Ozzy, the official dog of Macaroni Kid Pittsburgh, has achieved a milestone! He’s officially in day care! He’s growing up so fast!
Ozzy is officially a doggy day care camper! What was the process you went through to find the right place for him? What would you recommend to other puppy parents who may be trying to find a day care facility?
Oh my word it was worse than finding the perfect nanny! Ozzy Poppins we were looking for! To be honest the main criteria for me was of course location and a facility that looked well cared for. I mean, these are dogs. Right? They pee. They poop. They release anal glands ( SO GROSS!) They stink. But still, you can put lipstick on a pig right?
Choosing the right one was not hard. It was easier to rule them out to be honest. I KNEW what I was looking for and while I’m no pupper snob, I am indeed pupper picky.
I pass one particular local facility every. Single. Day on the way home from work. I literally could have taken him there DAILY but there was a sheet of roof awning that I saw had fallen down into the pet play yard ... and for days, it wasn’t picked up. What in the world? My Ozzy would have climbed up it and been on the lamb. So we skipped that one.
We tried another one that was not a franchise and was just “fine.” However when I asked what they would do if my dog got hurt (simple question right? Dogs bite, dogs jump in dumb ways, they run and roll over their own body...or is that just Ozzers?) and the answer wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. So, we moved on again. Poor Ozzy. We couldn’t find a match!
Finally, I gave in and drove further than I wished to see what all the hype was about over Camp Bow Wow (this is not a sponsored article, by the way). I targeted the franchise because it was my guess that they would have requirements and stringent standards to uphold. I liked the feel of those words and so we visited! Ozzy hung out for the whole day to give him a test run and he passed with flying colors. And also, their staff members are all Pet First Aid and Pet CPR certified. Ozzy eats just about anything in front of him including sterling silver earrings. First aid, is a good thing to have in the pocket. So, those were the things that I was looking for, not to mention it looks like Great Wolf Lodge for dogs! Sign me up I said!
We were IMMEDIATELY at home when we arrived and Ozzy has been treated like a king every day. I’m almost always impressed with the staff members that squeal.. OZZZYYYY when he wiggles in (and pees on them in excitement.) I’VE never seen the staff in my life but Ozzy knows them. And they in turn know him. It’s enough to make me verclempt. We also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to be able to watch what he’s doing on TV while we work.
In summary , what would I advise others to look for? I’d look for somewhere that adheres to standards, isn’t lax, is consistent, staffed well and makes your dog HAPPY. Ozzy is HAPPY when he goes and HAPPY when he comes home. He pees everywhere to show us his joy. We are more than pleased about the facility. Not the peeing.
How was his first day?? How nervous were you to leave him there for the day?
I’m not a nervous nelly mom. I’m really not. I don’t make sad videos or take 1million pictures of my own kids. But I did sneak one of Ozzy on his way to school like such a big boy. Then he puked in my car and subsequently on every car ride to and from school. He’s just that kind of boy. A puker. So his first day was fun because my co-workers and I all pretty much watched him on video to see what he was up to. It was wonderful to have that option!
I'm not gonna, puke, I'm not gonna puke, I'm not gonna puke!
I did it, mom!
Has he made any friends? I ask because I’m wondering if anyone has come between him and the toilet brush. I know that friendship means a lot to him, but I’m hopeful he has made some canine friends now.
He has become SO FRIENDLY and SO puppy socialized. Before he went to “school” he had NO IDEA how to play. We stole him at age 6 weeks, far too young to probably leave his mother (stop judging) and thus he was brought into his new pack. Of people. Not dogs. So he had to LEARN to play. Learn to be a dog. And he did just that. He even met some lady friends. We will not discuss what I caught him doing on the camera with them though (mortified mother!). Side note: I did speak with the staff and expressed my concern at what had transpired and how my little “boy” was acting like a frat boy during Greek Week. I was so embarrassed and they were fantastic. Total professionals who schooled me on doggy hormones and what was normal and what wasn’t. Turns out Ozzers was NORMAL!
*We’re very sorry little black poodle puppy. You deserve better.*
You even boarded him overnight. How did that go?
Oh that was SO fabulous. We had a really big event that night in the city. I didn’t want him in his crate all night and I didn’t want to worry about him. So I took him mid-day with his 2 favorite toys and dropped him to a place he already knew and loved. Again, he peed with excitement. What more can we ask for? We picked him up the next day and he had even had his FIRST BATH (an option you can add on)! He was SO FUZZY AND CLEAN! *until he puked in the car* This place is just the BEST EVER!
What’s next for Ozzy? I mean, he’s mastered day care, so the sky’s the limit. Any plans to maybe find him an agent, or help him get his pilot’s license? Perhaps college is in future?
Pilot’s license! HA! HA!
Next up for Ozzers? Let’s see. We’ve been working with him on an agility course. I’d really like to get him professionally trained and also begin to train him to be the NUMBER ONE AGILITY COURSE DOG IN THE WHOOOOOLEE WORLD!!!
Or we’ll settle for the best in Moon PA. Or our neighborhood. Okay fine, on our cul-de-sac.
We adore him still and he’s there for us as much as we’re there for him. This is him with our Mady. One of 3 kids who were sick for weeks on end. He snuggled right by them and then photo bombed the “I’m ALL BETTER SHOT.” Along with his favorite toy, “Piggie.” 
