August 12, 2004
By Nancy Deutsch
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER
There's a new day-care center in Plymouth, but hold on before you rush to sign up little Brittany. This day care is for Fido.
The Happy Hounds Day Care, which opened Aug. 3 on Main Street, may be a first for the Plymouth area, but dog day cares have been around for 10 or 15 years, owner Nancy Janoch said.
"Parents hate to leave their beloved social animal at home when they work long hours, and a day care of this nature allows man's best friend to make new friends, to exercise, and to bathe in constant attention," she said.
Happy Hounds Day Care is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. The cost is about $25 a day, but pre-paid passes can reduce the cost.
While the notion may seem novel, it's an idea whose time has come. Before Janoch opened the doors, more than 100 people had called, hoping to enroll their beloved pets, she said.
"Since the day my sign went up a month ago, the phone's been ringing off the hook," Janoch said.
There's a fairly involved application process before a dog is permitted to attend.
"We screen them and temperament test them," Janoch said.
Dogs must have a health certificate from a veterinarian. Janoch does a dog personality profile. Each dog may attend one trial day and is paired with a test dog -- usually a laid-back, golden retriever-type, Janoch said.
If the day-care wannabe passes muster, the dog may attend.
But even then, time will tell.
"There will be, I'm sure, expulsions," Janoch said.
Employees, most of whom are veterinary technicians, care for eight to 10 dogs at a time. There are up to 25 dogs at the center at any one time.
While the dogs are at the center, the television is kept on and toys are available. The dogs are taken into the large backyard periodically throughout the day.
Most pets come two to three times a week, Janoch said.
Amanda Simmons of Plymouth wants her dog, Yzerman, to attend once a week. The yellow Lab already attends a day care in Farmington, but Happy Hounds is closer to home, Simmons said.
Yzerman goes to day care because the cleaning lady can't work when the dog is around. "The dog gets in the way. She wants to play," Simmons said.
As for the once-weekly routine, its effects last, Simmons said. "It wears her out for a couple of days."
Anne Brace of Plymouth has a dog, but she stays at home with her children and doesn't need the service -- yet. She thinks it's a good idea and would have liked such a service before she became a stay-at-home mom.
"Dogs are social animals. They need to be around people and noise," she said.
Dr. Karla Gorman, a veterinarian at Sheldon Veterinary Hospital in Plymouth, said some dogs may benefit from the extra socialization, but "for most dogs it's not necessary."
If she sees a dog that is acting out at home because it's not stimulated enough, Gorman suggests obedience classes or a good, long walk every day. However, she does note that the more interaction a dog has with humans and other dogs, the more it responds predictably.
By Nancy Deutsch
FREE PRESS SPECIAL WRITER
There's a new day-care center in Plymouth, but hold on before you rush to sign up little Brittany. This day care is for Fido.
The Happy Hounds Day Care, which opened Aug. 3 on Main Street, may be a first for the Plymouth area, but dog day cares have been around for 10 or 15 years, owner Nancy Janoch said.
"Parents hate to leave their beloved social animal at home when they work long hours, and a day care of this nature allows man's best friend to make new friends, to exercise, and to bathe in constant attention," she said.
Happy Hounds Day Care is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. The cost is about $25 a day, but pre-paid passes can reduce the cost.
While the notion may seem novel, it's an idea whose time has come. Before Janoch opened the doors, more than 100 people had called, hoping to enroll their beloved pets, she said.
"Since the day my sign went up a month ago, the phone's been ringing off the hook," Janoch said.
There's a fairly involved application process before a dog is permitted to attend.
"We screen them and temperament test them," Janoch said.
Dogs must have a health certificate from a veterinarian. Janoch does a dog personality profile. Each dog may attend one trial day and is paired with a test dog -- usually a laid-back, golden retriever-type, Janoch said.
If the day-care wannabe passes muster, the dog may attend.
But even then, time will tell.
"There will be, I'm sure, expulsions," Janoch said.
Employees, most of whom are veterinary technicians, care for eight to 10 dogs at a time. There are up to 25 dogs at the center at any one time.
While the dogs are at the center, the television is kept on and toys are available. The dogs are taken into the large backyard periodically throughout the day.
Most pets come two to three times a week, Janoch said.
Amanda Simmons of Plymouth wants her dog, Yzerman, to attend once a week. The yellow Lab already attends a day care in Farmington, but Happy Hounds is closer to home, Simmons said.
Yzerman goes to day care because the cleaning lady can't work when the dog is around. "The dog gets in the way. She wants to play," Simmons said.
As for the once-weekly routine, its effects last, Simmons said. "It wears her out for a couple of days."
Anne Brace of Plymouth has a dog, but she stays at home with her children and doesn't need the service -- yet. She thinks it's a good idea and would have liked such a service before she became a stay-at-home mom.
"Dogs are social animals. They need to be around people and noise," she said.
Dr. Karla Gorman, a veterinarian at Sheldon Veterinary Hospital in Plymouth, said some dogs may benefit from the extra socialization, but "for most dogs it's not necessary."
If she sees a dog that is acting out at home because it's not stimulated enough, Gorman suggests obedience classes or a good, long walk every day. However, she does note that the more interaction a dog has with humans and other dogs, the more it responds predictably.
Source: Detroit Free Press - Plymouth/Canton/Northville Community Section
