The best dog daycare program depends on the individual dog’s age, energy level, social preferences and care needs. Best Friends Fur Ever offers dog daycare in Joppa and Cockeysville, Maryland, with Social Play for dogs who enjoy groups, Play My Way for dogs who prefer individualized or smaller-group experiences, and Assisted Canine Care for seniors and dogs who benefit from a gentler pace.
Which type of dog daycare is right for my dog?
Social Play: Dogs who genuinely enjoy playing with other dogs.
Play My Way: Dogs who prefer individualized attention, smaller groups or enrichment.
Assisted Canine Care: Senior and differently abled dogs or dogs who benefit from a gentler pace.
The best dog daycare isn’t necessarily the one with the biggest playgroup or the most activity.
It’s the one that fits your dog.
Some dogs love a big social circle. Some prefer a few carefully chosen friends. Some would rather spend their day with a person, a tennis ball and a puzzle. And senior dogs or dogs with additional care needs may need a completely different pace.
At Best Friends Fur Ever, we don’t believe daycare should be pass/fail.
We believe daycare should fit the dog.
That’s why our Joppa and Cockeysville resorts offer different ways for dogs to spend their day, including Social Play, Play My Way and Assisted Canine Care.
What Kind of Dog Daycare Is Right for My Dog?
Start with your dog—not the program.
Think about:
- Does my dog genuinely enjoy playing with other dogs?
- Do they prefer people or individual attention?
- Do they become overwhelmed in larger groups?
- Would they enjoy enrichment, games or one-on-one activities?
- Are they unaltered?
- Has their energy or play style changed as they’ve gotten older?
- Do they need additional mobility, medication or daily-care support?
Your answers can help determine what a great daycare day should actually look like.
And that answer can change throughout your dog’s life.
Social Play: For Dogs Who Love Playing With Other Dogs
If your dog genuinely enjoys playing with other dogs, Social Play may be their happy place.
At BFFE, Social Players are matched with compatible dogs based on factors such as size, energy and play style. Their day balances supervised activity with opportunities to rest and recharge.
Because a great daycare day isn’t about exhausting a dog. It’s about giving them a fulfilling one.
Play My Way: When Your Dog Doesn’t Fit Traditional Group Daycare
Not every great dog is a group-play dog.
And that’s okay.
Play My Way gives dogs an alternative built around individualized attention, enrichment and smaller social experiences.
A Play My Way day can include activities such as fetch, sniffing games, treat puzzles, lick mats, outdoor time, enrichment, time with our team or play with a carefully selected friend.
We can also accommodate sibling play.
Because Play My Way isn’t built around requiring a dog to participate in a traditional large playgroup, dogs do not need to pass a Social Play temperament test to participate.
Play My Way may be a good fit for dogs who:
- Prefer people to large groups of dogs
- Enjoy one-on-one attention
- Become overwhelmed in traditional group play
- Prefer enrichment and activities
- Are unaltered after seven months
- Enjoy playing with a sibling
- Simply have their own idea of a great day
Daycare doesn’t have to mean one thing.
Assisted Canine Care: A Gentler Day for Senior and Special-Needs Dogs
Dogs change. The daycare experience a dog loved at two may not be the experience they need at ten, twelve or fourteen.
Getting older shouldn’t mean their world has to get smaller.
Assisted Canine Care (ACC) provides a calmer daycare and boarding environment for senior dogs, differently abled dogs and dogs who benefit from additional support.
Depending on the dog, that may include additional potty breaks, mobility assistance, medication support, a gentler pace, comfortable rest and enrichment based on what they can enjoy that day.
ACC may be appropriate for dogs who:
- Are senior or aging
- Have arthritis, hip or joint mobility challenges
- Are blind or deaf
- Use a wheelchair or other mobility aid
- Need routine medications
- Need additional potty breaks
- Need help moving, getting comfortable or resting
- Simply aren’t enjoying traditional daycare the way they once did
A good day might look different now.
The goal is still the same: More good days.
Not sure which sounds like your dog? Take our 60-second quiz to find their perfect day.
Can My Dog Switch Daycare Programs as Their Needs Change?
Yes.
Care should be able to grow with your dog.
A dog may spend years happily participating in Social Play and later benefit from a different pace. Another may start in Play My Way and discover that carefully selected canine friendships are something they enjoy.
The goal isn’t to put a label on your dog. It’s to keep paying attention to what helps them have a good day.
Dog Daycare in Joppa and Cockeysville, Maryland
Best Friends Fur Ever has two Maryland resorts:
Joppa, serving families throughout Harford County and surrounding communities including Bel Air, Abingdon, Aberdeen and the APG area.
Cockeysville, serving families throughout Baltimore County and surrounding communities including Timonium, Towson and Hunt Valley.
But wherever you visit us, our philosophy is the same.
We don’t want to fit your dog into daycare. We want to find the daycare that fits your dog.
Does my dog have to like other dogs to attend BFFE daycare?
No. Play My Way provides an alternative for dogs who may prefer individualized attention or smaller-group experiences.
Does my dog need to be spayed or neutered?
Not necessarily. Play My Way can accommodate unaltered dogs over seven months old, giving families an alternative when traditional group daycare isn’t appropriate.
Is there dog daycare for senior dogs?
Yes. BFFE’s Assisted Canine Care provides a calmer experience for senior and differently abled dogs and others who benefit from additional assistance.
How often should my dog attend daycare?
It depends on the dog’s age, energy, health, personality and home routine. Some dogs thrive with several visits per week while others benefit from one or two.
What if my dog fails a daycare temperament test?
BFFE isn’t a pass/fail daycare. A dog who isn’t suited for Social Play may still have a great daycare experience through Play My Way. Play My Way does not require a traditional Social Play temperament test.
Can my dogs play together if they’re siblings?
Yes. Sibling play can be incorporated into Play My Way.
What if my dog is recovering from surgery or an injury?
Dogs who are medically stable but need additional support during recovery may be better suited for Assisted Canine Care Plus (ACC+), a specialized BFFE program designed to help bridge the gap between veterinary care and home.
That’s why September is a great time to look at the week ahead and ask:
What does my dog need now?
Find Their Best Day
Social butterfly? Independent spirit? Gray muzzle? Still figuring it out? Take our 60-second quiz and find the BFFE experience that fits your dog.
There are a lot of different ways to have a great day. That’s why BFFE offers choices. Your dog deserves the one that feels like theirs.
More Daycare Resources:
Does My Dog Need Daycare Every Day? How Often Should Dogs Go?
Can Dog Daycare Help With Separation Anxiety or Being Home Alone?