The Dog Gurus' Daycare Games

 All February long, Morris K9 Campus participated in The Dog Gurus’ Daycare Games. The games have come to an end and our staff earned an outstanding 13 medals, including 10 gold medals! The games worked on improving the skill sets of daycare attendees at Morris K9 Campus, while competing with other dog daycares across the country. 

Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs, the co-founders of The Dog Gurus, designed the Daycare Games as a skills-based challenge that keeps dogs safe and happy while recognizing top dog daycare providers for their unique skills.

The Daycare Games had three disciplines, all of which are equally important and helpful when you bring your dog home. Handlers competed in recalls, group sits and gate boundaries. The three different disciplines are aimed to improve the skills of the daycare staff through a variety of different obedience exercises. The purpose of using obedience skills and drills in daycare is to maintain control of the group, while reinforcing desired behavior.

One of the tested disciplines was recall. As per the rules of the games, staff had to verbally recall an individual dog that was at least six feet away from them. We practice recall in daycare every day. It is an important activity because it works using the “come” command, which can be transitioned to your home life with your dog as well.

The Daycare Games were so much fun to host, a great team bonding activity and our daycare dogs seemed to enjoy the competitive festivities. We feel that the commands and obedience skills used in the Daycare Games are critical to safe and fun group play, which is why we use them every day during daycare.

The Dog Gurus, who have put together industry standards for operating safe daycare in their e-book “The Four E’s of Excellence in Off-Leash Play”, detail the exact exercises that help daycare facilities take better care of your pet. This book is available online for members. Learn more about becoming a Dog Gurus member at www.TheDogGurus.com.

Dog Daycare Lingo - How to describe play

When you take your dog to daycare, you may hear specific words used to describe your dog’s day during off-leash play. Knowing what the staff means by using these words can be essential to understanding what your pooch is trying to “say” when they are at daycare. Here are five words or phrases that every owner should expect their pet professional to know about off-leash play:

Loose, curvy bodies indicating comfortable dogs.

Appropriate playtime body language between dogs.

Play Solicitation: This term refers to how a dog attempts to get another dog to play with them. It’s a behavior or series of behaviors that a dog will display in order to communicate to the other dog. There are appropriate and inappropriate ways that dogs communicate with each other:

Appropriate: Play bow, light muzzle nudging, wiggly movements

Inappropriate: Humping, growling, barking, incessant muzzle nudging, or nipping

Body language: The way a dog uses their body is like the way people talk to each other. A dog’s ability to read this language is a critical skill for dogs, especially in off-leash play. Dogs need to be able to interpret another dog’s body language as well as being able to clearly display these behaviors themselves. Another dog will recognize stiff body posture as a dog being uncomfortable. Loose, curvy body language indicates that a dog is very comfortable.

Play bowing - a comfortable posture between dogs.

Tolerance: Dogs will do best in the group play environment if they are tolerant of all kinds of dog behavior. This may include some roughhousing with more high-energy dogs or puppies. Tolerance is a skill that is built over time, so attending daycare will help your pet become used to these behaviors. Regular exposure will help increase tolerance, especially as your dog gets to know the other pets in daycare.

Relationship: When dogs get acquainted and have a better understanding of each other, they can form a bond. Daycare essentially creates a virtual home environment, as if the dogs are living together, so they learn to treat each other with affection, love and trust.

Dogs who know and understand each other can enjoy play.

Stiff Body Language indicating that a dog is uncomfortable.

Socialization: Socialization is essential to a dog’s experience in daycare. Forcing a dog that isn’t comfortable with other dogs to participate can actually do more harm than good.  Daycare is best for dogs that love other dogs, as it presents an opportunity to “fine tune” their social skills. They will be exposed to many different breeds with all kinds of personalities. A dog will learn that maybe one friend likes to wrestle but another would rather run around and play chase.

Knowledge of these few daycare terms makes it easier to understand what your furry friend is experiencing. Since our pups can’t speak directly to us, it is through their body language and the application of the terms above that we figure out how they fit into the daycare environment.

The goal of our daycare program is to provide a fun, happy and safe environment by recognizing these terms and behaviors. Think your dog would enjoy off-leash play at Morris K9 Campus? Visit our website or call 973-252-5100 to learn more about doggie daycare.

