At Dogdayz we are constantly improving our services and the skills of our staff to ensure that our guests get the best holiday possible. Adam, our Manager at Toolern Vale, arranged a Dog Behaviour Seminar for our staff to attend and Dr Marika Ley, from Caroline Springs Veterinary Hospital, lead the training.
Hayley, an animal attendant at Silvan Dogdayz, said “it was also great to be reminded of some basic training, for instance recognising the signs of stress or fear in dogs, like panting, yawning and licking lips. Often fearful dogs will have their ears back and their tails tucked under.” A relaxed dog will have a relaxed face and tail, and a “smile” on its face.
When we see signs of fear in our new arrivals we can take steps to ensure that their transition into our dog kennelsis as comfortable and gentle as possible. Often this means allowing the new arrival to explore a play yard by itself for a while before meeting other guests through a fence. Once comfortable we can then introduce one or two appropriate friends, and gradually increase the playgroup size from there.
The seminar also provided many helpful tips for us as dedicated dog owners. For instance, it is important for us to allow our dogs to sniff and lick us when we have been away from them – they learn about our day and where we have been from the smells that we bring home. Our pets benefit from the mental stimulus of exploring outside of the home, where they can use their highly developed sense of smell to learn about the world around them. Similarly, our guests at Dogdayz benefit from the opportunity to get outside and have adventures, both to run around and to smell the new environment around them. All this activity allows our guests to exercise their doggy abilities and helps them to release any lingering stress.
