Gate Control - A Necessary Skill For Dog Daycare and Kennels

Imagine a typical morning in the life of a professional dog handler. It’s 6am, you’ve just taken the first sips of your precious coffee. Still shaking off the grogginess of sleep, you enter the kennel to start letting dogs out for their first potty break in a yard. As you go to unlatch the gate for a puppy who is more than excited to see you - WHAM - the kennel door flies into your forehead causing surprise and instant pain. If this hasn’t happened to you personally, just ask one of your handlers and you will hear stories of headaches, bruises, and sometimes more serious injuries. If this unfortunate scenario has happened to you, then you already understand the importance of proper gate control.

The Importance of Gate Control for Kennels and Dog Daycare

Having worked in the dog industry for almost a decade I have seen many different styles of daycare and boarding facilities. One thing is the same in every dog care operation - gates, gates, and more gates! Gates are one of the most essential structural tools when caring for dogs, providing safety, security, and privacy for your guests. With the necessary abundance of gates and doors in dog care facilities, it is not surprising that they are also involved in many workplace injuries. 

According to an article from the National Library of Medicine, Work-Related Injuries to Animal Care Workers , the second most reported injury for employees of non-veterinary animal care is being struck by or against a physical object. We take great care to train employees on how to prevent and avoid being bitten or scratched, the most commonly reported injury, but how much do we prepare our dog handlers to safely use and control the gates, doors, and barriers? Most staff are likely to learn through trial and error. However, we give our dog handlers a huge advantage by implementing a few simple tips and strategies to use for proper gate control.

When To Practice Gate Control At Your Kennel And Dog Daycare

The most frequent use of gates in a dog care facility is the scenario described above, simply letting a dog out of their kennel area for play or potty time. This is also the interaction most likely to cause injury from being stuck by the gate. The dog on the other side is excited, anticipating the fun they are about to have sniffing the yard and romping with friends. Many dogs are not trained to sit patiently while you unlatch the lock, and will jump up or try and push the gate open towards you. Patience and preparedness are the key to gate control in this situation. Placing your foot in front of the gate, and waiting until the dog has all four paws on the floor, will prevent the gate from flying open, allowing you to safely bring the dog out of their kennel, as demonstrated in this video from CATCH Canine Trainers Academy

In an open-style daycare or boarding facility dog handlers are expected to practice gate control with a group of several dogs who are all eager to push past and through the gate. This situation requires more skill and has even prompted an online competition to show who can demonstrate the most control over their gates. Creating a boundary around the gate using verbal commands and hand signals to determine which dogs can enter requires practice and consistency.

To establish this boundary, it can be helpful to walk the dog back until you have a clear area in front of the gate. This means walking toward the dog, prompting them to move backwards and away from the gate, where you can then tell them to “stay” or “wait”. If the dog immediately follows you towards the gate boundary, remain consistent and patient. Continue to walk the dog back using your body to block them from crowding the gate, making sure to give verbal praise and affirmation when they follow your direction. You can then individually call a dog through by saying their name and pointing towards them, keeping a careful eye on the rest of the group to see who might need to be walked back out of the boundary.

A clear area around the gate is especially useful when introducing new dogs into the play area. Whether the dogs are familiar friends, or are meeting for the first time, you need to make sure that the dog entering through the gate doesn’t feel bombarded by others upon entering the group. With proper gate control you can establish a comfortable environment for dogs to enter play groups, setting them up for a positive social experience. This is absolutely essential when working with social dogs who have barrier reactivity . The handler who is inside the play area supervising the group should call all dogs away from the gate before the new dog is allowed to enter. If verbal commands are not sufficient to provide a clear area around the gate, try using your body as a block to walk the dogs back and away.

Conclusion:

Whether you work with dogs one-on-one or in larger play groups, maintaining gate control is essential to the safety of dogs and handlers alike. Whatever technique you decide to implement, be it verbal or physical, the most important thing is to be prepared and to be consistent. Set clear expectations for employees regarding how to safely use gate control in each situation they might encounter at your facility. You will ensure that the staff have a fun and rewarding experience with the dogs if you set them up with the tools they need to succeed.

What's the Best Option for Washers and Dryers for Your Dog Kennel, Dog Daycare, and Pet Groomer?

