u/ProfessionalClue3930

For those who take their dog to daycare, roughly how many minutes do you spend actively caring for your dog on a typical day they stay home?

I’m talking about feeding, walking, playing, training, enrichment, and grooming. Don’t count sleeping together, relaxing on the couch, or simply being in the same room.

I own a daycare, and a staffing guideline I’m hearing promoted in the industry is to schedule 0.75 hours, or 45 minutes of staff time, per daycare dog each day. For example, 20 dogs would mean 15 total staff hours. That includes group supervision, cleaning, feeding, and individual care, so it doesn’t mean 45 minutes of individual attention for every dog.

My theory is that many owners spend less than 45 minutes a day on those active care activities, but I want to hear about people’s actual routines rather than assume.

My goal is to design a better daycare program around what dogs and their owners actually need, at a price that allows people to use it more often without breaking the bank. I’m considering a more structured day with scheduled play, enrichment, individual attention, and comfortable rest periods.

How much active care does your dog receive at home, and what would an affordable daycare program need to provide for you to use it more regularly?

I own a dog daycare, and I genuinely want to understand this from the dog owner’s perspective. I’m looking at how we run our program, and before changing anything, I want to understand what people actually need and value.

Think back to what first made you try daycare. What was happening in your life, or with your dog, that made you decide it was worth paying for?

And if you kept going, what made you continue? Was it the same reason, or did you discover a benefit you hadn’t expected?

Maybe it means you can work without worrying about your dog being home alone. Maybe your dog enjoys it, your evenings are easier, or it gives you some breathing room. Those are just examples—I’d love to hear your own reasons.

A few things I’m especially curious about:

• What difference do you notice on daycare days versus days your dog stays home?
• What matters most about the actual experience, and what could you happily do without?
• How do you judge whether your dog had a good day?
• If you’ve reduced visits or stopped going, what drove that decision? What would make you reconsider?

Costs are rising for both families and providers, so I want to understand what makes this service worth keeping in someone’s budget.

You don’t have to answer every question. A story about your dog and what daycare does for both of you would be more helpful than a checklist. Honest criticism is welcome, too.