DSPCA Doggie Day Care

clareog

Hi guys, just a quick question. Has anyone brought their dog to the DSPCA doggie day care and if so what did they think of it? I brought my dog for the first time this morning and was a bit taken aback by the brusque, slightly rude behaviour of one of the staff at the desk. I was understandably a bit anxious that my pup would be OK but there were no pleasantries, no hello/ goodbye, thanks for coming etc. It sounds a bit petty but I suppose I expected a more personable experience as you're leaving your loved pet in the hands of someone else. So I suppose my question is do your dogs come back happy and tired? Do you recommend the service? Online they say that they do a whole range of activities with the dogs throughout the day- agility/ training/ supervised, but since they lead the dogs away and can't see them at play it's hard to know if that is the case.. Dogs can't tell you after all!
I'm a huge fan of the dspca generally and support them a lot, bringing my dog to their vet, buying from their shop etc. They do great work. Any experience with this doggie day care service?

tk123

I've no experience with them for daycare or at all really - apart from meeting them out and about at events and they were always lovely both to me and the dogs. What I will say though is that I have experience of rude/careless daycare staff at a place I used to use. What I'd suggest is maybe trying it again and see if you get the same reception - if you do then trust your gut. My dog cries and gets uneasy any time we pass in the car even though he hasn't been there for years and is closed down... I pass where it used to be twice a day and feel guilty every time for not listening to myself! Flip side of that is he gets very excited any time we're on the M50 approaching the Sandyford exit (even when we're not even going to Sandyford lol) from being at PDT for training classes/workshops and the odd social hour over the last few years! Even when I have my other dog with me they always ask about him!

VonVix

Daycares can be an exhausting environment to work in, often I have found with people who work with dogs, end up putting so much energy and time into the dogs that sometimes the humans they meet end up taking a back seat, even though technically they shouldn't.

Fluorescence

I haven't used the service myself but I know several who do and they swear by it! It's supposed to be fantastic, and like you said it supports the charity side of things too, which is a big plus.

I wouldn't be worried about the facilities either, take a look at their facebook page. There's photos on there of all the daycare areas.

You could try chatting to the staff again next time you're in, it might have been an off day. Ask them about their facilities, what the dogs' activities are like, etc etc. If you were still getting unwelcome vibes then maybe look around at other daycares, there's loads of them around the place.

clareog

Thanks all, when I went back up to collect my dog I didn't see her but the other staff I met were very friendly so it's all good. My dog personally didn't enjoy it (one of the girls told me he didn't interact with other dogs/people and was skulking around like a loner!) but it was his first time and we spoil him far too much (turned him into a sheep rather than a sheepdog that he is!). I'll still continue to support the dspca in other ways.

stevire

Use DSPCA daycare regularly, for previous foster dogs and for our current dog. What age is your dog? They do puppy play dates in the DSPCA dog park every Saturday morning for dogs up to 9 months. You stand and watch your dog play with others and get advice on how he/she is getting on. We did that for our pup for 5-6 weeks and then started daycare one day a week.

I think I know who you're talking about at the desk but I wouldn't let that one lady turn you off. She is nice when you get to know her and all the other staff are lovely. I've seen videos of the day care itself, I agree they could improve on showing you what your dog is up to by offering a live feed or pictures. I find DayCare a good way to keep up socialization in a controlled environment and tire our dog out for a couple of days. Have also tried other day cares, and while they're more expensive they give regular updates with photos etc, PDT in Sandyford as an example. We switched to DSPCA when we had a dog with socializing problem and it's a bit cheaper when you are going regularly (and close to where we live so it was a no brainer)

FrostyJack

We use DSPCA daycare every week and find it great. We used PDT at first but it is literally twice the price, so over the course of the year it is a no brainer. I find the staff great and very friendly. The desk can be very busy with taking calls and dealing with customers. Only late in the day would they have time to chat. I don't think who ever works the desk would be in the daycare that day so asking them how the dog is doing etc, they would probably not know. When the daycare people come out with your dog they usually are rushing back to get another dog so wouldn't be there for a conversation, though in saying that they have always have an answer to any of my questions. I know most of them from the training classes so that is probably an advantage. I would love a live feed to see how she interacts and how much exercise she is getting, generally she comes back fit for bed though. In Marley park there is another dog who reacts to every other dog except mine, I always found it strange until I found they are in daycare together. Not sure if they are friends though.

chanelfreak

Off topic, but that is so cute FrostyJack!
Can just picture it - 'woof woof, grr, BARK - oh hang on, thats FrostyPup! What up dude'