Is your dog going crazy during the quarantine?
Maybe, maybe not. Maybe your dog is happy to be with his or her human so much. But maybe your dog wants something more. The human-canine bond is strong, but dogs should still have some playtime with other dogs. They still need an outlet for their energy, and doggie daycare — spending hours with other dogs — is an important option to consider. It provides something that humans can’t always provide: hours of uninterrupted play with their own kind.
Many customers of Thousand Hills Pet Resort, for instance, report that their dogs seem to like coming to daycare more than they like being home. They’re (usually) joking, but the dogs’ excitement at drop-off is often palpable.
Here are five reasons to send your good boy or girl to daycare.
1. Your dog’s sanity (and yours)
If you’re worried about your dog going stir-crazy at home during quarantine, daycare is a fantastic place for your dog to get his or her energy out. A good daycare facility will have large yards for dogs to run and play. Being cooped up in one place isn’t good for anyone — your dog, or you. Daycare is the perfect solution for your dog’s boredom.
2. Canine social skills
Dogs love people, but they are pack animals at heart. Dogs are meant to be social. Being around other dogs is good for their confidence — dogs learn appropriate behaviors by being surrounded by other dogs. Dogs will correct another dog’s rude behavior, which is crucial if you’re worried about your dog’s social skills deteriorating while they sit around all day at home. At daycare, dogs are constantly socializing with other dogs, which is great for their social intelligence — they are constantly learning what to do and what not to do.
3. Exercise
Dogs need exercise, for their physical and mental health. A sedentary lifestyle is a destructive lifestyle for both humans and dogs. The same ailments it produces in humans — boredom, depression, obesity — afflict dogs as well. Dogs get depressed when they aren’t active enough, and they can become destructive when they get bored. They destroy furniture, shoes, you name it. If you want your dog to be healthy, physically and mentally, they need to get out of the house and they need exercise.
4. Friendship
Yes, it’s true: your dog will make friends at daycare and those friendships will be important to them. Getting to spend time with their friends is another reason dogs love coming to daycare so much. Dogs need companionship, and while their bond with you will be more important than their friendships at daycare, it’s going to be beneficial for your dog to have some non-human friends.
5. Affection
A doggie daycare staff is going to be full of people who love dogs. So in addition to getting a lot of attention from other canines, your dog is going to get a lot of love and attention from friendly humans as well. Those staff members are going to care for your dog as if it’s their own — and you get to have peace of mind.