If you’ve got a dog, you love to make your dog happy. Is doggie daycare in Toronto right for your dog? Will they be happy there?
A dog daycare is made to be a place for your dog to be happy, but it’s not for every dog. At Paws Playgrounds we have an assessment process to make sure daycare is the right fit for your dog.
Dog Daycare Intake Assessment
Our assessment is a two-step process. It’s designed to make sure that daycare is the right environment for the dog. In order to do this, it begins with the introductory assessment.
Introductory Assessment
The introductory assessment takes place after hours, so the facility is quiet. It’s a meet and greet where you and your dog walk around and get to check the place out. Your pup gets to sniff everything, meet some of our staff and in general get a feel for the place before joining the pack.
Apart from your dog checking the place out, the assessment is also a chance for you to see where your dog will be spending their time and ask any questions that you may have. We describe our processes and thoughts behind daycare, so you better understand what your dog is going to experience when they are in daycare.
Trial Play
Because the dog has had an introductory assessment, when they come for their complimentary trial play, they have some familiarity already with the people and the place which helps ease them into things.
When dropping off at the facility, we quickly bring the dog into our back play area. We want to separate the dog from the owner in a quick and efficient manner so that the dog knows that they are here to play!
Happy and Comfortable is the Goal
The dogs are supervised at all times during the day at our Toronto dog daycare. When a dog comes for a trial, the staff at Paws Playgrounds pays close attention to our new guest to make sure they are not overwhelmed.
“Our goal is to make sure that the dog is happy and comfortable, and that dog daycare is the right environment for your dog.”
When your dog is first introduced to the dog pack in daycare, there’s a lot of sniffing. The new dog gets to sniff out the other dogs and the other dogs get to sniff out the new dog, everybody gets to sniff!
Dogs that Enjoy Dogs and People
Dogs that enjoy being with people and other dogs are usually ideal for dog daycare. Dogs that want to be alone are usually not great candidates for dog daycare.
All trial plays happen during the morning as all of our dogs have the same energy levels at the start of the day. This means for a better environment to introduce potential new pack members to the group.
After the Trial Play
At the end of the assessment and trial play, it’s usually quite clear how well a dog is suited for daycare. Now the owner needs to decide on what level of service they want. Are they looking for a
- 3 hour play
- 5 hour play or
- full day dog daycare.
When you Bring Your Dog
When you bring your dog every day, we work to get your dog into the dog daycare facility as quickly as possible. Just like during the trial play, we want to separate the dog from the owner as quickly as possible so that they know they are here to play.
The Life of a Dog at Dog Daycare
What will your dog do at daycare? That depends on their temperament. We see roughly four different types of dog temperaments at our daycare.
- High energy: These are the dogs that always want to play. They run with the pack and play, some of them they whole time that they are here
- Rub My Belly: These are the dogs who couldn’t care less about whether they play or sleep or hang out. They just want someone to rub their belly.
- Love People: Some dogs just love hanging out with people. They are OK with other dogs, but they love people and you rarely see them without being around one of the staff at Paws Playgrounds.
- Love Dogs: Some dogs could care less about people. They just want to hang out with other dogs, whether it’s in play, hanging out or sleeping.
At Paws Playgrounds, we let dogs be dogs.
Energy, age, temperament all impact what they do. Some run for 6 hours. Some find their mini group of friends they play with for a few hours, followed by relaxing and then resting. Others just love hanging with the staff and getting belly rubs.
We are focused on providing dogs with a positive, happy, comfortable and safe place to play.
What about Sleeping?
There are comfy daycare beds and couches all around the facility. When the dogs are done playing, they can go and hang out or sleep until they are ready to get back up again.
What About Eating?
Most dogs don’t get fed while at daycare. It’s not that we don’t want to or can’t feed them, but most dogs are too busy playing to want to eat. Whether they are they for 3 hours, 5 hours, or full day play, almost all of the dogs aren’t fed because they don’t want to leave the pack. When they get home, they are excited to eat.
For the few dogs who do want to eat, we take the separate the dog in one of the private suites at the dog daycare. We then feed them and give a bit of time to rest after they’ve eaten. Then we take them back out to the play area.
What About Supervision?
The dogs at Paws Playgrounds Doggie Daycare are always fully supervised. They are never left alone. Our goal is to make sure the dogs are happy, comfortable and safe.
Is There Fighting
With most dogs, there is often play fighting. Don’t worry, if your dog isn’t in to play fighting, they hang out with the dogs who aren’t into play fighting either.
When you get a pack of dogs together, there are times when the fighting isn’t play anymore. It’s the job of the staff at Paws Playgrounds to know when things are changing from play to serious. The staff at Paws Playgrounds dog daycare is very good identifying any serious fighting. They can tell by the energy of the pack, sensing a change in mood, and address the problem right away.
The dog (or dogs) that get into some rough and tumble play given a quick 20 minute time out in a private area. This gives them time to calm down and provides the time needed for the energy of the pack to level out after the excitement. When the dog and the pack are ready, the dog is reintroduced back into the play area and the pack.
Toronto Dog Daycare – Where Dogs Have Fun
Paws Playground is focused on providing dogs with a great place to play and have a lot of fun. If you live in Toronto and need a place for your dog to get their wiggles out.
If you would like to learn more about Paws Playgrounds dog daycare in Toronto, contact us at 416.461.4788 or info@pawsplaygrounds.com.
