adventures at the doggy daycare

[charlie116]

I finally got a job! & it's the best job ever. I work at a place called Fur-Ever Friends Doggy Daycare. I get to play with dogs all day :D. I started this thread to share some of my stories/experiences at my job (just in case anyone's interested in reading them lol).
I'll start by telling you about the place itself. They don't use cages here. The dogs are allowed to roam the whole building, which has a lobby, an office, a grooming room, & 3 large playrooms with rubber floors. The dogs are allowed to play with toys, eat treats, sleep wherever they're comfortable, go outside & run around in the yard, & play in the kiddie pools. Seeing as there are no cages, the dogs are required to be at least relatively good with other dogs; although, we have made some exceptions.
As I said before, I started this thread to share my stories, & to tell you about the dogs who come here. I don't work all that often, so you probably won't see a new post on here very often (I work about once or twice a week). I'll also post some pictures of the dogs :). I hope you enjoy my stories

[charlie116]

Dogs: Harlee (black lab), Sadie (lab/german shepherd/husky), Ben (sheltie), Baby (chocolate lab), Marti (brindle boxer)

I've been here since 7am, & I'll be here til 7pm (long story). Harlee & Marti are playing in the lobby. They've been wrestling w/ each other for a good 1/2 an hour now. At least they tire each other out! Maranda's here w/ me. I've been friends w/ her for about 8 years. She also works here. I have my dog Daisy w/ me, & Maranda has her dog Martini w/ her. Martini (aka Tini) is a mutt. She looks like some sort of jack russell/chihuahua/rat terrier mix or something (I'll post a pic later). Baby is in the back room. She's been there since she got here, which was about 7:30am. She came in & tried to attack Daisy. She was snarling & growling & frothing at the mouth. Daisy is one of the most laid-back dogs you'll ever meet, so obviously if Baby had a problem with Daisy, she'd definitely have a problem w/ the other dogs. After her owner left, I put her in the 2 back rooms, gave her a big bowl of water & some food, gave her 2 dog beds, & gave her a bunch of toys. I checked on her every 1/2-hour to make sure she was ok. I also took her outside to use the bathroom about 3 times an hour. She's doing well so far. She's laying on her bed resting. She doesn't seem stressed or anything. I tried to take her outside w/ the other dogs. She was fine when there was a chain-link fence between them (she was wagging her tail & everything), so I decided to try w/ Daisy again. I brought Daisy into the pen w/ Baby. I had Baby on a leash, & Maranda had Daisy on a leash. They were fine for about 2 minutes, but Baby went to sniff Daisy's ear, & Daisy turned to look at her, & Baby snarled & snapped at her. I pulled Baby away, & took her back inside. I felt bad leaving her in the room all by herself, but I didn't want to risk having one of the other dogs getting hurt. Baby is a big dog. She has to weigh at least 120 pounds. I mean, I can control her, but only to a certain extent. She's great with people, though. She loves to give kisses.

[IRescue452]

I'd be glad to hear all about your job. I've never used doggie daycare as I think there couldn't possibly be enough ratio of people to dogs to stop a fight or keep a good eye on them all. Is there somebody in each room at all times if the dogs are allowed to roam everywhere?

When I worked at a boarding kennel the dogs were not allowed to get close enough to sniff each other. If they were that close they could easily open their mouth and chomp down. I wonder how much insurance a doggie daycare has for incidents like that.

[charlie116]

I'd be glad to hear all about your job. I've never used doggie daycare as I think there couldn't possibly be enough ratio of people to dogs to stop a fight or keep a good eye on them all. Is there somebody in each room at all times if the dogs are allowed to roam everywhere?

When I worked at a boarding kennel the dogs were not allowed to get close enough to sniff each other. If they were that close they could easily open their mouth and chomp down. I wonder how much insurance a doggie daycare has for incidents like that.

When I work, I'm usually the only person here with the dogs. Sometimes one or both of my bosses are here, & sometimes my friend Maranda comes with me. I usually work on the weekends, & the dogs that are here on the weekends are being boarded. There are usually only a few dogs here when I work. The most I've had to watch was 5, which is nothing for me because I have 5 dogs at home. The dogs are usually in the same room as me at all times, unless one of the dogs acts up & has to be seperated. I always keep a close eye on them. I've never experienced a fight. If I even suspect a fight, I seperate the dogs immediately. I have no idea about the insurance thing...They usually just turn away dogs that seem aggressive.

