How To Choose The Best Dog Daycare In Your Area

Nowadays most busy dog owners rely on a local dog daycare service to look after their dogs during working hours. This is a huge improvement from what happened in the past, where dogs were often left at home alone all day while the family was at work or school. Leaving dogs alone like this led to a myriad of mental health problems for them, and often led them to destroy property out of boredom.
What To Look for In A Good Dog Daycare
If you’re a new dog owner, or you’re about to become a busy dog owner, finding a good dog daycare should be your top priority. Coming from the industry of dog daycare Waltham MA, we know just what you should look for in your local dog daycare service. To save you time and save your puppy from any unnecessary mistreatment, here are some qualities to consider when choosing a doggy daycare service.

1. A Clean and Safe Environment
Having a clean and safe environment for dogs is one of the first priorities of a good doggy daycare. The presence of any unwanted hazards should be removed from the facility for the health of the dogs boarding. Common areas such as floors, walls and play areas should be regularly cleaned and disinfected to prevent the spread of any types of diseases to your pooch. To add, waste management is an important factor. Dogs boarding in any facility should have access to clean water and have their waste be cleaned up constantly and efficiently.
2. Fully-Equipped Facilities
First and foremost when looking at daycares, the facilities in where your dogs are kept should be up to par in terms of the environment and its contribution to the well-being of your dog. To make it easier, harbor the mindset that your dog is your baby or toddler and the daycare is their kindergarten. Would you leave your child at a kindergarten facility which was simply a concrete box? No, obviously not, so don’t do that to your dog either.
When considering a dog daycare for your pup ensure there are:
- Separate areas for playing, eating, and resting. This shows that the daycare staff can clean areas while they aren’t occupied.
- Comfortable surfaces to walk on. A good test is to take your shoes off and walk around, if the ground hurts your feet it will probably do the same to your dog.
- Places to separate dogs if need be. Not every dog will get along, a good daycare will know when a dog needs some time and space and should have an area to separate them temporarily.
3. A Range of Relevant Services
What will your dog be doing all day long? Some daycares will simply put your dog amongst others, and leave them to their own devices for hours on end. A good daycare will have staff who can mind the dogs during all hours of the day, and can offer other additional services which will benefit you or your dog, including:
- A pickup and dropoff service – this can be a great timesaver at the beginning and end of busy work days
- Walking service – if you work early in the morning until late at night then you’ll struggle to find time to walk your dog. If this is the case be sure to add walking to your daycare visits to ensure your dog gets the exercise it needs.
- Feeding or treat service – if your dog needs to be at daycare during either or both of its meal times then you should inquire about the daycare’s feeding service.
These are just some of the typical daycare services, if you were to visit our dog daycare in Waltham MA you’ll notice we also offer training, lodging, spa, and in the future a dog pool and physical rehabilitation. These other services may not be common in other doggy daycares, but we believe they offer a great range of benefits to your dogs.
Training
Not everyone has the patience to teach or train, hence why not everyone becomes a school teacher when they “grow up”. This is, generally speaking, a service that most dog daycares will provide, as they have plenty of time to do so. Paying for someone else to train your dog can save you countless frustrating hours of monotonous repetition of “sit”, “lay down”, and “stay”. It will also give your dog a sense of purpose, and they will come home more worn out from “learning” all day.
Lodging
Much like the day stay services of a dog daycare, lodging provides a long term option for your pups to stay in style if you’re going away for some time. While some people might prefer to leave their furry friend with someone they know, Fido may prefer hanging out with their friends down at the daycare for a few days.
Dog Spa
In terms of pampering your pup, it doesn’t get much better than sending them off for a massage and a facial. Your dog may not know how much it needs it, but chances are it’ll come back happier for it, feeling refreshed and revitalized.
Physical Rehabilitation and Pool
These services are part of The Dog Retreat’s accommodations, and are currently being implemented. The physical rehabilitation service is to help dogs recover from injuries or surgery, and will include physical rehab, massage, and even water therapy. This brings us to the dog pool which is also part of phase 2, and will offer those water-loving pups a safe and clean place to get wet.
Best Local Dog Daycare in Waltham, MA
If you live in Waltham, Massachusetts, then you’re in luck. Our dog daycare in Waltham MA not only provides quality services, but we are a compassionate team that wants the best for you and your companion. Get in touch today to learn whether you’re in range for pickup or drop-off services, or pop in to see our facilities.