You’ve evaluated the dogs, and you know they all love to play off-leash. Now what? One of the common problems with the next step in effective and safe off-leash playgroups is putting the right dogs together based on their play behavior. Continue reading to find out the pros and cons of each dog playstyle, which …
Dangers of Play Between Large and Small Dogs
It seems like every month The Dog Gurus hear about an injury that occurred with a dog in an off-leash play environment. Sometimes these injuries are minor, but more frequently we hear about severe injuries and even fatalities that occur during off-leash play. One of the main safety factors for any off-leash play environment should …
Minimizing Bites and Fights in Off-Leash Play
Fights and bites in off-leash dog play. It’s one of the biggest fears for anyone in the pet industry. On the one hand some say minor injuries are as common a scraped knee when children play on a playground. On the other hand, there are an alarming number of punctures and even deaths during off-leash …
Warning Signals That Precede A Fight
Want a great way to prevent dog fights in an off-leash play environment? Do you know the key events that trigger a fight? Can you tell when a fight is most likely to happen? Keep reading to find out how you can keep dogs safer when they are playing with other dogs off-leash. Fights between …
Does Your Dog Deserve Excellence?
Right away I knew this dog playgroup was different from the others by the energy. Dogs were relaxed, calm and happy. In contrast to the last place where Fifi, the toy poodle, shook and hid behind the crate as Rascal and Rowdy raced around the room barking and chasing the smaller dogs. At first Steady …
Supervision of Dogs At Excellent Daycares
One of the most important questions a family should ask before dropping their dog off to a facility for daycare or off-leash play is “Who is watching the dogs?” But do you know the correct answer to that question? Keep reading to learn what supervision of dogs means in an excellent dog daycare facility. Supervision …
Dog Daycare 2.0 – A Time for Change
The dog daycare and off-leash play industry was created because dogs like to play and busy dog owners loved having a dog as tired as them at home in the evening. It seemed like the perfect solution and our industry exploded. As a result there are many providers offering off-leash play services, but the quality …
Does the Staff Drama Ever Stop?
Are you tired of staff drama? Does all your time seem to be spent as a referee between “he said, she said”? If your answer is yes, then this post is for you. It’s time you changed your role from referee to coach and these five steps will help you make the transition. 1. Set new …
How to make your Facility Less Stressful
As a dog trainer, I have one standard suggestion for making any pet care facility less stressful for the staff and the dogs: Teach a few basic behaviors to every dog! By selecting a few easy-to-teach behaviors to every dog in your care, you will build a stronger relationship with the pets, your staff will …
Why Spend a Month on Hiring Staff?
As a small business owner an improved economy is generally considered only in positive terms. People spend money more readily and your sales are likely to grow. However, there is a challenge that comes with a better economy. Other businesses are also growing and expanding, creating a competition for high performing staff. When candidates have …
Work ON Your Business and Not Just IN It
It may come as a surprise to you that The Dog Gurus both have entirely separate jobs outside of their joint venture together as The Dog Gurus. We live in separate states and work together virtually. The only time we are together is when we speak at conferences or schedule a working retreat together. We …