Questions to Ask a Prospective Dog Walker or Daycare Centre
This blog should be read in conjunction with my blog titled Choosing The Right Dog Walker or Daycare Centre. In that blog, I mention how important it is to ask questions when deciding on which person or company to look after your dog, but what questions should you be asking and what answers should you be getting back?
This blog aims to help answer both those questions.
1. Are you sufficiently licensed and insured?
This will depend on whether you are looking for a Dog Walker or Daycare provider. For full information on what is required for both, see my blog titled Choosing The Right Dog Walker or Daycare Centre.
2. Do you do an initial consultation and trial period?
This is a must! It should be a free, no obligation consultation where the Dog Walker/Daycare Centre representative comes to your home and meets your dog in their own environment. This allows them to gain as much information as possible about your dog and help them to understand individual requirements. It allows you and your dog to get to know them too! They should ask you lots of questions and assess your dog’s personality. You should be allowed to ask as many questions as you like and feel comfortable about doing so. They should go through their terms and conditions with you and you should sign forms confirming what you have spoken about. If all goes well from all parties, there should be a trial period to ascertain whether your dog is right for that walker, their existing pack members or daycare centre. The trial period should be set (i.e. 3 walks or visits) but cease the moment a dog is deemed to be unsuitable, even if the trial period is not yet over.
3. Do all dogs pass the consultation/trial period?
Dog Walkers and Daycare Centres should not accept all dogs. Only dogs that are sociable and enjoy being around other dogs and that demonstrate appropriate play styles should be accepted. Bullies should not be accepted and should be removed from the group/centre.
4. Can I join you on a walk or visit your daycare centre?
This will give you an idea of how the dogs in their care are handled and how the dogs respond to their carer. A good walker/daycare centre should have no objections to you joining them for a walk or viewing their entire daycare centre before signing up as they will have nothing to hide! When you do meet them, check that all the dogs are put on leads in car parks and not just left to jump out the van and wander or run around. Check that all the dogs are happy and interacting well with their carer and the other dogs in their group. Consider the number of dogs they are walking at one time – do they seem in control? Do they prevent their dogs from running up to other dogs and people? Are they allowing time for the dogs to walk, stop, sniff and play (the latter for short periods)? Is the play and stimulation appropriate (i.e. not using a ball thrower)! Are they picking up poop and cleaning up accidents quickly? Are they matching dogs carefully (i.e. not walking elderly dogs with young energetic ones or shy dogs with boisterous ones)? Do they always walk at the same place or do they mix up locations for variety (see question 12)?
5. Can I see how you transport the dogs?
Make sure you see the dogs in transit, not just an empty van. You need to be happy with the space an individual dog is given and ideally, they should be separated (one dog per crate). Ask how many dogs are transported at once and don’t be afraid to regularly ask to see the dogs being transported. Are the surfaces easy to clean and disinfect? Is the bedding used secure and non-slip to prevent joint and muscle injuries?
6. How are you and your staff members trained?
All staff members should be trained in canine body language and how to manage groups of dogs including how to prevent dog fights. They should also know how to recognise illnesses and be trained in Canine 1st Aid. Don’t be afraid to ask to see qualifications and commitment to CPD.
7. Do they know what the Hierarchy of Dog Needs is?
Every pet carer should know what this is and they must ensure that they meet every single one of them when caring for your dog. There is more information on this within my blog Choosing The Right Dog Walker or Daycare Centre.
8. What would you do if a dog did something you didn’t like or agree with?
All carers should employ positive reinforcement and force-free methods. Avoid anyone who uses ‘pack leader’, ‘alpha’, or dominance terminology. Ask what positive reinforcement means to them to check their understanding is correct. Discipline from many dog care providers is shocking (I’ve witnessed some sadly) and you need to ensure that they will never use harsh corrections, alpha rolls, water squirters or other shock tactics and equipment to discipline dogs.
9. Do you treat every dog the same?
The carer should NEVER treat every dog the same as each dog has its own individual character, needs and personality. They need to cater for individual quirks, motivations, cues they are used to, behavioural issues, health conditions, allergies, energy levels and requirements for being dropped back home etc.
10. How do they introduce a new dog to an existing group?
Firstly, dogs should ideally be matched by personality but any new dog should be introduced to existing ones gradually. Existing dogs shouldn’t be allowed to approach the new dog all at once as this will be quite overwhelming for the new dog and may put them on the back foot. The new dog should have time to get to know the existing ones in a safe and well managed situation and the new dog should not be allowed to overwhelm the existing, well-established group either. They will all need time to adjust and get to know each other in a way that builds trust on all sides.
11. How do they check for an effective recall before letting them off lead in safe, open spaces?
First of all, they should be asking you what their recall is like when out with you and they must obtain your written consent to let your dog off lead (this should also be done for swimming). If you do not give that consent, they should keep your dog on a lead whilst in their care. If you do give consent to your dog being off lead, they should have your dog on a long training line to start with to enable a bond to be built and for recall to be tested in a number of situations.
