Why I Love Doggy Daycare for my Dogs!

pic from Dogtopia of Utica's facebook page- no more bad behavior!

"Life is a series of dogs" - George Carlin said this during a comedy bit many moons ago, and it stuck with me from childhood to adulthood.  Truer words have never been spoken!  Every dog was unique, and I loved each and every one of them.  I've only had brief periods in my life where I didn't have a dog faithfully following me around.

Doggy Daycare

That said, looking back I wonder if I did everything right by my dogs.  When I was a kid, there really wasn't much choice- our dogs would get the cheapest kibble, and table scraps.  Flea control was one of those little white stinky flea collars (whatever happened to those anyway?).  More often than not the dogs were tied to a doghouse in the backyard, or they lived in the breezeway or some other area that wasn't part of the main house.  We'd get them some cheap toys once and awhile, but nothing major.  They seemed ok, but never really struck me as 'living their best life'.

Now that I'm deep into adulthood things have changed so dramatically.  My youngest dog is on a fancy raw diet, with added supplements and vitamins.  My senior pup is also on a special diet, chock full of nutrients that help her in her later years.  They sleep inside, sometimes piling on top of my husband and I in bed.  They get special flea treatments that cost a small fortune.  I'm constantly buying them toys and treats, and taking them for walks and social visits to the dog park and other fun places.  And best of all, I take them to doggy daycare, a luxury I can't even imagine my parents generation investing in back when I was young.

I started investing in going to doggy daycare because I realized just how boring my dogs day was after watching them on security cams at my house.  90% of the day was lounging on the sofa, with 10% barking at the mailman or their arch nemesis dog that walks past the house daily.  Physically, that couldn't be enough exercise to keep them healthy and happy.  Mentally it had to be, well, boring.  I wanted to do better, and so I did.

I invested in doggy daycare, first going to the Dogtopia of Utica location.  I had checked out some other locations near my home, and settled on this location due to my work schedule and drive path.  From the moment I picked them up after their first day, I knew I had done the right thing.  Both dogs were tired, smiling, and seemingly oh-so satisfied.  And a little stinky, but eh, that's dogs.

Considering the cost, I've limited my doggy daycare visits to times when I know I can't really get in a solid 90 minute walk with the dogs.  So, hot days, wet days, snowy days, days when I have to work late.  Days when I know I'm going out for date night with my husband are also a pretty smart choice, since both dogs will sleep through the night and need little attention when we get home.

I've noticed both dogs have improved behavior too.  No more chewing.  The young one is itching and gnawing less (the vet confirmed that it wasn't an allergy or parasites, it was more likely tied to boredom and obsessive behaviors).  I attribute it all to doggy daycare, because I know for sure it wasn't special training on my part.

My advice?  Search around, find a place you love AND that your dog will love.  Make it easy on yourself so you'll actually use it too.  I've started going to a different Dogtopia due to a new work location, and I find it really comforting that the experience is the same since it's a franchise.  Kinda like the Applebees of doggy daycare!