Healthy Packs
Every dog needs a pack. Good providers create and maintain healthy pack dynamics. They provide a wonderful service for pups who would otherwise be stuck at home. Unfortunately, not all providers do this, and some daycare or playdates do more harm than good . Quality varies widely as there are few standards for the industry and dogs can just as easily end up in a dirty, overfilled, and over-stimulating environment. Not all play is healthy, and too much unhealthy play can lead to dog reactivity and can eventually lead to aggression. It is so important that your daycare encourages healthy and safe interaction for the dogs. What does this look like? How can you know? Here are the questions you should ask your provider:
Who will my dog be with? What type of play is allowed?
Mixed age groups are very important. Dogs are highly social animals and learn best from properly socialized adult dogs. Puppy-only playgroups create unhealthy play behaviors as most puppies aren’t mature enough to self regulate play and rest. Your pup can become over-socialized and anxious, expecting that every dog will want to play with them at all times. They feel trapped and can’t leave that mental state. This makes training difficult and can create dog reactivity. Make sure your dog is in size appropriate groups with a range of ages.
Puppies need to be closely monitored and excessively rough play should be interrupted. Certain play or behaviors that must be interrupted: humping, excessive biting or showing teeth, hackles up, biting and holding another dog’s skin (especially the neck or collar), ball or fetch obsession, any play when a dog has a tail tucked or ears back, large group chases, and third wheel playing (when a third dog tries to enter a play session, usually making play unbalanced against one of the two). Importantly, this play should be discouraged at home and with other dogs in general, not just at daycare or in playgroups.
Our playdate and daycare services encourage healthy play. All dogs do free-play with a 6 ft leash attached to a harness. This allows us to easily redirect or stop play without having to catch the dog or start a game of chase. We leash all new pack members until they prove themselves reliable, at which point dogs are given more independence and free time. This applies to dogs on playdates and boarding.