 

Do dogs age out of daycare?

It all starts with an adorable puppy. You decide to bring them to a dog daycare facility, and they love it! They enjoy playing with the other dogs, are always eager to get there and come home tired but happy. You continue to bring your dog to daycare as they age and grow, but is there a point where your dog may “age out” of the daycare environment?

Daycare should be an overall fun and rewarding experience for your dog. The question many clients ask is, when does daycare stop being fun for an older dog? It’s important to remember the structure of daycare as a whole, that your dog is given time to play in a room with other dogs. When your dog is a puppy or youthful adolescent, they want to play with everyone. The idea of having so many other dogs to play with excites them. At this point, new dogs mean new playmates and they love and crave time spent in their company. However, as your dog grows from a puppy to an adult dog, things can slowly begin to change.

As they age, your dog might still love playing with other dogs, but daycare can start to get slightly overwhelming. Your mature adult dog is now in a room with energetic youths who are looking to bounce around and play for hours. While your adult dog might enjoy being there, countless hours with rambunctious younger playmates can become overwhelming and not as fun as it use to be.

Picture it this way: to us, adult dogs playing with adolescent dogs would be equivalent to a 35 year old being invited to a 15 year old’s birthday party. According to WebMD Pets, a one-year-old dog is about 15 in human years and a four-year-old dog is about 36. In that time period, like us, dogs mature and start to play differently. 

The Dog Guru’s Susan Briggs and Robin Bennett recently published an article called “Ask the Experts – Is my dog happy in off-leash play?”, where they address the issue of age in daycare dogs. They say, “Generally speaking, dogs over 5-6 years of age will have a shorter tolerance level for off leash play with other dogs. This is true even if your dog grew up playing in dog parks and attending daycare. This doesn’t mean that older dogs shouldn’t play off leash with other dogs, but it does mean that shorter periods of play may be more fun for your older dog. If your dog (of any age) attends a dog daycare, make sure he gets some down time where other dogs allow him to rest or he is separated so he can sleep.”

It is important to remember that dogs do change as they get older. It is normal for you or staff at a dog daycare to notice a change in your dog’s behavior as they age. If daycare staff informs you that they have noticed a difference in your dog’s behavior, it should not be cause for concern. Instead, listen to what they have to say. They have your pet’s best interests in mind! Maybe your pet isn’t enjoying daycare like they used to, or the environment seems like too much for them. This does not mean that they dislike playing with other dogs, (they probably still love it!) but it does mean that your dog may be ready for a different environment.

At Morris K9 Campus, our goal is to make daycare a fun and engaging environment for all of our pets. Our visitors are all given down time to rest between play sessions, but for those aging pets who might prefer a lower key environment, our sister company Morris Animal Inn offers private daycare dedicated to personal one-on-one play. Each dog receives play sessions with a person, who can cater their playtime to whatever activities they like best. This could be a suitable alternative if your dog begins to tire of the daycare environment but you still need a place for them to visit.

If you get to a point when your dog’s daycare facility no longer recommends daycare for your older dog, remember that this is normal. Not every dog will like this type of play forever, and every dog will be different. Some older dogs can still enjoy their time in daycare. It’s up to you and your daycare to devise a plan that would work best for your older dog.

Dog Daycare vs. Dog Park

Dog daycare is not a dog park. While the concept of the two can seem similar, they are in fact unbelievably different. While both daycare and dog parks allow off leash play, that is where most of the similarities end.  This means that your dog might be excellent in daycare, but doesn’t do well at the dog park, and vice versa. There are several reasons why daycare could be perfect for your dog, while the dog park might not be a good fit for your pet.

When bringing your dog to daycare, you drop them off knowing that there are trained professionals there supervising your dog’s behavior the entire time. The professionals are there to read and interpret the body language of your dog and other dogs. They are trained to address anything good or bad before it happens. If something is about to happen at a dog park, as well as you may know your dog, you might not be able to understand everything he or she is trying to tell you. 

