How to Find the Best Doggy Daycare in Georgia

There’s nothing quite like the joy of hugging your pup when you come home after a long day. As soon as you open the door, you are bombarded with happiness and a lot of licking as your dog jumps up with delight at having finally been reunited with their human.

But lately, you’ve noticed that your doggo isn’t exactly as lively as before.

Sure, they still yip and hop as soon as you enter your home, entwining themselves around your legs, but there’s something missing, the extra kick in their step. Not to mention that for some time, they’ve been a bit… destructive, barking at all hours and chewing things up that should not be touched!

Perhaps they just had too much fun, running around and exploring the house all day and are a bit too energetic. Maybe that’s the problem.

But there’s another cause; they’re too lonely and that anxiety is finally getting to them!

Wait, Dogs Can Have Anxiety?

Indeed! There are many dogs breeds that suffer from separation anxiety, some of which include:

Toy poodles
Australian shepherds
American pit bull terrier
Chihuahua
Bichon fries
Italian greyhounds
Maltese
French bulldog
Fox terrier
Pomeranian

Aside from these though, there are many others that also suffer from loneliness and anxiety, and will often show the symptoms by being disruptive, defecating and urinating around the house, barking for long hours and just being altogether impatient and stressed at your leaving.

If your dog does indeed show any of these symptoms, then be warned that this situation could only get worse.

If you don’t have the time – or the skills – to teach your dog about separation and tolerance, then your best choice should be to find a doggy daycare.

Doggy Daycare – Benefits and Uses

A doggy daycare is exactly what it says on the tin.

It’s a daycare facility for dogs that offers supervision for the duration of your pet’s stay. Fairly inexpensive, these daycare facilities aren’t just a great respite though for dog owners, who work extra hours.

Aside from the companionship and playtime that the facility provides, taking your dog to daycare also offers some very useful benefits that help develop their personality:

Chances to Socialize

Your dog’s behavior will adapt as they socialize with other dogs. They’ll become used to newer faces, will learn what’s appropriate and what’s not, and how to play and share with others. They’ll also be less apprehensive around new humans, which will work well for you if you take them along for any social gatherings.

Outlet for Pent-Up Energy

A tired pup is a happy pup. With a large area all to themselves and playmates to have fun with, your dog will be able to run around to their heart’s content. And will more likely sleep well knowing they’ve played hard and worked hard.

Routine

As creatures of habit, your dog will have a schedule to look forward to. They’ll have no trouble waking up, eating right or exercising. To top it off, there won’t be any chance of them getting separation anxiety, since they won’t even know what it is in the first place.

Peace of Mind for the Owner

Having dropped them off at daycare, you’ll have no worries about their routine, their sleep or their bathroom breaks and feeding time. Just as you would, the daycare will take responsibility for everything so your dog remains happy.

How Do You Go About Choosing the Right Daycare?

Let’s start with the basics.

Asking Around

Ask other dog owners at the office, or in your family and friends group. This’ll give you the ballpark figure for the most trustworthy daycare services in your area. But eliminate those that are too new or offer suspiciously cheap rates.

Drop in Unexpectedly

This’ll give you a firsthand look at how the facility is kept, and how your dog will be treated. Look around; ask questions about the facility and see how they respond. If the staff doesn’t have answers ready, are defensive or dismissive or insist that you cannot drop by without informing them first, take this as a red flag.

Use Your Senses

Look at the finer details. Is the daycare clean and maintained? How does it smell? Is everything sanitized? A good daycare will take all necessary measures to uphold the basic standards of dog care. Also, pay attention to the dogs. Do they sound happy? Unless they sound like your pup does when it’s happy, you might want to consider other options.

Space

Daycares typically group dogs based on their temperaments and play patterns, not their size. Observe how different dogs behave and the handler’s conduct towards them. Their handler should be patient and attentive, not harassed. If you see any aggressive behavior, ask the handler why. You don’t want your pooch to get bullied later if the handler can’t handle a badly-behaved dog.

Convenience

Dogs usually like lying out in the sun and exercising outdoors. Your potential daycare should provide such convenience for them. Never choose a daycare that seems more like a makeshift facility. Your dog needs the full experience. Search for daycare that offers just that.

What to Do When You’ve Found Your Doggy Daycare

Let’s say you’ve chosen Twissted Whiskers in Suwanee, GA as your preferred doggy daycare. You’ve seen our facilities, you like the atmosphere and the overall happy vibes and you’re ready to bring your dog in for their first visit.

To start with, you’ll need to bring in your dog’s medical history, proof of vaccinations, whether they were spayed or neutered, their age, any special diet requirements, we’ll need all that so we can make preparations beforehand.

In addition, if your pup has any medical conditions that we should know, well need information on what the condition specifically is, if they need special assistance, whether they need to be taken to a vet, if they should be placed in lockdown.

After that, we’ll take an in-depth assessment without your presence. We’ll observe how your dog behaves without you, what their energy levels are and their temperament and if they’ll fit well with the other dogs.

Keep in mind that some dogs just aren’t a good fit for daycares, so we’ll need to determine beforehand if they’ll adjust.

Bonus Tip:

Unlike many other daycares, if your dog has any behavioral issues and needs training, we’ll also take care of that. All you’ll need to do is enroll them in our Special Care Program which is aimed at training pets with medical or behavioral needs.