Leo’s been going to the most wonderful doggie daycare. They have webcams where I can watch him romp. He is under constant human supervision and gets naps and snacks, has his teeth brushed and practices his manners. He even gets report cards.
He was going once a week at first, because I like bringing him to work when I can take him with me in the field or at least take a break to throw him a tennis ball. In the office, I tether him to my desk and he sleeps on the floor and/or chews a bone. Sometimes, though, he’s super bratty, and I “crate” him in the car, which is parked right outside my office window.
A couple of weeks ago, I may have left him out there too long while I was in the conference room for a meeting, because he chewed off the end of my parking brake.
So I decided it was better (and cheaper) for him to go to daycare twice a week than to spend that much time in the car.
He seems to be getting along very well and all his teachers have nice things to say about him. The head mistress even told me last week that he was her favorite, which surprised me, but I think she meant it!
He’s getting low scores in naptime, though. Apparently, when he is crated for his nap, he cries, which is disruptive to the other dogs who are trying to rest. We were told to work on this, by crating him for short periods when we are home (so he doesn’t associate it with being abandoned). Last week, his score improved … to a B-. I know he can do better.
I’m troubled when I check the webcam throughout the day and he’s not in the playroom for extended periods of time. Has he been given a time out? Is he being so disruptive in his crate that they are waiting for him to calm down before they let him come out and play again? Or is he just enjoying some outdoor time?
When I do see him on the webcam, he’s having the best time, usually chasing and/or chewing on the head of another dog. He plays rough, although his teachers haven’t mentioned that being a problem. If he gets too rambunctious, they call him away and have him sit. One time, he grabbed another dog’s collar and they gave him a time out.
Sometimes, I see the other dogs lying down, but Leo’s still pacing around the room, looking for someone to play with him. He’s like the dorky kid who tries to hang with the cool kids and doesn’t realize that they don’t want him around. Is that why he disappears from the playroom? Do the other dogs say to the teacher, “Look, you gotta do something with this kid, he’s driving us nuts!”?
Kari Neumeyer 