Secrets to Evaluating Dogs for Your Playgroups

One secret to employee retention and fewer dog fights is making sure you are evaluating dogs for your playgroups.  A great evaluation process for the dogs in your care is critical. Do you know what makes the best dog candidate for your services? Creating a list of the behaviors that are appropriate versus inappropriate for your playgroups is a great place to start. 

Once you have your behavior lists you can score the dogs in your groups to determine if they are green, yellow or red. We do not believe group play is an appropriate environment for red dogs. Those dogs should be directed to other services as long as it is safe for your team and other dogs in your care.

Our recommendation for playgroups is a mix of 80% green and 20% yellow dogs. Especially in a situation where having well-trained staff playgroup leaders is a challenge. Keeping the ratio will make the groups easier to manage and can help you retain staff.

Do you have a formal process to evaluate the best dogs for your facility? It is important to follow a formal consistent process in evaluating new and existing dogs for your playgroups. We recommend introducing to one dog at a time on six-foot leashes. You’ll want to watch our video that explains how to do the safest introductions that keep the dogs happy and comfortable in your playgroups. Formal evaluations also help you reduce injury, keep the dogs safe and ensure each dog enjoys versus tolerates their time in daycare.