Doggy day care centre

anonyhousemouse

I'm looking to set a dog day care centre up soon (and have just popped a thread in the small biz section of this forum for business name suggestions )

What I'm looking for from you lovely people now though is:

Does anyone currently use one? And/or used to use one?
---> what do you like/dislike the most about the one you use?

How much would you pay or do you pay?
(Based on say half day - 8am-12:30pm or full day 8am-6pm, for example)

What qualifications/experience would you expect staff to hold?

What services would you expect to be offered, e.g.
---> additional services charged for seperately such as grooming, training, microchipping, etc?
---> anything else?

If you have a dog (or more than one) and work all day, what sort of price would get you to consider it for even just a few days a week, given the difficult financial times we're all in?

Where would you expect to see adverts? (I know this varies from area to area - but what do you take most notice of - leaflets through your door, your free local papers, your local papers that you pay for, free ads mags that get pushed through your door, radio or pet magazines?)

Anything else you can think of that you might like to suggest or ask about, please feel free and hopefully there'll be something I'd not thought of before :j

If you do think of any quirky or clever names, please pop over to the small biz area of this forum. Thank you!

Caroline_a

Hi, have sent you a pm.

gettingready

I used one for my dog - they were doing exeptions for me but generally their day care was 10am - 5pm which for me was really not good as I needed the dog picked up at 7:30, BEFORE I went to work.

They were doing pick up and drop off, 2 walks were included, dog was staying in the house with them not in a kennel of any sort.

Price was £20 per day (London).

EXperience wise - years of experience with large doga,owners of large dogs themelves, bahaviourist certification, pet first aid etc etc

UKTigerlily

I'd expect them to have a Canine First Aid certificate & of course means of getting an ill or injured dog to the Vet when others will need looking after (so more than 1 staff member), experience of a number of breeds or types of dog (example someone might have a giant breed & need care taking over stairs/joints) just as a bad example! I'd definitely want more than 1 staff member & for the dogs to be supervised all the time. Somewhere safe to walk them, idk Chaya can't go as she's a numpty with other dogs but i'm sure many will be along soon

anonyhousemouse

Thanks everyone and thanks Caroline for the PM (have replied )

So far, so good, I tick all the requirements mentioned thus far and fully intend on having a minimum of 2 members of staff present at all times for exactly the reasons mentioned.

I have experience with practically every single breed I can think of off the top of my head ranging from tea-cup to giant, including laid-back-lukes to mad-as-a-hatter ones!


Anyone else got anything they'd like to add? The more the merrier - hoping to get some ideas I'd not necessarily thought of before or even some issues raised that I may have to give some more thought to before progressing any further. Any ideas welcome, no matter how small.

CFC

I have thought about using a service several times but the issues for me have been:

unable to drop dog off early enough, would need to leave him at 07:30 not 9am
price - £20 a day (outside London) is too much for me.

If I could find somewhere that would do a 'nursery' type deal so I paid for 3 months up front to get a rate of £15 per day, and would take mutt from 7:30am to 5 to allow me to pick up and drop off, I would use it one day a week for ever.

gettingready

DEfinitely pick up and drop off hours are an issue.

When I was working - I had to leave at 7.30 so needed to dog to be picked up at 7.30 the latest and this was a problem.

Saying that, the dog care I used were doing pick up and drop off (included in the £20 per day as well as 2 long walks - I was providing food only and bowls of course).

I would be happy with half day option as long as pick up and drop off was included.

And £20 per day is expensive really but an hour walk around here costs £10-£12 so....

Hillbilly1

Insurance? Rgsiter with NARP? advertise which vets you use?

dizziblonde

I would be very hesitant about using one to be honest - because I'm never 100% that I can trust that requirements I have about one of my dogs specifically (a bossy stroppy sighthound who can struggle with small dogs) would be kept to. If I could find somewhere where they weren't going to put her in with smaller dogs - then yep it would be a godsend - but having seen the behaviour of our various local dogwalkers - I'm very wary of the pet-sitting industry in general unfortunately.

As for leaflets etc... the one thing I DID take notice of was the girl touting for dog walking business in our local park approaching dog owners. Sadly for her it was a giant red flag since she had utterly no interest in the dogs whatsoever - but meant we got to see past the advertising gloss so to speak. For me (although somewhat irrelevant since I'm giving up work soon) I would have used a good one if they offered some kind of flexible arrangement - I have very irregular work patterns - sometimes I work a full week, sometimes odd days - never quite found a satisfactory work around to that type of situation in terms of dog walkers etc.

hethmar

Well, having spent two days researching a dog creche for when we go on holiday and want to visit places dogs arent allowed, I found somewhere which sounds just what we want and would expect, Ill pm you with the details as I havent booked yet and dont want to find it full up! Now Im trying to find a hotel near it which takes two dogs aswell.

anonyhousemouse

Thanks for the input everyong and thanks for the PM hethmar - it looks and sounds amazing