Daycare Done Right

I remember watching a video of a dog called Frankie playing at daycare, and becoming increasingly concerned by what I was seeing.

Frankie was a Goldie whose owners had worked incredibly hard to help him overcome his reactivity towards other dogs. For a long time, being around other dogs had been difficult for him, and his owners had been wonderfully consistent with his training. Slowly, we were seeing the results. He was becoming more comfortable, more confident and much better at navigating situations that previously would have overwhelmed him.

So when his owners started sending me videos of him at daycare, they were understandably delighted that he was finally able to spend time around other dogs. They wanted to know whether the play they were seeing was appropriate.

Unfortunately, what I saw was rather different from what they were hoping to hear. Frankie was struggling. The dogs he had been placed with weren't particularly well matched to his play style, and as the interaction continued, he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. He was trying to remove himself from the situation, but he wasn't getting the space he needed. And from what I could see in the footage, nobody was stepping in to help him.

A few days later, I heard that Frankie reacted towards another dog at daycare, and his owners were subsequently told that he was no longer welcome at daycare.

Now, what concerned me wasn't simply that Frankie had reacted. Dogs can react when they feel overwhelmed, particularly when their earlier attempts to avoid an uncomfortable situation haven't worked. What concerned me was everything that happened before the reaction. Because when I watched that video, I wasn't watching a dog who suddenly decided to behave badly. I was watching a dog who had been communicating that he was uncomfortable, and whose communication wasn't being adequately recognised or responded to.

And I couldn't help thinking about how his owners must have felt. They had invested so much time helping Frankie become comfortable around other dogs, and now they were facing a setback in the very environment they had chosen to help him.

I've been working with dogs and their families for many years now, and unfortunately, Frankie's experience isn't the only one that has stayed with me. I've had clients describe daycares where dogs spent much of their time in small rooms, with very little space to explore or get away from one another. Others have described dogs being left to play continuously, regardless of their energy levels, personalities or whether they actually wanted to participate.

I've heard accounts of harsh corrections for unwanted behaviour, poorly managed conflicts between dogs, and staff who simply weren't sufficiently trained to recognise what the dogs were communicating. There have also been concerns about transport, particularly dogs travelling without appropriate restraint or protection from Singapore's heat.

Of course, I wasn't personally present for every incident clients described, and it wouldn't be fair to suggest that every daycare operates this way. I've also encountered some genuinely excellent daycare operators over the years, people whose knowledge, patience and understanding of dogs have impressed me enormously.

And I think that contrast raises a very important question.

What does a genuinely good day at daycare actually look like for a dog?

When play isn't quite as much fun as it looks

I think one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding daycare is that dogs should spend as much of the day as possible playing with other dogs. And I can understand where that thinking comes from.

If I'm paying for my dog to attend daycare, I probably want them to have a good time. I want them to be active, make friends, enjoy themselves and come home pleasantly tired. But there's a difference between a dog being active and a dog genuinely enjoying the activity. Take social play, for example.

When two dogs are playing appropriately, there's a lot more happening than simply chasing, wrestling or running around. They're constantly communicating, responding to one another and adjusting their behaviour according to what's happening in the interaction.

One dog might initiate a chase. The other might respond enthusiastically, and a little later they might stop, take a break or change roles. Sometimes the play is wonderfully noisy and energetic. Other times it's surprisingly gentle. What matters is looking at the whole interaction, including how each dog responds and whether both appear willing to continue.

If one dog is repeatedly trying to disengage while the other keeps pursuing, that tells us something very different from two dogs enthusiastically choosing to re-engage.

This is why I place so much importance on the people supervising daycare. A member of staff who understands canine communication can recognise when a dog needs a break, when an interaction is becoming too intense or when two dogs are simply not suitable play partners.

And they can intervene before a situation escalates.

That intervention doesn't need to be dramatic. In fact, the better it's done, the less dramatic it usually is.

Now compare Frankie's experience with another dog I worked with, Harry.

Harry was a Beagle who found the sight of another dog almost impossible to cope with. If he spotted one on a walk and couldn't get to them, his frustration would build until he was completely overwhelmed. His owners found everyday activities incredibly difficult. Going for walks was stressful, and sitting at a café with Harry was practically out of the question.

