Dogs are social creatures, which is why they love coming to Doggie Day Care at Town N Country. The dogs make friends, play outside, learn basic skills, and have really great snacks. If it sounds like a group of Kindergartners to you, you’re not far wrong!
Play Groups. To keep Doggie Day Care safe, and to give all the dogs individual attention, we don’t send everyone outside to play at once. Our staff is skilled at being able to divide dogs into groups that take into consideration the play styles and the social skills of each dog or puppy. We make sure that our groups have at least one staff for ten dogs. We have young puppies, more timid adolescents, confident adults, and aging dogs. We have some who love to run and play the whole time. Others prefer to lounge around and watch the fun. Some of our dogs are huge, and others are tiny. But we have groups that fit almost every dog.
Two Groups. In general, we have two groupings – smalls and not smalls. Of course the groups change as animals grow and their activity interests change. Right now the smalls are puppies and older smaller dogs. As you can imagine, the puppies run and play almost continually. Some of the smalls just want to wander around and be left alone. Others like to simply lounge in the pool. Our not small group has more dogs than the smalls, and many days we subdivide them. If we happen to get a high number of dogs that want to play in the pool, we make sure that we divide them so we have space in the pool.
Group Dynamics. Dogs don’t only learn how to be with other dogs, they teach other dogs how, too. When a dog comes to Day Care for the first time, we humans first assess size and behavior, especially the temperament and activity level. We ask the owner the pet’s history of interaction with other dogs. The first time a dog is introduced to a group, we make sure we have two to three staff members on hand to monitor the situation. Some dogs do great, but there are many who don’t have a good understanding of group socialization. For these pets, we will use an array of our regular dogs to help test temperament. We know our dogs well, and can tell which one are best for temperament testing. If a pet doesn’t understand the structure of dogs in a group, we use smaller groups and shorter sessions.
The Day Care staff at Town N Country is very skilled at assessing a dog’s personality to make sure they’re in the right group. A lot of this comes from training, but a lot of it is sheer instinct and a deep love for pets. That’s one of the many things that sets our Day Care apart, and makes it a place that dogs love.
We average 25 dogs each day at Town N Country’s Doggie Day Care. We have almost 50 dogs who come regularly. Some are on schedules, and come each day or a few set days per week. Others are drop ins. If you’re interested in Doggie Day Care for your pet, let us know. Spots are only available by reservation, but you can make an appointment online, or call us. We’d love to get your dog in a group!
To make reservations for Day Care, call 336.227.9979 or text us at 336.536.6655.
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