It’s not common knowledge, but there’s very little regulation for doggy daycare, training, and boarding facilities in Maine, and most of it’s based on health considerations… 

…not the emotional or mental well being of your pup.

At The Bark Yard, when a dog is behaving in a way that is inappropriate or annoying to other dogs, we use a combination of redirection, positive reinforcement, and curating your pup’s day so that s/he is supported and nurtured in a way that works for them and allows them to be at their best in group play.

I would not leave my dog anywhere where they used shock collars, yelling, prong or choke collars, squirting with a water bottle in the face, or any other “punishing” methods. 

AND…you should ask directly if any of these methods are used, and explicitly state that they are NOT allowed to be used on your pup.

I want to see where I’m leaving my dog. 
Any facility who won’t give a tour, won’t allow you to see where your dog will be all day, or won’t tell you exactly how their day will go would make me extremely uncomfortable.

Parents are often surprised that we’ll give tours and allow them to see where their dog will be during an evaluation. 

And while I understand that insurance policies might not allow for parents, say, to be in a playgroup room, you certainly should get a basic tour and see where your dog will be all day.

Many doggy daycares throw inexperienced, new staff in rooms with 20 and even 30 dogs. The combination of low pay, stress, and emotional upset over how stressed many dogs in over-packed daycare groups can be leads to high turnover among daycare employees.