We worked on his ability to remain comfortable around other dogs, gradually building his skills and helping him cope better with those situations. We made good progress, but there was still something missing.

Harry needed more opportunities to practise those skills around other dogs in an appropriate environment. So, with his owners doing their research and with my involvement, we found a daycare willing to work with us.

Rather than simply putting Harry into a group and hoping he would figure things out, we developed a gradual introduction. The daycare carefully managed his interactions, gave him access to suitable companions and provided a balance of play, enrichment and downtime.

He had opportunities to be near other dogs without constantly having to interact with them.

And that was enormously valuable.

Harry could begin to experience something that had previously been very difficult for him: being around other dogs without it becoming the most exciting or overwhelming event in the world. Over time, alongside his ongoing training, his progress was remarkable.

Today, his owners can sit at a café, enjoy their coffee and have other dogs walk past without Harry completely losing his mind. For a family who once found ordinary walks so difficult, that's quite a big deal.

And I think Harry's experience demonstrates something important. A well-managed daycare can sometimes provide learning opportunities that are difficult to reproduce through individual training alone. But only when the environment is appropriate for the dog.

Sometimes the best thing a daycare can do is say no

Another dog whose experience stayed with me was Annie, a Singapore Special. Annie was a quiet, anxious dog. Her owners wanted to help her become more confident and hoped that spending time at daycare would improve her socialisation.

It's an understandable thought. If a dog is nervous around other dogs, surely spending more time around them should help? Well, not necessarily.

Annie was accepted into daycare without what I would consider an adequate behavioural suitability assessment. Her owners were told she was doing fine. But over time, they began noticing that she was becoming increasingly anxious. Eventually, she was even refusing to go on walks. By the time they contacted me, they were understandably worried.

Now, I can't say that everything Annie was experiencing was caused by daycare. Behaviour is rarely that simple. But what concerned me was that nobody appeared to have properly established whether this environment was suitable for her in the first place.

Socialisation doesn't mean exposing a dog to as many dogs, people and experiences as possible and hoping that familiarity will eventually solve everything. The emotional experience matters.

If a dog repeatedly finds themselves overwhelmed, unable to retreat or pressured into interactions they aren't comfortable with, more exposure isn't necessarily going to make them more confident. Sometimes it can make things worse.

But this is also where I've seen some of the very best daycare operators make an extraordinary difference. Yogi was another Singapore Special I worked with, and when we first met, he was anxious about almost everything. Strange people, unfamiliar animals, noises and new environments were all challenging for him.

We started slowly, working at a level he could cope with and helping him build confidence.

As he became more comfortable, it was clear that he could benefit from carefully managed opportunities to experience other people and dogs.

We found a small boutique daycare run by a wonderfully calm and gentle operator.

I actually remember going along with Yogi on his first day. We took our time. There was no expectation that he needed to rush in, make friends or start playing. He was given opportunities to settle, observe and gradually become involved. And little by little, he started coming out of his shell.

He had the opportunity to spend time around other dogs who were comfortable in that environment, and to learn through his own experiences that unfamiliar people weren't necessarily something to worry about. The daycare also introduced him gradually to walks with different handlers and in different environments.

Over time, alongside the behavioural work we were doing, this made a substantial difference to his confidence and his ability to cope.

What I particularly appreciated was that the operator never seemed interested in rushing him.

Yogi was allowed to progress at Yogi's pace. And to me, that's a very important part of good daycare.

Not every dog needs a large group of friends. Some prefer one or two familiar companions. Some enjoy active play, while others are perfectly content exploring an environment with other dogs nearby. And some dogs simply don't enjoy daycare at all.

A good assessment should look beyond whether a dog is safe to put into a group. It should ask whether the dog is comfortable, whether they're interested in participating and whether the experience is actually likely to benefit them. If the answer is no, we should be prepared to say so.

I'd much rather see a daycare turn away a dog who isn't enjoying the environment than accept them simply because there's an available space.

Dogs are learning all day, even when we're not training them

There's another aspect of daycare that I think gets overlooked quite often.

Dogs don't stop learning just because their formal training session has finished. They're learning constantly, from their experiences, from the environment and from the consequences of their own behaviour.

