By Karen Blackledge
BLOOMSBURG — Otis, a Decker rat terrier, gets a workout at his doggie daycare.
“Even after taking Otis to daycare for several months, I still find myself having to lure Otis to the car to go home because he just wants to play, play, play. That is the sign of an excellent daycare,” said Lisa Leighton, of Millville.
The socialization he gets at Wagging Tail Doggie Daycare in Bloomsburg is priceless. “Otis is confident, friendly and eager to play with dogs of all sizes and ages,” she said.
“They say a tired dog is a good dog, and it’s really true. When Otis comes home from daycare after playing all day with his pals, he’s well behaved and usually completely exhausted,” she said.
Linda Wideman opened the daycare at 95 E. 10th St. at the end of February. There are a few others in the area.
On a recent day, four regulars were there: 6-month-old Otis, 6-month-old West Highland terrier Bridget, 10-month-old Jack Russell terrier Bandit and Birdie, a 6-year-old terrier mix. Sophie, a 2-year-old Bichon-poodle, was new and trying it out for two hours.
“This crew plays with each other. They chase balls and do some wrestling,” Wideman said while the dogs were busy in the 30-foot by 50-foot playroom. Twice a week, she entertains bigger dogs with balls and Frisbees.
They go outside onto the deck and into the fenced-in yard, where there is a tunnel and other pieces for them to go in and out of or stand on. In the summer, the dogs swim in a 3-foot-deep 13-foot by 17-foot pool.
Wideman lets them outside as much as possible to get some fresh air.
Some people bring their dogs for an hour, a half day or a full day. Some dogs come two days a week, said Wideman, who supervises the play time. “They do take a break and have nap times,” she said, as well as treats. Some people bring food for her to feed to their pets.
Owners bring their pets as a treat or a break in their routine, for fun, exercise and socialization or as a place to spend time during home-remodeling projects.
“While people are at work, their dog doesn’t get enough exercise or socialization. They become more comfortable around people and get out of their world. Usually once they try it, they love it. Some dogs start crying on the way here because they know they’re coming here,” Wideman said of the daycare at 784-WAGG.
Wideman said the daycare “is something I always wanted to do. I had the opportunity, and I took it.” She is a certified pet care technician and also certified in pet first aid and pet cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
With it being an unusual idea and the economy still in a slump, it has been hard to grow the business, she said.
“This is a relatively new concept here,” she said. “In the cities, daycares have waiting lists.”
“I enforce good habits such as sitting and lying down with treats,” said Wideman, who didn’t grow up with pets but has had dogs for 25 years. She has two dogs that aren’t daycare material. Elsa is a 3-year-old Bermese mountain dog, and 11-year-old Maggie is a Labrador mix from the Danville SPCA. Elsa likes to be at home, and Maggie isn’t friendly with other dogs, she said.
Her job isn’t just playing with dogs all day. She has to clean up every night. “Cleanliness is so important,” she said.
“There’s nothing better than a bunch of happy dogs,” said Wideman, who lives in the Stillwater area.
She gets some help from Silke Wittig, of Millville, owner and president of HeRo Canine Consulting. Silke conducts evening classes at the doggie daycare. “Linda has a very structured place, and she tries to match the right dogs. She wants all dogs to have a good experience here,” said Wittig, who has had her business since 2005 and previously managed a large doggie daycare in Ohio.
She and Wideman offer free workshops on such topics as canine body language, CPR and shelter dogs.
The daycare is collecting pet food, toys, accessories, collars and litter for clients of the Columbia-Montour Aging Office. “We hope this will keep seniors with their pets,” Wideman said.
