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Daycare
Activities & Playtime
On this page you will
see group play activities and Daycare guests engaged in play
activities. Group Play is only done at the owner's request. Please read
the entire page, there is some important information.
A normal part of our
service for overnight guests includes your pet going outdoors into an
individual outdoor area for fresh air, exercise and to relieve
themselves. Anytime it is over 65 degrees they are free to go in and
out as they please, the vast majority of the year, those doors are left
open allowing that freedom.
With the popularity of
dog parks and participation in socialization classes at an all time
high, some dogs, not all, have become quite the "social
butterflies". If you would like your dog to participate in group
activity and play time, there are a few requirements.
You must be
candid regarding your pet's personality. He or She must be "social" to
other dogs of either sex. This means your pet has had experience in
group play or has been to puppy classes, obedience classes or dog parks
gaining experience in a social situations. There are some facilities
that assume all pets will get along, until disaster strikes.
In our opinion
Play Group is GREAT, however we recognize that not all dogs can
participate...we cannot stress how important it is for a knowledgeable
person to evaluate your pet.
There have been
many dogs seriously injured by improper supervision and mixing of dogs
that should not have been mixed. Group Play is not a concept that is
suitable for all pets. A dog's relationship with other dogs and humans
can be very complex. We have spent decades getting into their heads. We
will evaluate every individual prior to allowing them to participate in
group play. If your pet prefers not to, or by nature cannot participate
in group play, and would rather be with people, that's ok with us, we
will gladly be his playmate.
Individual or Group
activities are
always supervised by handlers, we are the pack leaders. As the leader
we assume the role of leader and gain the respect of the dogs. This
insight is both instinctual and a learned skill from years of handling
dogs, not by trial and error.
Group play consists
of 5-7 dogs, divided into size, energy & age appropriate groups. This
means, an 11 year old dog will not be put into a group with 3 year
olds. They will not be compatible. The same is true with large breeds
and small breeds. Also, many dogs have not been as exposed to social dog
packs and do not like the ritual butt sniffing or mounting and will take
offence. That aversion can result in defensive mechanisms kicking in.
When a dog goes defensive in a pack situation things can escalate and
get ugly pretty quickly.
There are fetch
and chase games, in the summer there is pool time. There are slides and
play structures to climb on, and yes they do go on them! Session times
are determined by weather. If it is nice and the dogs are enjoying
their time, we will leave them out. If it is cold or too warm, times
may be shorter, but more often. Enjoy a few pictures below.
click photos to
enlarge for a better view!
If you do not request
the additional playtime for your pet that does not mean that he/she will
be cooped up or in a cage, our guests have access to their individual
outdoor run several times throughout the day as part of our regular
service.
All pets that
participate in group play get a complimentary bath before going home!
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