Never set a dog up to fail

Why Our Doggy Day Care May Not Be Suitable for Every Dog

We know that discussing the needs of different dogs can be a delicate subject, and we want to assure you that this is not a reflection of your dog’s breed, them as an individual dog or you as a responsible pet parent. Instead, it’s based on our deep understanding of what certain dogs may need to thrive, and why some might not find our specific day care environment the best fit.

At Bruce’s, one of our core values is to ensure that every dog in our care is set up for success. Through over 15 years of experience, trials, and research, we’ve learned that certain breeds have natural instincts that can become heightened in a day care setting. This can sometimes lead to stress or challenges, not only during their time with us, but also once they return home.

Our aim is always to provide the best environment for each individual dog, and we would never want to put any dog in a situation where they might struggle. For some breeds, our day care environment simply isn’t the right match, and that’s okay. We’re here to guide you with honesty and care, ensuring your dog’s well-being comes first.

Below are the groups of dog breeds that we are unable to accept at Bruce’s, along with the reasoning based on our extensive knowledge and first-hand experience:

Overstimulation at day care

In our experience, we have found that some breeds can get over-stimulated when socializing in larger groups, such as in our day care environment, which can lead to an unenjoyable experience for the dog. We have found that these dogs have an increased level of energy within our larger day care group, which as a result they find it hard to switch off, causing them to feel stress and anxious. 

Akita, Alaskan Malamutes, American Bully, Boerboel, Bull Terrier, Chow chow, Doberman, Dogue de Bordeaux, Komondor, Kuvasz, Mexican Hairless Dog, Old Tyme Bulldog, Olde English Bulldog, Puli, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Shar Pei, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Tamaskan and Thai Ridgeback.

Herding Breeds

These breeds are very intelligent and their natural instincts kick in whilst in our larger day care environment. With their instincts to herd we notice even after 4 weeks, they try to get to work on their furry friends and herd the group. This can cause a stressful environment for all dogs in their fields and we find herding breeds then tend to get frustrated and become stressed and can even take that herding behaviour back home.

Anatolian Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd (Malinois), Border Collies, Caucasian Shepherd, German Shepherd, Kelpie, Rottweiler and Swiss Shepherd.

Prey Drive

You may have never seen this form of behaviour from your dog before but we have noticed that prey drive can be triggered whilst in our larger day care environment and it is then very hard to train and support your dog to decrease the drive once it’s triggered. As their prey drive is high, they find it hard to concentrate and enjoy their time with friends which causes stress.

Greyhounds, Irish Wolfhound and Scottish Deerhound .

Giant Breeds

We really do love all sized dogs but we have found that our playful giant breeds tend to forget their size and large presence when in our day care, especially when it comes to playing with their friends, which can unfortunately escalate and the risk is very high if this happens, to both dogs and our team.

XL Bully, Cane Corso, Great Dane, Leonberger, Mastiffs and Tibetan Mastiff.

It’s important to note that this applies specifically to our unique style of day care. Many of these breeds may thrive in other, smaller day care settings or group walking environments. Our priority is the well-being of every dog, so we encourage you to explore different options and find the environment that best suits your dog’s individual needs.