‘Childcare’ for Singapore Dogs
Dog daycare is a concept that’s trending among Singapore dog owners. If you work long hours or are unable to give adequate daily attention to your beloved dog, then doggy daycare is the best solution there is. Instead of leaving your dog at home all day where she spends the entire day by herself, she can spend her day expensing her energy playing and socializing with other dogs.
Dog daycares take care of bored, lonely or high-energy dogs during the day by allowing them a safe place to play, socialize, snack and nap while their owners are off at work. These dogs are then picked up at the end of the workday. Instead of greeting their owners with pent-up energy, these dogs are tired and more relaxed for their evening bonding with their owners.
Depending on your choice, dog daycares offer half- or full-day options and could be purchased ad-hoc or in packages. Most daycares are open throughout the day and even offer dog pick up and delivery for guardians who are unable to drop their dogs off due to their schedule.
Benefits of Dog Daycare
Most dogs are descended from working dog breeds, which means that to leave a dog at home all day and all week can be rather cruel. Domestic dogs need to be walked and played with at least once a day. Unfortunately in Singapore, it is all too common for domestic pet owners to disregard this most pertinent need, resulting in the rise of behavior problems such as boredom and excess energy.
Benefits that dog daycares can provide are:
- Cure for boredom
- Vital exercise and socialization with other dogs
- Relief from loneliness and the resulting anxiety
- Socialization with people
- Prevention of destructive behavior while unsupervised in the home
- Easement of guilt by concerned pet parents who feel bad about leaving their dogs at home all day
Is dog daycare right for your dog?
Not every dog is suitable for daycare. Good daycare candidates are healthy, spayed/neutered and well-socialized dogs who enjoy being around other dogs. Very often, young dogs tend to be more well-adjusted to daycare then older dogs. Dogs who regularly visit dog parks and socialize well with other dogs will benefit greatly from regular daycare.
Unsuitable daycare candidates include:
- Dogs that have bitten other dogs
- Regularly aggressive dogs (snarling, growling, snapping)
- Fearful, tense and anxious dogs
- Dogs that tend to avoid other dogs
- Unvaccinated puppies
- Female dogs in heat
- Unneutered male dogs
- Undersocialized dogs who have not had adequate play experiences with other dogs
- Bullying dogs that tend to pick on other dogs
- Dogs who play with such great intensity that tends to turn off other dogs
- “Police dogs” (these tend to be herding breeds) who interfere with attempts to control other dogs’ playing
If your dog is a great candidate for doggy daycare and has been accepted, then you will start to realize the benefits in the medium to long term. Dogs that exercise regularly and play well are incredibly pleasant to be around, and your bond with them will definitely increase when they are not anxious, bored and overe-nergetic when you come home. Try it and tell us how the experience has been for you!
Jun Yeo is the owner of Up For Paws, a dog daycare that believes in positive reinforcement, responsible dog ownership, and a dog-friendly Singapore city for the win! She can be contacted at woof@upforpaws.com.