Creating a Playtime Schedule That Benefits All Dogs in Your Daycare

As a dog daycare owner, ensuring that every dog has a fun and safe time while in your care is one of your top priorities. When dogs are having a good time, they get home tired. When dogs get some tired and relaxed, their owners are happy. When their owners are happy, you get repeat business. Success! However, ensuring that dogs are having a fun and safe time at your business isn't a guarantee. This can be challenging, especially when you have dogs of different sizes, personalities, and play styles in your care at the same time. One way to help mitigate these challenges is to create a playtime schedule that benefits all dogs in your daycare. Creating a playtime schedule isn't as hard as you think either. Let's dive in and get started!

Group Dogs by Size and Play Style

Dividing dogs into groups based on their size and play style is a good place to start. Smaller dogs typically have a lower play drive than larger dogs, and may need to be separated from their larger counterparts during playtime to avoid getting hurt. Additionally, some dogs are more energetic and playful, while others are more relaxed and prefer to watch from the sidelines. Understanding pack dynamics is an important skill to have, and as the owner of a dog daycare, it should be a skill you've well honed. Break your pack up into various groups so that the dogs that like to play are with the dogs that like to play and the dogs that want to sleep and relax can be with those that want to sleep and relax. There's nothing worse than having the wrong dogs together, so make sure you put together the right groups.

Allocate Time for Individual Play

While group play is essential, it’s also important to allocate time for individual play. This can include one-on-one playtime with a staff member, solo play with toys, or quiet time for rest and relaxation. Not all dogs want to play with other dogs. Some dogs have anxiety issues and being around a large group of dogs is going to be a nightmare for them, perhaps resulting in aggression. Make sure to single out these dogs and take them out for some one-on-one attention. They'll benefit from the attention and perhaps it will help them to become more socialized in the future.

Supervise Playtime

Playtime should always be supervised by a trained staff member. This not only ensures that dogs are safe, but it also provides an opportunity to intervene if any behavior issues arise during play. Dogs love to play, but they also like to get rowdy and having a trained staff member watching them will make sure you reduce the likelihood of any injuries. A common situation you want to avoid is having large dogs and small dogs playing together unsupervised. Sometimes large dogs don't understand their size and they might hurt or kill a smaller dog by accident. Having a vigilant staff member keep an eye on the play situation is a must.

Offer a Variety of Play Activities

Offering a variety of play activities, such as fetch, tug-of-war, and hide-and-seek, keeps playtime interesting and engaging for dogs. This can also help to prevent boredom and reduce the likelihood of destructive behavior. Something we've seen a lot lately is the use of old furniture for both indoor and outdoor dog daycares. Head on over to the local GoodWill and buy yourself an old couch and love seat. These work perfectly for napping locations, but they also encourage dogs to jump up and down and get some extra exercise.

Take Breaks

Dogs need breaks just like humans do. Make sure to schedule regular breaks during playtime so dogs can rest, hydrate, and recharge. Dogs aren't always the best at self-regulating their play. When given the opportunity, they will play until they have completely drained their tank. In order to avoid this, make sure to put some strict time limits on the amount of play time each day. You want your dogs to return to their owners tired, but you don't want them returning exhausted and on the verge of collapse.

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