What better way to start the day than with a few minutes of cuddling and playing with your dog? Dog daycare is an excellent option for dogs who need extra exercise, socialization, and mental stimulation. If you're considering starting up a dog daycare in your home or business, or if you already operate one and want to improve it, then this article will help get you started on the right track! We'll go over everything from what kind of facility to open to how to run it successfully. We hope that these tips will help make running your dog daycare easier.
Make Sure All Dogs Has Their Vaccinations Up To Date
The first step to opening a dog daycare is ensuring all the dogs are up on their vaccinations. You must check with your local veterinarian or public health department where specific requirements for your business to comply with regulations. Furthermore, if any of the dogs have not had vaccines yet, it's best to wait until they do before allowing them to play with others.
If you have a rescue dog or any of the dogs in your daycare are not upon their shots yet, you must keep the dog separated from other dogs and away from areas where children are playing. Additionally, if some of these vaccines require more than one shot, you should space them out by at least a week.
Consider Your Location Carefully
Dog daycares are primarily dependent on the area they're in. If you live near a population center, there will likely be more dogs for you to take care of and have fun with! However, if you pick an out-of-the-way spot, it may limit how many customers commute to your location.
Consider Your Business Plan Carefully
It's essential to plan how you want things to run at the daycare before you open it up. You should consider what kind of amenities will be offered, types of food and drink available, and whether there are any restrictions on breeds that can come in, etcetera. Look at some valuable sources: Dog Daycare Business Plan: The 2022 Getting Started Guide.
Consider Dog Daycare Insurance
It would help if you also considered whether or not you will need to take out separate business insurance for the daycare. The risk of injury is much higher than usual, so this might be required in your area. For example, some places require that dogs be insured before they can come in and play.
It would help if you also thought about how you will keep your daycare safe from the elements and other forms of damage that might occur, such as theft or accidents with building materials. Dog daycares require a lot of space to run safely and effectively - if they don't have this, then problems can arise, leading to injuries.
Have A Contract Agreement With All Dog Owners
Write a contract agreement with all dog owners to ensure that you are both on the same page before letting their dogs in. If you do not have one, consider using this template or get help from an attorney to make your unique custom contract. It should include what time they drop off and pick up their dog, the fee for each visit, and any other essential details.
If something were to happen with their pet while in your care (like getting bitten by another dog or injuring themselves), then there should be a way you can report it so that they are up-to-date on their pet's health status.
Make Sure You Have a Licensed Veterinarian
Ensure that you have a licensed veterinarian on call at all times in case an emergency occurs. This way, if your dog gets hurt while playing with other dogs and needs immediate attention, then they can get it without any problems. It is best to use one who specializes in small animals such as cats and dogs. This way, there will not be any mix-ups with your pet's diagnosis or treatment.
Don't Forget to Train Your Staff for Emergencies
Ensure that all of the staff members are trained in CPR and first aid to help if a dog gets hurt during playtime. This is important because every second counts when it comes to injuries, and you don't want to have your staff fumbling around just looking for the first-aid kit.
Dog Daycare Rules
It's essential that there are rules at a dog daycare. These can range from no food near play areas, so dogs aren't distracted by each other's snacks to keeping toys picked up during quiet time so that new dogs entering the daycare area aren't jumped on by a group of excited canines.
Rules should also apply to what you do with your dog when they first enter the facility. At the end of their visit – no one likes having someone else grab or take away their loved ones. Hence, new arrivals should be kept away until they are familiar with the facility and other dogs while leaving them in their own space will keep everyone happy upon departure.
Suppose you're planning on running a dog daycare business. In that case, your rules must reflect this – no one wants to spend time at an establishment where animals aren't treated well or kept safe (and potential new customers will be looking for these details if they visit your website).
Dog Daycare Cleanliness & Hygiene
Keeping the daycare area clean and hygienic is of utmost importance because you wouldn't want to spend time at a dirty facility and because dogs must be kept safe from illnesses. Since dogs are clean animals by nature, they will understand that they must stay on top of hygiene. This is a great way to differentiate your business from the other daycares in town – not only do you care about their happiness and keep them healthy.
Daily sweeping and mopping - Deep cleaning at least once a month, keep the floor disinfected between cleanings, paper towels, and antibacterial cleaner in your storage area at all times for quick touch-ups - Make sure that there are enough trash cans to avoid overfilling them - Avoid using the same mop for different areas of your facility, as this will spread bacteria.
Make Sure You Know Your Different Dog Breeds And What Their Needs Are
Before starting a dog daycare, it is essential to know your different breeds of dogs and their needs. Learn as much as you can about the species that will be more predominant in your business; this way; you'll better understand each one's personality and how they generally behave with other animals or humans.
For example, if most of your clients will be golden retrievers, it is essential to know that they are energetic and love the outdoors; therefore, you might want to include a large yard area for them. If most of your business consists of small breeds such as Pomeranians or Chihuahuas, then you're going to need furniture that doesn't take up too much room.
Training Your Employees And Setting Rules From The Start
When hiring employees for your dog daycare, you must ensure that they are fully trained and understand all of the rules set forth by your business plan. They should also handle any large dogs if necessary, so it is essential to test them with one or two of these animals. Training them before they take on many responsibilities at your business will also ensure that you are not putting customers or dogs in harm's way.
Have All Equipment That You Might Need In Place
It is vital to have all the equipment that you might need in place, but this doesn't mean that you can go ahead and invest a great deal of money. There are things such as toys or food bowls that your customers will be providing for their dogs. However, there are still many things that you will need to provide for your business. For example, you will need to have a place for the dogs to play and run around. You may also want some agility equipment that they can use as well. If your customers do not provide their food and water bowls, then this is something else which you should purchase too.
Ensure That The Dogs Are Allowed To Interact With Each Other
Your staff must allow the dogs to interact with each other when they are in a group setting. When you take them out for walks, then this should also be allowed and encouraged. If there is one dominant dog within the pack who might not get on well with others, separating them from the rest of the group may be necessary for a period.
When it comes to starting your own business, there are many factors that you need to consider. Dog daycare is an excellent way for people with dogs who work full-time or have busy schedules during the weekdays to still enjoy their furry friends. Building this type of facility requires some planning and effort, but it's definitely worth the investment if you're considering starting your own business.
