Managing Fights & Bites in Off Leash Play
Preparing for and managing fights and bites in off leash play is one of the most frequent requested topics we receive. While we believe every pet business should be prepared to handle fights or bites our focus has always been on the key steps to prevent them from happening.
We know that there are two main aspects to operating your daycare that minimize the risk of fights or bites.
- A dog evaluation process to screen red (high risk) dogs to other services
- Formal staff training that teaches canine body language, benevolent leadership and playgroup management skills
When you implement these aspects how many fights or bites is realistic in a dog daycare environment? A few years ago we did an industry survey and confirmed a reasonable standard is no more than two fights or bites per year that require medical treatment to a dog or staff member.
If your pet business has a higher incident rate than our benchmark then take a look at the two items mentioned earlier. Those are the key processes you can improve that will positively impact your playgroup safety record.
Be sure to watch our video for an aspect to dog evaluations that you may not have considered important, but is key to achieving our safety goals. We also share the list of tools we recommend be available in every dog play area in case a fight breaks out. You’ll also get ideas on how to structure fight drills for your staff to prepare in the unlikely event there is a fight during play.
This is one of the most information filled videos in our library that can help you improve safety and prepare your team to confidently act if a fight does happen in your pet business.
