Opening a dog day care

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bevin	Opening a dog day care		Lead	[-]
Posts: 2584 08/05/08 6:26 AM	Since I'm currently an unemployed snowboard bum I've been thinking a lot about what I'd like to do long term or "when I grow up". One option I have been thinking about for a long time is opening a dog day care in my town. I'd like to do it so there are facilities to board dogs (and possibly cats) and also so the 'play rooms' and outdoor areas can double as areas to run training classes in the evenings. That way I can maximize use of the space, having it in use about 14 hours of the day. Obviously I have nowhere near enough experience or knowledge to do this yet. I have a Small Business Management course under my belt so I'm confident about putting together a business plan, now I'm thinking about the experience side of it. I'm thinking of going back to Uni to do a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. These would be the papers I would choose: Compulsory: Biochemistry of Cells Chemistry and Living Systems Biology of Cells Essentials of Mammalian Biology Optional Choices: Animal Health, Behaviour and Welfare (though I'd also like to do Principles of Animal Production out of interest) Animal Nutrition Reproductive and Lactational Physiology Companion Animal Science The degree is 3 years and seems to be quite oriented toward farms and industry rather than pets but I think the papers I've chosen are okay. At the same time I'd like to volunteer at an SPCA and/or work at a Dog Day Care to get some practical experience alongside the theoretical. I could do a 2 year Diploma in Vet Nursing but I think that might be going overboard. I'll see what medical stuff is covered in the BSc and then see if I should do something additional. (I'm also planning on starting a Certificate in Basic Animal Care Science in January which covers the basics of animal care, diseases etc.) All this would involve moving away from where we are for at least 3 years. I'm thinking at the rate our town is growing, by the time I have finished studying, it would be about ripe for a dog day care to work. Currently a lady runs a dog day care out of her home; basically she has a large fenced yard that the dogs hang out in all day and she takes them out for a walk by the river at some point. She charges $20 per day for this service and there are people willing to pay! Anyway, that beside the point. Apart from what's mentioned above and and a whole lot of reading of the great books recommended here, what sort of learning / experience would I need before it would be appropriate for me to think about going out on my own? I do know it depends on the person, how quickly you learn and just your general ability to be observant etc. but if you guys were to bring your dogs somewhere, what else would you either like or expect? Is what I'm thinking reasonable or would you expect years of full-time experience in addition to a degree or no degree and just years of experience?? All thought are greatly appreciated "A dog wags its tail with its heart" - Martin Buxbaum
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vegarose		#1	[url]	[-]
Posts: 3756 08/05/08 7:13 AM Pet Sitter	How about becoming a veterinarian technician? Do they have courses for that in NZ? I think that would serve you better, and here in the states it's 2years full time and 4 years part time. If you want to open a facility, you need to check with your county or whatever to check zoning laws for something like that. I would start up small and expand as your business grows. You know, it is wise to have some first aid and basic medical knowledge about dogs, but honestly, first and foremost the biggest thing you need is common sense and discipline. Roe
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Lani		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1199 08/05/08 1:28 PM Rescue/Fostering	Though having a degree is always handy and very important, for running a dog daycare one of the things I consistently see missing is actual knowledge of dogs and their body language. We get a lot of injured dogs at the e-vet I work due to dog fights or more likely a larger dog grabbing a smaller one. Thee were probably signs before the fight happened, but the caretakers didn't notice it. Though the owners usually sign a contract not holding the daycare liable for injuries, I notice the daycares usually pay for the vet bills and that can ruin your business quickly! What would be great would be to apprentice yourself to a good dog trainer that has a handle on dog body language and interactions. You can learn so much on how to handle different types of dogs, and in daycare you get all kinds! Working at a dog daycare would be great to see what you want to do and don't want to do. We have a ton of dog daycares here that getting hired on is very easy (sadly this also means that in most places minimum wage earners that don't have much dog experience are the ones responsible for the safety of the many daycare dogs) The shelter would be great if they do temperament testing of their dogs and could show you how to apply it especially to dog/dog interactions. Being a vet technician is great, but really its pretty geared towards treating animals in a veterinary setting. If you can recognize the basics of a sick animal (labored breathing, pale gums, signs of bloat, etc.,) and have a vet to take them to then you are good. There are also pet first aid classes that are very handy but those are usually only one day. The most important thing is that it really is a business, especially since you want your facility to be multi use. So a business degree is important so that you are successful in the long run. I notice this lack of business training often drive these businesses under. I know a couple of people here who run dog daycares and training facilities. If you are interested I can see if they are willing to correspond with you through email and answer some of your questions. Just pm me.
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Amy		#3	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2647 08/05/08 7:42 PM	This question is right up my alley. Starting next month I'll be taking courses at the local community college for an animal care specialist. There's 13 in all dealing with canine and feline behavior, breed id, medical terminology for animal science, fundamentals of grooming, biology, small business management, accounting for business, nutrition for cats and dogs, kennel hygiene & maintenance and a couple of others. I plan on retiring from my current job after I finish the courses and open up a dog day care on LI. Back in April I completed a course given by the American Red Cross in pet first aid (mostly they concentrated on dogs) so I'm certified in that too. Actually that came in handy when Bailey was attacked by a pitbull. The vet techs were impressed with how I dressed her wounds. They asked if I was a nurse! Uh, no, I just learned really fast. Didn't want to use that knowledge on my own dog if at all, just handy to know. Think I'll be taking a couple of training seminars if I can swing it as more knowledge can't help. I'll be looking to see if the day care where I take Bailey will take me in so I can learn also. Best of luck in your new endeavor!
