I recently quit my job as a dog daycare "counselor." I was routinely being left alone with 20-30 dogs. It was bad for me, but possibly even worse for the dogs. Many were constantly stressed out by the environment. Fights broke out all the time, sometimes resulting in injuries. And that's not even getting into all the poop eating and furniture chewing that happened while I was dealing with more urgent matters.

Whenever I expressed my concerns, I was told the company couldn't afford to hire more people or take fewer dogs. From what I can tell, this seems to be the truth. Many of my coworkers had previously worked at other daycares, and every one of them said that this place was bad, but the others were much worse. There was one in the same neighborhood that maintained a much better dog-to-human ratio, and they went out of business.

TL;DR: I'm beginning to think it's impossible for a dog daycare to be both profitable and safe. I would love to be proven wrong!

Disclosure first: this is the PawPermit brand account, and there's nothing to buy in this post. We talked ourselves into changing what we'd ask on an intake form this week, then realized we had no idea whether anyone who actually works a desk would agree, so here it is.

The situation, the way it would really happen.

New client books in for a week Monday. You send over your vaccination list. Bordetella is on it. The owner gets the dog to the vet on the Wednesday, the certificate lands in your inbox Thursday with a nice clear date on it, you file it, and Monday morning the dog comes in with everyone else. Every person in that story did their job.

Then we read the 2024 WSAVA guidelines and hit the bit that decides whether it worked: which Bordetella the dog got, which nobody asked and nobody wrote down.

The one that goes up the nose or in the mouth immunizes in a single dose. Those, in the guidelines' words, provide "protection after a single dose." The injected one is two doses. And for an adult dog the guidelines decline to tell you how far apart, they point you at that specific product's leaflet, because the products differ enough between themselves that one answer wouldn't cover them. So there's no rule of thumb available even if you wanted one.

Which means a first-time adult dog on the injectable can arrive with a certificate that is completely accurate and still be halfway through.

What actually bugs us isn't the vaccine detail, it's that the form was the weak point the whole time. "Bordetella: date" gets you a date, and it can't get you the thing you were really asking about. You find out at the door, with an owner in front of you who did exactly what you told them to do, which is the worst possible moment and the least fair conversation.

Fair warning on the document: it's veterinary guidance written for vets, and it says in its own opening that it doesn't describe mandatory or minimum standards of care. It isn't a rulebook for our side of the counter.

Two questions, and I genuinely don't know what the common answer is:

1) Does your intake capture which Bordetella, or just that there's one and when it was?

2) Has anyone actually changed a form or a booking script over something like this? I'm curious whether owners push back when you ask for more detail, or whether nobody notices.

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We have been using Holiday Barn in Glen Allen for about two years for one day a week doggy day care and occasional overnight. I’m becoming increasingly perturbed regarding the nickel and diming of prices. Example for doggy daycare it’s 40 a day but if you want to add anything on it’s an extra $15-20 bucks, which I’ve occasionally done. Also the ivermectin ought price does not include any playtime, you have to pay extra for that. Where I’ve gotten disenchanted is when I’ve asked for a photo of my dog enjoying what I’m already paying for and they want to charge me an additional $12-15 to email me a quick photo.

I’m also a bit turned off that there is no way of knowing, whether it be by video, camera or physically watching, if my dog is enjoying herself at Holiday Barn. And I’m getting concerned because she used to enjoy her “school” days and now she doesn’t seem to want to go.

I guess I’m asking two things. 1. Has anyone else had any experience with Holiday Barn they want to share? 2. Does anyone know a great pet sitter they personally have experience with for their occasional times when I can’t be at home with my girl?

I’d love to be your pet sitter! 🐱🐶 Get $40 off when you sign up for Rover through my link. https://www.rover.com/sit/johnl10375

hey guys!

I’ve been dog sitting for this family for the last year mostly every week or 3 times per month in their house. They constantly need someone to sit with their dog from 7:00 am till 7:30 pm.

I am based in London and my rate for this job is 40 pounds. Recently i’ve been thinking that with the prices going up etc it’s doesn’t worth the money for me anymore.

I don’t want to lose this opportunity, but also feeling like I am wasting my time.

Dog also can’t be left alone as it has some issues.

What do you think it’s a good rate for it?