Doggy Dreams at Day Care!
We all know how important it is to get enough rest. If we do not get enough it can make us grumpy, slower, and less likely to want to get involved in activities. The same goes for dogs! Rest and recovery plays a huge role in ensuring all our day care dogs have the best possible time. At Oakington Dog Day Care we have three rest periods during the day in between our enrichment sessions.
We provide the dogs with mental and physical enrichment in sessions of up to 2 hours at a time. In these sessions our Canine Enrichment Team allow them to run and play, as well as encourage them to sniff and explore. Puppies have little time-out breaks during the play sessions, so they sit quietly and watch the others play, so they do not over exert themselves. We use different toys on different days, depending on the weather and the group of dogs we have in. We also have lots of different activities that we encourage the dogs to partake in, such as digging in our designated pit, investigating the plants in the sensory garden, playing with toys in the paddling pools, or simply moving to a new paddock for some new smells and sights to enjoy.
Our dogs know when it is time to go in for a nice rest on the sofa, all we have to say is ‘let’s go in guys!’ and they are all waiting at the gate ready for their nap. New dogs sometimes take a few days to get used to the concept of rest after play, they just want to carry on having fun outside! We always encourage dogs to rest in their own space, and it does not take long before the new dog knows exactly what the routine is and settles down nicely for a snooze.
We encourage the dogs to pick their own spaces for rest, whether it be a crate, pen, sofa, duvet, or bed. Most puppies like to start in a crate as they can find the environment too stimulating to rest when they have a million puppy thoughts racing through their mind! A crate is a safe and comfortable space, a little den, for them to rest their little legs and dream lovely doggy dreams. As dogs get older, they often come out of crates and move up into pens or enjoy a cuddle on the sofa (if they are allowed to!) with one of our friendly staff members. Our team love the attention just as much as the dogs!
Not all dogs sleep during the rest periods, but even those that don’t are still benefitting from the effects of the calm space. We often have soothing classical music on and calming aromas, such as lavender, in the air. These help soothe the dogs and gradually bring their excitement levels down from being out in the field playing. It is lovely to see the dogs all move to their favourite spot and lay down when they come in, they love the chance to have a snooze!
Just like us dogs need rest to recover from exercise, stress, play and mental stimulation. At Oakington Dog Day Care our rest periods give your dog the chance to do just this and stops puppies from over exercising and damaging their fragile puppy bones and tendons. They go out into the field for the next session feeling refreshed and ready to go!
We love to see the positive effects rest and relaxation sessions have on the dogs, and we are always adding new comfy spaces for your dog to enjoy.
