogs who attend doggy daycare regularly are transformed into healthier, calmer and more easily controlled pets.
2. Exercise
Exercise is not only crucially beneficial to humans, but is also essential to the health and emotional well-being of our pets. Sometimes though, it can be difficult to find the time needed to provide them with a little exercise, let alone the recommended amount. Our animals rely on us to give them the exercise they need, and when they don’t get it, that energy sometimes manifests itself into bad habits. Lack of proper exercise can lead to excessive barking, destructive behaviors, and health issues (most commonly being weight gain). Doggy daycare more than exceeds those needs, resulting in a healthier and happier dog at home. What’s best, after a day of doggy daycare, your dog will come home ready for a relaxed and quiet evening so you can do the same!
3. Peace of Mind for the Owner
Many dog owners worry about our dogs either being home alone all day or being neglected while working at home remotely. With more people than ever working from home as a result of Covid-19, dog owners are still unable to provide their furry loved ones with the undivided attention they so crave and need, let alone the demands of activity and exercise. It is common for most working people to be at their computer or away from the home for a minimum of 6 hours at a time, more commonly around 8 – 10 hours (a full work day). We end up feeling guilty about leaving them home alone and/or neglecting their needs for playtime and attention. Doggy daycare alleviates that guilt and puts your mind at ease; knowing your dog is being well cared for by professionals while you’re at work, working remotely, or even running errands.
4. Safety
For dogs that are left to their own devices at home, there’s always a lingering concern for their safety. Whether it be getting into the trash, chewing on electrical wires, or destroying personal belongings, we’ve discovered the hard way that they can get into a bit of mischief! At a daycare, the staff keeps a close eye on your dog and ensures they are safe at all times. The daycare environment is set up in such a way as to prevent as many problems as possible, allowing your dog to play with friends and expend all of their energy!
5. A Positive Outlet to Boredom and Anxiety
This point comes back to exercise and socialization. A bored dog will become destructive, channeling their excess energy into chewing, ripping, and destroying anything they can sink their teeth into, literally! An anxious dog will oftentimes defecate/urinate in the house, bark excessively (which can also lead to stress/anxiety between you and your neighbors!), and can also start adopting aggressive behaviors in the long term. Through positive reinforcement in the daycare setting, their energy levels are redirected into positive play habits and acceptable social interaction. They’re provided with enough mental and physical stimulation to dramatically reduce, if not eliminate, all negative behaviors associated with boredom and anxiety.
6. A Cure to Loneliness
Loneliness tends to be a major concern for many dog owners that leave their dogs by themselves for extended periods of time throughout the day or night. Dogs are pack animals, and thus, are inherently social creatures. Loneliness can affect them in the same way it affects humans, leading to stress, anxiety, and depression. A depressed dog will suffer from a lack of energy, becoming withdrawn and inactive, sleeping excessively, and can even experience a loss in appetite. Depression in dogs is very similar to humans. By enrolling your dog in doggy daycare even just a couple times per week, they’ll make friends they look forward to seeing and playing with on a regular basis, allowing them to create social bonds.
7. Lots of Affection and TLC
The attendants at a doggy daycare are there to care for and love your dog when you’re unable to be there. It’s not their goal to replace you, but just sit in for a few hours to keep your dog engaged and happy. The attendants play with your dog, entertaining them and consuming all that pent up energy! They cuddle with them and baby them if they aren’t into playing as much as the other dogs, and they will assist them in interacting with the other dogs in a safe manner.
8. Provides Routine
Like humans, dogs do better with structure in their lives. Dogs are creatures of habit and having a routine provides them with structure and order. A daily routine of walks, playtime, and interaction gives them something to look forward to and makes them feel safe and nurtured. Dogs feel more secure when they have a sense of predictability to their day. However, not all dogs may enjoy going to daycare on an everyday basis. Some dogs are more prone to get tired, stressed, and cranky. Dogs like this would do better going to daycare just a few times per week, but still following a routine.
9. Affordable
Doggy daycare is very affordable considering the amount of interaction and compassion each dog is given by the daycare attendants. They’ll stay engaged all day, ready to come home, relax, and settle in for the night. Weekly and monthly punch packages are often available, allowing you to save even more on daily rates. It’s also not necessary to take your dog to daycare every single day to realize all of the positive benefits from it, making it even more affordable.
10. Belly Scratches From Karnik!
At Karnik Pet Lodge, we provide your dog all of the above benefits for a long, happy, and fulfilled life! Also, all of our daycare attendants are extensively trained and educated under our online learning portal, Karnik University, because the safety of your pup is our #1 priority.
Want to know more about our doggy daycare program? Check it out here. Or if you’re ready to try out daycare and experience all of the benefits, simply fill out a doggy daycare enrollment form here. The benefits will be apparent after your pup’s first visit!
You can also reach out to us via email or phone and we’d be glad to answer any questions. Your pup will be happy you did!
I have a terrier mix, that I adopted, after a year of fostering him. He is a barker, and really does not like other dogs. I took him for a couple of one on one training, then covid …..do you think day care would help?
Hello Sally,
Thank you for reaching out. For dogs who have a hard time getting along with other dogs, we offer individual daycare sessions with one of our trained staff members. It’s a great alternative to the group play setting, where your dog might become stressed and anxious. We would still encourage one on one training with the possibility of slowly introducing another well-behaved dog into the environment. This will help to slowly acclimate your dog to social situations of one or more dogs without the stress and anxiety. Good luck!
All the best,
Karnik Pet Lodge
We have German Shepherd puppy and it was recommended to wait until he is 12 months at least before we neuter him. Is any chance we still get accepted for day care
For the well-being (and no surprises!) of all our guests, we unfortunately don’t allow pups that have not been spayed or neutered. Give him some hugs and kisses for us! We’d love to meet him soon!
All the best,
Karnik Pet Lodge