A doggie day care center is a whole new world for a pet. Being left behind for considerable periods of time may leave your dog wondering why he is left alone with strangers. Not all dogs are good candidates for day care. Therefore, if you are planning to take advantage of the services of a doggie day care, you should also make sure that aside from evaluating the center, you should also assess if your dog is ready to spend time with other dogs in day care.

Dogs that can be considered the best candidates for day care are in the peak of health, trained, and have been well-socialized. Dogs that have received adequate socialization while still very young easily adjust and fit into the new environment. If your dog has been spending time at the dog park and is able to enjoy playing and interacting with other dogs, then spending time at day care will certainly be a breeze. Moreover, young dogs also adjust much better to the day care setting than older ones. Just like early socialization and training, young dogs are more adept at adapting to new surroundings and new people and making friends with new dogs.

Apart from possessing desirable social behaviors and having the ability to adjust easily, other factors come into play when assessing if your dog is ready for doggie day care. First, check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog has gotten all the essential vaccinations, which can protect your dog from health problems that he might acquire while spending time at the doggie day care. A dog should have received the core vaccines: rabies, canine distemper, canine parvovirus, and infectious hepatitis. It would also be a good idea to have your dog vaccinated against kennel cough (Bordetella).

Doggie day care centers usually have their own list of requirements or set of rules that all dogs must meet before they can be accepted. Aside from vaccinations, dogs should also be spayed or neutered if they are over six months old. Other requirements may include the dog being on a flea or tick preventative and able to be handled on a leash and collar.

Knowing these factors ahead of time will certainly help you determine if your dog is a good candidate for doggie day care.