Kids might be in virtual classes, but that doesn’t mean dogs need to stay home.
While this back to school looks different than past years, one thing hasn’t changed and that is the excitement of socializing and seeing your buddies. Much like kids, dogs are social creatures and need to see their buddies, too. However, there’s no need to keep dogs at home this fall.
Form a “doggy pod”
Many moms are forming “pods” for their kids to gather in small in-person groups to give kids a social outlet and educational guidance. You can give your pet a social outing by taking a page out of the 2020 Back To School playbook:
1) Find two or three like-minded dog parents who you know have healthy pets and also want their dogs to socialize in a safe space.
2) Create a weekly playgroup schedule allowing each dog parents the chance to oversee the pups in their enclosed backyard for 1-2 hours. Make sure there’s shade and plenty of water. Make sure your dog has had all their vaccines and is old enough to socialize on someone else’s turf (see: how to avoid Parvo).
3) Take turns, alternating back yards.
4) Let us know how it goes!
Playcare is another option to give your dog the opportunity to socialize. Firehouse is opening Firehouse Pet Resort on September 21st. It’s so important that dog owners get their pets re-accustomed to hanging out with other people and pets. Firehouse is here to help!
At Firehouse Pet Resort, dogs can play with their buddies in one of our two indoor, air-conditioned spaces as well as the shaded outdoor play area. Our caring team will play give your dogs one-on-one attention and monitor them as they lay in large groups.
The AVMA recommends a few other indoor and outdoor ideas in this article. Socialization, i.e., training pets to be comfortable around other animals, people, places, and activities, is a huge part of owning a pet. Both cats and dogs need to be socialized. Let us know your favorite methods of socializing in the comments below!
We’re here for you from 7 am – 7 pm, Monday through Sunday. Please reach out if you have any questions about your pet.