Doggy Care Care
Guest contributor - Niki Elliott
Niki and Kay are one of our Recommended Puppy Schools. They run Puppies in Balance Puppy School in Bryanston/Sandton and in Melkbosstrand, Cape. CLICK HERE to find out more about them.
Niki and Kay are one of our Recommended Puppy Schools. They run Puppies in Balance Puppy School in Bryanston/Sandton and in Melkbosstrand, Cape. CLICK HERE to find out more about them.
(From FOTD - do ensure that the people you are entrust your puppy or dog with, have the necessary qualifications to be able to do this responsible job)
If your puppy is home alone every day of the week from 8:00am – 5:00pm, and you would like to have a safe, secure place to send him, where he can learn some “stuff” and have fun playing with other puppies then send him to Day Care.
Puppies attending day care must be well socialized, have had their first three vaccinations, and must have been dewormed in the previous month before their first day of attendance. Deworming must then be carried out every three months. Tick and flea control must be carried out strictly according to instructions on the relevant product used. This is an absolutely essential as it is not only for your dog’s safety but for all the other dogs attending the day care.
Times have changed over the past 10 years and in most households both adults work away from home. We are also living in smaller spaces either because of financial restraints or for better security. If we have pets – especially dogs this can be a worry especially if the dogs make a noise whilst their “family” is not there. This can be a result of lots of noises going on behind the surrounding high walls which make the pup/dog anxious. The dog could be bored and has been left with nothing to entertain itself with and has learnt that barking makes him feel better. Lack of exercise and training because of the long hours that their owners work. Fear of being alone because for the first month of their life Mom & Dad stayed at home to look after the pup.
Owners come home to a stressed out dog, annoyed neighbours as well as destruction and mahem. They might find a note on their door telling them to remove their dogs immediately or move out. This can be really stressful to everyone.
You might also have a small puppy that needs feeding 3 times a day or a dog that needs medication and there is nobody at home to do this. Does your pup/dog require grooming and you don’t want to leave him in a small cage all day after he has been groomed because there is nobody at home to receive him. Day Care is the ideal place for your pup/dog in this case.
Doggy Day care is exactly what it says. It is a safe secure place where you can drop off your dog/pup on your way to work and collect him on your way home. Most Day Care facilities in South Africa are in private homes where the dogs are allowed to play in the garden with their friends, taken for walks and maybe given a little bit of training during the day. There should be shelter for the dogs during the day from the sun and rain. The area the pups/dogs are in must be large enough to accommodate the number of dogs, away from cars entering and leaving, away from a swimming pool and be completely escape proof. It is also essential that the area is kept clean and faeces is pick up at least twice a day. There should be toys for the dogs to play with and plenty of filled water bowls lying around. There could also be a digging patch and a paddling pool in the area.
When you apply to join Day Care, you should be asked for all your details including any problems your pup/dog suffers from and also for your Vets details in case of an accident or you can ask if the Day Care has it’s own preferred Vet close by. Find out if the staff are fully trained and if there is someone with the dogs all day. How many pups/dogs are enrolled at one time and are the larger breeds/older dogs kept separate from the smaller/younger pups.
The cost of Day Care may differ from place to place. Don’t look for the cheapest place. It is most important for you to know what services they offer and how well trained the staff are. Your pup/dogs care must be of paramount importance. You need to go and have a look at the place and see how the dogs there respond to the staff and the other dogs. Your dog must be happy to go to day care not be cowering in a corner. Go with your gut and if anything isn’t right don’t leave your dog there. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to know that the facility is a good one. If you don’t know anybody who takes their dog to that particular venue then ask the owner to give you the names of some of their clients.
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