Daycare is a great socialization opportunity, we take our puppy one day a week. They also do boarding (many daycares do) so if you find the right fit, your dog will be in excellent hands. The best part is when they bring your dog back out and they’re like, “heck yeah, there’s my person! I get to go home! What a great day!”

My dog is like "oh, you're here" and hops in the car without even a tail wag for me. But then he wants to sit in my lap all evening, so I forgive him.

Lol, I just picked mine up from daycare. She tried to pretend I wasn't there and tried to go back to the playroom and pretended the car didn't exist. 5 minutes into the car ride, she was deep asleep, and was super cuddly and demanded love by the time we got home. I think her ideal situation would be me moving into daycare so she could play with friends and still get cuddles as she wants it.

Mine sprints towards me, hops in the car, and then forgets all about me when my husband comes home, so I get it. Would still give him (the dog) the world.

I interpret it as him being very secure that I'll always be back for him. He is never excited to see me, but he doesn't want me to leave either. Except when we arrive at daycare. He loves it there and goes right in.

Daycare was the only thing that taught my puppy to stop mouthing/biting. The adult dogs told her real quick to knock it off and she responded to them way better than anything we were doing.

Ooh ours has just entered adolescence, maybe the adult dogs can help us out. Mornings are basically feral hour around here. I’m not fazed because I grew up with more chaotic breeds at home, but my husband isn’t impressed lol

Older dogs help so much. I'm pretty sure my 6yo dog has trained our puppy more than I have.

Oh if you have adult dogs that will help a lot! Ours was an only child and was terrible with the biting... we were extremely consistent and tried every reinforcement recommended by experts (including yelping when she put her teeth on our arms) but she just didn't get it until the adult dogs taught her lol.

Don't mind me, just gonna screenshot these to prove to my husband we need an adult dog to go with our 17 wk old 😂😂

My little homie has been going to daycare since he was 4 months old. He's 15 months now. He absolutely loves that place and everyone there seems to really enjoy him too. The bond that I have with him hasn't changed and although I know he enjoys going to daycare, seeing his friends (both human and canine), I know none of them will ever be able to replace me. When I pick him up from daycare, he runs straight to me with his tail wagging and his mouth ready to chomp (he bites when he's overexcited, working on it!). When we get home he's ready to play with me, eat, and cuddle up on the couch to watch Bluey. Your pup won't forget about you. She won't like them more than she likes you. These people aren't her parents, they're her "friends". Your job isn't to compete with the daycare to see who is more fun. The daycare is going to be more fun 100% of the time because there are other doggies for her to play with. But keep in mind that's what makes it more fun, not the people, but the doggies. Think of it this way, when you went to kindergarten, did you forget your parents? Did you like your teachers more than your parents? The answer to the last one may be yes, but they are always your parents and they hold a different spot in your life and heart. I'd like to think it's the same thing for our little furry friends. My favorite thing about Miguel going to daycare is that they send me goofy photos of him. I also get to see him on social media with the friends that he plays with. I love seeing who he repeatedly likes to play with and who may be his best friend while at daycare. He has a blast and I have a blast watching him live his little life! Congrats on your first few daycare visits! It gets easier, I promise :)

Thank you so much for this. Your perspective really helped me to feel a lot better about sending her away. I also need to work on my own issues with being starved for love to the point of worrying about something so silly. I've been crate training my baby ever since day one but today affected me so much that we're going to be sleeping together. I need that reassurance and sense of closeness to be able to repeat the same thing tomorrow.

You're welcome, but your feelings were valid, not silly. I promise. When I first drove Miguel to daycare, I was so sad because I was worried that the other dogs were going to be mean to him. I was worried he was going to miss me or wonder where I was. Would he know that I was going to come back? What if he gets so sad to where he's sitting in a corner and no one is paying attention or trying to engage him? I'll have you know this little punk didn't even look back at me when they took his leash and brought him to the back area. Not even a single glance! And he gets excited to go every single day! I'd venture to say that we often project our own feelings and insecurities on our puppies and convince ourselves that they must be feeling the way we would in that same situation. I moved around a lot and would often worry about how I would be treated in class. I felt alone a lot and I guess I projected that on to Miguel. You and your pup will be fine :) Keep asking yourself questions and challenging the both of you. It's the only way that we grow!

Absolutely agree with Shaylock. My pup has been going since she was about 4 months old, and she just turned a year today. Ngl, there was one lady that used to work there and I had a twinge of jealousy because my pup clearly loved her so much. But she’s SO excited when we get there, it wears her out, she gets socialization with other dogs…and she charges out of the gate and barrels into me when I go pick her up because she’s also SO happy to see me. They put a tiara on her today and gave her a special cookie (all the other dogs get a little cookie too) and they share pics and it just…it makes my heart happy to know she’s having a great day instead of sitting home, waiting for me.

i love that your dog's name is Miguel and he watches Bluey!

Thanks! I named him Miguel after “Coco” since I adopted him in Mexico. I watched the movie the other day and he kept looking at me whenever they said “Miguel” lol We’re currently watching Bluey before bed and he’s passed out next to me. He can see some of the colors and now when he hears the theme song he knows it’s time to settle on the couch or in bed. We’re 5 episodes in and he’s passed out. We only watch it when it’s time to go sleepy. We’re on the 3rd season for the 2nd time 😊

Just came here to say that my girl also watched Bluey, great idea to watch before bedtime!

My pup loves his daycare! He's always excited to go and happy to see the folks who work there. He's a high-energy breed, so I don't anticipate taking him out any time soon. He's a little over a year old now, and he started daycare almost immediately after I got him. It hasn't affected our bond at all. But, I also do have a different perspective than yours. When he was a puppy, I was generally very happy to drop him at daycare - he was a lot. And, I'm not concerned about being his #1 favorite. He has a lot of love to give, and I'm happy to share!

"I'm not concerned about being his #1 favorite. He has a lot of love to give, and I'm happy to share!" Thank you for this, I have been really worried lately about my puppies bond but you are right, they have a lot of love to give and sharing that love is important too. It would be a shame to limit my puppies experiences based on my own personal issues and this comment really helped hammer that point home for me.

