Dog camp


A dog camp is an alternative to a traditional dog boarding facility known as a kennel. They are a relatively recent phenomenon, emerging in select areas of the United States, Canada and Britain, and are a response to the growing realization that there are fewer public spaces for dogs to run free without leashes. While traditional kennels keep dogs in individual cages for the majority of their care, in most situations, at dog camps, however, the animals can play and socialize throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors, with supervision by humans. Because dogs are highly social animals, the dog group environment offered by camps provides a less stressful experience than a boarding facility where dogs spend the majority of time in a kennel. Some of the activities at a dog camp include running, fetching balls or frisbees, digging, chasing other dogs, tug of war, paw ball and just hanging out amongst playmates.

Benefits

Benefits for dogs and dog-owners include:
Camps are usually located in rural areas such as Vermont or areas with woody areas, streams or lakes, and open fields which facilitate running and which typically have large areas. Some camps require reservations and there are reports of one of them being booked for years in advance. Typically, the owner or operator of the camp lives in close proximity to the dogs.

Operations

Dog camps typically screen potential canine guests for aggressive tendencies as they do not want to risk fights and injuries to the animals or to humans.