The night before, you're the nervous one. Not the dog. The dog is asleep on the couch with one leg in the air, blissfully unaware that tomorrow is a big day. You're the one lying awake wondering if they'll be scared, if they'll make friends, if some staff member you've never met will love your weird, wonderful animal the way you do. We see this every single week at the clubhouse, and we want to say it gently and plainly: that worry means you're a good dog parent, and it's also going to be fine. Better than fine, usually. So let's walk through exactly what a first day looks like, start to finish, so the only one with butterflies is you. And even those should settle by the time you finish reading.
Before the first day even starts
Here's the part that happens off the floor, and it matters more than people expect. A good daycare doesn't just throw open the gate and let a brand-new dog wander into a pile of strangers. The American Kennel Club is clear that a reputable daycare should assess your dog's behaviour and personality before accepting them, with staff trained in animal behaviour, including canine body language and the warning signs of stress, illness, or trouble brewing. That assessment is the whole reason day one is built around an evaluation, not a free-for-all.
The other before-you-arrive piece is paperwork, and it's worth doing early so it never becomes a same-morning scramble. Get the vaccines squared away in advance, because the Bordetella (kennel cough) shot most daycares require generally needs to be given about three days before a first stay so the protection actually has time to kick in. There's a Montreal layer too. The city requires dogs six months and over to be microchipped and sterilized to hold the mandatory annual licence, which runs $31.80 a year. None of this is busywork. It's the quiet groundwork that lets a room full of dogs play together safely.
Drop-off, and the goodbye that's harder on you
You'll arrive, leash in hand, dog probably pulling toward the door, because dogs read a building's energy fast and ours smells like the best party in the neighbourhood. Our advice for the handoff is almost backwards: keep it short and breezy. Long, weepy, "Mommy loves you so much, be brave" goodbyes tell your dog something scary is happening. A quick, cheerful "have fun, buddy" tells them this is normal. Hand over the leash, smile, walk out. The dog recovers from the separation roughly ten times faster than you do. We promise.
If you're the type who needs eyes on your dog (no judgment, we all are), this is where modern daycare really helps. The AKC notes that many facilities keep owners reassured with daily or weekly reports, and some offer a livestream so you can peek at what your dog's up to. A glance at your phone mid-morning, catching your nervous rescue mid-play-bow, is the kind of thing that turns a brand-new client into a regular.
The evaluation: what we're actually watching for
Day one at ATD is anchored by a $25 new-dog evaluation, and this is the heart of the whole experience. It is not a test your dog can fail in the way you're imagining. We're not grading obedience. We're getting to know who your dog is so we can set them up to have a great time. Bold or shy? A bouncy social butterfly or a "let me watch from the corner first" type? Do they read other dogs' signals well, or do they need a little coaching? We introduce them slowly, often to a calm, well-mannered dog or two first, never the full chaos at once.
This is where reading body language becomes the job. A dog who's settling in beautifully shows it. The AKC describes slow, side-to-side tail sweeps, soft squinty eyes, a loose wiggly body, and the play bow, chest down and rump up, the universal dog invitation to mess around. A dog who needs more time tells us too, with the whites of the eyes showing (we call it whale eye), lip-licking, yawning when they're not tired, a tail tucked low. None of those are failures. They're calming signals, a dog's polite way of saying "this is a lot, give me a minute," and a good team slows down rather than pushing. We'd rather ease a dog in over a morning than overwhelm them by lunch.
The middle of the day, where the magic is
Once your dog has found their feet, the day becomes what you hoped it would be. Play, rest, more play, a nap pile, snacks, the works. For young dogs especially, this is pure developmental gold. The AKC points out that puppies need exposure to many different experiences to prevent fearful behaviour and to grow into well-rounded adults, practising real dog-to-dog conversation and building confidence one interaction at a time. A puppy who learns good dog manners now becomes the easy, breezy adult that everyone wants to be around.
Smaller dogs get their own consideration, because a nervous five-pound first-timer does not belong in a scrum of golden retrievers. That's the thinking behind our tiny-dog program for pups under 10 pounds, a calmer space where little ones socialize at their own scale. And if your dog has a big personality in a small frame, or the reverse, the evaluation is exactly where we figure out the right room for them. You can see how all of this fits together on our daily care page.
There's a real standard underneath the fun, too. Quebec's Animal Welfare and Safety Act presumes an animal's welfare is compromised if it doesn't get care suited to its biological needs, which the law spells out to include behavioural and social needs, things like activity level and sociability with other animals. The province updated and broadened that regulation in February 2024. Translation: proper care, mental and physical, isn't a perk we offer. It's the legal floor, and we aim well above it.
First-day nerves are normal, and they pass
Some dogs strut in like they own the place. Plenty don't, and we want you to expect that so you don't panic over a wobbly first hour. The Montreal SPCA's well-loved 3-3-3 rule describes how a dog in any new environment can be disoriented, nervous, fearful, or overexcited in the first few days, and it warns against quick judgments, because the dog isn't really themselves yet. A first daycare day is exactly that kind of new environment. One quiet morning does not mean your dog "isn't a daycare dog." It usually just means Tuesday.
The SPCA also actively recommends daycare as a healthy way for dogs to play and socialize while you're at work, which is a nice thing to hold onto when the guilt creeps in. You're not abandoning your dog. You're giving them a social life. There's a reason the people who care most about animal welfare in this city point owners toward exactly this.
Pickup, and the best sign of all
Here's the moment you've been waiting for, and here's how you'll know it went well. The single best indicator, straight from the AKC, is a dog that comes home tired, but happy. Watch them at the end of the day. Relaxed, a little sleepy, clearly pleased with life? That dog had a good one. The real tell comes on visit number two, when your dog hits the brakes at the door and drags you in. That's a dog who's decided this place is theirs. It happens faster than you'd think.
You'll likely get a rundown of how the day went, who your dog buddied up with, where they were a little unsure, what we'd suggest next. That's the loop the AKC describes with daily reports, and it's how a first day turns into a routine you both trust.
Ready when you are
If you've read this far, your dog is lucky to have you, butterflies and all. The first day really does start with that one simple step: the evaluation, where we meet your dog, learn their quirks, and build the plan from there. Maïka, our three-legged Chief Dog Officer, did her own version of a first-day adjustment once upon a time. Now she runs the place on three legs and zero nerves. Your dog's about to start that story too.
Book the $25 evaluation online whenever you're ready, have a question first and send us a note or call (514) 778-CLUB, or just come find us in the Village at 1800 Sainte-Catherine St E. We'll take it from there, gently, and we'll guard those first-day nerves as carefully as we guard the dog.