Your dog’s first day at dog daycare is a big step for both of you. You’re handing over your dog for most of the day, and they’re heading off with a new group to somewhere they’ve never been. The good news is that a little preparation makes the first day at dog daycare calm and happy rather than overwhelming. Here’s how to get your dog ready, what happens from the moment you first get in touch, and what a normal day looks like with us in the Secret Woodland.
Before the first day at dog daycare: meet us first
Every dog meets us before they join a group, and the meet and greet is free. It’s the most useful half hour you’ll spend. Warren gets to know your dog’s energy, confidence and quirks, and you get to ask every question you have. He’ll tell you honestly whether your dog would enjoy daycare, would be happier on group walks, or would do best with a mix of the two.
It’s a good moment to share the practical details too. Daycare is £55 a day, with pick-up and drop-off included, and we ask for two daycare days or walks a week on average. It doesn’t have to be the same every week, but it does need to be regular, because routine is what helps dogs settle. Everything is booked through our own app, Appy Dog, where you can book one-off days or set up a recurring order that runs every week until you pause it.
Tell us everything about your dog
Nobody knows your dog like you do, so the more you tell us, the smoother the first day will be. Before your dog’s first day, it helps to let Warren know:
- How and when your dog is fed, and anything they mustn’t eat.
- Any health conditions, allergies or medication.
- Your vet’s details, because if your dog is ever unwell we let you know straight away and take them to your own vet.
- How your dog is with new people and new dogs, and anything that tends to worry them.
- How they behave on and off the lead, and how reliable their recall is.
- The best way to reach you during the day.
Every dog in our care needs to be up to date with vaccinations and flea and worm treatment, because the dogs are out together in close contact every day. Puppies are welcome once they have the all-clear from the vet after their first immunisations.
Getting your dog ready at home
A few small habits in the week before can make a real difference. None of this needs to be perfect, but each one helps your dog feel that the day is normal rather than strange.
- Practise short spells apart, so being away from you isn’t brand new on the day.
- Keep the morning calm. A relaxed send-off tells your dog there’s nothing to worry about.
- Make sure their collar or harness fits well, with an up-to-date tag.
- Plan for a quiet evening afterwards. Most dogs come home ready for a long sleep.
If you won’t be home when we collect, that’s fine. We can hold a key, and no key we hold ever has an address on it, only your dog’s name. Outside working hours, keys are kept securely at Warren’s house.
What happens on the day
Daycare is run 100% by Warren. He collects, looks after and drops home every daycare dog himself, so the face your dog meets on the first morning is the same one they’ll see every time.
Collection is a round, so it runs across the hour, usually between 8:30 and 9:30. In West Hampstead, where Premier Dog Walkers started, that’s the same morning window as most of the areas we cover. The drive out takes about 40 minutes, and the dogs settle on the way, so they arrive calm.
Then comes the best part: about four hours in real woodland, in a group of up to six dogs. We’re lucky enough to use the Secret Woodland, which is quiet and untouched, with streams to splash through, bracken to explore and deer paths winding through the trees. The ground holds firm through winter, so your dog isn’t coming home caked in mud in January, and in summer there’s enough canopy to play in the shade.
During the day you’ll get a WhatsApp update with videos from the woods, so you can see who your dog has been playing with. Dogs are dropped home between 3:00 and 4:00, properly, satisfyingly tired.
How new dogs settle into the group
New dogs, and especially nervous ones, are introduced to the group slowly and given time to find their feet at their own pace. It’s always the dog’s own choice to jump in for the drive; we never lift a dog in. Some dogs bound off with new friends straight away, while others like to watch for a while before joining in. Both are completely normal.
What we’re aiming for is calm. Anyone can get a group of dogs excited in seconds. The skill is controlling that excitement, so we keep our dogs at about a 3 or 4 on a scale of ten. They can jump up to an 8 to play, and then we bring them back down. We don’t throw tennis balls either, because a ball creates competition and we don’t want to give dogs a reason not to get on.
You can read more about where the dogs spend their day in doggy daycare without a building: a day in the Secret Woodland.
After the first day
Expect a sleepy dog. Four hours of sniffing, running and playing in the woods is a lot of fun, and most dogs spend the evening flat out. Keep things quiet, let them rest, and try not to judge everything by the first day. Dogs settle quickly once the routine becomes familiar, which is one reason we ask for regular bookings.
It can change a dog’s whole week. Wrufo, a spaniel we’ve walked for seven years, now comes to daycare every day. Left at home without a proper outlet he used to howl, but after a day in the woodland he comes home and sleeps, and the howling stops.
Daycare, walks or a mix of both
Daycare isn’t the only option, and many owners mix daycare days with our £25 group walks across the week, depending on their working pattern. If you’re not sure which would suit your dog, our guide to choosing between a dog walker and daycare walks through it, and you’ll find the full details on our doggy daycare page.
Ready to book a meet and greet?
If you live in or near West Hampstead, you can see the collection times, the walkers and the daycare details on our page for dog walking and daycare in West Hampstead. Wherever you are in the areas we cover, the first step is the same: a free meet and greet, so Warren can meet your dog and plan their first day.
Call Warren on 020 8442 0520 or send us a WhatsApp message, and we’ll take it from there.