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"  What&amp;#039;s offered at a dog daycare facility can vary greatly. Some centers provide all the comforts of home, including a good rubdown, snacks and toys galore. Others simply focus on creating a supervised play space for pooches as their owners head off to work. Finding an option that works for you and your pet&amp;#039;s temperament requires time, effort and a little knowledge about how dog daycares operate.Before you place your beloved pet in someone else&amp;#039;s hands, Robin Crawford, owner of Dogma dog care in Smyrna, Ga., and Joann Schwartz, owner of Kirkwood Bark and Lounge in Atlanta, share a few secrets that pet facilities may not tell you. Not every dog is suited for doggy daycare   Most reputable facilities conduct a trial visit to evaluate the dog&amp;#039;s temperament around other people and pooches. Your dog will typically begin by interacting with one or two mellow pooches, and the facility will slowly increase the number of dogs as your pet gets accustomed to the surroundings.  &amp;quot;We actually ask [pet owners] to hang out,&amp;quot; Schwartz says. &amp;quot;If the dog is not in daycare or has no experience in a dog park environment, 15 minutes is all we need.&amp;quot;  If the pet hides in a corner or snaps at everyone who walks by, Schwartz says that a slow introduction may be necessary. Some dogs also get too rambunctious and have to calm down.  &amp;quot;We do give time-outs of about five to 10 minutes,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;These dogs know they&amp;#039;ve done something wrong. Dogs are very, very smart.&amp;quot;  Dogs that don&amp;#039;t behave get three strikes at her facility, and Schwartz says that very few have been banned. In most cases, she offers pet owners an opportunity to pursue training and then have the dog return. But some dogs simply do not adjust to doggy daycare \u2013 and that&amp;#039;s OK.  &amp;quot;Don&amp;#039;t force your dog to go because you think he&amp;#039;ll like it,&amp;quot; Schwartz says. &amp;quot;If they go to a dog park and don&amp;#039;t like it, I can almost guarantee your dog won&amp;#039;t like doggy daycare.&amp;quot; For most dogs, this is a major lifestyle change   Crawford says that many first-time clients can&amp;#039;t believe how dog-tired their pets are after a day of play. But the sprawling 10,000-square-foot facility nestled on two acres of play space provides plenty of opportunities for dogs to folic.  &amp;quot;New parents to doggy daycare or boarding really need to ask what to expect when dogs start visiting,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;It is a dramatic change in lifestyle, especially if the pet has been sedentary at home. It&amp;#039;s healthy to get exercise and socialization \u2014 and [dogs] should be tired at the end of the day just like we&amp;#039;re tired.&amp;quot;  Schwartz adds that early socialization can set a good foundation for younger dogs. Accidents happen   Schwartz notes that, just as kids come home with scratch marks from playing too hard, dogs come home with bite or scratch marks from playing with other dogs. What&amp;#039;s most important is ensuring that the facility has the people and tools in place to quickly resolve a situation.  &amp;quot;The customer is fine once we explain that [the dogs] are playing,&amp;quot; she says. &amp;quot;I also have doggy cams and I record everything. If there is an incident, I can show footage to the owners so they know that attendants are there.&amp;quot; Find out who&amp;#039;s watching your pet   Crawford and Schwartz are hands-on owners, working at their respective facilities. They suggest that pet owners ask tough questions about who will be handling pets, especially during the holidays and busy summer months when doggy daycares typically fill up.   &amp;quot;Safety is important; ask the facility about the number of dogs to handlers,&amp;quot; says Crawford, who maintains one handler for every 25 dogs. At Schwartz&amp;#039;s smaller facility, the ratio is one handler for every 15 dogs.  &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s a hard job for attendants,&amp;quot; Schwartz adds. &amp;quot;People think they sit and just watch dogs, but I tell them, &amp;#039;come hang in the back for an hour&amp;#039; just so they know what goes on.&amp;quot;  In addition to monitoring pets, attendants often administer medication or help pets of elderly clients get much-needed exercise. From time to time, they also make some interesting discoveries.  &amp;quot;I had a dog that vomited a pair of underwear,&amp;quot; Schwartz says. &amp;quot;We are always on the lookout for anything a customer tells us to watch for, as well as anything unusual.&amp;quot; Man&amp;#039;s best friend needs (four-legged) companionship   Many of Schwartz&amp;#039;s clients travel extensively or work long hours. They opt for doggy daycare so that their pets can socialize with four-legged friends and take the occasional potty breaks.  Crawford, whose three dogs and pet bird visit the facility regularly, says her clients range from busy professionals to empty nesters \u2014 and even a few families with multiple pets. &amp;quot;We like to think [dogs] need just us, but that&amp;#039;s not true,&amp;quot; she says, noting that one client adopted a dog after finding her facility. &amp;quot;People need people; dogs need other dogs. It&amp;#039;s good for mental stimulation and makes for a better pet all the way around.&amp;quot;   Related Articles from MNN.com:   How to Protect Your Dog from Overheating   Do Older Pets Really Need all those Vet Tests?   16 Unlikely Animal Friendships "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/pet-care/a5693/does-your-dog-need-to-go-to-daycare-119512/>