- Number of dogs per day. The more dogs there are, the more chances of something happening. Find out the staff to dog ratio.
Staff to dog ratio. Make sure there is adequate staff to supervise the dogs. Anywhere from 10 to 15 dogs per staff member is a good number.- Screening. You want the facility to carefully screen each dog to make sure they aren’t aggressive, possessive of toys, etc. You want your dog to hang out with a pack of socialized, well behaved dogs. Also important – how are new dogs introduced to the pack? It should be a gradual process that first day. Dogs should also be required to be up to date on their shots.
- Check out the facilities. Stop by without an appointment and ask to see where the dogs play. If outside, what are the accommodations during extremely hot weather, storms, etc. Is the site clean? Is there adequate fencing if dogs are outside? Plenty of room for the dogs to run and play?
- Emergency situations. You want to feel confident that the staff knows what to do if an emergency situation arises. What is the day care’s procedure for handling emergencies? Where is the nearest veterinarian? How much experience have they had handling emergencies? How often do emergency situations occur?
Great tips! Thanks.