Group class tonight at Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption, 7pm. Its FREE for first-timers and UPR foster guardians. $13/dog or $10/dog for families with more than one dog in attendance. The video in this post features Nathan, whom is training to become an officer for KCPD. His girlfriend, Brit, and he have two totally different dogs. Annabelle (darker brownish), training to become a therapy dog and Roxi (light brown/red) whom is attending class for behavior modification. This video is nothing fancy, but shows two temperaments at play. Annabelle is following Nathan with attention and focus while Roxi needs additional prompts on the leash. When people ask me how long a training program usually lasts, I dont have a solid answer. This video demonstrates the reasons why. Some dogs just take more time than others. Lastly, I recently wrote an essay about choosing a doggy daycare. I suggest giving it a read if youre looking for doggy daycare for your dog. Choosing a Doggy-Daycare By Richard Tanner Founder/Training Director of Bark Boulevard KC. Numerous new doggy-daycares and boarding facilities have opened since the recession of 2008. One of the main reasons for the boom is that the industry was dubbed “recession proof” by many business investor agencies and financial gurus. The only good thing that has come from this is it keeps prices for services competitive, but it attracts business people that have little to no experience with dog handling. They’re in it to make a quick buck and generally not for the good of your dog. These business owners are more worried about appearances and being “cute” rather than the well being of your dog. This is not to say they don’t care about dogs. They are often unwittingly reinforcing bad behaviors and harboring unsafe environments for our dogs. This article is intended to help serve as a guide when searching for a doggy daycare or boarding for their pet and put to rest some myths about doggy daycare. We’ll cover the business’s staff, facilities, emergency procedures, and the extremely important day-to-day operations. Staff Does the owner or whoever is in charge at the facility have any animal handling experience beyond their respective business? Are they a dog trainer? Have they worked with a dog trainer? What sort of animal handling education do they have? Do they have a dog trainer on staff? How often is the trainer in the facility? Even if you’re not looking for training for your dog, a dog trainer is good for helping the education of the rest of the staff and the business’s clients. They can help manage playgroups and teach the other “kennel attendants” or “handlers” to learn the principles of pack behavior and keep your dog safe. How long have their full-time employees (kennel attendants, handlers, etc) worked in the industry and/or for the business? This industry is high-stress, fast-paced, physically demanding, and mentally demanding. There is a high turnover rate. A good pet care business does what they can to keep good employees happy and keep them there. Familiarity with the dogs, familiarity with the operations, and familiarity with the clients go a long way when trying to operate a pet care business. A good facility should be staffed with educated, at least somewhat fit, intelligent, and competent persons. Bonus points awarded if they have a groomer on staff. Not that a groomer is necessary, but it’s nice to have a one-stop-shop for all your pet care needs. Also, does the business offer high-quality dog foods for sale? A credible and educated facility wouldn’t carry low-grade foods. Facilities Always ask for a tour of the facility. When I apprenticed at Bark Avenue Playcare, INC, my favorite line I stole from Daniel, when giving a tour of the facility, “We don’t do interior decorating. We do dogs!” Bark Ave is known for not having the most aesthetically appealing facility, but dogs don’t care about that and neither should their owner. Dogs and their owners care that the facility is safe, clean, and is operated proficiently. Does the facility seem clean and safe? If the facility uses bleach, one shouldn’t smell an overwhelming blast of chlorine, but a nice, light, swimming pool-like smell. There are other excellent disinfectants out there like Nature’s Miracle and Top Performance 256. Ask the staff what chemicals they use and how they mix the chemicals. Avoid ammonia-based products. Are the exits from the building reinforced with at least two doors? Ask the staff how many doors are between where the dogs play and sleep and the street. Ideally, there would be two doors for each “play lot”, a door between where the dogs are rested and the main lobby, and two doors at the exit. The outdoor fenced area (If they don’t have an outdoor play area, don’t take your dog!) should be at least 6’ tall and reinforced at the top with a 45-degree angle on the inside. Dogs cannot climb upside down. Most educated pet care professionals would like to have more than one play area. This ensures dogs with different temperaments and energy levels have a play area that is appropriate for them. Emergency procedures Always ask, “What happens if my dog is injured, becomes sick, or dies while they’re here?” Dogs will get into scuffles from time to time. Is the staff educated to treat superficial wounds? What happens if the dog needs to see a veterinarian immediately? Who makes these decisions when you cannot be reached? Sometimes a bug or influenza can become a citywide/regional epidemic. How does the business operate during these times? Do they shut down or do they keep letting in dogs? What if one of the dogs becomes ill during its stay? A good business practice would be to educate the clients on the symptoms for which they should be looking. If the dog is exhibiting these symptoms, they should not be allowed in the facility