How Lockdown Led to the Rise of Doggy Day Care
Doggy day care has always been popular for people with a love of dogs who just didn't have enough time to care for them properly without help. To ensure their dogs get the attention, exercise and training they need, using a doggy day care can help ensure safer pet care than some people are able to provide alone; and if you use a GPS dog tracker, you can even monitor your pooch's activities while they are there.
Effect of the Pandemic on Puppy Sales
During the pandemic, a breathtaking 3.2 million households in the UK got a new pet. Lockdown in the UK meant that all those people who felt unable to keep a dog before, now had more free time and daytime availability than ever before. As a result, there was an unprecedented demand for puppies.
Research by the UK Kennel Club found that more than one in four new dog owners admitted to buying a puppy on impulse during lockdown. It's no wonder, then, that the demand for doggy day care has skyrocketed too. With people now returning to offices and work outside the home, the demand for reliable daily dog care will only rise.
What is Doggy Day Care?
Doggy day care is a facility where you can take your dog or puppy to be cared for by a professional dog sitting team. This is not like a boarding kennel where they stay overnight or for several days at a time. Rather, it's more like school—you drop them off in the morning and pick them up at the end of the day. There will be activities for the dogs both indoors and outdoors, with plenty of time to play with other dogs and people, and places to rest as well.
For some owners, doggy day care is an occasional treat of once or twice a week. For others, full-time work, or combined work and childcare, mean that they just don't have enough hours in the day to ensure the four-legged member of the household gets all their needs met on a daily basis, so they use dog sitters more regularly.
Benefits of Doggy Day Care
Sending your furry friend out to be cared for by someone else a few times a week might sound cruel to some. You might have heard people ask why you would have a dog if you are just going to pay someone else to take care of it. However, attending a multi-dog sitting facility a few times a week can have a lot of benefits in addition to the obvious convenience for the owners:
- Additional socialisation with both people and other dogs
- Opportunity to play until exhausted
- Abundant off-lead activity
- Exposure to different places and experiences
- Prevention of excessive attachment to owners that results in separation anxiety
- You have time to yourself without having to worry about getting back home for your dog
How to Choose the Best Doggy Day Care
Some doggy day care places offer basic equipment and space, and some other facilities have acres of land for dogs to run and play in, extensive playgrounds full of every kind of toy imaginable, and some will even have pools for the dogs to swim in. Some might even have a GPS for dogs to track their movements.
You can generally expect dog sitters to be animal lovers who are experienced in their care. Most of them will be trustworthy and reliable, but how do you know you have found a good one who will take the best care of your beloved pooch and ensure he has everything he needs?
If you want to find out how your dog copes while away from you, you can enjoy peace of mind with a lightweight and reliable Safer Pet GPS dog tracker. With the easy-to-use app you can track your dog in real time to ensure they are being well looked after and are getting adequate exercise while in doggy day care.
Tips for Finding Great Dog Care
Here are our 3 top tips of what to look for in a great doggy day care:
- Ask for a tour of the facilities. You will be able to see if the space is clean and well managed and whether the dogs are happy and cared for. There should be indoor and outdoor play areas, access to fresh water and toileting facilities, and space for animals to find some quiet time if they need it.
- Find out about the ratio of staff to number of dogs to ensure there are enough carers to cope with the number of animals on site. It should be no more than 8-10 dogs per person.
- Check that they have the proper licences, if required in the area, and find out about the qualifications and experience of the staff, including animal first aid.
Luckily, the availability of doggy day care means that your lockdown puppy can still have days full of the rich, varied and safe experiences they deserve.