Is TopDog Daycare Right for Your Dog?

Good candidates for daycare are healthy, spayed or neutered and well-socialized dogs who truly enjoy interaction with other dogs.  Young dogs often adjust to the daycare environment better than older ones. If your dog is a regular at dog parks, and enjoys herself there, then TopDog is probably ideal for her.

However, some dogs do better sleeping at home alone than spending the day in the company of other dogs. If your dog has ever bitten another dog; is regularly aggressive toward other dogs (snarling, growling or snapping); is fearful, tense or anxious; or tends to avoid or just tolerate other dogs, then daycare is probably not right for her. Hiring a dog walker, asking friends or neighbors to visit your dog in the middle of the day, or coming home at lunch may be better options for you.

Other unsuitable candidates for daycare include:

• Unvaccinated puppies
  
• Dogs not spayed or neutered
  
• Under-socialized dogs who haven’t had sufficient pleasant experiences with a wide variety of other dogs
  
• Bullies who tend to pick on other dogs
  
• Dogs who lack good social skills and whose intensity and energy often seem to annoy or scare other dogs
  
• “Fun police” dogs (often herding breeds) who run around trying to control the movements of other dogs and interfere with their playing
  
• Puppies less than twelve weeks of age
  

1. Fleas & Ticks

   All dogs need to be free of fleas and ticks and on a monthly flea preventative. If fleas or ticks are observed on your dog, you will be contacted and can have your pet treated in the grooming department (if scheduling permits,) or you will need to come and pick up your dog.