Outside, it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the asphalt. Thank heavens for air conditioning. 

As soon as I pass the loading gate, I’m met with a chorus of howls and barks, from dogs of all different types. Summertime brings in dogs you haven’t seen in a while, many shifts feel like running into old friends on a night out. 

“Hi Benji! I haven’t seen you since December when your parents went to Europe for three weeks!”

“Aw Charlie you poor thing, boarding again?”

“Do you ever go home Fiona? Have you been forgotten?” 

Following my personalized greetings for each dog, the day starts. The boarders do their morning stretches and I finish feeding the ones who fiercely protested their first feeding attempt. Nothing like a bit of freeze-dried food topper can’t help with. 

Dogs start getting dropped off, bags of food and harnesses fill up the lobby, and I can’t help but wonder what these dog parents imagine goes on when they leave the daycare.

Hopefully I can help clear up some of these “going ons.” Summer brings about new pups, new attitudes, and a fresh regimen to make sure the day runs as it should. Let’s take a peek behind the curtain, shall we?

Morning Drop-Off and Play Sessions

By 8:00 a.m., the lobby starts looking like an airport terminal. Parents come in carrying food containers, medications, favorite toys, cooling vests, and in the summer time, detailed instructions on how to administer medication. Yes, of course I will give your anxious dog her prozac, smothered in peanut butter, twice a day.

The regulars don’t waste any time, barely looking back before darting through the gate and into their favorite place. 

Others act as though their parents have abandoned them forever, raising their white flag as you try to unleash them and get them inside. 

Playgroups are formed as dogs are dropped off. Those who are set on playing for hours on end are sent to one side, the dogs who’d rather sleep the day away go to the other. 

Vacation season means familiar faces rotate in and out all summer long. Some dogs seem to never leave, and of course deserve a bit more affection to make sure they aren’t losing their sweet little minds.

Mornings are always the busiest, when friendships are rekindled and the zoomies are relentless and unending. As much as we could police these erratic entrances, it’s always best to let the dogs sort out their greetings. 

In the summertime the boarders almost serve as chaperones for the ones who are only in for daycare. In my head they are telling newcomers about how they slept, and what’s happened in the past few days. 

I spend most summer mornings examining the playgroups, making sure there isn’t any beef that needs to be settled. Even dogs, much like humans, can get grouchy with overwhelming heat.

Midday Cool-Down and Rest

By lunchtime, the heat outside has grown to scalding temperatures, keeping the dogs out for more than ten minutes feels like animal endangerment. Outdoor time is reserved for potty breaks and a brief change of pace. Once the fluffiest dog lays down and begins to pant, it’s time to head back inside.

Thankfully, most dogs agree that air conditioning is one of humanity’s better inventions.

The afternoon cool-down starts with water breaks and rest from playing all morning. Water bowls get refilled constantly. And the mess of watery slobber is also cleaned. Constantly. Some dogs take a quick drink and move on, others attempt to climb directly into the bowl. I don’t blame them for that.

The quieter part of the day gives staff time to clean, prepare meals for dinner time, and get ready for the afternoon rush. 

Mop Buckets are swapped out after the water has turned a nasty shade of yellow-gray, and the dogs who don’t believe in rest continue to antagonize the ones who do. 

The dogs who would rather trail staff members all day have crept onto our laps, making pre-closing duties especially difficult. Occasionally you’ll get a snapper who seems so sweet until they try to go after another dog for coming up to you.

At this point I would put that dog back down and decide that lapdogs at daycare maybe aren’t a match (until I inevitably let another dog onto my lap an hour later).

Afternoon Activities

Energy starts creeping back as naptime comes to a close. The first dog usually leaves around five, and from then on, everyone else begins to panic and wonder if their human is also coming to get them. 

Occasionally the anxious barking is met with a shout from staff or the plugging in of ear plugs. There are dogs who hit extreme decibels with their barking, and as much as I may love them, I would prefer my ears weren’t ringing after my shift. 

For me, high levels of anxiety mean it’s time to go outside again. For whatever reason, a dog’s personality can completely shift once the door to the yard is opened, and you have to be prepared for anything, even from the dogs who never give you a problem. 

Dogs that are beefing become cordial all of a sudden, dogs that don’t move at all inside begin doing laps, slamming into other dogs trying to do their business. 

If the sun isn’t totally agonizing, we will let dogs sunbathe or sniff around a few minutes longer. 

At our facility, we try to limit rowdiness outside, as running a daycare in New York comes with neighbors directly above and next to us who may or may not appreciate the cacophony of noises that can come from a pack of dogs. Though, I’m sure they can spare a few minutes of quiet.

Wind-Down and Pickup

By late afternoon, the building starts changing moods again. The dogs who spent all day sprinting finally begin running out of steam, while the ones who slept through most of the excitement suddenly decide they’re ready to play.

Then the first pickup happens. It’s like somebody pressed a button.

One dog recognizes their owner’s footsteps before they’ve even opened the front door. Another is completely oblivious until they’re already wearing their harness and walking through the gate.

And then there’s always one who acts as though their family has returned from a five-year expedition across the Atlantic, screaming with excitement before they even make eye contact (I’m looking at you Australian Shepherds)

The barking usually reaches its peak around pickup time. Every dog is convinced the next person walking through the door is there exclusively for them. When another dog gets called instead, they look genuinely offended.

As dogs head home, the lobby fills back up with leashes, harnesses, and sleepy pups who suddenly forgot how exhausted they were. We give parents the day’s recap, of course leaving out any details that would be worrisome to someone who isn’t familiar with the going ons of a daycare.

Who ate breakfast without bribery. Who made a new best friend. Who spent five straight hours laying in the same cot. 

There are always less glamorous updates too.

Your dog rolled in someone else’s pee. Your dog was a serial humper today. Your dog picked up their metal food bowl with their mouth and spilled it onto the floor.

As the last families trickle out, the playrooms grow strangely quiet. We finish the final round of cleaning, refill everything for tomorrow morning, and say goodbye to whichever boarders are staying another night. By then, even the dogs who refused to nap all day have finally admitted defeat.

Why Summer is a Daycare Necessity

Summer has always felt like daycare season to me.

The sidewalks get too hot by noon, the dog park becomes a swamp of muddy paws after every thunderstorm, and afternoon walks turn into quick potty breaks before everybody races back to the air conditioning. 

Daycare is a great way to quietly fill that gap.

Instead of staring out the window while their humans are at work, they spend the day wrestling with friends, sniffing corners they’ve smelled a hundred times before, and trying to convince staff that they haven’t been fed in three days.

And every summer, the familiar faces start showing up again.

Dogs who haven’t seen each other since Christmas greet one another like nothing happened. Puppies come back looking twice the size they were a few months ago. The old veterans wander through the lobby like they own the building.

Working at a daycare all summer means you get a front-row seat to all of it. You watch nervous dogs become confident ones, and unlikely friendships form. You’re able to witness dogs invent entirely new ways to make a mess five minutes after you’ve finished mopping.

So if you’ve ever wondered what your dog is doing while you’re at work or away on vacation, the answer is usually pretty simple.

They’re making friends, taking frequent naps, and getting into manageable amounts of trouble.

By the time you walk through the front door, they were able to pack an entire summer camp’s worth of excitement into a single day.

Meet the Author

Hey! My name is Garrett, I’m 22-years-old from Dallas Texas, though I currently reside in Brooklyn. New York has been quite the shift from what I’m used to in the suburbs, but I am enjoying the city life thus far! In my day-to-day routine I am constantly thinking about dogs, mostly because of my work at a local doggy daycare, but also because of my general love for animals!