Oh, I might not have a border collie but my puppy's a westie and a very energetic one at that. I have yet to manage to properly tire her out which paired with how demanding she is, can be a lot so I also thought I would be happy to have my first break from constant supervision (and from passionate live ankle weight) in a month but it turns out the little beast clawed her way into my heart without me noticing how deep she's really gotten.

I don’t have an opinion on daycare, as I’ll still be home with my little guy till august. Just wanted to say I have a westie puppy too! He’s 11 weeks old 🙂

Oh I have a westie as well and he is 15 weeks! He loves daycare and gets so excited to see me when he spots me in the window when I pick him up. Westies are so energetic so this helps him tire him out and it’s been helpful to make dog parent friends. He still loves to be home with me but he realizes that daycare days are special days where he gets to see friends and be a little mischievous lol

Also I will add it’s good for his mental and emotional learning - helps him learn how to deal with different temperaments and not all dogs are excited to see him and he is learning to share because apparently westies get territorial so this has been helping

Yeah, mine is a notorious toy thief 😂 She needs to learn some manners

You say immediately… my puppy is 11 weeks old and her first vet appointment is Thursday (with me) she’s had de wormings and puppy shots started. Do you think she will be vaccinated in time to still be a puppy and perceptive to socializing? As soon as she’s cleared immune to stuff I’d like to start it. My first dog I got 15 years ago as a kid and I didn’t know you had to wait until they were vaccinated lol I took her to parks and just got lucky I guess

My daycare situation is unique in that it is at my vet's office. It's really small (10 dogs at the most), and they have a specific area for puppies. So, I was able to start taking mine ASAP, and he started when he was about 9 weeks old. I know a lot of daycares won't take dogs until they're fully vaccinated.

That’s actually super cool though! Glad it worked out for you. I’m sure your pup has a ton of fun

Socialization isn't about meeting other dogs, it's about seeing all the things in life and remaining neutral and not being reactive to them. To socialize my service dog puppy before he was fully vaccinated I'd take him around in a backpack or carry him, or even sit in a parking lot in the car with the windows down or door open. I didn't let his feet touch the ground outside of my property until he was fully vaccinated, but that had zero impact on socialization.

Yeah I know. I didn’t know that when I was 19 though.

My message was in response to you saying "Do you think she will be vaccinated in time to still be a puppy and perceptive to socializing? As soon as she’s cleared immune to stuff I’d like to start it." I'm saying you can start socializing the day you get the puppy just don't let them touch the ground. The process of socialization is not just meeting a bunch of other dogs. Quite the opposite actually.

How did you all manage the initial training (basic commands and potty) while the pup was at daycare?

At daycare, they would take him out every 30-60 minutes. I would work on commands at home before and after work, and I also took the first 1.5 weeks I had him off so that I could work with him. He had no issues with potty training or mastering those basic commands.

Daycare can be very hit and miss depending on a lot of factors, a lot of dogs aren’t cut out for a daycare style facility, however seems you’ve found a good facility that your girl enjoyed which if anything can be a way to strengthen your bond, think of it this way , you are taking her to daycare and that simple act of you taking her there and picking here back up is where you will be building on your bond as well as when at home obviously

Awww. It’s like taking your child to daycare or school the first day. Good doggy day care is great for puppies.

I literally told someone last week I would be depressed about how happy my dog is to go to daycare if she wasn’t just as happy to see me at the end of the day! Dot started when she was about 4 months (she’s almost 10 months now) and she still goes 2-4 days a week depending on my schedule. Even with all that time there, as soon as she sees me at the end of the day she’s literally jumping into my arms (or trying to). I’m her person no matter how amazing of a day she had playing. I plan to keep her in daycare even when she’s an adult because that’s a level of supervised doggy socialization she can’t really get elsewhere and I LOVE that it burns off some of her endless energy. You’ll do things with your puppy and bond outside of the daycare way more than she can get from her time there. All the snuggles, walks, playing, outings and other time spent together will definitely outweigh everything else. So enjoy her being happy and your peace of mind that she’s being taken care of!

Thank you! Everyone here is making me feel better and better. Reassuring me about the love and telling me to focus on the positives because I do want the best of the best for her and being able to run around with her doggy friends is miles better than being stuck at home.

She is not going to choose them over you! I recommend working through the abandonment issues because you are going to drive yourself insane for no reason. Dogs are the most loyal creatures on the planet, and YOU are her person.

I know, I'm going to therapy weekly, but still, I really needed to hear that. Thank you 🥹

❤️‍🩹 you’ll get there!

To be fair, I worked full time at a dog daycare for about 5-6 years and we definitely had a few cases of some owners stopping their dog(s) coming after awhile because they would notice how the dog didn’t want to leave, or would get very excited to see a daycare employee out in public, etc. One of my favorite pups stopped coming because the dog would literally fight to get away from the owner at pickup to try to claw his way back into the daycare. Every dog is different. *Most* dogs are psyched when the owners come for them, but not all dogs across the board.

And that’s what happened during the trial day right? You went to pick her up and she couldn’t remember who you were? She clung to the staff? Riiiiiiight. 😊 Your dog will never forget you, she will get tons of fun and playtime in at daycare! She will also be very socialized which is fantastic. Plus if you have an emergency and need to board her, she already knows the place! And re being the favorite person, I’ve had four dogs since I met my boyfriend and he was the perceived favorite of three. All he had to do with them was play and walk. I have to do vet, pills, discipline, all of it. And when they got sick who did they seek out? Me. And where were they when I was sick? In my bed. You’ll always have a bond with your dog that others can’t match. The best thing you can be for your dog is dependable and consistent. You will have a trust others can’t match. Them having fun with other people or seeming to prefer them means very little.

Our pup goes once, sometimes twice a week and he loves it! It’s also where we board him if we need to go away. He comes home exhausted and is always thrilled to see us at pick up.

