Dog Assessments
All dogs joining Springfield dog care are assessed to ascertain that an open plan, cage free environment is right for your dog and that your dog is a suitable candidate for Dog Day Care.
The Process
Meet and Greet
During the Meet & Greet we observe your dog’s reaction the moment they walk through the door. How does your dog respond to the noise of other dogs? How does your dog engage with our team? Is your dog relaxed or tense?
If your dog is deemed suitable to progress to the next stage they will be invited to attend day care to undertake a thorough in-house assessment over 4 hours.
During this period, you dog is closely monitored by our Play Leader, we will assess their engagement with other dogs, play with team members, dog to dog play, formal handling, response to commands.
Their First Day
On their first day, they will be initially introduced to dogs of a similar temperament, for example if your dog is slightly shy, we will choose quieter, placid dogs, whereas if your dog is bouncy and playful we will choose similar matched dogs.
Once settled with these dogs, we will gradually introduce the other dogs attending day care that day. The aim is to ensure your dog is making lots of canine friends and is not overwhelmed. This might happen in the first hour or over several day care visits.
Assurance
If at any point your dog appears uncomfortable we would immediately address this by removing your dog from the situation, even if this means asking you to come and collect your dog.
That does not mean it’s the end! Working out why this happened and looking at ways to work with your dog in helping them enjoy day care and reinforce the right behaviour is paramount. Only in exceptional circumstance would a dog be excluded permanently, and a reason is always given.
Report
Throughout the assessment period, the owner is given a “report” of their dog’s behaviour on each occasion, what canine friends they have made, who they have played with and the activities they have engaged with. Where, there are any issues or difficulties, advice is offered, and information provided on the management strategies we have adopted in Day care.
