At Scampers, we feed “lunches” around noon. This is when most of our staff is present, so can ensure sufficient supervision in the play zones.

Lunch service requires that we extract the dogs from their play groups and bring them to individual crates so that we can feed them separately, and then they are given a 30-minute nap to prevent bloat.

Of course, this seems simple enough, but few dogs want to be away from their friends. Most of them are having so much fun roving and romping with their pals, they don’t want to be away from them. Dogs who suffer from separation anxiety struggle being alone in a kennel. We never want your dog to think daycare is a place for negative, uncomfortable feelings.

And, really, most of pooches past puppyhood don’t need a mid-day meal. It is easy to think your dog is “hungry” when they haven’t eaten for 6-8 hours while at daycare. It is normal for dogs to go 10-12 hours between meals. So, unless they are a puppy in need of the calories while playing and growing, or your pooch has specific veterinary recommendation (like an esophageal malformation), midday meals are entirely unnecessary.

This is why we ask that you feed your dog before and after daycare. We promise that post-daycare meal will lead right into an amazing nap for your pooch!