Our Promise

How We Care for Dogs at the Doggy Day Academy

At the Doggy Day Academy, ethics aren’t an afterthought – they’re the foundation. We believe every dog deserves to be treated with compassion, kindness, and respect, no matter their age, breed, background, or behaviour.

We are a force-free, fear-free, and pain-free facility. Always have been. Always will be.

Handling & Behaviour

We do not tolerate:

Shouting or raised voices directed at dogs
Threats or intimidation
Physical corrections or “alpha” handling
Scruffing, dragging, or punishing dogs into submission
Use of rattle cans, water sprays, shock collars, choke chains, or prong collars

Our team is trained to support dogs using calm, compassionate, and low-stress techniques. Every dog is handled by a canine tutor who understands body language, emotional regulation, and how to build trust.

Training Tools & Rewards

All training at the Academy is reward-based. That doesn’t mean “bribery” – it means teaching dogs through positive reinforcement, not pressure.

And while food rewards are common, we understand that:

Not every dog wants food in every moment
Some dogs can’t tolerate too many treats
And sometimes, the best reward is a ball, a cuddle, a sniff in the grass, or a splash in a paddling pool

We meet each dog where they are – and use what they value to build learning that sticks.

Slip Leads & Crates – What You Should Know

We are transparent about the tools we use, and more importantly, how we use them.

Slip Leads: Our daycare is a collar-free and harness-free environment to avoid accidents during play. In rare cases, a slip lead may be used to move a dog safely from one space to another. They are:

Used only for short movement (A to B )
Removed immediately afterward
Never used for training or control
Introduced gently and gradually to dogs who are unsure

Slip leads may also be used during walks with Paws 4 A Break as emergency backup if a harness or collar fails, or when helping a stray dog in distress.

We do not use them for correction – ever.

Crates: We have a small number of crates on-site. These are used:

In welfare-based isolation (e.g. if a dog shows signs of illness or parasites)
For short-term rest (maximum 1 hour) only if the dog is crate-trained at home and cannot settle elsewhere
With full monitoring – any signs of distress and the dog is brought straight out

Our preference? Always free choice. Dogs can settle on beds, sofas, mats, or even on a canine tutor’s knee if that’s where they’re happiest