12. Do they walk in different places or just visit a field?
Some Dog Walkers, like me, choose to walk in safe, open countryside to ensure that the walk is mentally stimulating and that appropriate exercise is being provided. However, some Dog Walkers and most daycare centres, hire enclosed fields. There is no right and wrong answer here, but it is worth asking the question as I personally, wouldn’t want my dogs to visit the same field each time. An hour in the same place can be quite boring and therefore, bring on unwanted behaviours as a result. For some dogs, this may be sufficient, but you need to ask the question so that you can make the right decision for your dog. This is more aimed at Dog Walking rather than Daycare as when in Daycare, there should be other enrichment activities happening too so visiting a field for part of their day for exercise is sufficient.
13. How much experience do they have in managing a play session?
They should have at least 6 months to a years’ worth of experience before they are able to effectively manage, on their own, a group of dogs playing.
14. What happens when play sessions start to get out of control?
Body language knowledge is key here as ideally, the carer needs to step in long before play gets out of control. The dogs must be supervised at all times and never left alone. There should be constant monitoring. They should intervene as soon as there are signs play is escalating and separate the dogs, helping each of them to calm down and reduce arousal levels. It would also be idea to ask what signs they would consider seeing that would mean intervention was needed.
15. How many dogs are allowed to interact with each other at the same time?
The UK licencing regulations for a Daycare Centre state that each member of staff should have no more than 10 dogs to care for. Personally, my advice as a trainer would be one staff member for 8 dogs. With regards to Dog Walking, a Dog Walker should never take out more dogs than they can safely handle and observe. Some local authorities have capped the number of dogs you are allowed to walk at any one time. In Reigate and Banstead this is currently capped at 6 but some will walk less (like I do) as this allows more individual bonding/play time with the walker and allows for individual personalities and needs to be catered for more effectively.
16. How many dogs do you take in a day?
This is different to the above. Some daycare centres are small and only take a few dogs at a time. Others are large and take many dogs but split them into groups. Again, if run well, there is no right or wrong here, but it is essential you choose the right set up for your own dog. A large company may be too overwhelming for some dogs and a smaller managed one might be more comfortable for them. Also consider here whether your dog gets too excited around too many dogs, if that is the case, again, a smaller daycare centre may be more beneficial to them.
17. What vaccinations do you require each dog to have?
This will depend on which area you are in. As a minimum, all dogs accepted into a walking group or daycare centre should have received their core vaccinations as disease spreads quickly and these should be kept up to date. It is advisable to contact your veterinarian for what the required vaccinations are in your area. Some will also request the Kennel Cough vaccine as this is highly contagious.
18. What if my dog is injured whilst in your care?
As per question 6 all pet carers should be fully up-to-date with their Canine First Aid certificate. They should also have access to a suitable first aid kit. If the injury is something that is beyond the care of the individual, they should be driven to the dog’s own vet (or another local one if closer and it is an emergency). They should have all local vets contact numbers stored in their phone. Contact should be made with you or your provided emergency contact if you are not available. Your carer should also inform you if there have been any reasons for concern during their time with them (i.e. diarrhoea, sickness, lethargy, lameness, etc).
19. Do the dogs get dedicated rest time?
Mainly appropriate for daycare centres, however, rest should also be provided on walks for those that need it. With regards to daycare, this must be factored into their daily schedule. Dogs can become irritable if they don’t get enough rest during the day and so quiet time should be given at least once (more for older dogs and puppies). If your dog is coming home wired after a day at daycare, this can be an indication that they have not had sufficient rest during the day.
20. What will my dog get up to during the day?
Their day spent at daycare should include organised and monitored play, training, enrichment, mental stimulation, feeding and sleeping.
21. What is their cleaning routine?
All accidents should be cleaned up straight away and with appropriate disinfectant. When out on a walk, all poop should be picked up and disposed of in the relevant bins.
22. What is your policy on extreme weather (snow, heat etc)?
If there is any doubt that extreme weather will cause a risk to your dog or driving ability, you should be contacted as soon as possible. No person or animal should be put at risk of accident or health and welfare concerns. You must be happy with the alternative arrangements that are specifically put in place for your individual dogs needs, health, safety and welfare and understand that these are in place to keep your dog safe.
23. What will you do if my dog is showing signs of not enjoying being out with you?
This can happen and it may not be because the person is a terrible pet carer. It might just be that your dog is not comfortable around groups of dogs. Unfortunately, many pet carers see this as a negative reflection on them (sometimes it might be) and continue to take the dog at the dog’s detriment. However, a good pet carer will realise this is not personal and inform you that your dog is not enjoying the experience and that it might not be the right place for them. They should inform you of their thoughts and recommend that you collect your dog.
24. What is their refund/termination policy?
Often in small print but this should be clearly included in their terms and conditions. It should include what their policy is for when they have to cancel a service and when you need to cancel a service. Some require payment, even if you go on holiday and cancel the service, even if you give them notice. Also check what their policy is if you decide to remove your dog from their care. Some tie you in for a specific period of time – are you happy to accept this? Do you agree with that?
I hope this has been helpful in determining who is best to look after your dog during the times that you can’t. Your dog relies on you to find the best person you can to give them the best experiences on their walks and daycare visits. Don’t let this decision be one that you will regret – choose one of the good guys – your dog deserves it!
