I received an email the other day that started, “My dog got kicked out of daycare today.” It was from a dog owner I knew. She loves her dog and was looking for outlets for his energy. She is a fantastic owner – the kind every dog trainer wants to meet. She was bonded to her dog, committed to his well-being, and loved to hear advice from pet professionals on how to improve her dog’s life, so she emailed me to find out what she had done wrong. She needed to express her embarrassment with her dog and wanted to cry on my shoulder (virtually) and find out what she should be doing to fix what she viewed as her dog’s problems.

She had a lovely dog with no behavioral problems. The dog was friendly with people, well mannered in the house, walked nicely on leash, and was absolutely adored by everyone in the family. But there was this one problem… Her dog got kicked out of daycare today.

My advice to her? “Just don’t go to the daycare, and don’t go to dog parks.” That’s it. No magic wand to fix a problem. No behavioral modification program to force her dog to tolerate the presence of large numbers of other dogs. No litany of tools and tricks she should use to get her dog to accept the environment of off-leash play. Just don’t go to the daycare or dog park. That’s it.

Far too often we try to force pets into environments they may not like. When we do, the dog suffers. I’ve seen shy dogs taken to crowded parades. The dog is not happy. I’ve seen sound-sensitive dogs taken to fireworks displays. The dog is not happy. And I’ve seen dogs who don’t particularly enjoy the company of other dogs taken to dog parks and daycares. The dog is not happy.

Most of the time, these situations occur because well-meaning dog owners are trying to do things they think would be fun for their dog. In the excitement of taking the dog someplace new, many owners fail to notice how their dog is responding to the new environment. I recommend looking to the dog for clues as to what makes them happy. Watch for loose, wiggly body language in the dog. If the dog is hiding, shaking, jumping up on people, or appearing nervous, he’s probably not happy.

Not every dog likes off-leash play, and that’s okay. It’s not a statement about the dog. It’s about an environment that just isn’t a good fit for a particular dog. Just like an evening at the fireworks isn’t the best environment for a dog who is sound sensitive and a crowded parade isn’t the best environment for a dog who doesn’t enjoy crowds, an off-leash play environment isn’t the best place for a dog that doesn’t enjoy playing with other dogs.

When a dog doesn’t do well in off-leash play, it is not necessarily a symptom of a problem, a bad dog, or a dog in need of behavioral modification. This might be the case, but more often than not, it’s just a dog who prefers people. It’s a dog who would rather hang out with the people he loves than with dogs he doesn’t know. It’s a dog who would love a hike in the woods but doesn’t enjoy off-leash play with a group of other dogs. This doesn’t make the dog bad.

But is this normal? Don’t all dogs want to play with other dogs? Shouldn’t the dog be socialized so he gets used to it? I get asked these questions all the time. The truth is there are far more dogs who do not enjoy off-leash play than there are dogs who love it.

When a pet care professional dismisses a dog from daycare or says a dog shouldn’t go to a dog park, they should be applauded. These are professionals that care more about the pet than about making a buck by bringing a dog into their facility if the dog isn’t going to enjoy the off-leash environment. Each dog should be seen as a unique animal with individual temperament traits. An excellent pet care facility will look out for the well-being of each pet and put the dog’s safety and comfort first... even if it means dismissing the dog from off-leash play.

What if a dog doesn’t like the off-leash play? It’s ok. The owner is not a bad owner, and the dog is not a bad dog. Just find other activities that don’t involve interacting with other dogs. Offer services to take the dog on a hike, give the dog a massage, or teach news skills such as agility, RallyO, or nosework. You’ll keep the client happy and the dog will have more fun.

Robin Bennett is an author and consultant for pet care facilities on the subjects of dog daycare, training, and off-leash dog play. The tools she teaches facility staff and dog owners stem 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, and her book, Off-Leash Dog Play, co-authored with Susan Briggs, is the key reference on supervising dogs in playgroups. Together with Susan Briggs, Robin has created an interactive staff training program called Knowing Dogs: a two-part training resource designed for pet care center management to train any staff member working in a pet care facility on safe dog interactions and group play. You can find Robin’s blog at www.RobinKBennett.com and get more resources on keeping dogs safe at www.thedoggurus.com.

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