What to Ask Your Dog Daycare—Yes, Even Us!
Choosing the right daycare starts with asking the right questions—don’t be afraid to ask us anything.
Scroll through or click a question below to see our answer.
How do you communicate with my dog?
At BEBT, we use positive reinforcement to communicate with and teach your dog. This means we reward behaviours we want to see more of—like calmness, recall, good social skills, and choosing to walk away from excitement—with treats, praise, and play.
We also use gentle boundaries by applying something called negative punishment (don’t worry, it sounds harsher than it is). It simply means removing something the dog finds rewarding to help guide their choices. For example, if a dog is demand barking, we pause and wait quietly. As soon as they’re calm, we reward the silence—showing them that calm gets attention, not barking.
What we never use—and will never use—are training methods based on fear, dominance, or punishment. These include positive punishment (like yelling or using force) and negative reinforcement (like pressuring a dog until they “give in”). These outdated approaches don’t teach; they only cause confusion, fear, and suppression of a dog’s natural communication.
Unfortunately, many dog daycares still use these harmful methods. It’s important to ask directly about how dogs are handled. Here are some questions you should ask any dog care provider:
Do you ever...
Spray dogs with spray bottles or hoses? Never! Unless the hose is for joyful play in summer.
Yell at dogs? No way—dogs don’t learn better by being scared.
Use check chains, slip collars, or “corrections”? Absolutely not. These tools are dangerous and outdated.
Try to “show dominance” over dogs? Never. Dogs need connection, not control.
Lock a dog alone when they’re stressed? No. If a dog is overwhelmed, we offer a quiet space with calming enrichment and human support.
Put a “naughty” dog in a crate? Never. “Naughty” often just means stressed, confused, or overstimulated. We support them through it.
Throw items to stop behaviours? No. The only thing we throw is a toy—when the dog wants to fetch!
The truth is, anyone can say they care for dogs—but care without understanding can lead to scary outcomes, even when intentions are good. That’s why it’s so important to ask how dogs are being trained, guided, and treated day-to-day. These questions exist for a reason. Sadly, we know of daycares that still use outdated and harmful methods. Even if your dog has been attending the same daycare for years, it’s never too late to ask. Your dog deserves safe, respectful, and compassionate care—always.
What training methods do you use?
At BEBT, we use force-free, reward-based training methods that focus on building trust, confidence, and communication.
We primarily use:
Luring – guiding the dog with a treat or toy to encourage a behaviour.
Capturing – rewarding a behaviour the dog offers naturally, like sitting or lying down.
Shaping – rewarding small steps toward a desired behaviour, allowing the dog to learn at their own pace.
These methods don’t rely on physical manipulation.
Instead, they give your dog choice and agency, helping them learn in a way that feels safe and rewarding.
We avoid techniques that involve physically moving or forcing the dog—like pushing them into a position, using check chains or tight leads, or applying pressure on their body. These methods can create confusion or discomfort and don’t build lasting, trust-based learning.
By using modern, science-backed techniques, we help your dog feel confident, capable, and understood.
How do you keep my dog safe during play?
At BEBT, safety is always our top priority—and we know that a calm, well-managed environment is key to keeping all dogs happy and safe.
During your dog’s stay, we focus on three core behaviours: recall, disengagement, and calm.
Recall: We practise recall regularly so we can call your dog away from any situation—whether that’s preventing them from interrupting another dog's play, moving them away from a more excitable moment, or simply giving them a break. We also keep play one-on-one to avoid overstimulation and ensure each dog feels safe and comfortable.
Disengagement: We reward your dog for choosing not to get involved with things like other dogs’ play, toys, or distractions. Teaching disengagement helps them stay focused and relaxed, which reduces conflict and boosts confidence.
Calm: Calm is one of our favourite things to capture. If your dog sits or lies down on their own, we’re right there with a reward. Encouraging calm behaviour helps your dog feel more settled—and a calm dog is much more likely to recall and disengage successfully.
By creating a space where calm is rewarded and boundaries are clear, we help your dog thrive in a safe, enriching environment.
Is my dog allowed to be a dog?
Absolutely—what else would they be? Just like an elephant can only be an elephant, a dog can only be a dog. We don’t try to turn them into little humans or "well-behaved children." We honour what it means to be a dog—while keeping everyone safe and happy.
At BEBT, we support dogs in expressing their natural behaviours—with the right guidance and boundaries.
Barking? We celebrate joyful barking, like when they're chasing a friend—but we gently guide them away from habits like demand barking.
Digging? Yes, in our designated digging tyre. Your garden stays safe.
Jumping? Go for it—onto play platforms and beds. Not onto people’s faces.
Shredding? Yes please—cardboard and paper galore. Not your furniture.
Dogs need healthy outlets for their instincts. We provide that—safely, respectfully, and in ways that make sense for real life.
Be cautious of anyone claiming to “teach dogs how to be dogs.” Often, that’s code for trying to suppress natural behaviours in favour of obedience. But dogs are dogs—when they bark, dig, run, jump, or even growl, they’re communicating. Behaviour is information.
Our job is to listen, support, and create an environment where your dog feels safe enough to be their full, tail-wagging self.
How many dogs do you have at daycare?
We cap our numbers at a maximum of 25 small dogs per day—even though our 202 m² play area is more than double the minimum space required. While some daycares fit up to 50 dogs in the same space, we choose quality over quantity every time.
Our space includes two separate indoor/outdoor areas, which allows us to group dogs by energy level, play style, or individual needs. This helps create a calmer, more enriching environment where every dog feels safe and supported.
Because the dog care industry is currently unregulated, it’s easy for facilities to become overcrowded. At BEBT, we’re setting a higher standard. We believe daycare should be about connection, care, and wellbeing—not cramming in numbers.
We don’t just want your dog to have space—we want them to thrive in it.
How many staff do you have with the dogs?
At BEBT, we always have a minimum of 3 team members present when caring for up to 25 small dogs. This exceeds the recommended staff-to-dog ratio—and it’s something we do by choice, not just to meet the minimum standard.
Unlike some daycares where one person may be left to manage 30 dogs—sometimes even from another room—we believe every dog deserves active, present supervision. We never leave dogs (or even one dog) in a room alone. There is always a team member in the room, and another close by, ready to support when needed.
When introducing a new dog to group play, we always have at least two team members present—one to manage the new dog, and another to supervise the group.
We’ve designed our staffing model around what’s safe, kind, and calm, not what’s convenient.
This is a really important question to ask any daycare.
The dog care industry is unregulated, which means many places are overcrowded and severely understaffed.
The recommended minimum ratio is:
1 staff for 10 dogs
2 staff for 11–20 dogs
3 staff for 21–40 dogs
So if a daycare has 30 dogs and only one person, it’s well outside safe practice.
And don’t just ask how many staff are on site—ask how many are actually in the room with the dogs. There’s a big difference between having three people in the building and only one (or none) actively supervising.
At BEBT, our team members are in the room, actively supervising the dogs at all times—because your dog deserves more than just being “watched from afar.”
It’s also something you can often spot in the price. Ask yourself: how does a daycare charge so little and still pay staff while maintaining safe supervision levels?
Trust me—I’ve been there. I once worked at a daycare where I was left alone with 30 big dogs. It wasn’t safe, it wasn’t fair to the dogs, and it’s one of the reasons I built BEBT differently.