How Can I Keep My Dog Sociable In The Winter

Dogs need regular social interaction in order to prevent boredom and keep them feeling happy. When it’s cold outside, making sure that your dog stays social can be difficult. If you would rather avoid local dog parks when it’s freezing out, there are other ways for your dog to socialize with other dogs.


Importance of Socialization for Dogs
Dogs are social animals who thrive on being around others. Without regular social interaction, dogs might have trouble interacting with other dogs in a healthy manner. They might be scared or even become aggressive if they haven’t learned how to act properly with other dogs. Socialization allows them to learn the right ways to behave when they are around others.


Social interaction on a regular basis also provides dogs with another important benefit. Spending time with other dogs gives them a chance to keep their brain and body busy, which helps lower the risk of behavioral issues that stem from boredom. With regular socialization, you’ll have a happy and well-behaved dog.


Ideas for Socialization When It’s Cold Out
Freezing weather, snowstorms and other winter woes can make it challenging to make sure that your dog has time to be with other dogs. When you can’t meet up with other dog owners outside for some playtime, there are other options available, such as doggy daycare.


At DoGone Fun, we provide a warm, safe and stimulating environment where your dog can interact with other dogs all winter long. You can drop your dog off in the morning before work and come back in the evening, or choose a shorter doggy daycare schedule if that works better for you. Either way, your dog will have plenty of time for playing and socializing with other dogs while staying warm and comfortable.


Keep in mind that there are options available if you want to arrange any playtime with fellow dog owners during the winter. DoGone Fun has a spacious indoor playroom for you pooch available to rent on Sunday afternoons from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. This is a great way for your dog to see their usual friends this winter.

What happens when you drop your dogs off at daycare?

What happens when you drop your dogs off at daycare? While your dogs get to run around and play with other dogs, they do have some structure to their day. Find out more about what daycare for dogs is like at DoGone Fun.

After Arriving

When you bring your dogs to daycare in the morning, you’ll have a warm greeting from a play lot attendant. You can say goodbye to your dogs for the day, then leave them in the care of the attendant. Our attendant will ensure that they’re kept safe until it’s time to play.

Breakfast and Morning Playtime

If you requested breakfast, this takes place around 8 am. The boarding dogs at our facility also eat their breakfast during this time. When all of the dogs are finished eating, they’re ready to go outside to our play area, where they can spend a few hours playing together. Keep in mind that if you’ve signed up for training, your dogs will have short training sessions a number of times during the day.

Lunch and Afternoon Break

Daycare and boarding dogs have lunch, if requested, at noon each day. When lunch is over with, all of the dogs can spend some time relaxing and taking a break until afternoon playtime starts. This break gives your dogs an opportunity to unwind, which helps prevent them from becoming too stimulated or tired out.

Afternoon Playtime

After taking a break, your dogs will head back out to the play area for afternoon playtime. This gives them more time to play with other dogs and burn off more energy for the day.

Afternoon Baths

If you requested baths, which are available as part of our daycare for dogs services, this happens in the afternoon. After having a bath and any other grooming services you have requested, your dogs will be nice and clean for pickup time.

Dinnertime

If your dogs are staying late and you’ve requested dinner, they’ll eat between 5 and 6 pm. When they’re done eating, they’ll be able to rest until you come by to get them at the end of the day.

Regular Pet Grooming

Regular grooming is an essential part of caring for pets, but not all of these tasks are easy to do on your own. Bringing pets to a pet grooming place means that you can have professional groomers handle bathing, brushing, nail clipping and other tasks that you don’t have time to do or have trouble doing at home. When you look around for a pet grooming place to take your pets to, it’s important to find a reputable one. Take the following factors into consideration when making your decision.

Ask for a Tour

You can tell a lot about grooming facilities by the condition they’re kept in. Ask if you can take a look around in the areas where pets are groomed. These areas should have good lighting and the proper supplies for pet grooming. They should also be as clean as possible, which helps lower the risk of illnesses, infections and injuries.

Bring Up Questions and Concerns

Doing this helps you determine if the staff at the grooming facility have plenty of experience. Staff members should be able to answer your questions about the grooming process and address any concerns you have. For example, if you have timid pets, how would the groomers make sure they’re comfortable while being handled? Staff should also closely supervise pets if they use blow-drying units, since too much time in these can be life-threatening.

Look Over the List of Services

You can depend on pet grooming facilities for basic services, such as bathing, haircuts, nail trims, ear cleaning and brushing. If you need additional services or more specialized ones, make sure that the place offers them. Whether you’re interested in dental care services, breed-specific haircuts or medicated shampoos for health issues, check with the facility to see if these are offered. Keep in mind that some places also provide services that will pamper your pet, such as aromatherapy, paw massages and nail coloring.

Finding the right pet grooming place provides you with peace of mind that your pets will receive quality care while also being kept safe.

What can you expect when boarding your dog?

What can you expect when boarding your dog? If this is a new experience for you, the following tips can come in handy.

1. Make sure shots are up-to-date.

Your dogs will need to have a current rabies vaccine, along with other shots. Bring proof of these vaccines with you to a dog boarding facility.

2. You’ll need to see the place in person.

Don’t set up boarding at a place without visiting it first. Walk around the place to see if it’s clean and well-maintained.

3. Your dogs might need a behavioral assessment.

Dog boarding places do these for safety reasons. Dogs must pass these assessments and not show any signs of aggression in order to participate in playtime.

4. Book dog boarding as early as you can.

These places tend to fill up quickly at certain times, such as during the holiday season. Make your reservations early, so you won’t miss out.