[luvofallhorses]

I am glad you're enjoying your new job! :) I worked at a dog daycare last year and loved it. I was usually the only one with the dogs, too. The job unfortunately came to an end as my boss couldn't pay me any more, but she hired new people. That's another story, don't want to sour your thread. :) I LOVED every minute of it though. Get pics if you can. :D We were fully insured too, Irescue I am certain it's insured.. it's a requirement in my state anyways and a kennel license for the business. :) She accepts all breeds though, some just don't.

[charlie116]

I am glad you're enjoying your new job! :) I worked at a dog daycare last year and loved it. I was usually the only one with the dogs, too. The job unfortunately came to an end as my boss couldn't pay me any more, but she hired new people. That's another story, don't want to sour your thread. :) I LOVED every minute of it though. Get pics if you can. :D We were fully insured too, Irescue I am certain it's insured.. it's a requirement in my state anyways and a kennel license for the business. :) She accepts all breeds though, some just don't.

Yea, I'm sure they have to have insurance, & they accept all breeds as long as they're relatively good with other dogs.

[luvofallhorses]

:) Can't wait to hear about your experiences. Just so you know there will be fights you will have to break up, I think dog daycares are usually under-staffed for that reason. At the daycare I worked at, on Fridays there were 19 at a time and I was by myself. Luckily no big fights broke out, but they do happen. :) How is your puppy that you got doing?

[Freedom]

This job sounds perfect for a dog lover!

The place we attend our small dog meet ups is a doggie day care called Off the Leash. It is run much as you describe. The dogs have kennels for night time, but for 12 hours daily they are out in the open areas, romping, playing, chewing, sleeping, or just watching all the antics of the other pups. :D

I really enjoyed reading what you have shared thus far!

Has Baby been there before, or is this her first time? Acting out as she is, will she be allowed back?

[charlie116]

:) Can't wait to hear about your experiences. Just so you know there will be fights you will have to break up, I think dog daycares are usually under-staffed for that reason. At the daycare I worked at, on Fridays there were 19 at a time and I was by myself. Luckily no big fights broke out, but they do happen. :) How is your puppy that you got doing?

Yea, I know there will be fights. There have been a few fights already, but no blood. I'm used to dealing with fights because my dogs have fought in the past. It's still a scary thing though.
Honey, my puppy, is doing wonderful. I took her to the vet the other day & she weighs 40 pounds! She's 6 months old, so we're gonna go get her spayed soon.

[charlie116]

This job sounds perfect for a dog lover!

The place we attend our small dog meet ups is a doggie day care called Off the Leash. It is run much as you describe. The dogs have kennels for night time, but for 12 hours daily they are out in the open areas, romping, playing, chewing, sleeping, or just watching all the antics of the other pups. :D

I really enjoyed reading what you have shared thus far!

Has Baby been there before, or is this her first time? Acting out as she is, will she be allowed back?

Yea, the dogs aren't even put in cages at night at my job. There's someone there at night to watch them & make sure they don't fight or get into trouble.
No, Baby hasn't been there before. That was her first time. I have no idea if she'll be able to come back. That's completely up to my bosses. They may try to socialize/rehabilitate her or something while she's there.

[charlie116]

If you wanna see some pics of the dogs at the daycare, check out the album "Fur-Ever Friends" on my page

[cassiesmom]

How cute is this!! :D Piper, are you a little happy to be cooling off in the pool!

http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4293
Piper the yellow lab


I love Papillons! Terri the Papillon
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4308

We were just talking about dog day care services at work. There's not one right around where I work but if one ever opened, they'd probably do a land-office business caring for all the hospital staff's dogs.

