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Media Coverage
Excerpt from the April 1998
"DOGworld Magazine" Article
"Energy Unleashed"
Answering Dog Owners' Needs
| .... It seems dog day care is filling a need and Brad Pattison, another dog day care pioneer, agrees. Pattison runs Yuppy Puppy Dog Day Care in Vancouver, Canada. The idea for a day-care center came to him in 1991, following the theft of his Shepherd/Lab mix, Kia from his yard. He wanted to build a place where pets could be safe during the day and still get exercise they needed. Yuppy Puppy clients, which average 28 a day, are minded by a staff of three, treated to a daily massage, long walks and street safety training. |
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"Most dogs lack social skills," says Pattison. "The most beneficial part of dog day care is that dogs learn how to socialize with one another. The end result is a well-rounded dog."
Being approached by a number of folks interested in running a dog day care of their own led to Pattison creating the Yuppy Puppy Dog Day Care Business Package. The $5000 (US) cost includes comprehensive information and four days of on-site training by Pattison, anywhere worldwide. His goal is to set up an affiliation that will set global standards for dog day care.
Selecting A Day Care
... Look for a facility with a screening process in plane that interviews both owners and dogs. Pattison adds that owners should look for attributes such as walks geared toward a dog's fitness ability ranging from 45 minutes to two hours in length. Is the dog walker walking the dog and not vice versa? This is a factor, he says, that reflects the control and safety of the dogs.
Dog day care, he adds, should be designed around the rules of the home. For instance, a dog allowed to lie on the couch at day care will want to do the same at home and not take kindly to being told otherwise. Pattison believes dog day care should promote an active day through interaction with
fellow canines. He says to look for an open area, a minimum of 500 square feet, that can accommodate indoor play. He advises questioning the staff members' ability as to what they would do in situations that may occur when out on walks. Does the staff have first-aid training or knowledge? Is it educated in training methods? Is the facility insured? Is the staff appropriately qualified?
... "A dog day care needs to have a level of discipline that encourages the dogs to grow and learn," Pattison says. "Is the staff knowledgeable as to how this is accomplished? ... handling one dog is completely different from handling six or more at one time, regardless of whether they are in a group
walking or in the day care socializing with one another."
by: Award-winning free-lance writer Eve Marar
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