5. Find a place with around-the-clock staff.

Some boarding places aren’t staffed at all times, which can be unsafe for dogs. Choose a place that has staff on the premises on a 24/7 basis.

6. Find out about emergency care.

Ask how emergencies are handled. Dog boarding places typically take dogs to the nearest clinic, but it’s best to make sure beforehand.

7. Sign up for playtime.

If you don’t want your dogs in kennels all day long, sign them up for play sessions. They’ll have fun, stay active and be around other dogs.

8. Ask about bringing dog food from home.

In most cases, it’s fine to bring your own dog food from home. Just let the staff know about it, so they’ll give your dogs the right food.

9. Check out the perks.

Find out if the facility has perks available, such as one-on-one time with staff members or special treats.

10. Put special care instructions in writing.

Most places are willing to accommodate special requests, such as administering medication, but make sure you put it in writing. This helps ensure that your dogs receive any special care they need during their stay.

The Importance of Dog Daycare and Boarding

Your dog is an important part of your life, but it’s not always possible or practical to spend time with him. Whether you have to leave your dog alone while you work or leave your dog home while you travel, there are options to consider that will keep him safe and happy. Dog daycare and boarding offer solutions for owners who can’t have their dog with them at certain times.

Daycare for Dogs

Since most workplaces don’t allow dogs, it’s common for pet owners to leave them at home while they work. If you’re in this situation and want to prevent your dog from being bored or lonely, consider dog daycare. These facilities give dogs a chance to stay active several hours per day while their owners are at work or busy outside the house. You can sign your dog up for daycare a certain number of hours per week or just on specific days when you know you won’t be around.

Keep in mind that you might also want to look into dog daycare if you work from home. Daycare offers a number of benefits for dogs, such as encouraging socialization with other dogs and helping them stay physically and mentally stimulated. Dog daycare also helps reduce the risk of your dog behaving inappropriately or destructively at home when you’re gone due to boredom.

Boarding for Dogs

If you’ll be away from home for a few days or longer, consider dog boarding as an option. Instead of having to arrange for a pet sitter to come to your home while you’re gone, you can have your dog stay at a quality boarding facility that offers a safe environment and opportunities to play with other dogs. When your dog boards, he’ll have round-the-clock care, plenty of chances to eliminate when needed and the company of other dogs.

Dog daycare and boarding can provide you with peace of mind when you can’t be with your dog due to work or travel. Just make sure you choose a high-quality facility with a caring staff and a clean environment.

Dog Grooming...Not The Same for All Dogs

Keeping your dog’s coat, skin and nails in good condition is an important part of ensuring
that she stays happy and healthy. However, the approach you use for dog grooming isn’t
necessarily the same for all dogs. Your dog’s temperament and personality can play a big
role in determining how to properly groom her. If your dog has any of the following, you’ll
need to adjust your grooming techniques accordingly.

Fearful Temperament

If your dog is fearful, she might give you a hard time about getting bathed or having her
paws handled when you try to trim her nails. If your dog becomes timid about grooming,
even if she’s fine at other times, you’ll have to take steps to make sure she’s more
comfortable about it. This includes staying calm, keeping your voice relaxed and building
a positive association with grooming. You don’t want your dog to see it as a negative
experience. Giving your dog a treat or a toy as a reward or a distraction can help make
grooming more pleasant for her.

High Energy Level

If you have a dog who has high energy levels, grooming can be difficult to do. Your dog
might be too excited to stay still for bathing, brushing or having her nails trimmed. If your
dog is a big one, this can make grooming even more of a challenge. One of the most
effective ways to get your dog to calm down for grooming is to tire her out beforehand.
Let her out in the yard to burn off energy or play with her inside your home. She’ll have
less energy during grooming, which should help her keep calmer for you.

Aggressive Behavior

Your dog might exhibit aggressive behavior, such as snapping or growling, when you try
to groom her. She might do this if she’s highly fearful or if she has a medical condition or
injury that hurts when you handle her. Your vet can rule out health problems and injuries
for you. If her aggressive behavior continues, consider bringing her to a professional pet
groomer for help.

Puppy Boarding Requirements

Boarding is a convenient option for most dogs when their owners have to be away from home, but what about puppies? Since puppies are generally more vulnerable and more at risk of certain illnesses, boarding facilities usually have requirements about age. Find out more about puppy boarding, so you can properly plan ahead for an upcoming trip.

Age Requirements

You won’t be able to board a newborn puppy or one that’s only a few weeks old, but you should be able to find a place for boarding when your puppy is around a few months old. Puppy boarding facilities maintain these requirements in an effort to prevent puppies from becoming sick from kennel cough and other contagious illnesses. Younger dogs have a higher risk of complications from some of these diseases. In general, you’ll find that boarding places require puppies to have at least one round of vaccines before being allowed to stay there. This typically means that puppies around three months old or older can board. If you’re concerned about health risks that your puppy might face while being around other dogs, consider waiting until after her second round of vaccines to board her. Puppies usually get this second round when they’re about four months old.

Vaccine Requirements

For the safety of all dogs that board, dog boarding facilities require up-to-date vaccinations. Your puppy won’t be able to board if she hasn’t had any, but she should be allowed to if she’s had her rabies vaccine and any other required vaccinations. It’s best to check with the dog boarding facility to learn more about vaccine requirements.

Parasite Concerns

Puppies with parasites, such as worms, won’t be able to board. Most boarding places won’t allow dogs to board unless you can prove that your puppy is free of worms and other parasites. This is also done in order to keep all dogs in the facility safe and reduce the risk of parasite infestations. When boarding, you can expect to be asked to prove that your puppy has gone through the deworming process and doesn’t have fleas or other parasites.