Daycare has become very popular, and more and more clients want this fun activity for their dogs. But what if your client’s dog isn’t suitable for off-leash play? How can you keep the client happy and also give the dog an activity that is healthy and beneficial? Specialized daycare just might be the answer you need.

The specialized daycare program in Susan’s pet facility was created in response to a client’s request to keep his senior dog in social activities without physical exhaustion. Merlin had been coming to our center since he was a young adult, and as he entered his senior years, his owners noticed that he would limp and come home exhausted after a full day of daycare. They knew Merlin enjoyed his twice monthly visits to our center while the housekeeper came to clean, but they were concerned that physically it was too much for him. Initially, we changed Merlin to a half day of dog daycare and a half day of rest, and that scenario worked for a while. Over time, even half a day was too much physical activity for this older dog. That’s when we decided to formalize specialized daycare programs for senior dogs, puppies, and tiny dogs in our center.

Our decision initiated by Merlin’s owners five years ago has resulted in a great additional revenue stream, new clients, and better care for dogs in our playgroups. In retrospect, we realized that both of us had been offering forms of specialized daycare all along to meet client needs. Comparing our stories made it clear that centers can benefit by formalizing their programs and marketing them to maximize opportunities to reach more clients. As a result, we believe every center providing off-leash dog play can win by offering some form of specialized daycare without adding space or new staff members.

The first step is to review your current business focus and find the specialized daycare options that fit best. Generally speaking, off-leash play is the place for well-socialized dogs who enjoy being with other dogs. Dogs with severe behavioral issues are usually not a good fit. However, there are some dogs that don’t quite fit on either end of that spectrum, and these are the dogs that might do well in specialized daycare. There may be dogs that currently come to your center but would have a better quality experience in a specialized group. Merlin, a senior dog, is a good example. Another option is to start serving a group of dogs that you currently don’t accept due to safety concerns, such as puppies, tiny dogs, or dogs that don’t have great social skills. Dog groups to target successfully for specialized daycare options include the following:

• Puppies younger than five or six months
• Tiny dogs weighing less than 10 pounds with a small body frame/structure
• Senior dogs
• Dogs with disabilities or health issues
• Dogs with poor social skills as a result of fear or lack of self-control
• Dogs that prefer human interactions to dog interactions

Formalizing specialized daycare programs requires thinking outside the box. Your focus needs to be on providing a high-quality social experience for the group of dogs you target. In our experience, it is best to focus on providing a short time period of high-quality engaging social experiences with a well-trained staff member. This means dogs are engaged in structured activities that provide physical exercise and mental stimulation. Rather than just letting dogs hang out together with no structure to their playtime, we propose spending quality time with the dogs, engaging them in games, obedience, and other interactive activities. Providing short periods of mental and physical stimulation for the dogs can often be healthier than just physical exhaustion from a rowdy, out-of-control play session. This type of specialized daycare requires educating clients on the quality of their dogs’ social experiences and the type of interactions their dog will truly enjoy so the owner isn’t upset if their dog is not in the playgroup for the entire day.

When targeting a narrow niche like puppies, tiny dogs, or seniors, we found it is easier to build a small group by creating a limited schedule of days the specialized care is offered. At Urban Tails, we started by offering Tiny Tail Tuesdays, Puppy Tail Wednesdays, and Senior Tail Thursdays. We also focused on offering a shorter daily schedule of actual play activities. The schedule included two hours in the morning and afternoon that started after the peak morning drop-off period and ended before the peak of afternoon pick-ups. Mid-week days helped our business by bringing more clients in on slow days, plus we could use open lodging space to house dogs when they were not participating in social play. During peak periods of lodging activity, we posted a notice that specialized daycare was on break and would resume after the holiday or peak rush was over.

Space for specialized daycare activities is often an issue that is raised. The good thing about the niche of puppies, tiny dogs, and seniors is that they don’t require much space. There have been times when we used one of our largest lodging enclosures for the activity time. Again, focus on having good group leaders that keep dogs engaged, and you can create a quality social experience in a small space. Mid-week you may have an exercise yard that is available or a hallway in a section of the building that is not occupied. Any space that can be made dog-safe can be used for short periods of quality social interaction. You should also consider rotating dogs into your main dog play areas during their formal nap period.