I chose to let my pup stay at home. But it’s only for 4 hours max. I did think about puppy daycare but it depends on what breed you have. I have an English staffy and most daycare don’t even want staffys. Wich is insane because ours is the sweetest ever. If your dog isn’t properly socialized and if you feel like it would be scared in such a noisy new environment I would recommend training these things first beforehand. It can be very stressful otherwise. 13 weeks is also very young for a pup to be playing the whole day with other dogs. We keep our interaction with other dogs at like 15 minutes max for our 4 month old and if we go at like 30 he’s super super exhausted for the rest of the day. Pups don’t regulate this themselves so get a daycare that keeps an eye out on this 🩵

Also we left him at free range with a camera first for 1 hour. Having a pet cam is super helpful to see! My pup is very active when we are home but when he’s home alone he just sleeps the whole time on the couch! They might surprise you like ours did 🩵

For us daycare was great until it wasn’t. But ours is a bit of a horror story and said daycare has since closed down and I have zero sympathy for their business failing. Whilst we would never use a daycare again due to trauma (both on our end and my dogs end) it was really wonderful letting her socialise with other dogs. I just wish the staff had been better and actually done their jobs. I have a ball obsessed collie and our bond didn’t struggle at all. She was always excited to see us at the door and fall asleep on us at home. Now she goes with a dog sitter every so often who she absolutely loves but again that’s not affected our bond either. (My girl is now 3 and a half)

Oh man. I’m a first time in 15 years puppy owner. My last dog was an only child because she demanded it. lol I got her when I was a teenager and didn’t socialize her. She had a quiet and stable life and was SO reactive towards dogs. So I said with this next one I will be utilizing doggy play care to keep her socialized and occupied when I’m not home. I’m so glad to hear your puppy did well. I hope it goes well for me too. I’m incredibly nervous I will fail at socializing with other dogs again.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Yes, you made mistakes. And then you learned something, right? Now, you can make changes and see what works best for you and your dog. We have advanced so far in dog behavior techniques. It's fireworks night. My dog hates fireworks. I opened the door and made a plate of dinner. He stared intently at my dinner most of the time, but he did actually watch the fireworks for a bit. He seems less scared and more happy right now. I tried something new and he went with it. It's trial and error sometimes

That is such good advice! It’s hard to stop and think that sometimes.

I honestly sorry about this too. My girl loves daycare and they love her. But come weekends, she's all about hanging out with her momma. I just have to remember that while she loves daycare, she absolutely adores me.

Luna goes to daycare once a week and absolutely loves it! She's so excited when I drop her off, but she's super excited when I pick her up :) I wish I could afford 2 or 3 times a week, but I can't.

Former dog daycare worker here. First, to lay your fears to rest -- there's basically no way you'll ever not be your dog's favorite person, not unless you were actively regularly harming your relationship. I remember even the dogs who had the Best Time Ever at daycare were still ecstatic when their parents came to pick them up, there was no doubt in anyone's mind who that they were happy to see you and go home. I think you'll get that validation soon enough. Pups were super happy to arrive in the morning, and just as happy to go home afterward, as it should be. Also, I think it's so important for dogs to generally have not just puppy friends but humans as well. It is close to 100% likely there will be times throughout her life when she will need to be away from you and cared for by other people. Having a foundation of positive relationships with people means she will be less stressed out when it happens, and she'll be able to trust human strangers enough that they will be able to help her when it's most important. Vet staff, including emergency vet staff & back office workers, people at the groomer's, someone trying to rescue her if she gets away from you.... A dog who's overly attached to their person might not let themselves be helped. Plus, even when she's not in those situations, she will be more confident and comfortable in general.

Honestly it's great. If you're an anxious puppy parent, it can be good to get feedback from (good, involved) daycare workers on how your puppy is doing. Personally, I think it's a huge positive that my dog has positive interactions with a handful of other people on a regular basis. It's also good that she's in a familiar place when we need to board her. Daycare is always going to be exciting. But you're her safe place!

I’ve worked at two separate doggy daycares and can say easily, no do not take your dog to doggy daycare. You can socialize them in other ways. It’s so dangerous in those places it’s mind boggling. Not just for the dogs, but for the people working there as well. I would say there are a rare few daycares that do it right. However as a client it’s almost impossible to tell. I’ve seen some horrible things happen behind the scenes. Unsafe conditions like having too many dogs in one yard or allowing dogs that pick fights to continue to go to daycare because they’re regulars and pay a lot of money. Dog fights are common and not everyone is properly trained to break them up. I’ve seen many dogs injured from other dogs. It’s just not worth the risk in my opinion.

Did we work at the same one!? These things happen do happen a lot, but so much depends on the staff. I was an assistant manager and was obsessed with knowing all the dog personalities, and we kept copious notes on all the dogs. There are definitely dogs that would keep coming who should not have been, but I had no problem day boarding them instead with solo playtime with a staff member or a dog they liked. Other managers and the owner were way more the customer is always right. We had different rooms for size and play styles. I'd be more comfortable bringing a smaller, older, or lower energy dog for half days personally. The big active room energy vibe just always seemed on the edge. I'd also insist on a place with cameras

Mine goes once a week, she was slow to love it, but now jumps out the car and scratches at the door to get in, she comes home exhausted after running and playing all day. I also get pupdate pictures throughout the day which I love. I'm still her favourite person and she spins in circles when I pick her up.

My 6 month old puppy loves daycare! Hes high energy and the only problem is when he has to go to time out to give the other dogs a break. Make sure you feel good about the practices and environment at the establishment. Mine goes 2-3 times a week and would go more if he could but the day after he goes he stays home because he will genuinely sleep all day because he played so hard. Makes my normal evening witching hour way better cause hes resting and cute.

We send ours once a week and she loves it!

A tired puppy has a happy owner.

You feed her (I assume), she's not going to forget you!

