Five Signs Your Dog Would Love Doggy Daycare

Have you noticed your dog has pent-up energy when you get home from a long day at work? Are you coming home to destructive behaviors like chewing furniture, doors, or other important pieces of your home? You may be wondering if your dog would be happier (and make less of a mess) by spending the day with other dogs at doggy daycare. Here are five signs your dog would be a good fit for doggy daycare.

1. Your pup looks for opportunities to make dog friends on walks.
2. Your dog is always looking for an opportunity to run and play.
3. Your dog becomes a social butterfly in any setting.
4. Sleeping is your dog’s favorite pastime, but exercise wouldn’t hurt.
5. When you leave, your dog misses you and waits for your return.

1. Your Pup Looks for Opportunities to Make Dog Friends on Walks

Dogs that already get along well with other pups they come into contact with during regular activities, such as an evening walk, show signs of being a great fit for daycare. This means your dog likely thrives with other dogs and seeks out that type of playful interaction daycare offers. 

If your dog’s behavior with other dogs is different while on a walk compared to coming into contact with another dog at home, it’s because your dog is protective of their home and more prone to barking and making it known to other dogs that they are protecting their space. 

However, keep in mind that a dog might appear aggressive during a walk to protect their owners. You’re not going to be near your pet while at doggy daycare. Without you there, they’re less likely to be aggressive towards other dogs. 

Related reading: How To Train Your Dog To Walk On A Leash

2. Your Dog is Always Looking for an Opportunity to Run and Play

Dogs that come to our Tucson doggy daycare get to move throughout the day with endless play opportunities. Typically, dogs that stay home get less than 10,000 steps in every day. However, dogs that attend our daycare get around three times as many steps! That’s a lot of movement and good for physical and mental fitness. Dogs that stay home might get bored and begin to form destructive habits, such as chewing items they shouldn’t, as part of trying to get rid of their extra energy. 

Many owners find that after doggy daycare, their pets are more likely to behave after they’ve come home, making the entire evening and even the following days more enjoyable. 

Check out our blog: Is Your Dog Getting Enough Exercise? How To Know What They Need

3. Your Dog Becomes a Social Butterfly in Any Setting 

If you have a dog “looking” for opportunities to socialize with other animals and people everywhere they go, you likely have a dog that would thrive in a doggy daycare environment. 

However, if your dog gets too excited about those social interactions, doggy daycare may have additional benefits. 

Short-term social interactions can leave dogs feeling hyper and energetic. In contrast, their ability to play with other dogs throughout the day can help to completely satisfy their need for social connections and leave your dog acting more appropriately in public, sometimes without additional training! 

4. Sleeping is Your Dog’s Favorite Pastime, but Exercise Wouldn’t Hurt 

Sometimes, our furry friends are bored and find that they’ll just stick to their beds rather than look for opportunities to get some additional movement. Doggy daycare allows dogs to have a load of fun and also downtime and rest throughout the day. 

This approach allows dogs to get a good balance of exercise and rest throughout the day. Many dogs visiting us would otherwise be sleeping throughout the day with minimal opportunities to get out and play. 

5. When You Leave, Your Dog Misses You and Waits for Your Return 

Separation anxiety is an incredibly common issue for dogs to have when their owners leave. After all, they don’t fully understand the reasoning behind you leaving and also don’t know when you’ll return. Separation anxiety in dogs can show up in a number of ways. At the extreme end, this can result in destructive or harmful behavior for your dog. Some dogs chew on things they shouldn’t, like couches, drywall, doors, or other furniture. Dogs with separation anxiety have also been known to break through windows in an attempt to reunite with their owner. These issues can quickly become harmful to a dog if they eat something they shouldn’t while unattended outdoors or get injured on broken glass. 

However, even if your dog doesn’t have extreme behaviors, being separated from you can cause stress, leading to problems with their diet, dietary function, and sleep patterns. Over time, these factors can all result in a dog that is less likely to fight off infection and could lead to early aging. 

Doggy daycare keeps your pup busy, playful, and happy throughout the day. Their ability to play and interact with other dogs, toys, people, and surroundings can help them live rich and full lives. You can read our blog to learn more about other ways to minimize your dog’s separation anxiety.

See If Doggy Daycare Is Right For Your Family

At Central Pet in Tucson, we welcome our furry friends to come in with their owners for a temperament evaluation. This one-hour test shows you and the Central Pet team that your dog is a good fit for daycare.

At the end of each day, we like to see our dogs reunited with their owners when they’re happy, socialized, and ready to wind down for the evening. Click below to get started with doggy daycare at Central Pet!