These days it's easy to have a dog and a career as long as you've got money to burn. The growing popularity of the doggie day care trend is helpful for dog owners who work long hours and want someone else to look after the dog during the day.

Actually, there's a growing body of thinking around the idea that dogs aren't so much "owned" as they are "adopted" or "taken care of," which is why more and more people think the term "guardian" is a better and more accurate term than "owner," partly because it places emphasis on what is required to take care of a dog, rather than suggesting "ownership" is all that counts.

It's also helpful for owners (or guardians) who don't have the time or energy to spend the time with a dog that needs exercise, stimulation, and socialization. Despite the high costs of most doggie day care, most owners will agree that it's worth it if there is a positive change in a dog's behavior at home while attending day care.

Dog Care Services

More than just a place to park your dog during the day, a doggie day care can offer a full menu of services for a pampered pup. Most day cares give dogs:

• Appropriate daily exercise
• Play time
• Feeding
• Human and dog interaction
• Grooming, vet, and boarding services for an extra cost.

It's important that your dog is up-to-date with all shots and vaccinations and gets the vet's OK to go to day care, since most facilities will require proof of a clean bill of health before allowing your dog to start coming to day care.

Additionally, most day cares will require a "test day" where a dog is evaluated for adequate socialization and temperament to interact with other dogs and humans. Some doggie day care facilities specialize in caring for dogs that may be too aggressive or violent for the general dog population.

Costs

Doggie day care is similar to children's day care and it has the costs to match. Expect to pay between $8 and $15 an hour for your dog to frolic with other privileged pooches while you're at work.

Like children's daycare, doggie day cares can be run from a private home or a professional facility. It usually costs less to go with a small home-based locale rather than the larger operations. Many day cares will require a minimum monthly commitment.

A day in the life of a daycare dog

Think of doggie day care as an everyday play-date. Many people drop their dogs off on the way to work and pick them up on the way home, which means a majority of dogs will spend at least nine hours a day, five days a week at day care.

During that time, dogs will be able to play freely with other dogs of the same size and temperament in an indoor facility that may also have outdoor space for fair-weather play and potty breaks. Nap time is usually on the daily schedule along with regular feedings.

Best of all, many day care facilities have webcams, so you can watch your dog frolicking and doing what dogs do best while you are slaving away at work to pay the doggie day care bill.

Finding a Day Care

The best place for your dog is a personal choice and you and your dog will know when you've struck gold. Word of mouth is always a good way to find this kind of service, and if that's not a possibility, consider asking your vet for a recommendation. Check the WikiFido City Guide pages, too!