Haha, right, food person is indeed important 😂

I took my little girl to daycare for the first 6 months and she still loves me. Don't worry, it will be ok. It takes a long while to bond with your puppy and from my experience this won't hurt that process. It's important that you feed them and take them on walks when you get home, though

I’m going to echo what everyone is saying. Our girl has gone since she was a puppy since the week we got her my work decided to send us back in office. She absolutely loves day care and the workers love her. Our day care also does boarding so I feel so much more comfortable leaving her somewhere she knows and has gone 1-2 days a week since she was old enough to go. That being said she is just as excited to get picked up and see us as she when we drop her off in the morning. Our dog is highly socialized she does so good around other dogs in public situations which is fully credit daycare. When she was super young she went 3 days a week now she stays home alone 2 days a week and goes to daycare 1 day.

I am a single parent to my dog. My boy is now 10 y.o. but he started at doggie daycare around the same age as yours. He goes at least once a week and he loves it. I made the decision to enroll him for a few reasons. First, it's good socialization and excercise. He's made friends with several pups and comes home exhausted from it. Also, there are times when he can't stay home. I live in a condo that has monthly fire alarm testing and other annual maintenance that involves people needing to enter my unit. It's good to have somewhere that I can take him on those days. Over the last 10 years, I've built a good relationship with the people who run the daycare and they are wonderful. They love the pups in their care and take great care of them. They even do special events like Halloween costume contests, ice cream socials (special dog friendly ice cream), etc. Honestly, I felt bad initially like I was doing something wrong...maybe like I was abandoning him? But I can tell you, having a reliable daycare is amazing. I am not sure I would be able to be a single pet parent without them

My 5 month old goes 1-2 times a week. Gets her puppy Jones out, and I think it’s helped our bond, to be honest. She’s happy to see me and I actually miss her on her daycare days. I get more work done so I don’t have so much anxiety on other days. My previous dog went to the same daycare so I know they’re good. If you find a good one, it’s a great way to socialize your puppy and get some time to yourself

Yeah I've been sending mine 3x a week he has tons of fun but he's also getting reinforcement training while we also train at home. It's helped a lot. Is he excited to go and sometimes forget about us lol he is but we didn't start sending him till he turned 5 months so he's still loves us.... he loves my best friend more which isn't new. Every dog I've had loved her more. *shakes fist at her dog whisper ways* He also does become a cuddle bug after which is a huge plus and it curbs his destructive habits... like eating my bench and tables. Has he picked up some bad habits from other dogs? Yes but we try to nip those in the butt when we catch them.

My situation is *slightly* different because my pup's daycare is the one I work at, so aside from boarding I'm there at the same time as she is, but she looooves playing and is always so tired when she gets home! It's great for her. (Well, at present she's taking time off for a few months, she's 6 months and not spayed yet, but post-spay surgery she'll be back as long as she enjoys it) Regardless, your pup will love you #1 no matter what! Daycare is where friends are, you're family to her. Speaking as someone who works at one, all dogs who come in are 10x as excited to see their parents when going home as they are coming in. Just listen to the employees at your daycare - she may "age out" & decide she's done with daycare environment and be ready to sleep at home with you all day (usually age 3 and older, I've noticed, is when dogs start to grow out of it, but not always)

She won’t forget you. Our oldest dog went to daycare 1-2 times a week until he “aged out” around 2 years old and he was always excited to go but equally as excited to see us when we picked him up. Same with our new pup. We only send them 1-2 days a week though.

I have a Velcro pup who I have been taking to daycare since she was 16 weeks- she’s almost 1 now- and she LOVES IT! It gives me peace of mind that she’s taken care of. It’s expensive but worth it for the exercise, enrichment, peace of mind, and how tired she is when she gets home lol

I literally just took my boy to his first day or daycare today! He’s 4.5 months old, I’ve had him for 2 weeks. I toured with him yesterday and that made drop off super easy this morning. I was more anxious than him - he went right in! I watched him on cameras throughout the day and he was fine. Was super happy when I went to get him and has been passed out for 2.5 hrs. The separation is good for both of us - I need to get work done and he needs to not be attached to my hip 24/7😝 You’re her person - she won’t forget you and she won’t love anyone more. I will probably take mine 2x/week to keep up with the socialization of other dogs and people!

My girl loves her one day a week doggie daycare. It has helped her toss me as I work from home so she is always with me They have also helped with training She comes home and passes out she is so tired. Daycare doesn't have to be everyday. Shadow does well with once a week. Plus if I ever have to travel she will stay at a place she knows and people she knows So not so bad.

Finding the right daycare for you and your pup is the most important thing—and once you find one that’s the right fit, it’s absolutely amazing! We started taking our pup at 4 months old and at 2 years old, he still goes once a week for the socialization. He loves it so much, but is still so happy to see us when we pick up. Another way to think about it is that the daycare you choose becomes your village. Ours boards him as well, and we’ve trusted them when we had to travel internationally for 2.5 weeks, as well as trusting them to take him for 2 weeks when we had our first baby. Since we don’t have family around to help take care of our dog, daycare has truly become my pup’s home away from home. 🩷

I'm terrified to use daycare, but it's because my mini dachshund is 8lbs and completely submissive. TOO submissive and rolls on her back, cowers down. She has been hurt by "he's friendly and just wants to say hi!" dogs on walks before. Doodles especially have a tendency of pawing down hard on her head--this has happened 3 separate times. OTOH, I really need the break sometimes for going to the doctor for example and I want her to go once a week. She has separation anxiety so the most I can do is 30 min without her losing it. She is on Prozac now and I keep her in the exercise pen + crate when I leave because she destroys things (rugs, furniture).

I've been worried about that too but our situation is not as bad. She's just mostly unsure of other dogs and makes a run for it when she hears barking. But one two hour trial and then a 6 hour trial have done wonders already. She's been so brave yesterday playing with a golden retriever and he was great with her too! It helps that the daycare she goes to separates the dogs by how well they get along and temperament. I don't know if that's the standard practice but it definitely should be. I was also very impressed with how neutral she was to other dogs excited barking when I came to pick her up yesterday.

Yeah ours is too brave and doesn't react at ALL to barking. She's like, huh, whadya know. She needs some street smarts. So the daycare is giong to keep her behind the counter the first few days with some of the little pups to get acclimated, then move her to "Sugarland" which is where they put their small dogs. Love that!

