Questions to ask when selecting a doggy daycare
Are you Council registered? What rating do you have?
Yes! We are Five Star, Higher Standard – the highest possible rating
Are the staff experienced?
We only hire experienced and qualified staff. Our people are first aid trained and we have OFQUAL certified staff members. We provide regular training for our staff and use external dog trainers to come in and provide education on specific topics that are of relevance to a daycare situation. Our staff turnover is incredibly low in contrast to many other providers who rely on low cost labour.
Are the dogs all in one (often muddy) field?
No, we have three fenced paddocks, so we can rest fields and avoid them becoming muddy. We also have our own private woodland at our Doggy Daycare near Gerrards Cross – in total 15 acres of on site facilities
Are the dogs kept in heated rooms? Are they comfortable? Do they have proper facilities, i.e. electricity and running water?
We have top class facilities – heated in winter and fan cooled in summer with good ventilation and lighting. We have a fully fitted kitchen with TV and radio, just like home and we keep it all scrupulously clean
What enrichment do you offer?
We have a variety of enrichment stations – huge logs, tyres and other platforms for dogs to climb over. All are kept in good order. We also have professional quality dog agility equipment, including dog walks, tyres and a tunnel, plus good quality toys for indoors. We are also able to provide variety between the fields and the woods where there are lots of opportunities for dogs to follow scents and go on a “sniff-ari”!
What is your breed policy? Do you take all breeds?
We only accept certain breeds – in general our dogs consist of a variety of small breeds plus cockapoo/cavapoos, spaniels, Labradors/retrievers, doodles of all sorts. We focus on taking dogs that are sociable, have a good temperament and that will fit into the groups that we have. We match dogs up to play with each other based on size, temperament and energy levels. We are super cautious about introducing new dogs to the groups so that we minimise the risk of accidents and injury.
Do you feed dogs together?
We don’t believe that it is safe or hygienic to feed dogs en masse. Luckily, our facilities are such that we are able to feed dogs individually meaning that food-focused dogs are able to eat without fear of another dog stealing their food and those that are more timid and need more time to eat are given the opportunity to do so in peace and quiet.
Are you a franchise? Do you have multiple sites?
We are family owned and the Directors are heavily involved in the daily running of the business and oversee all aspects of the operation to ensure they are run to a very high quality. We only have one site, we are not private equity owned and our focus is on quality service provision and not just the financials.
