I've been leaving my 53-pound boxer in doggy daycare because he HATES to be home alone, and has been destructive. I'm working on that issue, but in the meantime daycare 5 days a week is an acceptable option.

The thing is, he plays hard, with the big dogs, almost all day. His very first day he took on 2 GSDs at the same time, for hours. After the first 5 days his neck is full of scabs, and he's suffered a couple of big scratches on his chest and shoulder.

I've emailed the daycare asking if protective gear would be allowed for him and am waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I found this:



http://wildboarusa.com/q-masons-way-vest

Whatever it is, I'm pretty sure it needs to have minimal straps, metal, ect., that other dogs could get hung up on/injured by. It needs to go high up on his neck but probably not be tight such that it creates big flaps of skin hanging out.

It probably also needs to also not look too intimidating, so other dog owners don't raise concerns.

Note: I do think it's possible, maybe even likely, he'll calm down over time, and may not play so hard. It could be the gear ultimately isn't necessary, but I want to be prepared since me being able to leave him in daycare daily is critical until I get his separation anxiety under control.

Any suggestions for reducing the damage he takes would be appreciated.

(Here he is w/his two new best GSD friends, Thor and Athena - sorry for the low quality)

Personally, I'd have a very long talk with the owner(s) of the pet daycare and express my dissatisfaction with their supervision. Dogs in daycare should not be suffering wounds even if they come from rough housing. Additionally, that sort of rough housing can escalate very quickly if left unsupervised, which could result in some bad outcomes for all the dogs involved.

If they can't maintain a better level of control, insuring your dog doesn't get hurt, then look for another daycare.

I should add, my dog has a very shirt coat and little loose skin. He’s especially prone to taking damage where most other dogs would not.

I am not familiar with doggy day care, but I used to take my dog to the dog park frequently. This isn't play. This is fighting. And you certainly won't think it's much fun if he ends up with an infection or abscess, and you end up with a vet bill that bites.

But... your dog, your money.

I appreciate the warnings about potential medical expenses, and I am concerned about the scrapes and scratches, hence my desire to provide protection. That being said, it is play. It can be rough, and mouthy, and they put their paws, and thus claws, on each other, but it's play. I watch him on live video almost all day while at work. I'm not saying scuffles never occur, but there is plenty of give and take, play bows, trading off who's on their back and who's on top, etc.

There's always a person in the "yard" monitoring the activity. They use a spray bottle to squirt a dog in the face if it's getting out of line. They'll also sometimes hold a dog by the collar if it needs to slow down, and they try to put dogs that get along/play at the same intensity in the same areas.

With it being my dog, "Tater's," first time ever in such a scenario, he's finding his place in the group, and getting used to all the activity. He probably took some firm corrections from dogs he was pushing too hard. The first few days he was constantly in motion, even when all the other dogs were laying down/standing still, but towards the end of the week, he was able to take several breaks, and doing more play bows, respecting when dog's didn't accept his invitation.