Operationally there are some important points to remember as you focus on providing a high-quality social experience for these niche groups. For puppies, be sure your staff leaders are trained on puppy stages of development. The social experiences of young puppies must be fun and positive, as any negative encounter can have life-long behavior impacts on the dog. Our staff always enjoyed leading the tiny dog group, as it was safe to sit on the floor and provide more toys for play. One caution is to stay alert for inappropriate play and bully behaviors, as these also come in tiny packages. For senior pets, your focus may be on mobility, frequent potty breaks, and low-key human interactions. Movie time, when staff and senior dogs cuddled on the floor, was a fun activity enjoyed by all involved.

In addition to offering specialized daycare for targeted groups of dogs like tiny dogs or senior dogs, you might also consider the possibility of offering specialized daycare to help dogs who can benefit from more controlled group play with a smaller group of dogs. A good evaluation process can help you identify dogs who might not work in your regular play group but might benefit from small, structured playgroups.

In Robin’s center, Cocoa was such a dog. Cocoa was a Cocker Spaniel who was going to be dismissed from daycare because he no longer played well with the dogs in regular daycare. After talking with the owners who really wanted Cocoa to continue to come to daycare, the staff agreed to try a specialized daycare approach. Cocoa was crated during the peak periods of activity. During the two-hour afternoon nap time, when most of the other dogs were resting, Cocoa was brought out to play with a small group of selected dogs. This smaller, calmer environment was perfect for Cocoa. Eventually we had a room full of “Cocoas” – dogs that enjoyed a smaller group experience and were happy to rest for the remainder of the day.

This is a great example of how to educate your clients on how the quality of the experience for their dog is generally more important than the quantity of time the dog spends in the playgroup. A well-trained staff member is the key to giving dogs a fun, interactive playtime that will leave the dog both tired and emotionally healthy at the end of the day. The owner was happy, Cocoa was healthy and happy, and the facility was able to continue receiving revenue from the client.

Another type of dog that might benefit from specialized daycare is the shy dog. A shorter period of play conducted during naptime or in a small available room can often help boost the confidence of some of the shy dogs. It takes an experienced staff member to make good choices about the types of dogs who should be put together for these types of controlled playgroups. You want shy dogs to play with calm dogs that will be patient and allow play to happen at a slower pace. This is not necessarily the place for your rowdy, adolescent dogs! You also need a good staff member who can monitor the play to prevent the shy dog from being overwhelmed. However, it’s magical when you see a wallflower blossom into a dog that truly enjoys playing with other dogs. Another benefit to this type of specialized program for shy dogs is that you can often boost their confidence enough to enable them to attend your regular daycare programs later. This allows you to bring in future clients that might not otherwise be able to take advantage of your daycare services.

In our opinion, daycare is best suited for dogs who are well socialized and enjoy the company of other dogs. Dogs with severe behavioral issues should probably not be in daycare. There are some dogs who, with a little specialized daycare, can benefit from the services you are offering. By maximizing the staff you already have and using space already available, you can help increase your revenue and create great experiences for dogs like these that might not otherwise attend your facility. Specialized daycare is truly a winning alternative for everyone involved! Dogs win by participating in a quality social experience. Your clients win by having a safe and fun activity for their dog to participate in during the day. Your business wins by adding services and revenue. We challenge you to find an option to implement specialized daycare in your center today!

Susan Briggs is co-founder of Urban Tails, a large multiservice pet care center in Houston, Texas. One of the first cage-free sleepover and dog daycare centers in the country, Urban Tails evolved into a training resource for pet professionals on safe daycare operations. Staff training is a passion for Susan, resulting in the development of Crystal Canine, a consulting and training resource for the pet industry (www.crystalcanine.com). Robin Bennett is author and consultant for pet care facilities on the subjects of dog daycare, training, and off-leash play. The tools she teaches facility staff and dog owners stems from Robin’s 20 years of involvement in the pet care industry. Her book, All About Dog Daycare, is the number one reference on owning a daycare. Off-Leash Dog Play: A Complete Guide to Safety and Fun, co-authored by Susan Briggs and Robin Bennett, is the key reference on supervising dogs in playgroups. Susan and Robin have created an interactive staff training program called Knowing Dogs, a two-part training resource designed for pet care center management to train any pet care facility staff member on safe dog interactions and group play. All resources are available from www.robinkbennett.com. Their newest venture provides a one-stop online resource for safe off-leash dog play tools and education. As “The Dog Gurus,” Susan and Robin’s mission is to improve safety in the dog daycare industry. Check out their new site at www.TheDogGurus.com.

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