Doggie Daycare

Dog Daycare at The Furlough in Flint, MI

Full or half day options are available for your pup to come and play in our supervised, interactive play areas.  Our indoor play areas are comfortable and homey and include lots of ear scratches and tummy rubs.  The outdoor play areas  have plenty of room to get the wiggles out and just enjoy the outdoors.  We assess each dog individually and determine which play area is best suited for them.  We have an area designated for our small or senior guests or more laid back dogs and another area designed for the larger breeds.  All play areas have web cameras for you to check in on your pup throughout the day.

Day Care rates vary depending on your individual needs:

Interview and Meet and Greet Day – Free

Full Day Rate – $30

Half Day Rate – $20 (up to four hours)

Monthly Day Care Package – $350 for up to 15 visits (that’s a savings of $100)

Monthly Unlimited Day Care Package – $400 (that’s a savings of $115)

Why Doggie Daycare?

The most common reason owners have for bringing their dog to day care is for
socialization. Dogs were originally “pack-animals”. They bonded to one another
shortly after birth. They stayed together through their entire lives. But
domesticating the dog changed its surroundings. It still has a social need to
belong to a pack, but very few actually live in environments where this is feasible.
Instead they live in urban areas, town homes, condos, apartments or even houses
with postage stamp yards. Certainly not the ideal place for a group of dogs.
Doggie day care fulfills the need to be around, and play with other canines. There
are valuable lessons that they teach each other that they cannot learn from
humans. One is “Doggie Hierarchy”. Dogs have a Patriarchal system. Older dogs
are revered and respected by younger ones. But just as in our society this is not
instinctive, it is taught. But how is a young dog to learn such an important facet of
doggie life if he is not around other dogs. It is the older, wiser dogs that pass this
down to the younger pups, just as it was taught to them. The process of this
teaching requires that the pup understand doggie language. Dogs grunt, snarl,
snap, stiffen, raise their cockles, and many other body language signs to
communicate to one another. But if dog is rarely around another and suddenly
comes across one while on a walk with his owner, how is he to communicate or
properly decipher what is being said. He can’t. One of the biggest values I have
seen in a day care situation is the teaching of “Doggie Language” between dogs.
This is especially true for dogs taken away from their mothers at less than 12
weeks of age.

The second most common reason for dogs attending day care is because of the
long hours they spend alone. Many of us work more than 40 hour weeks keeping
our pooches in kibble. Add to that long commute times and time spent running
errands and many of our beloved friends are alone more than 60% of their time.
This can lead to boredom, separation anxiety, and developing bad habits, like
chewing prized-possessions, barking, and indoor accidents. Quite a few dogs
benefit from day care two or three times per week. They find that this new routine
adds stimulation to an otherwise bored dog, and if the dog is not home, he can’t
very well chew the furniture or bark at the mailman.
The third most common reason for attendance is EXERCISE. Many breeds that
now find themselves living in our neighborhoods were originally bred for working.
Now instead of herding sheep, they sleep, eat, look out a window, eat, look out
the back window, and to break-up the monotony: eat. The result of all this gluttony
is overweight dogs. For large breed dogs such as Labradors and Shepherds too
much weight can prove to be harmful to the joints. Attending a doggie day care
that emphasizes exercise and daily walks is vital to the longevity of many breeds.
The growing popularity of doggie day cares in and around our cities indicates that
they are meeting a vital need for owners and canines alike.