Another difference is that with supervision from a trained professional, the dogs will experience interrupted play. Play should be interrupted in intervals so the dogs understand the human in this equation is not going to let things get out of control. It is our experience that dogs that go to dogs parks typically aren’t used to interrupted play. Interrupted play is important because it makes sure the play is well balanced, and that both dogs are enjoying interacting with each other. Dogs that have the ability to “check-in” with their owner or daycare attendant understand that play has boundaries.  Over-stimulation can cause dogs to react in a negative way, even towards their friends.  

A huge benefit to daycare is dogs are screened before they are allowed to play. At the dog park, any dog is allowed and it is ‘play at your own risk.’ At a reputable daycare facility, trained staff will carefully screen dogs to make sure all dogs in the group are appropriate and are having fun. With the dog park, you can’t always guarantee that all the dogs there are dog friendly and would enjoy the attention of your dog.

Dog daycare and the dog park both give your dog an outlet to burn off lots of energy. However, it is important to always be prepared. Educate yourself with what appropriate body language looks like when dogs are interacting to make any experience a safe one.

Summer Daycare Parties at Morris K9 Campus

Are you looking for something fun for your pooch to do this summer? Join Morris K9 Campus as we celebrate summer one day every week with our themed daycare parties!  Beginning June 21 through the end of summer, we are hosting doggie daycare parties for your pooch where they will be able to enjoy the day with friends and participate in various activities. As the weather gets warmer, bring your dog to daycare to cool off in our climate controlled facility. Mark your calendars for these special summer daycare days! The schedule and weekly themes are below:

Friday, June 21^st: National Dog Party Day & First Day of Summer

            Your pooch can join us as we celebrate National Dog Day while kicking off the first official day of summer! Your dog will get the opportunity to romp around in a ball pit, use their sniffers to play guess the pail and even participate in a fun game of summer themed musical chairs! Since it’s the first day of summer, your dog will receive a frozen “pupcicle” treat and create their own paw painting masterpiece that they get to take home!

Thursday, June 27: “Field” Day

            Everyone remembers field day in grade school. Now it’s your pooch’s turn to compete to be top dog! Pups will be divided into teams where they will be playing a bunch of field day games. Your dog will take their turn in kick ball, battle in a classic game of tug of war and show off their obedience skills in a variety of relay races. The competition is always friendly here because everyone is a winner at Morris K9 Campus!

Wednesday, July 3: Fourth of July Party

            Your pup can celebrate the fourth of July a day early with us in our dog friendly celebration of Independence Day! This party is the perfect all-American party: we are kicking off the holiday with a cook out, where your dog will feast on hot dog treats  and dog beer! There will be plenty of other activities to keep your pooch busy, from a bubble machine to sprinklers aimed to keep your pooch cool during the summer heat! That’s not all, there is a prize wheel in the lobby for you. Come in and give it a spin to see what goodies you can win to kick of the holiday!

Monday, July 8: Pirate Day

            Argh matey! Have your four-legged friend join us for this day of pirate fun! Your dog will get to do what every pirate is always trying to do: search for some “booty,” while playing a find-the-treat game that helps your pooch use their mind. Once they find their hidden treasure, they will get to “walk the plank” on agility equipment and go for a dip in non-shark infested waters.

Tuesday, July 16: Tricks and Games Day

            Do you have a smart dog that is always doing some crazy trick that makes you laugh? This day is perfect for you pooch! Your dog will work with both an agility instructor and a dog trainer to hone new skills or polish up some old ones. In addition to working on the basics, our instructors will be hosting a slam dunk contest showing off your dog’s new skills as well as working on fun tricks like roll over and crawl!

Friday, July 26: Pool Party

            Are you looking to play hooky and spend the day at the pool? While you are lounging by the pool, drop your dog off for a summer pool party as well! The pools will be out all day so your four-legged friend can take a refreshing dip at their own leisure. And no pool party is complete without a game of dog limbo or a game of beach ball volleyball!

Wednesday, July 31: Mutt Mania: Mutt’s Day

            It’s time for your pooch to strut their mutt! We are celebrating National Mutt Day with a bunch of fun activities for your mixed breed dog.  Your pup with get to try out their skills with an All-American agility contest, and will also get the opportunity to shake their tails with a doggie dance party. Make sure you check out our Facebook page on Mutt Day to play our guess the mutt breed contest to see if you can guess what types of dogs we have in daycare.