I worked with a black Labrador called Lex who was a lovely walker. His owners had put time into his lead skills, and walking with him had been a pleasant experience.

Then Lex started attending group walks arranged through his daycare. The walks were exciting, there were other dogs, movement, stimulation and plenty of opportunities to pull towards things he wanted to investigate.

After repeated walks like this, his owners noticed that he was pulling heavily on the lead.

Now, we can't establish from that alone that daycare was the only reason his walking deteriorated. But the pattern certainly raised concerns about what he was practising during those walks.

If pulling repeatedly gets a dog closer to something they want, and that behaviour is rehearsed over and over again, we shouldn't be particularly surprised if pulling becomes more likely in other situations.

His owners were understandably frustrated. They needed help rebuilding the walking skills they had already worked so hard to establish, and they also began looking for a more appropriate daycare. And that's why the structure of a dog's day matters so much.

If we're going to care for somebody's dog for eight or ten hours, we have a responsibility to think about what that dog is learning throughout those hours. That includes the way we handle them.

I've heard some concerning stories over the years about dogs being punished for barking, growling or reacting when they're uncomfortable. But if a dog is growling because another dog won't leave them alone, simply punishing the growl doesn't resolve the underlying problem. We may only be making it less safe for the dog to communicate that discomfort.

Good handling requires knowledge, patience, consistency and the ability to recognise when a dog needs help rather than correction. And sometimes, the most valuable thing we can give a dog isn't another activity. It's a break.

The importance of doing absolutely nothing

I often hear owners say something along the lines of, "He had such a fantastic day at daycare. He came home and slept for the entire evening!"

And perhaps he did have a fantastic day. But being exhausted afterwards doesn't necessarily tell us whether the experience was enjoyable or appropriate. Dogs can be tired because they've had a wonderfully active day. They can also be tired because they've spent too long in a highly stimulating environment without enough opportunities to recover.

We need to look at the whole dog, not simply how long they sleep when they get home. Rest is important for physical recovery and wellbeing.

Personally, I think planned opportunities for downtime are an essential part of a well-run daycare. Dogs need somewhere comfortable to settle, space from other dogs when they want it and an environment that actually allows them to relax.

That means considering lighting, noise, movement, the behaviour of staff and the suitability of the dogs sharing the space.

And the same thoughtful approach should apply to enrichment. I love enrichment activities. Scentwork, exploration, problem-solving, water activities, appropriate physical challenges and training games can all provide valuable experiences.

There's some interesting research by Duranton and Horowitz (2019) showing that dogs participating in nosework developed a more positive judgement bias than dogs in the comparison activity. The researchers discussed the opportunity to use natural olfactory abilities and exercise greater autonomy as possible contributors.

But enrichment isn't simply providing more things for dogs to do. It's providing the right experiences for the dog in front of us. A dog who's never tried a moving lure, for example, shouldn't immediately be expected to chase something at full speed. We should introduce the activity appropriately, help them understand it and give them opportunities to succeed.

Equally, if a dog is physically unable to participate comfortably, we should adapt the activity or offer something else.

And if the dog would rather wander around sniffing for a while? Well, I think that's a perfectly respectable way for a dog to spend part of their afternoon.

The right environment can change what's possible

One of the best examples I've seen of how thoughtful daycare can support behavioural progress was a Yorkshire Terrier called Kenny.

Kenny had lost his companion dog and had also undergone significant surgery. Although he had recovered physically, he was still very guarded about other dogs coming close to him. He was struggling with separation from his owners, and they were trying to help him regain some confidence and normality.

We began with a very small daycare that could provide a gentle, closely managed environment. The other dogs were carefully selected. They were calm, socially appropriate companions who weren't going to overwhelm Kenny or repeatedly invade his space.

And gradually, he started to become more comfortable.

As his confidence improved, we introduced him to a larger daycare, but again, we didn't simply put him into the main group. We started with a smaller group of suitable dogs. Then, as he became more comfortable and capable, he was gradually introduced to dogs with different play styles and higher energy levels.

Over time, Kenny became much more tolerant of dogs approaching him. He could move through social environments without feeling the same need to protect his space. Of course, daycare wasn't the only thing responsible for his progress. There was a lot of behavioural work happening alongside it, and his owners were committed to helping him. But the opportunities those daycare environments provided made a genuine difference.