[Taz_Zoee]

Wow, I've never seen a Dobie the color of Heidi. And I must say I'm partial to Abbey. :p
I love how Kodie is hanging out right in front of the fan. :D

They are all adorable doggies! Lots of Boxers. My friend would be in heaven there!! :)

[luvofallhorses]

They are all so cute! I love these dogs:
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4305
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4293

(The pit bull obviously. ;))
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4289
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4287

[cassiesmom]

I have to confess, when I saw this picture, I thought Heidi was a greyhound.
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4302
Hi, Heidi! :)

[charlie116]

How cute is this!! :D Piper, are you a little happy to be cooling off in the pool!

http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4293
Piper the yellow lab


I love Papillons! Terri the Papillon
http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4308

We were just talking about dog day care services at work. There's not one right around where I work but if one ever opened, they'd probably do a land-office business caring for all the hospital staff's dogs.

Haha. Piper loooves the pool, as do most of the other labs lol.
I love papillons too :). Terri is so cute. She loves to sit in everyone's lap or up on a chair, so she can see what's going on.

[charlie116]

Wow, I've never seen a Dobie the color of Heidi. And I must say I'm partial to Abbey. :p
I love how Kodie is hanging out right in front of the fan. :D

They are all adorable doggies! Lots of Boxers. My friend would be in heaven there!! :)

Yea, they told us that Heidi was albino, but she's not. She has blue eyes. I think the correct term for her color is ivory.

[luvofallhorses]

That color actually isn't really a common color in dobermans (I actually didn't know the dog was a doberman either as I am not used to that color of them.) and that color has a lot of health issues, I believe it's a fault but she is cute!
http://www.familydobes.com/colors.htm

WHITE DOBERMANS
In 1980's the white Doberman made it's appearance and it has been found that the white gene is a separate gene, and is located at a different genetic site (locus) than the color (B) and dilution (D) that is the basis of the four allowed colors for the Doberman. The white gene does not interfere with these four known colors of the Doberman and does not need to be included in the color chart.

The white Doberman is considered an incomplete or partial albino. The dogs have blue eyes and are cream colored with light tan markings. The dogs suffer from photo phobia (photosensitive). This means the dogs cannot tolerate light, often closing their eyes and bumping into objects when put in unfamiliar surroundings. Their temperaments range from being very shy to fear biters. These are not the attributes a responsible breeder or one that is familiar with the criteria of a working dog wish to produce or perpetuate.

WARNING: The white Doberman is NOT considered to be of great value (charging more/more expensive) by Responsible Breeders. Responsible Breeders DO NOT include the white Doberman in their breeding stock/programs.

The WHITE color is a DISQUALIFICATION and these dogs CANNOT COMPETE in the conformation ring.

[cassiesmom]

Wow, I didn't know that about white Dobermans. No matter, I still think Heidi is pretty! And she looks content and comfortable next to someone's desk chair. As long as she's loved and cared for and her people are glad she's a member of their family... Rock on Heidi!

[luvofallhorses]

Oh, I think she is pretty too and I really like her. :) I am just saying white dobermans aren't common and why; wasn't trying to start anything. I am sure she is loved by her family, she looks like one happy dog. :)

[charlie116]

Heidi was very nervous/neurotic when she first arrived at the daycare. She was panting heavily, & would pace around the rooms, looking for a way out. She tried to escape the backyard. She didn't want anything to do with any person or dog. I finally got her to calm down, & she was eventually comfortable enough to relax & lay on the floor. I've heard that white dobermans are created by inbreeding, & that's why they have mental and/or physical problems, but that's just what I've been told. Heidi seems like a cool dog :). Personally, I like the chocolate-colored dobermans the best lol :D

[charlie116]

I'll be working this sunday, & I'll also be working next saturday & sunday, so be prepared for some stories!!! I think there are going to be a few dogs there that I haven't met yet. I also might be working overnight sometime soon, but I'm not sure yet.

[charlie116]

I also added more pics of Honey (my pit bull puppy) to her album if you wanna check 'em out :). She's gotten pretty big (she weighs about 40 pounds now).

[cassiesmom]

to love of all horses and everyone.

