Ever wonder what your dog does at Metro Dog?
Dogs arriving for day care join the boarding dogs in play groups of up to 15, assigned by a senior dog handler who is familiar with your dog. If it's your dog's first time with us, we take an extra moment to review notes from our assessment before choosing her first few friends.
A handler brings your pooch to an empty play yard, then introduces the new dogs to her one at a time so she becomes comfortable with this small group. This group then joins a bigger group that is already playing - a situation similar to arriving at a party with friends. Some dogs are great at jumping in and making new friends, but most really appreciate the extra support on their first day.
Our social day care is a behavior-based program. This means that we decide what dogs would make appropriate companions based on the way we see your dog interact with others. Size, age, breed type (herding, hunting, lap-sitting) are just the beginning of the selection. Our goal is to have every dog in a group that provides healthy levels of play, avoiding overstimulation or overwhelming anyone in that group.
We watch for the types of activities your dog enjoys. Some run, others wrestle. Some like to climb on the play structures, others spend most of their time sniffing, hunting for treasure or laying in the sun. Lap-sitters live for getting their turn in the handler's lap. A young, large dog that is shy and fearful of others her own size might be placed with the small, mellow dogs.
Handlers, who take the dogs from their designated rooms to the play yards, are responsible for knowing all the dogs in play groups and special behavior programs. They take observational notes on each dog: "Fido played chase back and forth with Sparky"; "Spot enjoyed handler attention by getting belly rubs" - whatever the dog may have been doing.
Handlers are knowledgeable in the basics of dog body language and always are looking for healthy, safe interactions to make sure that play remains appropriate for the group setting. The handlers know that by consistently taking a dog out of play when he is inappropriate, the dog will learn to adjust his play on his own.They perform "consent tests" to make sure both dogs are having fun. This is done by taking one dog away and seeing if the other is looking to continue playing or moves on to something else.
We love watching dogs play, and we know that play involves a delicate balance of factors that, in a group, must be constantly evaluated. Some dogs can handle lots of activity, while others are better with short, intense sessions and breaks. Knowing the dogs personalities helps the handlers evaluate what they are seeing and make decisions about when to interrupt.
Most dogs play really well in pairs. When a third tries to join, it is often awkward as one of the three continually tries to get back in. There are plenty of dogs to go around, so we interrupt and redirect the third dog to play with someone else.
Sometimes, a dog will focus on one other particular dog in the group. This is great if it is mutual; if not, the handler will try to get that dog focused on something else but may need to move him to a different group. The handlers practice name recalls to build relationships with dogs so that they can call dogs out of play when needed.
Other behaviors we interrupt are: humping; body slamming; barking at others; chasing; and guarding, whether it be handlers, water bowls, other dogs or gates.
We use only positive reinforcement and humane techniques when handling dogs. We don't use aversive techniques such as startle tactics or water sprayers. When redirection is needed, we use positive redirection. This means that we call the dog by name to ask him to stop and take a break. If that doesn't work, the handler removes the dog from play for a few seconds. The dog is then allowed to return "try again."
If the dog continues the inappropriate behavior, the handler can repeat the interruption and add a timeout of up to 2 minutes (the typical attention span for a dog to connect what they have done with losing something he wants, in this instance play time).
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