Dog Sitting versus Doggy Daycare
Doggy Daycare vs. Dog Walking: What is Better?
If you are a busy dog owner looking to keep your furry friend engaged and active, it might be tempting to enroll them into doggy daycare. Indeed, the benefits seem quite obvious: you simply drop your dog off (or their van picks them up), they get to have a wonderful time with other dogs all day, and then you either pick them back up at the end of your day or they drop them back off. No fuss, no worries.
However, upon closer investigation, doggy daycare is detrimental in more ways than one. On this page, we explain the negative side effects of doggy daycare, and why dog walking is by and large the better option for your furry friend.
What is Doggy Daycare?
Doggy daycare is a space where dog owners can drop off their dog, leave them for the duration of the day, and pick them back up after a set amount of time. These spaces vary in size, structure, and facilities. However, regardless of these variables, the goal of doggy daycare is to provide a safe, fun, and engaging space for socialization with other dogs, while under the supervision of employees.
With that being said, there are many drawbacks to doggy daycare. Specifically, some of these include:
- Hierarchical Imbalance: Dogs are pack animals, and view their human owner as the alpha of their pack. Maintaining this pack dynamic is vital for the well-being of the dog in that it reinforces obedience, proper training, and listening skills. Doggy daycare, however, creates undesirable pack dynamics, undoes desirable ones, and confuses dogs, thereby increasing the chance of misbehavior at home.
- Emotional Damage: At doggy daycare, your dog’s environment becomes ever-changing, highly volatile, and inconsistent. Therefore, there is a high likelihood that your furry friend will engage with other dogs who have socialization and behavioral issues. As a direct result, aggression, territorial guarding, resource guarding, and psychological damage may occur on a daily basis.
- Cost of Corrective Training: As a result of the detrimental environment of doggy daycare, chances are you will have to invest in corrective training to undo his or her psychological/behavioral damage. Not only is this a time investment, but a highly expensive economic one as well. Specifically, doggy daycare often necessitates one-on-one professional training with a canine behaviorist .
What is a Dog Walker or Pet Sitter
A dog walker is an individual whose job it is to take your dog on daily walks at prescribed times of the day. These walks can occur multiple times a day, or just once a day. A dog sitter, meanwhile, is an individual who can (but does not have to) take your dog on walks, while also providing socialization for your dog inside your home or apartment while you’re away.
If you are looking for the personalized, ethical, and high-quality care that your dog deserves, consider a dog walker or sitter instead. Specifically, dog walkers and sitters offer many benefits, including but not limited to:
- Personalized, One-on-One Attention: Choosing a dog walker ensures that your furry friend is receiving personalized, one-on-one attention. Not only that, but a consistent dog walker enables a repeatable schedule, custom-tailored exercise routines for health optimization, and reduced exposure to harmful environments, dangerous animals, and negative influences.
- Quality Assurance: Unlike doggy daycare, hiring a dog walker ensures you have complete control over your dog’s environment, activities, and daily routine. When selecting a dog walking company, make sure you select a reputable service that adheres to ethical practices such as behavioral and physical screenings. Green Paws rigorously implements all of these practices to ensure you feel comfortable with our Chicago dog walking and pet sitting services.
- Consistency: Having a dedicated, consistent dog walker also creates an intimate connection between walker and dog, therefore increasing comfort, consistency, and stability within your dog’s day-to-day life. Your regular dog walker quickly becomes part of your dog’s “pack”, of which you are the “alpha.”
- Constant Communication: Having a dedicated dog walker ensures they’re attuned to your pup’s regular demeanor and behavior and allows for them to be in constant communication with you. Unlike doggy daycare, where one-on-one connection is not prioritized, our pet care specialist who is walking your dog will communicate with you daily with both pictures and notes regarding your dog’s behaviors and temperament each day.
- Comfort: Your dog is most comfortable in its “den” (i.e., your home). By having a consistent dog walker your dog knows and trusts, you are setting your dog up to be happiest by ensuring a comfortable and stable environment.
Conclusion
Although it might be tempting to resort to doggy daycare for your busy schedule, a dog walker or sitter is far and away the best option for the happiness, care, and support that your dog deserves. At Green Paws, we ensure that each Chicago dog walker or sitter on our staff is properly trained and provides your dog with the attention they deserve. Contact us today to find your next Chicago dog walker or sitter.