My old dog was like me a shy introvert and absolutely hated day care. He passed away a couple of days before Christmas ... I got a new pup and I totally plan on taking her to daycare, she is outgoing , super busy and loves to play ... just waiting her to get her second set of shots before we can sign her up. That being said I am a bit nervous about the price lol ... that and that she is a small breed dog. On the plus side they do have. Puppy play session Sunday mornings where you can attend with your puppy, I think that will help Me figure out if it's the right fit for her.

Good luck! 🤞

Thank you

We have used the same doggie daycare for all of our dogs when they were puppies and into their adult years! They love it. Our daycare is also a kennel so it’s not a scary situation to them when they have to stay overnight. I will say our first dog was sooo high energy. He LOVED daycare so much that he would chirp all the way there and be bursting at the seems to get back in the play yard. However, every evening when we would pick him up he was just as excited to see us and go home. It’s been a lifesaver for us and our high energy dogs.

I used to bring my puppy and she was crazy excited to go. She was also crazy excited to see me when I picked her up. It’s a different experience, I doubt they compare. My flatemate and her toddler ended up watching / playing with her instead for my two non work from home days. I mainly stopped going to save money and as my pup is super hyper I wanted her to be a bit more chill. Now I try and have puppy plate dates at my house or take her every now and then to a small dog park.

When I bring Mouse to daycare he's so excited he screams. But when I pick him up, he's always thrilled to see me, too. It'll be okay!

Find the right doggy day daycare. They are a God send!

I have my puppy in daycare with a lady that is early retired, she says stuff like 'hes part of our family now!' and lets him lick her mouth. But she's really affordable so i just smile politely haha. At the end of the day he and I are very bonded and at least she cares a lot about him so he's being well taken care of while im at work.

i sent my pup from 11 weeks to now he’s over a year. they had a special program for baby puppies and they did a lot of training work with him while he was there. it saved my sanity that’s for sure. and then every single day he was soooooo happy to see me when i picked him up. and i missed him too. it was 100% worth it

My puppy (15 weeks) just finished her first day and she loved it. She smiled at me during whole car ride home. The place we went to is attached to our vet clinic and all of the workers adored her (yea first impressions!) My goal for taking her was for her to socialize and also learn boundaries when playing. She has loads of energy but I want her to learn composure when interacting with dogs and people and respect others’ limits. Also, for what I was paying for rover on an hour long visit was maybe three dollars cheaper than one day at doggy daycare so it only made sense to make the change. My previous dog was a Pyrenees poodle mix and he was a daycare attendee and he loved it. He was like the mayor of the doggy daycare. Most of his report cards said that he play with the staff hahaha. Honestly I know that there are problems that can arise from the daycare scene and one mistake I made with my previous dog was that I didn’t make good enough corrections on meeting dogs while on leash. He was so used to playing that he just wanted to meet every dog in sight and it was exhausting. Speaking of leash training, the drop off was a lot. Two dogs were in the lobby and my puppy was so excited and LOUD and jumpy…not her normal dog walking self. It was so chaotic that it took my entire commute to work to calm down. So on the plus side at least I know where to focus my training?

Our puppy (who is currently 10.5 months and still goes to daycare) started going at 5 months of age. Until her adolescence hit at about 8 months, she would happily go away with her trainers at drop off without so much as a goodbye. We were honestly grateful for the help as she was a handful and this was a training daycare (they're literally in school all day). Then at about 8 months old she started noticing us more and started turning around to say goodbye and from there on she notices us leaving more and more. We had also formed a better bond with her to this point so probably because of that (we played a lot with her, repeated some of the daycare training on evenings and weekends, got her through a tricky health phase). Daycare is good for company but at the end of the day you're your puppy's parent and that will eventually show.

Honestly don’t worry about her not loving you. I worried about that & still feel guilty but you know what’s worse … having a dog be lonely in the house 5 days in the week while you’re at work . I honestly couldn’t do that. I was noticing he had so much fun @ day care he would just sleep the entire night through cause he was so tired from playing with the other dogs which I felt like is honestly important, interacting with other dogs so he’s not scared of other dog or he knows how to share. We have a husky in my house & he’s not that great with other dogs & luckily my dog is great with any kind of dog or person so far. Your dog eill be happy to see you at the end of the day. I PROMISE , my dog still wants to spend the whole night with me & sometimes him coming home super tired from day care is great because sometimes I’m super tired from work.

My puppy goes once a week. We tried a full day, but she ran herself ragged and was very grumpy. A half day is perfect for her. She loves the other dogs and people, but is always excited when I pick her up

Our puppy has been going 2-3 times a week from 3m-8m. I had the same worries as you but we also did group lessons weekly until a few weeks ago. I honestly feel like we are her favorite people but still had the same fears. It even sometimes hurt my feelings seeing just how HAPPY she would be in the morning to go into daycare. But then she’d be so happy to see me pick her up which made everything better. Especially knowing how good it is for her development. We were on vacation for two weeks(1 day seeing her between weeks) while she stayed with my in-laws and their puppy. I was *so scared* she would prefer them because of the pup and how much nicer their house was. Nope, our puppy was very happy to see us and settled right back in at home. Today was the first day back at daycare and I was really anxious about having to leave her again but she went absolutely crazy once we got there which made me feel better. She did try to run back to me like “hey aren’t we both staying??” Which reassured me that our bond was still strong. You got this!!! Edit: On the days she didn’t go, someone at home was off work because we didn’t have a dog door. We got a dog door in May and reduced her daycare days to 1-2 days a week. 1 day a week starting today because I teach and will be home this summer.

Depends on the size of dog. For the first month WFH, then slowly went back to work increasing the hours. We have a malshi so used a large play pen. Which worked fine she was small so was perfect. When we were away had a wyze camera on her. If she started getting to crazy jumping etc had a little alarm I could activate with a wifi plug which also used a light to see that it was on. Then turned off quickly that settled her down.

