@jessi76:
I used a dog daycare often when my dog was young, and still use it on occassion. I looked for the same things ChaseandZahrasmom's mentioned, but I also chose the one I use because it's the same place I train my dog. The staff in the daycare knew my dog from classes, they used the same training methods throughout the day (so it continually reinforced what we learned), and it was double fenced & gated… even inside.
on my dog's first day he only had a human buddy all day. then on day 2 he got introduced to another dog, close in age/size/temperment. day 3 they added another friend. They kept a file listing his "friends" so the staff always knew what playgroup to put him in. They took special care during the cold months and rainy weather to keep him warm & dry. and they only crated for 1 hr during the work day.
the place I use is $25/day, which to me and my budget is alot of money, but I also think it's a very fair price to pay for the quality of care my dog gets there, which is really most important.
If you have multiple places to choose from in your area, I'd drop by un-announced, so you can see what a typical day is like.
Showing up without an appointment sounds like a good idea. I didin't think about that. Thank you 🙂