Anyone who owns pets will know that while they bring an abundance of joy and entertainment to our lives, they also can bring an equal amount of dirt, hair, and messes! In a kennel setting, we deal with all these messes ten fold. We all handle this aspect of working with dogs in order to make sure our guests are happy and healthy, but having the right tools to manage them will make life easier and your kennel more efficient. One big part of this is having the right washer and dryer for your facility. With literally thousands of options out there, where do you start?

If you’re looking to replace your current models, first take stock of what you currently have. What aspects have been working for you and what new functions do you need going forward. It is important to think about your needs at this point, and what you might need down the line based on your goals and projected growth. Right now you may have a unit that works fine, but if you plan on expanding your business in any capacity an upgrade may be necessary in just a few years.

Commercial Washers and Dryers For Your Pet Business

If you are running a high volume kennel, a commercial washer and dryer could be a great option for your business.Commercial units are designed to handle heavy duty loads and provide high levels of sanitation. Commercial units are also better equipped to handle frequent uses of heavier cleaners and chemicals while residential units are more likely to face some corrosion down the line. If you have very specific needs in regards to sanitation, some commercial models have the option to make customs settings. This can be a particularly helpful function when dealing with contagions to ensure that it is safe to run other materials through after a contaminated load. 

Commercial washers and dryers typically have to be purchased through commercial laundry retailers. One benefit to this is that these companies have most likely sold their products to veterinary clinics, shelters, and other large animal care facilities. Sales representatives should be able to give useful insight about what models have been popular with others within the animal care industry. 

Other than initial cost, a downside of commercial units is that they tend to be larger than residential ones, and installation can be more difficult. If you are leaning towards commercial, be sure to measure your space and double check that you have the proper flooring to accommodate what models you are interested in.

Purchasing a commercial washer/dryer is going to be an investment. While you could be spending a lot in initial costs, you are purchasing products that will seldom, if ever, need replacing. At our kennel, Hyline Hotel for Dogs, we went through four different washers in a couple of years before finding a commercial brand that held up to our usage. Our current washer is a Speed Queen model AWNE82SP113TW01 and our dryer is a Speed Queen model ADEE8RGS173TW01 . We average around 100 dogs a day between our boarding and daycare programs, so we are running our machines for ten hours every single day. Everything from dog beds to mop heads go through our laundry and the Speed Queens handle the challenge. The washer lives up to its name and can wash a load quickly while still getting everything clean. This speed is an incredibly handy feature during our busy times when multiple loads need to be cycled through in a timely fashion. The dryer, however, does not seem to be quite as fast as it’s cleaning counterpart. We’ve found that to get fully dry towels and blankets, they will need to be in the dryer for close to an hour, nearly twice as long as they take to get washed. Despite this lag, everything else about this dryer is up to our standards. Excess hair and lint get trapped effectively in the lint trap and laundry comes out dry and refreshed. Overall these models have served us very well, they are easy to use and so far seem very durable. 

  Some highly rated commercial brands include Speed Queen, Miele, Milnor, and Continental.

Residential Washer and Dryers For Your Pet Business

Another option for kennels are residential washers and dryers. Washers and dryers now come in all shapes in sizes with front loading, top loading, glass/plastic/metal features, touch screens, you name it. Small physical details such as those should be taken into consideration based on the usual wear and tear equipment goes through at your facility. If your washer frequently gets used as an extension of your countertop, you may not want to go for a top loading unit with a glass lid. Or if your dryer sits nexts to a sink where dishes are getting sloshed around, a touch screen control panel may not hold up.

With so many models out there to choose from in this day and age, it will not be hard to find a high-quality washer and dryer. But not all high-quality units are up to the challenge of handling the dirt and grime of continuous dog laundry. Be sure to look for models that have…

• Bulky load settings. Most washers can handle large loads, but a bulk setting will be necessary to handle large, dense items like soiled dog beds. 
• Sanitizing settings. These settings can be a helpful addition when dealing with contagions. You want to be careful about using large amounts of chemicals in residential units, so using sanitation settings can help get your laundry clean while still preserving your unit.
• Drains and hoses that can handle hair and debris without clogging. 

Highly rated brands such as Electrolux, LG, GE, or Maytag all produce models that should have these features. Going with residential washers and dryers gives you the flexibility of more models to choose from and to shop around more easily for different price points.

