It truly is amazing what a day out of the kennel can do for a dog.
The Doggy Day Out program, a shelter program that allows dogs to be taken on field trips, has been proven to be beneficial. After dogs participate in the program, “trembling, barking and repetitive behaviors such as jumping, walking in circles and barking were significantly reduced,” according to a study by Maddie’s Fund. Additionally, getting dogs out in public exposes them to people who might not typically visit a shelter, increasing adoption opportunities.
For me, the process began with looking up which shelters participate in the Doggy Day Out program and seeing that the closest one was in Tulsa. After a quick call on Wednesday, I was directed to the application page, where I answered a few questions about my experience with dogs and what I planned to do. Then we emailed back and forth, and I made the hour-long drive to the Tulsa Humane Society to pick up Ziggy.
As soon as I met Ziggy, a blue heeler mix, wearing his “adopt me” vest, his excitement and bright energy were hard to miss — he was practically bouncing off the dimly-lit walls. The shelter provided a day bag with all the essentials: water, a collapsible bowl and plenty of treats. After a short walk around the parking lot to let him go potty and calm down, we hopped into the car.
Once we hit the road, Ziggy got comfortable and napped until we arrived at the Gathering Place, a large park about 10 minutes south of downtown Tulsa. As soon as we got out of the car, Ziggy was eager to explore.
It became clear he wasn’t leash-trained — he definitely thought he was the one walking me. After a bit of wandering, I found a place for us to sit and calm down. I gave him some treats and spoke to him in a calm voice. After another 30 minutes of walking, Ziggy was doing a little better, but he still stopped to sniff every single bush and plant along the way.
We then drove to R Bar & Grill, a dog-friendly restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating. Ziggy was visibly stressed by the large crowd and loud noises. The waitress quickly brought him a big water bowl, and after a few minutes, he settled down and lied by my leg on the patio.
While he mostly stayed under the table, he occasionally wandered over to the surrounding diners to soak up some attention. Seeing he wasn’t completely relaxed, I quickly finished my meal, paid the bill, and we left.
Back in the car, Ziggy climbed into my lap for a mid-drive snuggle as we explored more of Tulsa. We found a quiet park with lake access, and Ziggy seemed to enjoy it as we walked and listened to music.
Our next stop was downtown, where we did a short walk, and Ziggy started walking closer to me, clearly more relaxed. We ended up at the Center of the Universe, a unique spot where you can hear an echo of your voice. I tried to get Ziggy to experience it, but he hasn’t quite mastered the “speak” command yet.
By 3 p.m., it was time to take Ziggy back to the shelter. That’s when the staff told me about the optional sleepover part of the program. Without hesitation, Ziggy and I both agreed this was the best idea.
After filling out some additional paperwork, Ziggy and I made the drive back to Stillwater. Halfway through, I realized I didn’t have any food for him, so we stopped at Petco. Once home, I fed him, and he quickly devoured his dinner.
After a quick potty break, we had some fun wrestling and play-fighting on the couch before settling in to watch the night slate of college football. We both dozed off until halftime of the Georgia-Alabama game.
After the game, it was bath time. Ziggy wasn’t thrilled about getting in the tub but tolerated it like a champ. He didn’t have any accidents, which was a pleasant surprise. Once he was dried off, he climbed into bed with me and cuddled close as we fell asleep.
At 7:30 a.m., Ziggy woke me up, gently pawing at my arm. I got up, put on his leash and took him outside for a potty break before we both went back to sleep for another hour. By 9 a.m., we were up for the day, and it was time to take him back to Tulsa. On the way, we made a quick stop at Starbucks for a coffee and a pup cup. Ziggy slept on my lap the entire ride back.
Saying goodbye was tough, but I left knowing that I had provided the shelter with valuable information about how Ziggy behaves in different environments, which I hope will help him find his forever home soon.
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