until a veterinarian has cleared the dog to come back to the population. This may cause an inconvenience for the client, but the client in the long run should appreciate the care and candidness of the business. And God forbid that the dog caught the bug at the facility, but a good business will be candid and try to correct the mistake. Sometimes it’s not even the business’s fault because the dogs could have been carrying the bug before the symptoms manifested. A terrible scenario for the business is an escape. What are their procedures for an escape? If my dog were to escape a facility I would prefer: 1.) To be notified immediately 2.) They start the search party immediately 3.) For them to notify animal control immediately. I’d rather pick up my dogs at the pound than off the asphalt after being hit by a car. Dog fights will inevitably happen even in the best of these facilities. How is the staff educated to handle dog fights? I like to see a pet care business that focuses more on preventing dog fights from happening in the first place, but know that they know how to break up a fight in case (when) they happen. We’ll cover more about preventing dog fights in the next section of this article. Day-to-day procedures What will my dog do while they’re here and I’m at work? The most disturbing myth about doggy daycare is the idea that cage-free daycare is good for your dog. If a facility is operated as “cage-free”, it shows the expertise level of the principal directors of the business. And 99% of the time, it’s them saying, “We don’t know a whole lot.” A facility worth taking your dog to should utilize the “crate & rotate” system. Crate & rotate means the dogs are allowed out for some time and are crated for some down time. The crating allows the dogs to calm themselves if they wouldn’t otherwise. The first problem to address with cage-free facilities is the prolonged exposure to other dogs. Yes, socialization is important, but some dogs are more energetic and at times “too much” for others. This can cause a fight, make a dog more irritable, and the rambunctious dogs can influence an otherwise mild/medium energy leveled dog…thus, causing more chaos and a dangerous playgroup! Prolonged exposure can also wear a dog down physically and will increase risk of injury. The next problem would be Hyper-Stamina; where the dog will become “addicted” to doggy daycare and will need it more. Much like a person with a serious drug addiction. Where even the otherwise mildest of dogs will not be satisfied with a simple jaunt and short daily training routine. I’ve heard of people using doggy daycare 7 days a week, week after week. Overpopulation in the playgroups is extremely dangerous for your dog. Imagine your dog, no matter your dog’s temperament, in a room with 100 dogs (this is a worst-case scenario, but is extremely common) or more. Got it? Now, imagine this many dogs with one human for supervision. How does this make you feel about your dog’s safety? Even 1 human to 50 dogs sounds crazy, right? A credible facility will split dogs up into groups based on energy levels, age, size, and health of no more than 15-20 dogs. They will rotate them periodically through the day. The staff will manage their time wisely and get the dogs out as often as possible. A client can expect their dog to get an average of 3-7 playtimes a day. This can equate to 1.5-5 hours at a dog park. What about dogs that can’t play with other dogs because of aggression or health problems? An experienced business can take in these types of dogs and care for them as well as the social dog and healthy dogs. This is another great reason for having a trainer on staff; the trainer can offer advice and guidance toward rehabilitation or management of the problems. GOOD trainers are usually well versed in pack behavior and might even be able to find your dog at least one dog friend. If the dog truly is dog-aggressive, the business offers other activities for your dog. Some dogs are human-aggressive, too. An experienced staff will know how to handle these sorts of dogs and will be able to explain the procedure for these situations. Believe it or not, only a very small amount of dogs are unable to be handled by an experienced trainer, eventually. I have seen countless occasions where human-aggressive dogs have bonded to the staff at a good facility. Another problem with cage-free facilities is potty training can be effected. Dogs left in a playgroup are essentially in a yard all day, not learning to “hold it” for periods of time. When the time comes for one leave their dog home for the day, the dog doesn’t have much practice spacing out their potty breaks. How convenient are their hours of operation for your schedule? This is a judgment call that needs to be made by the client considering their work schedule. Is the facility open in time for the client? Does the client need to rush to the facility to pick up their dog before closing time or is the facility open late enough to allow the client to run a few errands before picking up their dog? Should we not, as dog owners and customers, expect a business to at least strive for safety, structure, and cleanliness before chandeliers are hanged, doggy suites are built, or murals of a tropical island backdrop are painted on the wall? If you’re looking into doggy daycare or boarding for your dog, make sure to shop wisely. Always be sure to ask questions about a business’s animal handling experience, their emergency procedures, their facility, and their day-to-day operations. Most businesses and facilities will not operate to the standards listed above 100% of the time, but they had better strive for perfection if they want to do business with a responsible dog owner.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 20:40:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015