Doggy Daycare: Gizmo Goes to School
Welcome to the Wednesday Dogs of Dogster! Every Wednesday, we share a story from one of our Dogsters. This week is about Kate & Gizmo, her scruffy Pug mix.
We all remember those first-day-of-school jitters: will everyone like me? Will we get snacks? When’s naptime? Will the teacher give me lots of cuddles and pets?
I’m talking about my dog, of course – at the ripe age of one, Gizmo headed off to school, in the form of doggy daycare. For a few months, he was king of the school…
First Day of School
At the doggy daycares near me, new dogs have to be gradually introduced to the existing pack to see how they react and if they can play nice. They get little trial periods where they meet the other dogs, under observation from everyone working there. Luckily, Gizmo passed with flying colors, demonstrating his playing social skills, like the play bow and recognizing other dogs’ body language – those applications were intense, but he made it into his dream school in the end!
The School Day Routine
On daycare mornings, I would feed Gizmo his breakfast, pack up his dinner, and change him into school clothes – sturdy collars and leashes, plus a puffy coat if it was cold (all of which come off on arrival, for their playing safety). Then I’d pack him into the car (seatbelt buckled, of course) and we’d make the lengthy 5-minute commute to school while listening to the mindless morning radio shows.
Every time, Gizmo would lose his mind with joy at seeing the daycare. A man after my own heart, valuing his education. I’d walk him in, hand him off to one of his favorite people in the world (she admitted to regularly sneaking him cheese puff treats from the self-serve dog treat bar), and make it home in time for my morning meetings.
