Thinking about doggie day care - what would you ask them?

So I've been thinking about taking Rory (6mos old Westie) to a doggie day care here in town. Since I am at work all day (I go home every day for lunch) I feel that she would love to spend some time with other dogs rather than staying home waiting for me. This would be for probably 2 days a week.

The website that they have looks great, and it seems they are well set up. The dogs are separated by size, they take 2 naps a day, and they seem to have ample play room. In order to be accepted dogs must have all their shots, on worm and flee medication. All dogs are screened before being accepted to the facility.

I made an appointment to go see them and interview them, as well as for them to interview us (well, mostly Rory). Rory is very friendly and she loved being at Petsmart with other doggies when we were in training. She is very friendly to humans also (not that it matters at doggie day care LOL). Rory is my first dog, and while I know she is happy, I would like for her to be able to socialize a little more and not be bored at the same time.

I am wondering what kinds of questions I should ask them regarding their facility and system. This is new to me, and I would really appreciate any help you could give me. I would also welcome any input if you think this is not a great idea, since I am still debating whether this is a go. On one hand I know she would absolutely LOVE to be with other dogs, on the other I am afraid that she will lose some of the good manners she is taught at home, not to mention the well-defined routing that we have going every day. Also, she could get hurt, and I absolutely don't want THAT. What do you think?

Thanks in advance,
Corina

One question that comes to mind is - do they keep collars on the dogs while in the play room. I used to work at Petcetera and the Petcetera in another town(going to remain unnamed) there was a dog that didn't get his collar taken off and it wasn't supervised well and it hung itself on the fence they had in the play area.

Another would be, are they 100% supervised.. dog spats can start and finish so quickly and you'd never know something serious happened until you see a cut or something.

I would also ask how many dogs they take in at one day. Do they supply you with potential feeding times if your pup gets dinner/lunch when they need it seperately.

Thank you so much. I believe they are supervised 100%, their website said that they were bringing more people in because they are popular, but I'll make sure to ask them while I am there. I also wondered about the feeding schedule, so I will ask about that too (Rory is a picky eater anyway though, and sometimes she only eats dinner, so I am not too worried ). I know that they all nap in their separate crates with a kong and a blankie, so at least that's good. I didn't think about asking about the collar, but I think the pictures showed them with collars on, maybe there's nothing that they can hang themselves too - I'll ask anyway.

Thanks so much again. Anyone else has any other good questions I should ask?

The collar thing is certainly something to think about. However, there is a trade off. With no collar, it is hard to control a dog, so if a scrap between dogs happens, it is hard to do anything about it. You have to weigh the costs and benefits of collar v. no collar.

could u give us a link to their website??

I tihnk leaving a collar on a dog would be ok IF they are supervised 100%

Collars shouldn't be on at all. They give some dogs an unfair advantage (i've seen dogs get dragged around by their collars before and it's a big fat fight when the dog being dragged is released). Any good daycare person can handle multiple dogs without collars. I do it all the time. We have little paper collars on with names so we can tell who is who, but that's it.

Ask how they introduce dogs, do they seperate out big from small, what do they do if a small dog is too rowdy for the rest of the small dogs and what about if a big dog is too nervous, old or shy for the big dogs.

If they have crates for "naps", how do you know your dog isn't going to be confined in a crate most of the day? How knowledgeable is the staff regarding dog behavior? What is their procedure if your dog gets injured? How and where are the dogs let out to go do their "duty?" (is it fenced in and safe?) Are they supervised when they are out there? What happens if you can't pick up your dog due to circumstances beyond your control?
Then you will have to be concerned with your dog picking up any viruses from the other dogs (bordetella, canine flu etc.)
I'm sure your dog will love it and will be safe. Just make sure you ask a ton of questions and maybe you could drop by unannounced and just observe before commiting....

Pam

Thanks everyone for all your ideas - it is very helpful. I'll make a list and make sure all this stuff gets clarified.

The website is http://www.playdogexcellent.com/index.htm for anyone who wants to check it out. If you see a red flag, please let me know.

Again, I appreciate everyone's input, I am starting a list right now.

It looks and sounds like a very nice place. From what I read, everything seems to be in order, though I am not too sure about them allowing 12 week old pups into the group.
Let us know how it works out and I hope your pup has a wonderful time.
(I loved the pics on their web site!)

Pam

Thank you so much for taking the time to check it out. It seemed great to me also, so I can't wait to go see it. I will update this after we go visit on Thursday. I liked the pictures also, I thought the doggies looked just great.

Thanks again everybody.

I just wanted to add that their contract (which the owner is required to sign) says that they don't accept dogs under 4 months old, and they have to be spayed/neutered by 7 mos old, with all their shots up to date. I hope this works well...