
Jennifer Giesbrecht
The Difference of Wellbeing Daycare
Updated: Jan 12, 2021
Through advancements in education and research, we know more now about dogs and their needs than ever.
Our responsibility is to use that and offer more that is more beneficial to your dog.

As leaders in our industry, our programs based on modern learning theory, dog behaviour and rehabilitation dispel the social myth (read more about that here) and truly help transform your dog’s life, your understanding of your dog and their needs, and your relationship with your dog.
Wellbeing-based daycare programs help your dog thrive and grow and create a foundation for a better relationship with you
Daycare is about meeting each dog’s needs by looking out for not only their physical wellbeing, but also their emotional and mental wellbeing. This isn’t tied to being “social”.
The differences of dog daycare in a wellbeing-based facility
Difference 1: Daycare isn’t just for the social dogs
While other daycare facilities may refer to play time or social time, a wellbeing-based daycare focuses on engaging your dog in activities and creating environments that match them and which meet their specific needs and preferences.
There isn’t a “pass/fail” to be able to attend. It’s not just for dogs to play with others in a big group.
What it IS is a space for each dog to engage with activities that enrich THEIR life and meet THEIR needs.
Difference 2: We are a positive reinforcement, force-free facility.
Those terms mean specific things in the training world, but what is so very relevant to you is we base our interactions with your dog on relationship building and trust building.
Everything we do is for the purpose of building their confidence, their comfort, and their trust in us and in being with us.
We won’t force a dog into a situation he or she is uncomfortable with. We know how that’s not how progress is made.
For our group play management, it means:
we don’t maintain order through intimidation
we don’t demand silence through spray bottles
we don’t dominate a dog through outdated alpha roles or by pinning a dog
we don’t use sticks, shock collars, bark collars or other tools that suppress behaviours instead of addressing the root of a behaviour
Instead:
we do reinforce desired behaviours
we do redirect unwanted behaviours
we do develop a relationship so our specialists become your dog’s trusted people
And we're okay with some noise at the party, so long as no one is yelling at anyone.
Difference 3: We Meet the Needs of the Breeds
Not only are no two dogs alike, but no two breeds are alike.
Breed aware care is an essential missing piece from traditional daycare models. Every breed was bred with a specific purpose and with specific traits. That's their beauty.
And every dog with mixed background will exhibit tendencies, behaviours and instincts from those breeds.
Breed aware care watches for these behaviours including scent tracking, visual tracking, herding, problem solving and more, and we provide appropriate spaces, activities, environments and engagement to meet and nurture their positive instinctual behaviours.
Learn more about the difference wellbeing daycare makes.