By Heidi Clayton
Many of my clients with reactive dogs or dogs who get completely overstimulated when they see other dogs, ask if doggy daycare would help their dogs to either like other dogs or calm down.
My answer is always a hard no.
My point is not to hate on doggy daycare, but to educate on the possible pitfalls of sending your dog to doggy daycare.
The first consideration is the temperament of your dog. If your dog is shy, scared, the least bit reactive or aggressive towards other dogs, or resource guards, you should not send your dog to an environment that is conducive to encouraging all of the above behaviors.
Doggy daycare playgroups are the canine equivalent of a child going to an amusement park hopped up on candy. Most playgroups I have seen are totally chaotic and out of control.
According to Patricia McConnell, PhD, “First and foremost, it is important to remember that dogs did not evolve to play in large groups. Play between dogs is primarily between two individuals,” McConnell says. “Groups of dogs can play well together, but if you watch carefully, there are always two dogs as the primary ‘actors,’ and other dogs on the periphery, trying to join in.” (McConnell, Doggy Day Care –Fun for Fido or Not?, November, 2014.)
One of the negatives I have seen in video provided by clients is that their dog is uncomfortable, running with the group in a very guarded manner, with the tail down looking as if they thought their life depended on moving with the group. Of course the dog came home exhausted after feeling either bullied or pushed around all day.
Another downside of daycare is the constant state of arousal that the dogs are in. Many of the dogs I work with who attend daycare where they “play” in a confined space with a group of dogs, seem to suddenly become leash aggressive or reactive on walks when they see other dogs.
They of course are excited when they arrive and remain in that state for the better part of the day. They come home exhausted, much to the delight of their owners. That is until their owners attempt to walk them.
Suddenly, in the presence of other dogs, their dog thinks a crazy play session is coming. And when they can’t get to the other dog, they lose their minds in frustration, which can lead to becoming leash aggressive and make walks difficult or impossible for the human.
The more frustrated the dog becomes not being able to go play with the other dogs, the more the reactivity trickles towards aggression. If you notice this happening you should stop daycare visits.
If play with other dogs is important to you, find one other dog to have short, well-managed and supervised playtime with your dog.
Some dogs are just not wired to handle daycare playgroups well. If your dog’s temperament is dicey in any way, simply throwing them to the wolves at daycare will never help them “get over it” and can lead to lasting behavioral issues.
Like I said, I don’t want to hate on all dog daycare so next time I will discuss how to pick the right one for your dog.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net
