Doggy Daycare VS Home Alone?

[Chestnut_Mare1]

My 5 month old puppy can’t come to work anymore so I have to figure out what to do with her during the day.

I was thinking of putting her in daycare for 2 days a week (Tuesday/Thursday) and leaving her at home alone Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

On the days she is at home I’m hoping she will just sleep and go potty on her potty pads (no-one will be there to let her out) She would be alone for 10 hours on those days.

I would do daycare full time but that means $500/month!

What do you think, would this be a good solution?

[MsM]

I would consult with your vet regarding vaccines if you use the daycare. And, of course, thoroughly check out the place. I had one near me, but it kind of resembled a mosh pit with larger dogs being very rambunctious (I have small dogs) The staff kept intervening, but it wasn’t an atmosphere that was appropriate for my dogs.
I ended up using a service that would come to my house midday to feed, take out, and play with my dogs. Actually was cheaper than daycare.

[Chestnut_Mare1]

@MsM

I would consult with your vet regarding vaccines if you use the daycare. And, of course, thoroughly check out the place. I had one near me, but it kind of resembled a mosh pit with larger dogs being very rambunctious (I have small dogs) The staff kept intervening, but it wasn’t an atmosphere that was appropriate for my dogs.
I ended up using a service that would come to my house midday to feed, take out, and play with my dogs. Actually was cheaper than daycare.

Thanks, I’m considering that option too. My dog is a small breed and I’m worried about the madness at daycares.

[lauralite]

I have a doggy daycare that I use on occasion. They separate the “big” dogs (meaning medium or large) from the little ones. Is that not standard?

I’d use the service more often but I mostly work weekends and they are closed on weekends. I love it. He comes home completely exhausted. It’s great.

That said, the place I use is less than a block away from me and it is a small family business. It isn’t one of the big national chain places so my experience might not be typical.

[jherold]

Id find a dog walker to come in your house at least once a day.

[rockonxox]

I used to work at a doggy daycare (privately owned and not a chain) and it was awesome. We took great care of the dogs, always had a staff out when the dogs were playing, had separate outdoor play areas (groups and we’d let them out individually if they didn’t play well with others… extra small dogs went with extra small dogs in the medium sized area, medium dogs in the large side, then we’d let the big dogs out on the large side all on their own), gave the “regulars” baths as a courtesy any time it was muddy or at the end of the week, and with pups we’d work on potty training making sure they got regular breaks and praise for going outside. If you can afford it (yes, it can get expensive) and can find a GOOD doggy daycare this could be a great option, plus you’ll get the benefit of socialization.

Ask questions:

1. Go see the facilities both the kennel area and the play areas… if they don’t let you that is not a good sign
2. Ask how play times work
3. How big are play groups, are dogs separated?
4. What happens if you are going to be late to pick up for an unexpected situation (I’d usually stay until all dogs were picked up… but not every business can do that)
5. How many times do the dogs go out each day?
6. What happens if there is inclement weather?
   etc

I also agree with jherold that a dog walker is a good option or pet sitter. I also used to do that in college. I don’t know the going rate anymore, but for $10 your dog and I would go on a mile walk or so or just play in the back yard… whatever the owner wanted.

[Angela_Freda]

@MsM

I would consult with your vet regarding vaccines if you use the daycare. And, of course, thoroughly check out the place. I had one near me, but it kind of resembled a mosh pit with larger dogs being very rambunctious (I have small dogs) The staff kept intervening, but it wasn’t an atmosphere that was appropriate for my dogs.
I ended up using a service that would come to my house midday to feed, take out, and play with my dogs. Actually was cheaper than daycare.

This was my experience as well… it was an unsupervised mosh pit [the people running it were busy grooming while all dogs congregated in one large room] with one bully in the group who was clearly an instigator, and was completely ignored by the staff. :no:

[GoodTimes]

I think it’s a very individual decision.
In your situation I would try to find someone who could stop by your house, even if it’s only 15-30 minutes to let them out for a pee. I say this because I don’t think pee pads should not be permanent and the people I know who use them tend to have poorly house trained dogs. Once your dog can reliably hold it then I’d wean them off the dog walker. If you still feel bad that they’re home alone you could look into a good doggie day care.

My “rescue” hates them. She has a touch of separation anxiety and while she can be an obnoxious dog in small groups she finds most daycares to be too noisy and overwhelming. She can easily hold her bladder for over 10 hours. Most days when I come home and let her out she doesn’t even go to the bathroom for the first half hour. When we go away I have someone come stay at the house with her.

