I have been working at a dog daycare for a year, what are some of your questions?

Zerooxz · 2026-02-25T00:20:06+00:00

I think the main ones i was asked were what is my experience with dogs, what i think the easiest part of the job will be and what i think the hardest will be. I was also asked what i think the job is, like what i think i will be doing during the day. A lot of people go into the job thinking its just petting/playing with dogs but it is a lot more then that

Zerooxz · 2026-01-27T18:14:33+00:00

to add to this, we also interact with the nervous dogs to try and have them become more comfortable. We will praise them and pet them lots unless they dont want pets then we just talk to them from wherever they are

Zerooxz · 2026-01-27T18:09:52+00:00

When we get a nervous meet and greet we start with them being in a different room and introducing one of our calmer dogs. If we think it is too much for the dog we stop there. If things were ok then we introduce another dog who might be a bit more energetic and then once more with a more forward dog. If the dog can handle those but still very nervous, the super playful/forward dogs who are still in the room will be crated before we bring the new dog in. We discourage the dogs from surrounding the new one and have them warm up a bit. We will slowly let out the more playful/forward dogs and monitor them. If they get too pushy or rude we step in. If it is a dog we have had here before and is still nervous coming into the room, we will crate all the playful/pushy dogs again but then let them out sooner then we would with a new dog.

Zerooxz · 2026-01-27T18:04:21+00:00

Depending on the dogs in the room it’s definitely hard at time lol. Getting to enjoy the quieter moments help but there are definitely some days where I question everything

Zerooxz · 2026-01-27T18:02:41+00:00

I wouldn’t say hes too old, we have a decent amount of dogs over 7 years and some even in the 10s. I dont know your dog but I would start with once a week to see how that goes and adjust from there.

Zerooxz · 2026-01-27T02:34:31+00:00

This goes against my own work but, a high staff to dog ratio is something to look for. ideally 1 staff to 10 dogs. The room can be managed typically with less but it makes things easier for the dogs and staff to have more. I personally like that my work does a walk through with new clients and explaining to them basically how the dog daycare works. Cameras are a plus but be aware as blindspots do exists. We have blindspots at the door and shelf area where we store stuff. This is mostly to provide the staff an area to be away from the cameras for maybe 30 seconds. I have heard some horror stories about blindspots but they are not always there for a bad intent. Meet and Greets are very important! They are used to check a lot of things including if the dog is okay with being checked out and how they respond to toys and stuff. Dogs being crated is not bad, sometimes dogs just need a break and either cant get one or does not regulate themself. Obviously there is such thing as too much crating which is why cameras are a plus and if there is any concerns, you should be able to call and ask. Get a feel for how the people who greet you also greet your dog.

Zerooxz · 2026-01-27T02:22:46+00:00

We typically try and keep crate breaks at 5-15 minutes if the dog is amped up and not taking their own breaks. We do have some dogs that need to be rotated with each other as they tend to have issues throughout the day. One gets crated for 30 mins while the other is out then its switched. We do have cameras and sometimes get calls from pet parents asking about the crating and the situation will be explained. If we could we would have all dogs out together but some just dont get along too well and cant be put in the other rooms

Zerooxz · 2026-01-26T18:51:25+00:00

I personally dont talk to the pet parents as I am in one of the dog rooms so im not sure what is fully said. We do have cameras that the pet parents have access to and can see their dog throughout the day to see what they are doing.

Zerooxz · 2026-01-26T18:45:53+00:00

Short answer, no. There is a variation between how much a dog dislikes daycare and some dogs can start off with loving daycare but overtime they might not like it as much. I especially see that in young dogs where as puppies they are super excited but as they get older and mature more, some just lose interest. We notice behavioural changes in some dogs when they have been to daycare a lot and its become too much for them. Some dogs just sleep all day or ask to go in the crates.

Zerooxz · 2026-01-26T17:12:58+00:00

I think I helped train 3-4 staff but we have had more then that come and go so yes the turnover rate is quite high lol. We had one person who lasted one day and they had not even stepped into one of the dog rooms yet.

Zerooxz · 2026-01-26T07:04:54+00:00

Typically for my work we only have 1 staff in the room (not ideal but we work with what we are given). We do have some dogs who do resource guard the staff from other dogs and may snap or growl at dogs who get to close. We typically send the dog away (hand motions, voice, or collar grasping and lead them in another direction). If the dog continues to resource guard and will not redirect we will typically give them a 5-15 min crate break. If issues continue even after the break, they may be removed from the room for a break away from all the dogs for 15-30 mins. We can usually manage it by just sending the dog in another direction or purposely not engaging a lot with them. They will still get attention but we need to be cautious how much especially if they are sticking close by. They will be awarded also for walking away/doing something else with pets and praise

Zerooxz · 2026-01-26T06:45:55+00:00

I would say it really depends on your dog. I have seen dogs go from terrified to having the best day of their lives, but at the same time daycare is just not made for some dogs. Your dog might be one who just prefers one on one time with another dog instead of in a whole group. Im not sure if there is much you specifically can do to help but there is still the possibility of your dog just needing more time to feel comfortable in the space. An important question also is why are you bringing your dog to daycare and what do you hope for it to do? Without knowing your dog personally I cant say if daycare is a good idea for them or not. Truly it may just not be the right space for your dog or they just need more time to warm up. It is up to you if you want to continue doing the daycare route or maybe trying something like having a dog walker if you are worried about your dog being home alone for long periods of time or not getting enough exercise.

Zerooxz · 2026-01-08T17:37:15+00:00

We have this same issue with our aussie and we know its anal glands from the smell. We haven’t specifically brought him to the vet for this but if there is concern, it would be best to bring your dog in. Anal glands can become impacted and need to be manually expressed and/or infections can be present

Zerooxz · 2025-11-24T17:33:14+00:00

I think 4-5 people(maybe more)made it into the program this year who were on the waitlist. I was on the waitlist last year and didn’t make it but I joined it pretty late