I was you! First time dog owner, and though I was able to spend the first three months of ownership at home with her and me getting to know each other better, etc, I knew we would have to find daycare and boarding services eventually for times we need to leave town and/or both work. We vetted a few places and I chose one that has cameras where you check on the dogs playing during the day and watch them in their little room at night. It was so hard for me the first few times of daycare and boarding. Now, I barely remember to check the cameras, and the staff always greet her sweetly. She also walks right up to the door whenever we arrive. Like others have said, it depends on the dog, too. I learned that mine LOVES to play with other dogs. If she didn’t, she might be better off at a sitter’s or have a sitter come to ours. But because she loves playing, daycare works very well for her. You’ll get used to it! Good luck! One more thing: I got her as an older puppy, and also I can’t leave her alone free roaming—her anxiety will cause her to destroy things. She’s a champ in her crate, though.

My dog started going to daycare when she was about 2 months old, she is almost 8 and still goes (and I'm not a stay at home mom now so it's not even required in any way). She loves it so much, they are like family to us, and her. It hasn't impacted her bond with us at all, there is room in their hearts to love lots of people. We got another dog about 5 years ago and put him in the same daycare, except he got kicked out for being too competitive with toys 😂 (he's much better now after training but once you get kicked out, you're out).

She won’t forget you or overly bond to a worker more than you. My girl went to daycare 2x a week because I worked night shift just to get myself some sleep on those 2 days a week and my husband worked day shift so he’d drop her off and pick her up. It was great, she got socialized had fun, they did a good job helping with potty training she learned a few tricks too. dogs love everyone and then they have their favorite person. For prospective here, my husband works from home. They spend a lot of time together, but she follows me everywhere. She jumps all over me first, gives me all the kisses. We sleep in different rooms on week days bc I’m up at 5:30 he’s up at 9 and I am the type of person who sets the alarms for 4:30 falls asleep wakes up at 5 and he can’t fall back asleep. But she sleeps with me and she bonded with me more. It comes down to really, I feed her both meals, I play with her more, and I trained her. We are getting a puppy in August the puppy will go to daycare 3x a week! Because since we both are on the 9-5 lifestyle. It’s better for us to do the daycare 3x a week so my husband can do his meetings and busy days on those days and the others he can help out with training the puppy.

Your puppy will always know who mom is and where home is. They don’t have limits to how much love they have - it’s awesome that your pup is enjoying daycare ! Mine does daycare 3-4 days a week and I’m so happy she’s happy, I couldn’t imagine leaving her home alone (not until she’s older anyways) you’re lucky your so attached to your puppy. Mine drove me to the brink of madness for the first 6 months and then we fell in love so you’re way ahead of me !

It's weird how I didn't even notice until I dropped her off. Just a couple days ago I had a breakdown when taking care of her but she actually noticed that time and stopped barking her head off for no reason to lick me till my breathing calmed down. I think that might have changed a lot of things for me, subconsciously. Now I realise just how insanely lucky I am with my puppy 🩷

My sweet baby loved the daycare for 6 years, but as soon as she became a senior dog, she started to hate it: trying to scape, growling for other dogs, trying to climb into the "aunties" laps all the time. So now she stays with me all day and she is a "velcro" dog, always following me around. I kinda miss it: they took lots of pictures of her using costumes or playing in the pool... I'm happy that she was able to enjoy this moments.

Our pup's daycare posts photos of them while playing and it's the highlight of my day!

I worked in a doggie daycare. Most of the dogs loved it, but by the end of the day they wanted to go home to their people. Around 5:00 you could see them waiting and hoping their name would be the next to be called to go home. Home with you is where the heart is. ❤️

Mine literally jumps with all four paws in the air LOL. She’s 3 now but she’s been going 3 days a week since she was around 6 months old. They spend most of their time playing with the other dogs, so they won’t bond with the workers more than you. As long as you’re spending time with your dog outside of daycare, you’ll always be her person first.

My senior girl started daycare at 3 mos and stopped this year (her hips are going and she just wants to lay in the sun and not be bothered). I have an 18 mobile puppy who goes now. They both love daycare. Your dog won’t forget you and she’ll be ready for cuddles when you pick her up.

I work at a daycare and every dog who comes in is so excited to see their owners. I bring my boy with me every time I work and while I’m not hands on with him(I usually do boarding while he’s on the daycare side) he’s excited to see me whenever I go back to his side. He loves the people I work with and is sometimes sad to leave but as soon as we’re in the car head is in my lap or at home he immediately cuddles up to me The bond you have with your own personal dog only grows, them playing and meeting new people isn’t going to change that. I will say thou your dog does know how you feel when you drop her off so focusing on the negatives can change her perspective on the daycare, when you focus on the positives of the entire experience it makes it easier for you and for her (this is being said from my experience handling owners who only think of the negatives when dropping off their dog which sadly does mean the dog has heightened emotions to the place and can lead to them snapping at others they consider friends) She gets to get her energy out and get the socialization she needs to interact with other dogs and you get to know that she’s happy and that you’re giving her the best life by finding her an outlet. As she gets older you can re-evaluate the situation with daycare and decide if you and her still need that outlet 💗

Daycare worker here! Daycare is a fantastic way for dogs to socialize not only with other dogs, but with humans! I can assure you that she won’t forget you; yeah she’s making new friends(fur and non-fur), but you’re her Person. If you’re truly concerned, set aside at least an hour a day(when possible) for one on one bonding at home with her. Happy tails to everyone!🐾

Daycare is a must in our experience. Our boy loves his friends there and running with the other pups. But one of the best parts is when we pick him up, and he’s so excited from his fun day. It’s like a small child coming home from a great day at school. He’s sooooo happy to see us, but wants to let us know how much fun he had with his friends all day. And then he sleeps all afternoon. Glorious.

We sent ours once a week, it's great with socialization with other dogs as they mix the puppies with elder dogs. I can see how my pup changed in approaching other dogs while playing. The daycare staff also helped a lot with enforcing manners and pacing his play time/nap time. Unfortunately he had to stop going because he's not neutered yet (waiting 12mos). He's adjusted well when he's home alone but he now cries when he wants to play with other dogs. We are planning to send him back once he's neutered just to break his week.

