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Why should my dogs go to day care? Do you remember back when you went on a school camp, inter school sports days or excursion. Do you remember how exciting it was? Your dog also needs stimulation to get them through the day too. Rather than being at home sitting in the backyard, staring at four walls, or lazing around all day creating the risk of boredom activities like ripping up your favourite plants or ripping apart your favourite clothing; your dog gets the chance to exercise, interact with dogs with personalities similar to theirs and receive love and cuddles from the crew here at diggiddydoggydaycare. Is the management and staff experienced in animal handling and patient at all times? We have a highly qualified crew here at diggiddydoggydaycare, all of which are experienced in animal handling, including all managers who are certified in Canine First Aid. To work within the diggiddydoggydaycare environment all employees must possess energy, a passion for animals and above all patience. We have a very high expectation of all of our crew to ensure you have100% confidence thatyour dog is with the best in the industry. Do you have a schedule for each day, what activities do you do throughout the day? 7.30am New and regular clients arrive at the centre and introductions are made and dogs get settled with their surroundings, settled into a pack with matching energy to then make new friends. 8.30am Exercise sessions with games including hide and seek, tuggy, ball games and many more daily inventions. 9.30am Speed up exercises with more ball games, diggiddydoggy conga line, bungee chook time and lots of cuddles. 11.00am Slow down exercises with walkies around the play area and massages commence. 11.30am Morning rest time. Music is switched to classical and calming aromatherapy oils are released into the air. Cuddles and rest session continues depending on the requirement of the dogs. 12.30pm Some are ready and raring to go again others need a gentle wake up, so time to start gentle exercise once again with slower games like walkies, bubble blower, find the handler. 1.30pm Play groups are reassessed and exercises commence. 3.00pm Spot training session and brain games commence. 4.30pm Afternoon rest session. 4.30-6.30pm Pick-ups commence and groups become smaller and some tears are shed as goodbyes commence until they see each other again. Gentle exercise and rest time maintained during these periods to control environment and interaction. This is the handlers chance to do some clean ups for those covered in slobber from playing with some relaxing grooming sessions. Why are there no plush furnishings? Here at diggiddydoggydaycare we pride ourselves on up keeping a clean, hygienic environment at all times. We do our utmost to provide comfortable bedding within a cosy environment for our beloved clients. Is my dog playing on concrete? The centre has shock resistant rubber flooring installed throughout all play areas. This not only greatly reduces the risk of injury, it also provides warmer more comfortable environment for our clients. Are the dogs taken for walks during the day? The centre provides an sceduled and routine exercise program for each of the dogs throughout the day. A day of daycare for any dog is a huge day of exercise both their body and their mind. This can be quite tiring and must be highly managed to ensure every dog's energy is conserved and controlled to meet each dog's individual requirements. If you were able to spend all day with your dog at the park you can imagine how exhausted they would be, plus it is not a realistic expectation to put that level of exercise of any living being who is not used to it. The main aim of the centre is to encourage socialisation and interaction within a safe indoor park environment which includes what we believe to be a very important aspect; learning howto relax and remain calm around other dogs.
Admission Behavioural Assessment Day - what is it? The Admission Behaviour Assessment is in place to ensure we have the opportunity to meet and get to know your dog on its first day of daycare. diggiddydoggydaycare is a socially interactive play centre for dogs. We believe it is imperative that your dog is introduced to the staff and diggiddydoggy members on a gradual basis and place great emphasis on our environment being a positive, fun place to be for every dog. Not every dog is comfortable enough upontheir first visit to show us all we need to know and their behaviourwill change as they become more comfortable. We cannot accept dogs that show any aggression or dominance tendencies as it will put undue stress on the other diggiddydoggy clients. However, we are happy to recommend steps that will help you rectify this behaviour and reassess in the future. Every doghas a running report which is communicated to their humans at all times. You are fully informed throughout the firstday and provided a detailed report upon pick up with all informationregarding his/her assessment. A once-off, non-refundable fee of $20.00 is applicable,however we find most dogs require a nail trim and ear clean, so theseservices are noted as complimentary (valued at $24) with every paidassessment. Puppies under the age of 6 months are not charged. Why does my dog have to go through a behavioural assessment? Not only is this assessment in place to ensure we reduce the risk of aggressive behaviour entering the centre, it will also help to initially see how they cope in an environment without you. Dogs are very social animals and it is only natural for them to form an attachment to their humans. Being at day care can assist in building their self confidence and inturn learn to socialise with many sizes, breeds and personalities. Where a dog shows dominant behaviour, which is not necessarily aggressive, but potentially places the other clients in a fearful position, the centre will make an assessment whether adjustment and progress of each case is safe for the other fur clients and also possible in the high energy environment of the centre. This assessment will put your mind at ease knowing that every dog is assessed and receives tailored care from the results of not only their assessment, but ongoing improvements within day care. How do I know that my training will not go to waste, such as toileting inside and jumping on furniture? Dogs learn by association, and they make associations whenever they are awake and interacting with their environment. The day care environment is far different to being in their home environment. Although we do our utmost to make the centre as homely and comfortable as possible; the smells, interaction and associating the stimulus of the centre with day care only is the key to ensuring toileting and other training is retained at home. To help understand this association further; when the door bell rings and your dog barks, it is a classically conditioned response. In other words, the dog is not making a choice on whether to bark or not is his/her hardwired instinct is to warn the pack of a possible intruder. If you reach for their leash this depicts a walk. Reaching for their food bowl means dinner is expected soon. Even stories we have heard from our human clients; reaching for the car keys in the morning means excitement and a trip to diggiddydoggydaycare! How is my dog introduced to playmates? Gently and only when they are ready. Every dog has its own unique personality; however each personality can be matched to a compatible personality to ensure a joyful, playful time at day care. At diggiddydoggydaycare we do not match only on the size of your dog. We understand that some small dogs love playing with the big dogs and visa versa. We assess where they feel most comfortable and rotate them throughout the day to ensure they experience all they can. What does my dog have to play with? We use a great range of AussieDog Products and Rogz durable toys. These products are not only stimulating for your canine but also completely washable, non-toxic, hard wearing and safe for all dogs. We have balls, tug toys, bungee toys hanging from the ceiling, agility and more... what more could a dog want? Can I bring my dogs' favourite toys, blanket, bed, etc? We ask that all belongings of the dog are left at home. Not only is this due to hygienic purposes, we must maintain equality with all dogs within the centre and do not accept any outside influences that may increase the risk of a dog being protective of his/her belongings. What if I still have questions? Contact the diggiddydoggydaycare crew at any time. Our business hours are Monday to Friday 7.30am-6.30pm. We'd be more than happy to help you, and want everyone to understand why diggiddydoggydaycare truly is the best environment for your dog!
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Rusty checks in on the baby Gibson
