What to Expect During a Dog Evaluation
On a typical day, our dog trainer spends about two to four hours on Dog Evaluations. This is time spent meeting with dog owners and their dogs, answering questions, learning the background information on their dogs, and tailoring our innovative daycare program to meet their particular needs. This article explores the ins and outs of what you can expect during your Dog Evaluation.
WHO will be conducting the Dog Evaluation?
Jan Gordon is our onsite dog trainer and behaviorist. She has been in the animal care industry for decades running animal shelters and dog training businesses. She is actively training our entire staff team on dog-handling strategies, is handling all of our Dog Evaluations, and is training select team members to conduct evaluations on their own.
WHEN is the best time to schedule a Dog Evaluation?
Currently, we schedule all Dog Evaluations for Tuesdays through Fridays.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays we can schedule appointments for 10:30 am & 11:15 am.
Thursdays and Fridays we can schedule appointments for 10:30 am, 11:15 am & 1:30 pm.
WHERE does the Dog Evaluation occur at our facility?
The appointment happens in five phases at the Riverview Kennels facility.
Phase One begins in the lobby at Riverview Kennels. It is best for dog owners to leave their dogs in their cars for this part of the evaluation. This will provide us with time to gather your vaccination records, complete our contract, ask a few initial questions, and allow other dog owners to check in and check out without interference.
In Phase Two our evaluator will ask you to bring your dog into the lobby. We will ask you to keep the dog leashed, but to drop the leash after closing the door. We observe the dog for a few minutes as it settles in. We won't ask for its attention or demand anything from the dog at this point. We will allow it to approach us at its own pace. Give careful attention to the directions the evaluator provides so you can aid the process best.
For the Third Phase, we will then bring in an ambassador dog to the lobby. An ambassador dog is one of our trusted canine friends who is non-reactive. By reading the ambassador dog's body language we can best understand what is going on in the evaluated dog. This will give us a chance to observe how your dog handles dog greetings and to see any behaviors that we need to be aware of. Again, give careful attention to the directions the evaluator provides you in this phase of the process.
The Fourth Phase will begin when you leave your dog at the facility with us. We will take the dog and settle them into their own kennel run. We will practice basic steps like getting them in and out of the kennel run safely. We will also take them into one of our play yards where we will practice entering and exiting through our gates. Depending upon your dog's temperament we will introduce him or her to other calm dogs in order to build a small playgroup. We will always let the safety of all animals involved guide this process. The goal is for us to gain an accurate understanding of your dog's habits and limitations.
The final, Fifth Phase will be when you come to pick up your dog at the scheduled time. This is usually a minimum of two hours after you leave them, but could be until the end of our work day. When you arrive we will unpack the experience with you and tell you how we have graded your dog. You will learn whether your dog is GREEN, YELLOW, or RED.
What do the different colors mean?
GREEN dogs are a good fit for daycare. They exhibit very few, if any, behaviors that will prevent them from succeeding in a social play group. We might identify a few target areas or behaviors to develop together moving forward.
YELLOW dogs will be allowed in daycare, but we will have identified a few key hurdles that need to be overcome before we feel confident with them in playgroups. We will likely have some recommendations for training practices you can incorporate into your routine that will help your dog succeed in becoming a GREEN dog in the near future. There are cases when a YELLOW dog may not be able to overcome the problems it is exhibiting even after extensive work. At this point, we will communicate with you about your dog and what we have observed. In a situation like this, a YELLOW dog may then be labeled a RED dog and would not be allowed to attend daycare.
RED dogs are not a good fit for daycare at the moment. There may be a few major behaviors or inclinations that prevent them from being able to settle into a social playgroup safely. We may have a recommendation for a local trainer with whom you could work in order to address those issues. Unfortunately, RED dogs will not be able to join our daycare program without addressing the problem directly and then being re-evaluated.
WHAT should you bring for the Dog Evaluation?
When you arrive at your scheduled appointment, please make sure to bring your dog's vaccination records (unless you have already emailed those to us and have received a confirmation), your dog's collar and leash, and your dog.
You will also want to bring $20 with you for the Dog Evaluation. We accept cash, check, or card for all of our services.
WHY is the Dog Evaluation important for your dog's care?
At this point, it may be clear, but let us explain more fully. The Dog Evaluation gives us a thorough process that allows us to learn about your dog through your verbal history of the dog and through observation of your dog with humans and other dogs. All of this information gives us the best insight to ensure your dog is safe and enjoys his or her time at our facility. It also empowers us to keep the other dogs and our team safe. It's the first step toward the dog transformation that we love to celebrate.
Schedule A Dog Evaluation Today
As you can see, there are many reasons why a Dog Evaluation is an important gateway to your dog's success at Riverview Kennels. It is an opportunity for us to learn about your dog and what makes him or her special to you. It allows us to begin to build a bond with your dog, as well as determine the best placement for your dog in our daycare program. It allows us to answer questions that you may have about the program and how we operate. Most importantly, it allows us to customize a daycare package that is best suited for your dog's needs, allowing them to wake up every morning eager for an exciting day of socialization and play!
If you would like to schedule your Dog Evaluation you can always reach out to us at 541.347.4689 or you can email us at office@riverviewkennels.com.