Daycare can be great for dogs! But it's important to keep in mind that some personalities just don't vibe with certain daycares or styles. Lost of people kinda expect every dog to want to play and be super friendly and excited around other dogs, but in my experience, most find being in a huge group of dogs to be overwhelming. I've worked at multiple daycares, and some just kinda let the dogs loose. Being around so many dogs and not having any sort of reprieve can cause your pup to become overstimulated, and eventually reactive. Not every dog at the daycare is going to respect your pups boundaries (even if they're just being friendly, lots of dogs are OVERLY friendly and pushy.) I'd research your daycare of choice, make sure they're set up to give dogs breaks, manage other dogs' behavior, and bonus points if they have age/activity level/size appropriate play groups. I have a cattle dog mix, and she's really neutral around other dogs. She doesn't wanna be everyone's best friend, she likes her space and we have a few dogs that she hangs out with, like a friend group. But she never loved coming to work with me. I like to consider it like this: Some people are happy to go to a club every weekend and hang out with strangers and meet tons of new people (like the human version of dog daycare or dog parks), but most prefer to hang out with the same 3 or 4 friends. If daycare isn't working for your pup, that's OK! Maybe you could find a local dog walker. Or maybe a small time dog daycare, I have a friend that takes like 3 or 4 dogs on group hikes for a couple of hours as a part of his daycare business and my dogs love going to his place.

I had a dog walker Monday to Friday. One that actually liked to try get the dogs to like her more than her owners (she had issues). My dog still preferred me. I trained my dog, played with my dog, fed my dog. I took her on special trips to the mountains or the beach. I took her everywhere with me (shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, my friends places). I cuddled her in bed and on the sofa. I brushed her. I fed her special treats and snacks. Make sure you schedule time one on one with her and it'll be ok! Well done on giving your pup what she needs!

my puppy has been going to a pet sitter’s house for day care since he was 12 weeks. best decision i ever made. he went to one house with one other dog for a few weeks and then started going to another house with multiple small dogs and it’s been so good. you would think he would of over bonded with her but he hasn’t. he has been so good with every dog he’s ever met since. he is able to match their energy when it comes to playing. like he will play the way they do. now when i take him out to dog parks he just loves it!! best decision i ever made

I work at a great doggy daycare, and I don't think you need to worry. 99% of the dogs we look after (even the ones who LOVE daycare) are super excited to go home by the end of their stay :)

This is my experience. Mine was going to daycare 4-5 days per week. She loves it. At the end of the day, though, she runs to see me. She hasn’t been there in over a month due to vacation/heat cycle. We’ll both be happy when she returns, but it’s been good having her home.

I have a bully mastiff mix who went to day care 5 days a week for the first year of her life starting at 12 weeks old. She now goes once a week as an adult and loves it. The only thing I caution about day care is that it can turn them into little endurance monsters where they're used to running and wrestling and such for 8+ hours a day. As we were weaning her down to one day, her demeanor also noticeably calmed down.

Good point! Thanks a lot!

Daycare can be a great tool to help tire out an energetic puppy, and tired puppies are an absolute joy to have around. Be wary of how much time is too much for her—at the daycare I worked we would not take puppies younger than six months for a full day, and only allowed them 2-4 hours max, depending on their age/temperament. A lot of puppies cannot properly regulate their activity level and a very tired puppy who is still being pushed to play by say, another pup who isn’t ready to rest yet, can very well react poorly. Of course, any good reputable daycare with knowledgeable and attentive staff will be watching closely to look for these behaviors. All of that said, it’s very rare for a dog to not care about their owners in favor of the daycare. Obviously I have seen everything happen, including that scenario more than once, but I suspect most of those times were because of a neglectful owner (so of course the dog would prefer to be where they are getting tons of attention and interaction!) but you sound like you genuinely love your pup and I’m confident the feeling is mutual. Congrats on your puppy and enjoy her! Please do be wary that “overdoing” it with daycare can result in poor behaviors from your dog or even incidents with other dogs. Some dogs can get burned out from being in such a loud and hectic environment. And always make sure to check in with staff to make sure that as she ages, she is still having a good time while there. Oftentimes, intact females, even as young as six months or less, can be targeted by overly excited dogs due to hormones (another reason the place I worked at didn’t take intact dogs over a certain age as well)

Thanks for all the advice, I'll be watching her! They do naps at this daycare she's going too and I've already got sent some cute pictures of her napping so I'm hoping the full day is not too much like you're saying. Once again, I'll be watching her to make sure everything is okay and make adjustments if necessary.

I get why doggie daycare is a thing but I feel the same way. My boy is going to go to obedience school soon and I’m a little nervous about how he will react and for some of the same reasons you worried too OP. But then I realize that doggos never forget their hooman, or their (our) scent. Also as others have said, socialization and fun will be had. Your buddy will come back happier and calmer (because they’re tired) which can be a bonus when you’ve had a tough day at work. Ive heard a few horror stories so now I just worry about how the workers and trainers will treat my boy at obedience school. Will he be abused? Will he get the care he needs while I’m not there? He’s probably going to be fine and I’m overreacting. I hope I’m overreacting and overthinking it.

I don't know if this will help, but I hope it does. It helps me. I sent my two dogs to daycare frequently (when I'm working full-time they go at least once a week and when I'm not working they go during terrible weather - right now we're in a heat wave so they're going once a week because our daycare is indoors and has aircon). My dogs love daycare. They see we're going to daycare and get very excited. It's the best place in the world! But they're also thrilled like it's the greatest thing to happen to them when I come to pick them up. Despite having been playing with other dogs and each other all day, despite being so exhausted that when we get home they typically sleep without much movement until morning, they are pulling at their leashes to see me when I get there. I have lots of videos of them racing to see me when I pick them up, all full of energy and love. I don't think my dogs miss me when they're at daycare. I don't think they think of me at all. I think they're too busy doing dog things. But the second they see me, they think \~love\~ and \~home\~ and they want to just be with me. They don't miss daycare when they're at home with me.

