What is your dog’s natural daily schedule? Likely it is not playing all day long. When you are at home, you probably notice that one minute your dog is playing with you, and the next minute, they are crashed on the floor catching 40 winks. You are in the middle of playing tug-of-war and before too long your best friend disappears, and you find them curled up on the couch for a nap.
At Best Friends Fur Ever we are constantly examining the trends and recommendations for dog’s play, rest, and mental stimulation needs. Many of our clients post pictures at the end of the day of their dogs totally tuckered & tired out from all-day play. While this is adorable, research shows that this isn’t necessarily the best end result for your dog. You want them to be pleasantly tired but not so tired that they are not interacting with you and your family. Our industry experts recommend shorter playtimes with intermittent rest for the health and well-being of all dogs. They also recommend adding enrichment or group games to give them the mental stimulation needed to tire the mind, not just the body.
With this in mind, Best Friends Fur Ever has developed a new play model that optimizes your dog’s play day with new games, exercises, mental challenges, and more frequent but shorter rest periods.
Let’s take a closer look at our new “Purposeful and Balanced Dog Daycare Model”. Our playgroups are still organized by size, age, temperament, and play style. Every group receives many hours of play and enrichment every day that meets and exceeds canine exercise requirements. Group rotations include both structured enrichment activities, free play, rest time, and snacks. Each group of dogs will have a rest break after every hour of play. The group will be comprised of about 15 dogs and one Best Friends Fur Ever Pet Care Attendant.
We have been running our model at both locations working out the specifics of this dog rotation. Thus far everyone, two-legged and four-legged are really enjoying this new routine. Our guests are both physically and mentally tuckered. Our Pet Care Attendants are able to bond with a smaller group of Best Friends and this facilitates our “Learning Disguised as Fun” activities.
We are proud to offer state-of-the-art Webcams so that our pet parents can follow along with all the games, leadership activities, and fun, any time of the day. Our pup parents have peace of mind knowing that their best friend is making new two-legged and four-legged “Besties” in a safe and dynamic group setting.
Our Pet Care Attendants are passionate dog lovers who are thoroughly trained in key skills: dog behavior, dog body language interpretation, group play dynamics, and health monitoring. Our handlers are passionate about the loving care and attention given to every guest, every day. We exist to “Create Happiness” for every dog during their day or overnight stays with us.
If you have never tried doggie daycare with your four-legged kid(s), this is a great time to start! We know the world is opening back up and you are likely out and about back at work or planning your vacation. So, bring your dog in for a trial day and we will evaluate your dog’s best playgroup based on temperament, existing socialization, and play style. We are the only choice in both Harford and Baltimore Counties for this Balanced Play Model. Our model is well diversified: dog enrichment activities, free play, leadership games, and a daily schedule matching your dog’s natural exercise and mental stimulation needs.
It is our honor and privilege to care for your dog. We want to enrich their lives through an active body, mind, and spirit and we thank you for the opportunity to care for them. It is our pleasure and passion.