Dog Day Care

The dog owner who has to spend 40 hours or more in an office each week may come home to find a canine behavior problem on his or her hands. Many dog owners are now giving their pets one day a week or more at one of the dog day-care centers that have sprung up in urban areas. This sounds like the ultimate in pampering one's pooch, but it's really a good solution for bored and lonely dogs. At a dog day care, your pet will get attention, exercise and the chance to play with other dogs -- all the things you can't provide while you're chained to your desk miles away. A good dog day care will: Evaluate your dog first (dogs who are too aggressive or protective are not good candidates for day care). Place your dog in a small group of compatible and similar-sized dogs. Require that your dog be up to date on vaccinations. Provide clean and appropriate surroundings. Provide knowledgeable, caring staff who supervise play and intervene if a dog gets overexcited and plays too rough. Some owners take their dogs to day care every day for at least half the day. Others say going to day care tires their dogs out so well that they only need to go once or twice a week. Many dog day cares offer other services as well -- check with the owner for dog kennel prices or dog training prices.