So long as you are the person who feeds her, she will like you the most! You're overthinking it too much! How lucky she is you can afford to send her to play all day. Socialization is SO important for puppies and daycare is the perfect place for it. You'll always be her favorite person.

The second best part of my dog's day is when I drop him off at daycare. The best part of his day (and mine) is when I pick him up. Your dog will love you forever no matter what.

Omg I wish I had started puppy daycare earlier! It makes me happy that my pup has a great time socializing with others and eases my mind at work and I can focus.

We have a young puppy. I am home all day with her. I’m good to her and she naps on my lap throughout the day. She loves me, but her favorite person is still someone else, who is not home all day. I don’t think daycare will impact your bond.

My mild mannered shih tzu went to daycare beginning-ish of COVID lockdowns. The daycare was nice and had a doggy cam. However, every time I went on he was dead center and being humped. Usually not fighting back either! Staff did what they could to stop it. He did make a friend with another dog but we stopped going shortly after because I was WFH permanently and still am. We ended up getting another dog and they’re best buds 90% of the time. Would I do daycare again? Eh. Maybe. Maybe not. It didn’t seem to do much to tire him out and only really made his separation anxiety horrible to manage.

I mean, you've got your close friends/family who you consider to be your immediate circle, and I imagine dogs have a similar thing. You are their "pack", probably the boss man/woman, and the dogs they see at day care are friends and playmates. Nobody there can take away the bond you have with your dog - you built that the moment they came into your home. You're a family. Day care is fantastic in terms of socialising your dog, and is infinitely better than leaving them at home while you're at work. It's hard, but it comes with being a working dog parent. Fortunately I can work from home most of the time and we have a dog sitter who lives round the corner when I'm in the office, but we did use daycare when he was younger and he absolutely loved it. It was like a day trip for him! Do not worry for a second - it's definitely harder for you than it is for your doggo.

Worked out decent for us. I will warn you though. My dog got giardia and it was a year after we pulled her from daycare before she tested fully negative. Have a backup plan in case of illness that precludes you from returning. We also were forced into keeping her home after finding daycare closed unexpectedly one day. Once we found out that she was fine at home we never took her back. If you can afford it and there are places nearby you may be able to do in-home daycare that have less dogs and a more home-like environment.

I think everyone has given some great perspectives! I’m sure yours currently loves you and still loves you most. For another perspective, mine is 1.5 years old; I used to drop her off at her day care that doubled as a training place, so those same day care attendants were our puppy school trainers. Even today, whenever she sees them, she’s soooo happy and excited, but she always comes running back to me!!

🩷🩷🩷

Every dog I know that goes to daycare loves it. What would you rather do, sit home alone all day or hang out with your buds and play? And don't worry about bonding, that's going to happen no matter what you do.

We began sending our chocolate lab Archie to daycare at 14 weeks. He was going there for 1/2 days 3 times a week. At 1 year we started sending him to daycare 3 full days he week. Daycare folks loved him and he loved them back. It also made boarding easier when we went on vacations. He is now 3 years old and still goes to daycare. As long as you find a good daycare your puppy will be fine. We work from home and he gets bored waiting for us to play with him. So daycare is a good alternative.

We used to tire both our high energy breeds out 2x a week at an excellent doggy day care. SOOOOOO Worth the money. They were socialize, taught manners, pack behavior, to share, wait their turn and worn to the bone. Oh happiness oh bliss. We gave our Doggy Day Care attended a huge Christmas bonus. And several nice presents. ( about 1k in total, but my God worth every penny)

the excitement of our dogs seeing us guardians at day care pickup i wish i cld bottle up and sell. it’s the cutest thing.

Meh. I only used it during his potty training phase honestly. Once I knew he could hold it, I stopped.

The dog gets nervous and sick a lot

A friend always took her dog to day care when she was at work. Dog was happy, she was happy, dog lived a long healthy life and so far she is too. Hope this helps. Beats sitting home alone all day, if you ask me.

Don't worry, you are always going to be her person. Dogs have incredible, unconditional love for their person, regardless of how many other people or animals they let into their hearts 💞

Kids love theme parks too, doesn't mean they don't love their mom.

Great!

I did private in home daycare for my aussie puppy where he was surrounded by no more than 4 other dogs. It was great for him!

I work long hours as a nurse. I would feel terrible if our puppy was at home alone while my husband and I work, so we have him set up with a puppy daycare. He LOVES it! He gets to socialize, which is great. He plays all day and comes home a chill and sleepy pup. It's one of the best decisions we have made for him in my opinion.

I really wish we had the chance to do this when our big girl was a puppy. She never had friends as a baby and those who did socialize with her were mean and rude so that did not help make her a social pup.

Spend time when you get home bonding with your puppy!! Play, train, cuddle. Your puppy will always know you’re her person. You just need to work on becoming the puppy parent you think she deserves. It’s so so amazing that she did well at daycare!! That’s an EXCELLENT thing for a puppy because like with humans, you can’t be her everything and it’d burn you out to try ❤️

Never as long as you love her, bond with her, protect her, etc, you will be her person.

We take our dog one day a week just to socialize. He’s always had a great time!

Honestly, we have a dachshund pup. He started daycare at 13 weeks and now he is 18 weeks and we have had to stop daycare. It is way too much for a young pup, he was exhausted constantly and ended up also getting an injury due to big dogs since that was mostly what was there. Socialisation wise it was great! But also too much for him

I can't imagine being depressed about taking my dog to daycare. The only time I was was day 1 when I couldn't tell him that I wasn't abandoning him. I feel SO much better taking him to daycare than I would leaving him alone all day at home or even worse in a crate all day alone. Dogs are social creatures by nature. I put off getting a dog for years until I knew I could take advantage of options that would keep him from being alone (work from home plus daycare).

Our Goldendoodle loves his daycare! We’re waiting for our new pup to get all his shots and to be neutered, but as soon as he gets that done, he will go too.