Just like in a group of children, altercations and accidents are bound to happen, and there’s no way to prevent them entirely.
But here at TBY, we have a multi-layered approach to preventing as many altercations as possible with a collection of tools we’ve developed from our experience.
Training staff
All of our staff is trained from the first week to understand even very subtle dog body language- even staff who are just running dogs from one place to another or doing 1:1 play sessions.
We use a variety of training programs including IBPSA (International Boarding & Pet Services Association) and Pack Pro, who are industry leaders in the doggy daycare universe.
After completing video training (with quizzes and a required score level to proceed) we then match new staff with seasoned, experience counselors and trainers to do real time dog body language training, fear and force free handling, and teach them basic handling and training skills (such as those we use for the spot training add ons and enrichment sessions).
In order to advance in role and pay rate, staff needs to keep completing additional trainings, get certifications such as first aid and canine CPR and apprentice with seasoned staff to accumulate more hours of supervised training.
Carefully evaluating dogs, and consistently monitoring for behavior changes, etc.
Our initial evaluation is crucial to getting a good sense of a new dog in terms of their likes and dislikes for other dogs, play styles, any behavior issues or fears.
While this is important information to assess what program will best fit a dog, our eval team is also quickly cataloging what other dogs might be good matches for the new dog and what energy playgroup would fit them best.
However, the observation of the pup doesn’t stop at the evaluation. Every day our team notes changes in dogs: in behavior, in play style, in friends (and in NOT friends), and adapts the day to the dogs in front of them at any given moment.
Because our programs are so individual, we have room to move a dog to a different program if one isn’t working, find a different set of friends, or find a different activity if one isn’t working for them that day.
Masterfully designing and monitoring group play
We have only two staff members who are allowed to make groups, and this is because of their vast knowledge of dog behavior, and their encyclopedic knowledge of each of our dogs, their history, their personality, and their playstyle.
It takes them up to an hour a day to make the next day’s groups, and those are subject to change through the day if dogs don’t work in the group they were assigned to the day before- we’re always re-working those groups in the moment for the best results and most fun!
Additionally, our counselors are carefully trained- they are the MOST trained staff that we have. In many daycares, the newest staff monitor group play.
Here at TBY, only the more experienced staff can be a counselor, and they go through hours of video training and hands on experience shadowing and being shadowed by other counselors before they’re left alone in a group.
So a lot of the work of avoid altercations is a complex blend of: very knowledgeable and trained staff who can spot an issue developing before it becomes an issue
In depth evaluations so we know the dogs and can place them in the best group for them
And very knowledgeable group creation and monitoring of play.
