Expectations for training scenarios at your dog daycare

How did you learn to be a dog handler? Did you pick it up as you went, making mistakes along the way? Were you mentored by someone? Do you remember that feeling of being incompetent and in over your head? 

New staff join your team with the expectation that you will teach them what they need to know. Are you? Are you covering every possible scenario that could happen in a daycare or boarding environment? 

We can all agree that so much of what we do as dog handlers depends on the dogs in our presence and the scenario that is unfolding. That is the premise behind Dog Handler Academy providing videos of various dog scenarios so that your staff can understand the meaning behind those scenarios and act accordingly. By showing how a slip lead works and when it may be appropriate to use, your staff will not have that feeling of being incompetent. Going over scenarios of excessive play behavior will give them a knowledge base to intervene before it escalates into something else. 

I recall the first time someone handed me a gentle leader and I could not figure out how it went over the dog’s muzzle. That feeling of incompetency got me very flustered and that carried into the remainder of my day—6 hours of feeling inadequate. I don’t believe any of us want to intentionally cause our staff to feel this way but unless we are teaching them every piece of the day-to-day operations, they will run into those situations. 

Dog Handler Academy really focuses on the day-to-day activities that a handler may encounter and explaining why or how things work. We want to help you set up your staff for success as dog handlers in your facility.