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Underdog		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2210 08/05/08 10:27 PM Trainer/Senior Member	Agree completely with Lani. We ran a daycare for over a year (along with the training business) started to become successful as long as my wife was there (12 hours). When we hired helpers (carefully mind you) we began to have noise complaints etc. from the other tenants (we are in a industrial complex) so we had to close that side of the business. By knowing and understanding dog behaviour, body language etc. and being there to watch at all times you can be successful. Problem is it's a LOOONNG boring day unless you can find other people s good as you. It's all about management and knowing how to interrupt or calm things before they escalate. Dogs need crates for down times, they need to be separated by temperament and size. They HAVE to be watched at all times they are out. Many times you will get the dogs who have S.A. because of the fact they have S.A. so that can be a challenge as well. Containment can be an issue (dogs jump and some can clear very high containment devices) unfortunately many of the dogs are a handful are very untrained so.... (that's why they are there). In a kennel environment etc. it could be much, much easier. Just a heads up from someone who has been there. Leaders (dog or human) are calm and clear. If you get frustrated you've proved to the dog your neither calm, clear nor a leader.
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bevin		#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2584 08/07/08 4:07 AM	Vegarose - I don;t want to be a Vet Tech really as it doesn't pay very well and that's not really what I'm looking for. I was thinking about a Vet Tech course, it's the same here, two years full-time. But I reckon it is over and above what I'd need if I go the route I'm thinking. That's why I'm doing the Certificate in Basic Animal Care Science. It should cover the what to look out far and basic first aid. Lani - Yup, I really want some experience in a day care / rescue / training / all three situation. I'd like to do it at the same time as studying. I still want to study so I can learn more about dog physiology, behaviour, health etc. I'd like to have that knowledge even if I don't necessarily need it. I may hit you up for those contacts down the line but at the moment I'm looking at a few different options and day care is only one. I'm also looking into dog handling / training for the police also as there are some great opportunities and training working for the police. Amy - Sounds like you know what you're doing, good stuff! I think there are a lot more learning opportunities in the US, there's not much here in NZ unfortunately. But I'll figure something out. Underdog - thank you so much for that info. I didn't quite think about acquiring good staff. I was so worried about getting myself to the level I'd want I didn't quite think about needing more than me to run it!!!! You're pretty smart I've read a lot of info from current day cares that have given me great set up ideas so I'm not toooo worried about that, but what you mention about staff is a really big point. Definitely something to really think about. Tomorrow I'll hopefully manage to have a chat with the Professor of Animal Behaviour at Massey and I might be able to pick and choose a few specific papers to study extramurally to get a Graduate Diploma which would be ideal. A professor I had a big chat with today said that sometimes they'll let people without a degree study a Graduate Diploma if they feel they're in a good position to do so. So that's another option. I'm also hoping to talk to someone at the Police dog training school to see if that'd be an option also. If that sounds good then I could possibly study while working for the police with them paying for it which would be epic. I'll keep you all up to date Thank you all for the advice. And thank you for listening, it's really great to write this all down, it sort of sorts it out in my head. "A dog wags its tail with its heart" - Martin Buxbaum
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bevin		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2584 08/07/08 6:13 PM	Update: I talked to Prof. Kevin Stafford who is in charge of the Animal Behaviour section and he pointed me towards two brilliant papers - "Principles of Canine Behaviour" A theoretical and practical course on the scientific principles and knowledge relevant to the owning and management of domestic dogs and "Canine Health and Husbandry" The principles of health and husbandry of domestic dogs for dog owners and professional dog handlers. It includes breeding and kennel management, nutrition, genetics, behaviour and common diseases of the domestic dog. Both of these sound like just what I'm looking for. If I really wanted to I could put those 2 papers toward a Graduate Diploma in Rural Studies (!?!), I'd just have to choose 6 more papers which wouldn't be hard! It would be nice to have a piece of paper but I'd wait and see how the first two courses go and take it from there. Now I'm just trying to get in touch with the police!! "A dog wags its tail with its heart" - Martin Buxbaum
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BeaAndGus		#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1904 08/07/08 10:01 PM	Bevin - It all sounds fascinating. I have been known to say that when I grow up (like really, really, really grow up) I would like to have some sort of dog boarding/training/rescue facility on a nice piece of land. Actually, my original idea was for a sort of destination spa for people where they could bring their dogs. Just like the people would sign up for activities (sport, spa, whatever) the dogs could be signed up for activities (training, games, grooming.) There would be options for people to do with their dogs, like training sessions or guided hikes. The facilities would be such that the dogs could stay with their people in their rooms. Then, during the day, the dogs would be taken care of so the people can go do their thing. I hope this makes sense. It is getting late and I am rambling. Rachel
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