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doggie day care ??????


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My mother is turning 82- My dog is 81 years apart. They love each other. However. My mother bruises quiet easily. She would rather move into an appt than let me get rid of my service dog. I would rather get rid of my dog than my mother- hence the debate.

There is a "daycare" center nearby" It's enough to make me puke, but I would rather put my dog into a "home day care" than my mom= and it's only temp. just like 4 hours a day.

How many of you have had to resort to this because of work, children or elderly care?

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Wow! Tough problem!

 

I think the doggie day care is a good solution, especially if you'd only need it 4 hours a day. The dogs around here who go to play group LOVE it, and they come home tired and happy. I wish my dog were social enough to go play for four hours and come home tired. :rolleyes:

 

Mary

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What is happening? Is your boy jumpy etc? Is there anyway you can set ground rules up so that your boy is crated when you are not home?

Julie

 

My mother is turning 82- My dog is 81 years apart. They love each other. However. My mother bruises quiet easily. She would rather move into an appt than let me get rid of my service dog. I would rather get rid of my dog than my mother- hence the debate.

There is a "daycare" center nearby" It's enough to make me puke, but I would rather put my dog into a "home day care" than my mom= and it's only temp. just like 4 hours a day.

How many of you have had to resort to this because of work, children or elderly care?

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If you can do without the dog for four hours a day at daycare, why not crate at home instead? Save money, keep the dog home, maybe make everyone happier and safer?

 

I am probably not understanding the situation.

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My wife's elderly mother who is very frail and bruises easily comes to visit us for weeks at a time.

All our border collies know not to jump on her, as we told her what to say as they approach her.

She says "EASY" when they approach her, then she says "SIT" so they don't jump up..

We told her to yell "ouch" when they played ruff with her, they all know to be very gentle now.

 

Training is the key, not doggie day care, unless that's the route you want.

My wife's mother loves our dogs to death and doesn't mind getting bruised, but we do.

Teach your dog manners, and show your mother what to say in a meaningful tone.

Our dogs are very careful with little children and old people.

 

Even if you decide on daycare, still take some time and train.

David

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I don't think there's anything wrong with daycare, for the right dog and the right reasons. Ling goes once a week. She doesn't exactly "LOVE" it, but I consider it kind of her medicine. She got attacked at the dog park when she was about 1 yr old, and along with lot of other work, daycare once a week seems to have really helped. When she first started going, she was still very growly and snappy and NEVER played, but we could tell it was fear, because when given the choice she always ran away. Now she only snarks once in a while and can actually have civil interactions with others, even playing occasionally with the other two herding dogs there. And we can go to an agility trial without her making a spectacle of herself. I still have to watch her, but she's generally fine. Oddly, I can tell a difference if she skips daycare for a few weeks.

 

The main thing I would do is go watch the people working there for a while and make sure you agree with the way they handle the dogs. How do they enforce rules? How do they break up scuffles? How much do they let the dogs get away with? If they are vastly different than your own training philosophy, they could undermine your own training. I was lucky, my agility trainer is a daycare provider by day, and my closest friend in our agility club is her assistant, so I really trust them to handle my dog one day a week.

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He's in training right now. The only time he jumps is when someone first enters the room- excited guy- Last time she came to visit was Christmas and he was quite young. It was basically my fault as I was taking something away from him and held it in the air near her (not thinking) and he jumped for it and barely touched her. But with her skin being like paper, it required a trip to emergency to get her colorized and taped up. He's not quite a year old yet, so he still is extremely excitable. We're working on it. She will be living with me full time and I will be taking care of her until we can find her & I places next to each other ( last resort for assisted living ) so I thought it would help out exercising the dog while I took care of Mom. I know cheap get-out of my duties towards the dog exchanged for mom. It's a catch 22.

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Any time I have company staying with me I have to keep Boo segregated. I use a baby gate, screwed into the wall, not pressure mounted, to control his access. It telescopes out so it's easy to keep out of the way when not in use. Is that an alternative that might work for you? Funny thing is, Minnie has learned to climb over it :rolleyes:

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There is a "daycare" center nearby" It's enough to make me puke, but I would rather put my dog into a "home day care" than my mom= and it's only temp. just like 4 hours a day.

How many of you have had to resort to this because of work, children or elderly care?

 

What is it that you don't like about the daycare center. Is it this particular daycare center or just the thought of using a doggy daycare that bothers you?

