Every dog is unique and needs a different approach to thrive. For some owners, this can be tough to accept, especially when their own lives are packed with responsibilities and little time is left for their pets.
In situations like that, daycare can seem like the perfect solution. Professional caregivers know what works for dogs, and pets get a chance to interact with other dogs.
While that sounds ideal, it doesn’t work for every pup. One Michigan dog owner learned this firsthand after enrolling her dog in daycare for social interaction.
But instead of mingling with other dogs, her pup had a very different idea.
Dog Prefers People Over Pups
Nikki Sykora, 24, is a full-time dental student at the University of Michigan. Alongside her busy academic life, she’s also the owner of a Mini Bernedoodle named Maisy. Though Nikki adores her, she doesn’t have much free time to spend with her.
To prevent Maisy from staying home alone, she decided to enroll her in daycare to help her meet other dogs. On the car ride there, everything suggested that Maisy would love the experience—she was smiling the whole way.
Feeling confident, Nikki dropped her off and headed to class. Since the daycare had a camera feed accessible to pet owners, she logged in later to check in on her pup.
She was stunned by what she saw. Instead of playing with other dogs, Maisy sat alone in a corner of the room, looking completely withdrawn.
At first, Nikki felt let down by the reaction. But thinking about it more, it wasn’t really out of character. Maisy had always been more drawn to people than dogs.
That preference became obvious at daycare too, when she started spending time with the staff instead of the other pups.
Maisy proved a simple truth: not all dogs are wired the same.
A Lot Of Reactions
Since Nikki is active on TikTok, she decided to share what happened at daycare with her followers by uploading a video under the handle @niknak272727.
“Signed my puppy up for day-care so she can start making friends and socialize,” reads layover text in the clip, while the caption says: “She’s 100% my daughter though lol.”
Nikki figured the clip would get some attention, but she didn’t expect the level of response it received. The video sparked a wave of reactions, and we’re highlighting a few standout comments.
“She’s protecting her peace 🥰,” one user wrote.
“I remember bringing my shitzu to dog park and I sat on a bench to watch him play w other dogs only for him to sit next to me and watch the dogs as well 😂,” another added.
The third stated: “My puppies report card said ‘not interested in playing with the other kids’ once😭.”
Maisy clearly wasn’t excited about hanging out with other dogs, but Nikki didn’t give up. She kept taking her twice a week.
Gradually, things started to shift. Maisy now occasionally leaves her corner and joins the other dogs—an encouraging step forward.