Washer and Dryer Maintenance

No matter what kind of washer and dryer you go with, it is important to take care of them. These appliances are not cheap, and when they break down it can really throw a wrench in your daily productivity until they are replaced. When you purchase new units, set clear laundry protocols  for your staff to follow. While laundry may seem like a self explanatory process, establishing protocols for your staff to follow is an easy way to ensure that your units are being run properly so they will last for years. What works in their homes for shirts and socks may not work for kennel laundry! In your protocols you can include…

• How many blankets/towels should be included per load. While your washer might be able to hold a hefty amount of laundry, you might find that you get your best clean when you limit how many pieces go in each load. 
• How to correctly measure and dispense chemicals/cleansers.It’s easy to want to add to extra of these things to get a deep clean, but in reality that might contribute to break down and corrosion.
• How to clean the washer and dryers. Be sure that any build up is being cleared out and lint traps are being checked frequently!

Conclusion

When it comes to making a big purchase like a new washer and dryer, what it boils down to is having a clear understanding of your kennel’s needs and doing the research. Buying the quickest and cheapest option will only cost you more in the long run and be a headache if your units break down on you. Spend some time online researching different brands, talk to others in the industry and get their recommendations, and speak to sales representatives to get a breakdown on models with all the functions you need. Hopefully this will lead you to a washer and dryer that will perform the way you need it to and last you for years to come!

Dog Kennel and Dog Daycare Vs. Pet Sitting Apps 

Let’s face it, dogs are no longer dogs.  They are now our children, best friends, emotional support companions, and never-ending snouts of love.  I’m a 34-year-old married guy with 2 amazing pups, no children, and I am not alone.  Unlike the generations before, today's young adults are waiting longer to have the “traditional family” and are instead having fur children. 

The money we are spending on these fur kids shows how much we care about them; 44% of milenials see their pets as "starter children" .  In 2019, Americans spent over 95 billion dollars on their pets which is up from 44 billion a decade ago (American Pet Products Association).  Today's workforce is working long hours and increasingly having to commute further to work.  We try to take our dogs with us when we can, but what is the best option when we work long hours, and can't take our dogs to work? 

With all this spending, there have been a significant rise in companies vying for a piece.  Pet walking and sitting services such as Rover have sprung up over the last decade from small online platforms to giant billion dollar companies.  They promise a convenient, safe and affordable option for your pet. 

Another option has been around for decades and has been well established, dog kennels and dog daycares.  Because we put so much into our fur family, we want to make sure they are safe, happy, and well taken care of.  When we can't take them with, what is the best option?  Let's explore the choices.

Rover  Requirements For Their Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters

Because Rover's pet sitters are actually going into your house instead of you going to them, they have "background checks" for their pet sitters and dog walkers.  Going onto Rover.com I looked into what their procedure was to make sure I felt safe having a stranger off the internet go into my home.  Here is what their process for looking into the history of their pet sitters:

So to be clear, when hiring a person from Rover, you are trusting a stranger in your home.  Many times you are trusting them in your home when you are not even present.  Per their website, these pet sitters need to not be a sex offender, not a terrorist, or have a vague 'disqualifying criminal offense.'  If I want to make sure my pet sitter is super qualified, they will also prove they have lived in a house for 7 years.  There is a big leap from using an established business and having a stranger who passed a vague internet background check into my home while I'm not there.  There have been some pretty entertaining stories of what people have come home to, or seen from pet sitters on their 'nanny cams', including this horrifying story from the New York Post.

Ok so now we have a person who passed this background check, now lets take a look at what in depth training they have to make sure that my dogs, who I love like my own child, are safe.  Here is Rover's extensive "certification" program to make sure their sitters are qualified.

Ok so step one: prove I'm not a sex offender or criminal, check.  Step two: prove I know how to put a harness on a dog and know how to use an app, check.  Now I know everything I need to know about pets; I'm a 'certified' sitter and can start going into people's homes and taking care of any type of pet regardless of special needs or health conditions.  With these strict qualifications its not hard to see why Rover has had a pretty constant stream of pets running away or dying under the watch of these 'certified' professionals.  There are far too many stories to recount here but here is a  pretty clear example of the risks of using these platforms.

