Exercise: Consistent physical exercise is important to the growth and happiness of your pup – of course, there’s a whole lot of health benefits, too! Dog obesity is a serious health concern, as it increases the risk for osteoarthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, cancers, ligament injuries and decreased life expectancy (up to 2.5 years). Plenty of playtime enhances dog health and longevity, leaving furry children happy and relaxed. With 8-10 hours of off-leash open play, Dogtopia offers pups plenty of exercise to help ensure a healthy weight, a strong heart and a good night’s sleep!
Hello, my name is Shawna, I am a licensed pet sitter, and the founder of Tampaws Pet Care. I am a pet owner and animal lover myself. I have owned a variety of pets in my lifetime, including cats, dogs, guini pigs, iguanas, turtles, birds,snakes, fish, and even a sugar gliders. Not only am I a pet owner, i am also very involved with local rescues in the Tampa Bay area and have been a volunteer/foster mom for Pug Rescue Of Florida for the past three years. This experience has allowed me to foster and care for a variety of pugs and given my first hand knowledge with dogs of all ages and conditions. I have experience with administering basic med ... View Profile
In order to give each pet individual attention, we've chosen to keep Plantation Pet Resort dog boarding kennel small and exclusive, avoiding the chaos of large kennels. This way we can offer your pet the quiet, yet fun atmosphere he deserves as opposed to a large kennel with many runs and the mayhem, and health risks, which result when you try to house large numbers of dogs in a confined space.
Dogtopia is a very active environment, with the dogs interacting for several hours per day. Even if your dog did not run all day, simply being awake can make them very, very tired. At home, most dogs sleep the day away getting 18 or more hours of sleep. Although we have a two-hour nap, and the dogs sleep approximately eight hours per night, they will be tired. Please let them rest. We do not recommend that you take them to the dog park or any other social environment for at least a few days.Do dogs like being in kennels?
12 p.m. – 2 p.m.: Well-deserved naptime. Each dog is provided some much-needed “me” time in a home-style crate so they don’t get over-stimulated in exciting environments like a playroom. During this time, we also provide lunches and/or administer medications when applicable. We also use this time to proactively clean each playroom before an afternoon of play! Our highly trained Canine Coaches will closely monitor your pup and may give them extra breaks throughout the day, if required.
Socialization: Dogs must be safely socialized with other dogs in order to grow into well-rounded canine citizens. The best place to do that is at doggie daycare. Although dog parks can be a fun outlet for both you and your pup, it’s hard to predict what types of dogs will be there, if they will be aggressive, if they will listen to their owners, if their play is safe and appropriate or even if they are vaccinated and healthy. At Dogtopia, we pre-screen and evaluate every dog before they are approved for open play and assign playrooms based on size and temperament. Although dogs can get sick just like at a child’s daycare, we also have a strict cleaning protocol called the Pet-Safe Cleaning Program that reduces the transmission of illness. Additionally, our playrooms are monitored by high caliber staff that is extensively trained in pack management and canine communication. Dogtopia provides a fun, nurturing environment where dogs are 100% supervised during open play.
We use home-style crates during naptime (12 to 2 p.m.) because it gives the dogs a safe place to rest in, allows them to have some “me” time and allows the staff to safely dispense individual food for dogs who eat lunch and/or medication to each dog if applicable. Similar to children in a daycare, dogs tend to easily adapt to the naptime routine as it’s at the same time each day and all their friends are enjoying the, often much-needed, down time as well! During naptime, the staff also thoroughly cleans each playroom to ensure the room is safe and clean before another exciting round of afternoon play!
How much do dog daycare workers make?
Your pet starts his day every morning at 7:30 am when we let all our guests out into our two play yards for large and small dogs, where they run and play for the next 2 hours while the resort staff gathers all the old food, water & bedding, thoroughly cleans your pet's suite and then puts down clean bedding, fresh food and water. At this time, everyone comes back in for breakfast, which is usually followed by a mid-morning nap. Throughout the rest of the day your pet is outside playing another 4 to 5 times during the day, usually at least for a half-an-hour, with the last play session usually around 10:00pm. (We play T.V., DVDs or the radio, especially in the evenings, to soothe your pet and give him the sense of home.)
Kennels also come with a variety of add-on services, just like a hotel. Basic kennels include comfortable places to sleep, eat and play, while more expensive versions can include televisions in every room, plush beds, and more personal attention for your animal. Which type you prefer depends on the needs of your animal and their day-to-day lifestyle.
Dogtopia is a very active environment, with the dogs interacting for several hours per day. Even if your dog did not run all day, simply being awake can make them very, very tired. At home, most dogs sleep the day away getting 18 or more hours of sleep. Although we have a two-hour nap, and the dogs sleep approximately eight hours per night, they will be tired. Please let them rest. We do not recommend that you take them to the dog park or any other social environment for at least a few days.
Our dog daycare facilities include a variety of fun playrooms that provide everything an active pup needs, including space and supervision. Our climate-controlled playrooms are grouped by size, personality and play style to make sure your dog is safe and comfortable. As your dog ages, grows, and develops, they may switch playrooms as their confidence builds and/or play preferences change.