I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to be mean, nasty, or place anyone on the defensive. I meant it just as it was. I didn't know that there could be such a thing as a white Doberman. I'm glad Heidi gets to go to the dog day care, that she gets love and care and fun. She might not meet a published standard but she is a member of a family and as far as I'm concerned, that what counts. She may have a genetic alteration, but it seems to me that she is still loved and cared for by her family just as much as any family loves their dog. I didn't mean to imply that she is any less special than any other dog. I am so sorry! When I first saw her picture, I thought she was a different breed of dog. :o:

Thank you,
elyse

[charlie116]

Dogs: Emilio (shih tzu mix), Dolce (shih tzu mix), Buster (???), Ben (sheltie), Marti (brindle boxer)

When I worked yesterday, everything went really well. Ben seemed to have a lot more energy than when he first got here a week ago. He's an older dog, so I didn't expect him to be very energetic, but he really has perked up. He was running around outside, & barking at me for attention. Emilio is so freakin cute!!! I picked him up & he fell asleep in my lap :p. The same thing happened with Dolce. Buster kept trying to get in my lap, so I picked him up & cuddled with him as well. Marti was hyper as always. Every time Marti ran around with a toy, Buster would chase after her, & bark. It was really funny to watch. It was pretty quiet for the majority of my time there. The dogs slept a lot. Emilio slept in a box under the desk that I was sitting at. It was sooo adorable! I don't usually like little dogs that much, but I'm starting to get used to them. Don't get me wrong, big dogs are still my favorite! :D I updated the album, so there are some new pics :). I'll be working both days next weekend, & there should be some new dogs there!

[charlie116]

I'm working tomorrow & sunday :)

[luvofallhorses]

Aww I love Marti, what a cutie! :love:

[cassiesmom]

http://petoftheday.com/talk/picture.php?albumid=448&pictureid=4292

This is so cute! Look how they are sharing a blanket! :D Like kids settling down for nap time.

[charlie116]

Dogs: Max (yorkie mix), Muffin (bichon frise), Sable & Talon (german shepherds), Cooper (dachshund), Lucy (pug/brussels griffon), Bella (black lab), Emilio (shih tzu mix), Buster (shih tzu mix), Jubilee (mixed breed)

As you can see, there were quite a few dogs today. I had my hands full, but all of them got along really well. Lucy was the only one who acted up. She kept climbing onto the desk, & then climbing through the window, & out into the lobby. Max is soooo adorable & cuddly. He was in my lap the whole time I was there. Sable & Talon are really cool dogs. They're beautiful, & very well-behaved. Cooper is adorable & really soft. I have a lot of fun when there are a lot of dogs :). For the majority of the day, Max was in my lap, Muffin & Cooper were asleep in a big dog bed, Sable & Talon were asleep in their crates, Lucy was causing mayhem, Bella was barking at me to take her outside & play (but it was wayyyyy too hot), Emilio was asleep in a box, Buster was bugging everyone, & Jubilee was running around. It was a fun day :). I added some pics to the album, & I'll be working for a few hours tomorrow. Thanks so much for following my thread!!! :D

[luvofallhorses]

Oh I love Lucy!

[charlie116]

I'm working the night shift tonight. Wish me luck! I have to get up early & go down to the fair. I'm showing cows for the FFA at my school, which I'm president of :p

[charlie116]

Dogs: Jubilee (mixed breed), Emilio (shih tzu mix), Dolce (shih tzu mix), Sable & Talon (german shepherds)

I worked the night shift last night. It wasn't so bad. I had all the dogs in the lobby with me. I set up a bunch of dog beds on the floor. I tried to sleep on the couch, but it wasn't very comfy, so I ended up sleeping on the floor with the dogs on a pile of dog beds :p. The only "scary" part about working there overnight is that the people who live upstairs make a lot of noise, & they stay up pretty late. They were playing loud mexican music until about 11pm. Their kid was stomping around too. I finally fell asleep around midnight. I woke up twice during the night, but I slept a lot better than I thought I would! The dogs were all very well-behaved, & went right to sleep when I turned the lights out. Sable & Talon were in their crates, Daisy (my dog) was on the couch, Dolce was in his dog bed, Emilio was in a box under the table (but I woke up with him curled up next to me), & Jubilee was in a dog bed. It was a good night :). I wasn't afraid or anything. I mean, come on, I had 2 huge german shepherds with me! :D

[charlie116]

I haven't been updating this as often as I've been working. I just haven't had the time. I've been working basically every weekend. Everything has been going fine :p