Monday, August 5: Picnic Day

            We are going on a picnic and your pooch invited! We are packing up our baskets and headed to play fun picnic games. Your dog will participate in games like badminton and dog Frisbee. As with all picnics, there will be plenty of snacks for your pooch to much on throughout the day.

Wednesday, August 14: Camping Day

            Does your dog want to have s’more fun? Have your pooch come sit around the fire because we are going camping! Your dog will get to enjoy the outdoors with a fun nature hike, and when the pups are tired out everyone will sit around the imitation campfire for a dog sing along as well as roasted doggie s’mores.

Tuesday, August 20: Doodle Day

Calling All Doodles, Poodles, Labs and Golden Retrievers! Your pooch will participate in a “doodle dash,” have fun practicing their soccer skills with “golden goals,” try out the agility jumps while playing “leaping labs” and splash around in the pool doing the “poodle paddle!” This day is designed with our doodle friends in mind, but is great for any dog no matter what breed they are.

Friday, August 30: Fall Back into School

            The summer has flown by so fast; a new school year will begin at last. Your pooch is invited to get back into the school routine with a party fit for studious pups. Your dog will study hard as they learn basic commands with classroom lessons. However, there’s always a room for a little fun! Your pooch will enjoy the day by bobbing for treats and playing with all of their friends as they head back to school. 

Dates are filling up fast, so make sure you make a daycare party reservation for your pet today!  If your dog is not a daycare member, call us today at 973-252-5100 to book your free ½ day evaluation.

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Dog Park Goes Digital: iPhone App for Taking Your Dog to the Park

With summer fast approaching, everyone wants to get outside with their four-legged friend. The dog park can be an enticing place, a wide open area where your dog is free to play off leash and with other dogs. But the dog park can also be a place for concern, where different dogs with different personalities come together with little to no supervision. By preparing with the necessary tools, however, you can set your dog up for success in this situation.

One great tool is an iPhone app launched and created by well known dog trainer and shelter advocate Sue Sternberg called Dog Park Assistant. The app is designed to help control the park environment that you have introduced to your dog. It allows you to better understand your dog’s behavior and play signals by breaking down specific play types, so you can see what category your dog falls into. It also points out behaviors that you as a dog owner should be following while at the dog park in order to ensure the safety of you, your dog and others at the park.

Before going to a park, you can set up a profile for your dog on the app. This will include their breed, age and size as well as their play type. When you get to the park you can check in, similar to how you would check in on an app like Foursquare or Facebook. This lets the app know that you are at the park. After a few minutes, you will start receiving push notifications to your phone in order to make sure that you are paying attention and staying focused on your dog. One of the major issues at dog parks is that owners treat them as socialization events for themselves. They meet new people and talk, completely disregarding their dogs. While there is nothing wrong with getting to know other dog owners, remember that you are bringing your dog to the park to socialize them, therefore your undivided attention should be on your pooch.

The app will also show you a variety of behaviors that may be encountered at the dog park, broken down into different behavioral threat levels, with the highest levels labeled as red alerts. Every behavior includes photos, a detailed description and a video in order to help you better assess your dog’s behavior. Do your homework before you go and read up on red alert behaviors, so when spotted, you can quickly break up play before things get out of hand.

Navigating dog parks can be tricky, and poorly managed parks can be dangerous to your dog. Professionally supervised play is always recommended, as it includes individuals who have been trained to read dog behavior and know how to handle all dog play situations. Morris K9 Campus offers supervised daycare Monday through Friday; call to schedule your dog a free evaluation today! 

ALLIE ADVANCES IN PET TRAINING AND TRIES AGILITY!

This week Allie participated in our daytime Level Training classes! Allie began in Level 1 group training where she began with basic attention skills. These key skills are very important for Allie. Commands that are taught in Level 1 include 'sit', 'down', and name recognition. She picked up these skills so fast, she was able to be quickly moved up to Level 2! In Level 2 we continue with her loose leash walking, she is picking up stay very well, and her 'come' is fantastic!

We also introduced Allie to agility! She loved the tunnel as you can see from the video! We think she would be a great agility dog!