[SonnysMom]

I used to use a really nice doggy day care for my lab Watson about once or twice a week. Mostly to wear his butt out. They separated male from female and smalls from medium/large. He did not do well with the male dogs. They all humped him and he would get upset. He was the only male that went out with the girls. He was neutered. I liked that they worked with him to figure out what would work to make him happy and still get him the play time.
They had big canopies in the summer for shade and kiddy wading pools for the dogs.

Once I got Cooper (lab) as a puppy we had someone come in 5 days a week at lunch to let him out, play with him. When he was a younger puppy she fed him lunch. I think she was $15 per day. We got him at 9 weeks and had her come over until he was 6 or 7 months old.

[S1969]

I don’t know that I would bother with a doggy daycare only two days a week. Dogs need routine and making every day different from the day before sounds like a disaster in the making.

I would get a pet sitter every day, or doggy daycare every day - presuming you can find one that is decent. I used one once when one of my dogs had cruciate surgery…I sent the other dog to daycare. It was run by someone that taught competitive obedience, and they really didn’t turn dogs out together as a free for all. As a result, they spent several hours each day in a crate, but that was totally fine by me. Most dogs do not need to be in a “pack” for 8+ hours.

[honeychile]

Our dog needs to be home alone twice a week, so one of those days we put him in daycare, the other one (the day after daycare) he stays home and sleeps from all the playing he did the previous day. Our daycare is great, they are separated according to their play style/size and there is always a staff member with them to watch and correct a dog if they get out of hand/dominant. It’s actually been really good for our dog to get the proper socialization skills. If it was a big moshpit, that would properly be more damaging than being alone all day, IMO.

[betsyk]

Based on my experience, leaving her home alone at that age, and for that amount of time, is going to be a recipe for bad behavior. She’ll get bored and lonely and start making her own fun, which will probably not be fun for you! I can’t even remember all the mistakes I made when my dogs were young teenagers, but I do remember the chewed on chair legs, torn up papasan chair, and the seatbelt thing in my car that got chewed so badly I had to find another one at a junkyard to replace it before I could have a passenger ride in my car. I’d save the doggy day care money and get a drop-in pet sitter to come by about halfway through the day for a walk and trip outside, and crate her or keep her in a very safe confined area while she’s home alone. It’s a long time for her to be home by herself day after day but if cost is a factor, I’d do what I could to break up the long days.

[rockonxox]

Another thought… it is summer. You might be able to find a trustworthy neighbor’s kid who will likely be less expensive than a professional pet sitter. They won’t be licensed and all of that, but honestly I’ve never had an issue just asking neighborhood kids to check in 2x daily when I’m on vacation.

[fourfillies]

My “puppy” is now 2 1/2. When he was really young I had a dog walker come twice a day. I started with day care twice a week once he was fully vaccinated. I varied the days based on my schedule, typically twice a week, often Tues/Thurs. Worked very well for us, he’d be pretty tuckered out the next day too. I have more work flexibility and now he goes once a week because he seems to love it rather than necessity. Price wise my dog walker and day care are essentially the same money. Good luck, you’ll figure it out.

[Laurierace]

No way I would leave a 5 month old alone for 10 hours. They should be expected to hold it approximately one hour per month of age plus a bit so 6 hours max but most people save that big chunk of time for overnights. I offer daycare, walks and potty breaks ranging from $25 to $10, I am sure you can find something in your budget where you live.

[North_Dakota]

Definitely a dog walking company. I have someone for the days I’m gone all day and they are amazing. I wasn’t super keen about having a stranger in my house, but feel completely okay with the company that I use. I’ve met the owner, and one of his employee’s walks the girls, who I have met also. They have been lifesavers and do last minute, evenings/weekends (with an additional cost), they offer different lengths of walks, will feed if needed, and give them my treats and check their water after each walk. My 35lb dog got attacked a few years ago walking, and she would not be able to handle doggie daycare and my other dog is a small dog and I don’t feel comfortable having her go to one.

[vxf111]

echoing the idea of a daily walker instead

[Equibrit]

I leave my guys at home for 2 days in the week. They have a large fenced area outside, and a doggy door to the basement (which is very cool) where they have access to their crates. I also have a camera set up and can keep an eye on them from my phone. They spend most of the day outside.

[Chestnut_Mare1]

Okay so I decided to get someone to take her for a walk mid-day. Today is the first day of this arrangement and I’m hoping to come home to a happy, relaxed pup. She has a large playpen attached to her crate with water, toys and a pee pad.

[Nezzy]

My small breed dogs always went to doggy day care one day a week, but i knew they were ok. IMO they benefitted by having a new view, a new change of scenery. Dogs can get bored, just like we do. it’s nice for them to have a fun day.