Handling pets is not an easy side gig.  It's hard work and things happen.  But when things happen we expect those who do wrong to own up to it and take responsibility.  There is no making someone whole who has lost a pet while it was being cared for by one of these platforms.  Let's look at how Rover handles situations that go wrong.  Amy Houston lost her beloved pup Coco while under the care of a Rover sitter and said about Rover's "help" in a Fort-Worth Star Telegram story , “They said they would reimburse for the vet cost, they thought they were gracious in waiving the $250 deductible. They suggested I contact the pet-sitter to cover the purchase cost of Coco and I said I was not interested in ever speaking or seeing her again. The relationship between myself and the pet sitter is solely because of Rover and I expected them to take responsibility.”

Unfortunately this billion dollar platform simply views themselves as a "match maker" between you and a pet sitter.  Many people have reported that Rover required them to sign non-disclosure forms if they are to accept any compensation for lost, injured, or deceased pets.  They are more concerned with maintaining their brand image than the pets on their platform.

Dog Kennels and Dog Daycare 

Dog kennels and dog daycares have a stigma for much of the public.  Many people view kennels as 'cages' for pets.  There are many different types of kennels and daycares.  The services range from the high-end luxury facilities to the standard chain link kennels.  It is incredibly important to research, tour, and meet the kennel or daycare that you are looking at using.  For these businesses, taking care of your beloved pet is not a 'side job' but their lives work.  They live, breathe, give blood, sweat and tears to their business and to your pet.

When people begin working at these dog kennel and dog daycare facilities, they go through vigorous training to become qualified to look after your pet.  When doing your research, check to see if the facility you are looking to use are members of industry associations.  These associations provide training and certifications for employees to make sure that businesses have qualified staff.  One of the most prominent pet associations is the International Pet Boarding and Service Association (IBPSA).  They provide in depth certifications for pet staff to be able to handle any situation from pet behavior to safety and medical related situations.  Here is just some of the species specific-certifications available through IBPSA:

Beyond the industry group training, most businesses have their own training manuals that new hires have to complete.  Furthermore, most facilities require a long "job shadow" period before new hires are trusted with your pets.  Most facilities I have spoken to have training manuals over 30 pages long with job shadow periods averaging 2 weeks.  So beyond certifications these pet specialists have completed; they also complete knowledge training as well as 80 hours of hands-on training before they are ever allowed to handle a pet themselves.  

Beyond being a safer option, dog kennels and dog daycares provide your pup with much needed socialization and structure.  Many dog daycares use enrichment training within their daycare.  One of the best and most popular enrichment programs was created by a couple of veteran trainer/daycare owners.  Their company is The Dog Gurus , and many facilities out there use The Dog Gurus' principals to provide the structure and safe environment that is ideal for your dog.  Not every dog wants to socialize with other dogs and that is totally fine.  There are many facilities out there that cater to pups with special social needs matching them up with one other pup or just with humans to gain more human socialization than staying at home.

Conclusion

Many of my friends cherish their dogs more than their children.  For those of us who don't have children, those wet snouts we come home to at the end of the day make the long work days totally worth it.  The pet industry has blown up over the last decade and people in the U.S. show no signs of owning less dogs.

There are many companies vying for your business.  There are good pet sitters and there are bad pet sitters; just like there are good and bad dog daycares and kennels.  The moral here is as a pet parent it is up to you to do the research and make sure you are putting your beloved pup in the best position.  In general, when I am making the decision on where I want my pups to go, I look at where they will be the happiest and safest.  I personally don't have any friends who work on the pet sitting app platform, but looking at the requirements to join pet sitting apps makes me nervous.  To think about letting a "background checked" stranger in my house, and also trusting a "certified with harnesses" sitter with the safety of my family members terrifies me.  

With dog daycares and dog kennels you can find actual professionals who have more than a cursory "harness check".  These people are serious about every aspect of your pets safety and happiness.  Do your research, tour the facility, speak with the manager or owner and learn what certifications they have and what training their staff goes through.  If something does go wrong, instead of a billion dollar "match making" platform, you have an actual person operating a small business in your community who you can go talk to and find solutions.  These are not light decisions but your work in researching the best option will end with your pups being safe and having the best time with their pals.