There are some very serious problems with pack walks and dog day care and it needs to be recognised. While there are some good and GREAT dog day cares and walkers, there are also some that will affect your dog for a very long time.
There really are some great ones out there, no doubt about it. They truly care about your dogs, they will pick and choose dogs that may fit into their routines and can easily be around other dogs of similar temperaments and play styles.
They understand that not ALL "socialisation" is good for all dogs.
They are able to watch how dogs play and decipher the most subtle ways dogs can interact.
They stop dogs if they can see a dog becoming too pushy in play, becoming too hyper or is going over their threshold.
They encourage rest and breaks, several times a day (which is crucial).
They group dogs that respect each other in play, and can see that how these dogs play and interact is healthy and (importantly) they know the difference.
As crazy as it may sound these are the places that say "sorry...your dog just isn't suitable for this environment" and if you have been told this, respect it...they have YOUR dogs best interests at heart.
Then there are the other places.
These are the ones to avoid, there is no thought to how the dogs interact, they will just be forced to interact with each other. They will leave dogs to sort out their own issues, and dogs will....they can become reactive, defensive, scared and even shut down. They will not stop interactions before they start as they cannot see what is ABOUT to happen....it will happen and they either don't care or just genuinely do not see that a serious issue is about to occur.
Rest isn't encouraged because it is virtually impossible to get these over stimulated dogs to rest, they are switched "on" and have adrenaline surging through them for hours and hours a day, sometimes 6 - 8 hours a day. Non stop.
Running and playing for hours easily creates an adrenaline fueled dog and that dog may crash when they come home from exhaustion.....but on the days they don't attend you may have a dog that can't settle, paces, whines, is nervy, jumpy and cannot rest or be calm.
They may seek more adrenaline, more activity, more entertainment....more, more, more!
They can easily become leash reactive as they are used to removing themselves from situations when other dogs are near. When they are on a lead, those options are removed and they can become scared or frustrated at the mere glimpse of another dog when you are walking them on the street.
They may start to screech, bark and attempt to get closer to any dog they see when walking with you as they have always been able to meet another dog they may want to.
"Easily solved, your dog just needs more, more "socialisation" more interactions with dogs off lead, more exercise".....NO, these dogs need the opposite and that needs to be very carefully implemented.
EASILY 80% of all of our reactive clients have a day care or pack walk history.
I hear "I wish I never took my dog there", "I thought I was doing the right thing".....and that is one of the hardest things to hear because "socialising" is drilled into these people over and over again.
Don't be fooled by all of those social media posts and videos showing dogs running around and having a "great time"...when dog trainers look at that same footage we can cringe at what we see.
Choose your day care, dog kennels and pack walkers carefully.
What does a day look like?
Is there regular and "enforced" rest?
Do they have insurance?
Is there enough staff to handle the amount of dogs and what is the plan in place if something goes wrong?
How do they transport the dogs safely and is there temperature controls in place?
How do they group dogs?
Do they have the ability to separate dogs if needed?
Look at reviews critically and with an open mind.
Are the recommendations in the local Facebook pages from friends or relatives of the owners, do those same people always seem to recommend these places on social media?
Do they allow unneutered dogs or unspeyed dogs?
How would they handle a fight?
Do they allow young puppies or smaller dogs to interact with much bigger dogs, why have they made that decision?
What does a day look like and is it structured for multiple breaks and down time or is it all dogs on the go ALL day?
Choose who you use carefully and don't base your decision solely on videos or photos of dogs "having a great time".
There is a LOT to consider.
All the best and I hope this helps you find the perfect place for your dog.
If you are struggling with some of the issues mentioned, especially if you have a dog that is difficult to calm or is "hyper", you may find this video helpful.
Comments