With pets playing an even larger role in the lives of families than ever before, gone are the days where most homeowners just left Fido at home to play outside while family members traveled or went to work. The doggie daycare industry has seen a huge uptick in popularity over the past few years as more people look for ways to entertain their pets while they travel or work. With the entire pet industry accounting for over $58 billion in revenues in 2014, it’s no secret that Americans love their pets! The American Pet Products Association indicates that in 2014 $4.84 billion was spent just on pet grooming & boarding alone. In this blog we’ll outline what to look for in a doggie daycare facility and interview a local Cleveland dog trainer with ample experience as to what constitutes a safe and fun boarding facility for your dog.
We interviewed our friend Paul Pollock who is owner of Cleveland’s own Sit Mean Sit. Paul’s company works to provide all sorts of dog training to residents of the Cleveland area. We asked Paul a few questions about his experience with dog boarding facilities and what dog owners should look out for when choosing a doggie daycare.
What red flags should you look for in a dog boarding facility?
Facilities that don’t ask for vaccinations and veterinary records could be a red flag. Also, if a facility is not willing to show you where the dogs are staying it could mean that they’re ashamed of their conditions. If the facility stinks where they’re willing to take you, it is likely much worse where the dogs are being kept.
What are some important questions to ask the facility?
What is the dog to staff ratio?
How long has the facility been in business?
What’s their protocol if a dog gets sick or injured?
Will they provide contact information for current clients?
How do you know you’re getting what you’ve paid for?
If the facility staff can tell you specific things about your dog it shows that they actually are getting to know your dog and aren’t just leaving him or her in their cage all day. Also you should be able to get a sense of the staff knowledge to determine if the facility employees will be able to respond to your dogs needs.
What is a good size play area for small dogs, big dogs, etc..?
I would say it’s not as important as how how safe the areas are and how the dogs are being supervised.
At Evolution Dog Wash We Always Put The Dogs First
Just like Paul, at Evolution Dog Wash we’re committed to dog boarding facilities that provide the highest level of care to our pets. We understand that dogs are an integral part of our families and if we have to leave them somewhere we want to make sure that the facility cares for our dogs in the best way possible. We hope that you’ll do a bit of investigating prior to dropping your dog off at a doggie daycare facility in the future.