 

Two of my dogs go to doggy daycare. One goes twice a week and the other goes once. They go for half days. I didn't "resort" to it because of work or anything else. I chose to send them because they enjoy it and it gives them a lot of opportunities to socialize with other dogs. I don't, however, think that daycare will be the solution to your problem of your dog jumping up on your mother. I do believe, though, that your dog can be taught not to jump up on her. You could also crate your dog whenever you are not around to supervise their interaction. I have fosters that are crated for 9+ hours a day and they are none the worse for it. I do understand the problem of an excitable dog, but I also think that with a little work, you can teach your puppy that it is not acceptable behavior around your mother.

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I think the crate is a good idea. But you have to be sure that your mother doesn't consider it "prison".

 

My mother did, although she knew that my cousin, a dog trainer and a favorite of hers, swore by crate training. So I'd never have left her alone with a crated Fergie. Mom would have "sprung" the dog.

 

We lucked out in that Ferg was two when my mother started visiting for several weeks at a time, after my Dad died. Mom was 83 by then, and rather frail. OK, she learned to drive at 83 and went to Lithuania with me 4 years later. But she depended on a walker and took so many pills that she rattles.

 

But Fergie understood. She never pawed Mom for attention, as she has always done with us. And she played the neatest, restrained game of tug with her rope toys with Mom. My mother loved it. And so did Ferg.

 

Try having your dog on a leash when your mother comes in. He's getting older and is likely to catch on quickly.

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so I thought it would help out exercising the dog while I took care of Mom

 

This is the reason you're thinking of sending him to daycare, right? I got the feeling that you're going to be spending a lot of time caring for her mother and you're concerned about not having enough time to excercise her dog as much as he's used to now.

 

The other reason I've seen in your posts to send him to daycare is that he's too rambunctious to be around your mom, and you're afraid he'll hurt her again.

 

Daycare is a decent option for those times you might be too busy to really excercise them at all, but truthfully, after the first couple of hours of playing, the dogs all settle in and kind of lay around, like they often do at home when you're not there. So it's not going to substitute for a really long hike, or a long game of frisbee. And when I pick Ling up, she is staaaaarved for my attention, even more so than when I leave her home alone. I'm not sure daycare will solve either of your issues, but it might help some, and give you some time with your mom during which you aren't stressed about their interactions.

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so I thought it would help out exercising the dog while I took care of Mom

 

This is the reason you're thinking of sending him to daycare, right? I got the feeling that you're going to be spending a lot of time caring for her mother and you're concerned about not having enough time to excercise her dog as much as he's used to now.

 

The other reason I've seen in your posts to send him to daycare is that he's too rambunctious to be around your mom, and you're afraid he'll hurt her again.

 

Daycare is a decent option for those times you might be too busy to really excercise them at all, but truthfully, after the first couple of hours of playing, the dogs all settle in and kind of lay around, like they often do at home when you're not there. So it's not going to substitute for a really long hike, or a long game of frisbee. And when I pick Ling up, she is staaaaarved for my attention, even more so than when I leave her home alone. I'm not sure daycare will solve either of your issues, but it might help some, and give you some time with your mom during which you aren't stressed about their interactions.

 

I'm not sure I understand your "it's enough to make me puke" statement either. Is it the concept of daycare that you dislike or the particular facility?

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Well, I feel it's my job to exercise my dog. Also my job to take care of my Mom and yes, she's a softy and will spring him out of his crate. Maybe 2 hours a day at doggie day care will be good. It's a nice place and close to home and let him play with other dogs. The last time she was here was Christmas and he's done a lot of maturing since then. He was only 4 months old and he's almost a year, so maybe I'm worrying for nothing. Just want to make sure Mom's safe.

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Well, I feel it's my job to exercise my dog. Also my job to take care of my Mom and yes, she's a softy and will spring him out of his crate. Maybe 2 hours a day at doggie day care will be good. It's a nice place and close to home and let him play with other dogs. The last time she was here was Christmas and he's done a lot of maturing since then. He was only 4 months old and he's almost a year, so maybe I'm worrying for nothing. Just want to make sure Mom's safe.

You might try a little of all the suggestions, have your pup on a leash and reinforce the training, crate some, and maybe a few days in day care. I take my pups to daycare every other week or so for socialization with other dogs, when it has been raining for several days in a row (Gus doesn't like going out in the rain) or just for fun. The staff love on them both and they just seem to enjoy it. I do exercise them myself, but variety is the spice of life, right? I'm sure it will all be fine, do what you think it best for all of you :rolleyes: take care!

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