Why I don't separate dogs based on energy level and play styles
- Miss Mimi
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
These two rascals are best buds. Charlie is a young male who wouldn't give up trying to make our couch potato Max get off his hind and play with him. He greets him every morning he sees him with loads of kisses and rubbing his head against his face, making all kinds of sounds.
Max squints, holds his head up and seems to just revel in all the adoration. Then he will finally get up and go wrestle with him. If it wasn't for Charlie, Max would sleep all day, aside from a few saunters around the yard.
This is one of the reasons I don't separate the dogs. A low energy dog does not necessarily want to be in that state, but most daycare's would put Max in a section of what they call low energy dogs, and which I term... utter boredom.
In terms of health, it requires more mental effort to manage a lively, energetic dog than to sit quietly in a corner. The interaction involves the older dog showing patience, giving gentle corrections, and, if necessary, delivering firm discipline without causing distress to the young pup.
The chances of these low-energy dogs participating in the fun are naturally higher if they have the opportunity, and isn't that the purpose of sending them to daycare? Isn't exercise the reason you want your dog in a social environment?
I also don't separate dogs based on their size. Some of the strongest bonds I've witnessed have been between a small dog and a large dog playing together for hours.
I was raised with two toy poodles and a Yellow Lab, and they enjoyed playing with each other. In my last big pack, I had two miniatures, two medium to large dogs, and one extra-large dog, and I would never separate them by size.
Dogs don't know their own size most times and if they are monitored and you maintain safe energy and supervise, you shouldn't need to separate the dogs from each other. Releasing a lot of pent-up energy and excitement by running around in a safe and spacious area is a dream for most dogs. For the owner, coming home to a tired and snuggly dog is the best reward. And that goes for any size dog.
It's even better when the dog doesn't smell.
I have been doing this for 22 years, and some of the stories I could share about the cleanliness standards of some storefront dog daycares in town are truly astonishing.
Just think about it... You take a mop out of a bucket, wring it out, clean up a large puddle of urine, and then put it back in the bucket! Then, the next spill is cleaned with a mop that's been wrung out but is still covered in urine! Honestly!
Several of my clients have viewed live feeds from dog daycare centers, observing the handlers doing just that. They then come here and declare, "I'm so tired of bringing home a smelly dog!"
Running an indoor-only dog daycare is challenging for that reason alone. Now, think about the dogs... having to lie in it all day. I simply can't. The sanitary conditions in these centers are truly appalling. I have a rule for my members: they cannot attend other daycares and then come to ours within the same week to safeguard the pack.
My kids, back in their teens and growing up in a big house with 25 daycare dogs and a family pack of 5 varying in size, would say to me all the time... "mom... all you do is mop the floor!" It made me laugh but it was true. Some days it sure felt that way.
I cleaned up after my two daughters, our pack of 5, and the daycare of 25 daily dogs, and cleaned a 5 bedroom home, fed all the hungry mouths, and maintained a 300 ft long driveway constantly covered in branches from the 1.3 acre massive old growth forest we sat in the middle of. It was magical.
Our pack of 5 included Spike, a longhaired Chihuahua around 8 lbs, Sugar, a Pomeranian around 10 lbs, then Amicus, he was a Lab/Mastiff/Rotti mix and weighed about 80 lbs, and then of course my side kick Alfina. She was a Black Lab/Belgian Malinois/Border Collie mix and weighed about 65 lbs and was so extremely smart.
Last but not least was Max and he weighed about 130 lbs and was a short haired St Bernard. It was a busy home-based dog daycare, and you couldn't smell urine anywhere in my place. I was very proud of that and my clients loved how clean I kept it all.
Twenty-two years ago, when I launched my dog daycare, it began in the lower rec room with access to a spacious 10K sq.ft. backyard. I fenced off about 8K sq.ft. of it for the dogs. It later grew to take over most of the home. The area it was in was an old-growth forest and was one of the last remaining in North Surrey at that time.
My daily rate was slightly higher than that of commercial daycares at the time because I believed the quality of care I provided far exceeded theirs. They separated the dogs into groups of same energy levels, and young dog, old dogs, and using spray bottles to halt any fun, lacking the knowledge to manage or reduce energy and play to a safe level.
At present, commercial rates are much higher than my fees, and numerous facilities are unsafe, unsanitary, noisy, stressful, and overcrowded. Although not every daycare faces these problems, there are more with issues than there ought to be. Often, you can't even go to the back to see the area or the dogs. Some are located so far at the back of the store that they lack windows or natural light.
Running a dog daycare demands knowledge of canine body language and behavior. Novice handlers and daycare proprietors should refrain from isolating dogs in different sections. Their clients might as well opt for a kennel, which wouldn't be significantly less expensive, but certainly safer and more hygienic.
So don't avoid an open space dog daycare. Go visit it and see the pack in action, all sizes and breeds, sharing space with old, young, slow and high speed dogs all loving and sharing and respecting each other.
If you are curious how we pull it off, give us a call and set up an assessment, so you can come in and see for yourself. It truly is Priceless...
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