Eventually, his owners could get back to enjoying activities with him, taking him to the park, going to the beach and spending time together without the same level of worry.

I think about Kenny quite often when people ask me whether daycare is good for dogs.

Because the answer depends on the dog, the environment and how the experience is managed.

Harry, Yogi and Kenny all benefited from environments that respected where they were emotionally and behaviourally, rather than expecting them to cope with whatever happened to be available. And that is what made the difference.

There's a well-established framework in animal welfare science called the Five Domains Model, which considers nutrition, the physical environment, health, behavioural interactions and mental state (Mellor et al., 2020). I find it a useful way of thinking about daycare because it reminds us that welfare involves much more than keeping an animal fed, physically healthy and free from injury. We also need to consider the experiences we're providing.

Can the dog move comfortably? Can they avoid unwanted interactions? Can they engage in behaviours they find rewarding? Are they receiving appropriate human support? Are we considering their emotional state throughout the day?

Putting those principles into practice

These experiences, both the concerning ones and the genuinely wonderful ones, have shaped my thinking about what dog daycare should be. And they're a large part of why we developed Noble Canine Oasis the way we have.

I wanted us to create an environment where the principles I've spent years teaching and applying in behavioural consultations would also inform the everyday care of dogs. For us, that starts before a dog even joins daycare.

We assess every new dog, beginning in a quiet environment with their owners and our trained assessor. We look at how they cope with unfamiliar people and surroundings before gradually introducing carefully selected dogs, one at a time.

If they're comfortable, we can progress to a small group and, where appropriate, a larger setting. If they prefer the smaller group, that's where they belong.

And if they clearly aren't enjoying the experience, we should be prepared to explain that daycare may not be right for them.

Even after passing an assessment, they have a monitored trial day, with their experience reviewed and reported back to their owners. But assessment doesn't stop after the first day.

Dogs have different moods, preferences and energy levels, just as we do. A dog who was perfectly comfortable yesterday might be a little overwhelmed today. Our staff need to recognise those changes and respond accordingly.

That is why we group dogs according to their behaviour, energy and play styles, rather than simply putting all the large dogs together and all the small dogs together. We use a colour coded bandana system to help staff communicate individual management needs, but those colours are only useful when they're supported by proper observation and judgement.

We also made deliberate decisions about the physical environment. Our 12,000-square-foot secured field gives dogs opportunities to run, play, explore or create distance when they need it. We have separate indoor daycare areas, a sensory garden and a rotating programme of enrichment activities.

But the quieter parts of the day are every bit as important. We deliberately lower the energy in the daycare rooms, adjust the lighting and encourage rest, giving dogs comfortable places to settle rather than expecting them to keep playing until it's time to go home.

Meals are managed separately, and staff monitor the dogs throughout the day, adjusting group arrangements and activities where needed.

Transport has also required considerable thought. We use crates to keep dogs secured during journeys, monitor temperatures at different points inside our vans and use fans to circulate the air conditioning. We cap transport journeys at 90 minutes, even when that requires additional pickup and drop-off trips.

None of these decisions is particularly convenient from a commercial or an operational perspective. The space costs considerably more. Appropriate staffing and training require investment. Structured assessments take time, and maintaining high standards means asking more of our team than simply supervising a room full of dogs.

But I believe those things are worth doing. And I also believe we have to keep learning. Having a good facility doesn't automatically make us excellent at caring for dogs. Standards need to be maintained through daily decisions, continued education, careful observation and a willingness to recognise when something could be done better. That's the responsibility we've taken on.

When owners ask me what they should look for in a daycare, I encourage them to look beyond the photographs of dogs running around together. Ask how dogs are assessed. Ask how play is managed, what happens when a dog becomes uncomfortable and whether there are genuine opportunities to rest. Ask about the people looking after your dog, what they understand about canine communication and what happens when a dog needs something different from the rest of the group.

And perhaps most importantly, ask whether the people caring for your dog are prepared to tell you when something isn't right. Because a good daycare should be willing to have those conversations, even when they're difficult.

At Noble Canine Oasis, that's the standard we're continually working towards.

And if you'd like to understand how we approach daycare, you're always welcome to learn more about our programme.

Client names, breeds and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.