Allie is up for adoption through Eleventh Hour. Please call 973-664-0865 or visit Eleventh Hour's website for more information about her.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ALLIE

Allie's morning routine consists of playing with her friend and fellow Boot Camp member, Fergie, the Portuguese Water Dog. These two ladies had an instant connection. They enjoy starting their morning with playtime and fetch with tennis balls.

Next up is training time:

We like to teach all dog's to wait or "stay" at the door until they are released to go outside. It's a wonderful way for your dog to learn that they shouldn't bolt outside without you allowing them to do so. Nice going, Allie!

Some of the things we have been working on with Allie is a good recall or "come," one of the most important commands you can teach your dog. Allie thinks it's a really fun game!

To continue to increase her exercise and fitness, Allie works out on the treadmill. This is a fabulous way to keep her active, stimulated, and tired.

Click here for more information about the Morris K9 Campus Boot Camp program or call 973.252.5100.

If you are interested in adopting Allie contact Eleventh Hour Rescue.

HOW DOGS CAN LEARN TO ADJUST THEIR PLAY STYLE

Dogs have different ways of playing and interacting with each other. Stereotypically, you could say that sporting breeds and retrievers have fun-loving, physical rowdy play styles or that the Terrier breed(s) vary in so many ways that you need to evaluate each breed for suitability in playing with other dogs. Though it can be easy to generalize a dog's play style by breed, what is most important is the dog's ability to adjust their play style to meet the needs of another dog. This can be key in determining how successful he or she might be in playing with other dogs.

For example, say we have a puppy named Fido. Fido is a rowdy, happy and confident five-month old Labrador Retriever puppy. Fido enjoys playing with other dogs by slamming into them at high speed, and wrestling (all normal puppy play behavior!) So how does daycare teach Fido to adjust his play style?

Let's say that in daycare today Fido decided to try to play with an adolescent dog named Spot. Spot is a one-year old mix breed dog who has been coming to daycare for six months and still very much loves to wrestle and body slam his friends. When Fido solicits play from Spot by play bowing, off they go! Both take turns wrestling and pinning each other on the floor playfully. Their play styles are very balanced, wiggly and well-matched. Fido has learned that Spot likes to play the same way as he does so Fido does not have to change his behavior to do so.

But Fido now decides he wants to play with another adult dog named Bowser. Bowser, a four-year old German Shepherd, has been coming to daycare for three years. Bowser loves the company of other dogs but would rather bounce around, run, or tug than have physical body contact with other dogs. Fido tries to get Bowser to play, by bowing, like he did with Spot, but it doesn’t work this time. Fido then decides to try barking in Bowser's face which not only doesn’t work because Bowser has turned in the opposite direction of Fido, but also involves the daycare attendant redirecting the puppy away from the adult dog so the barking stops. Fido has now learned that play bowing and barking doesn’t get this adult dog's attention. Fido's final try is to pick up a tug toy and show it to Bowser in a wiggly and excited manner. Bowser picks up the other end of the toy and off they go tugging and playing successfully for the next few minutes.

What’s the moral of the story?

Fido learned that in order to get what he wants, (play), he has to adjust his style based on the dog he plays with. Through consistent practice or by coming to daycare on a regular basis, Fido can take these experiences and apply them to any real world interactions with dogs he may encounter.

For good measure here is a video of what well-balanced play looks like. Both dogs have a physical, rough style of playing. They also both take turns being on the bottom and on top. And their bodies themselves, offer exaggerated movement with a loose and wiggly posture.

BEST OF THE BEST!

Special thanks are in order! We couldn't have done it without you! You spoke, or rather, voted, and they listened! This week, Morris K9 Campus was voted as the BEST PET CARE facility in the Randolph/Roxbury area for the Daily Record's BEST OF THE BEST 2012 READER'S CHOICE AWARDS! Thank you to everyone who voted!

We strive to meet our pet owners expectations and are always looking for more ways to increase options to meet your needs. That's why we are now offering 2 new daycare options; Play and Train and Train and Fitness which are available Monday through Friday.

PLAY AND TRAIN

This option allows your dog to play the day away while also teaching and reinforcing new commands and obedience skills. This option is great for families that have limited time to practice training exercises with their pet or for dogs that have taken pet training classes here or the equivalent at another school and need help reinforcing behaviors. Your canine companion will enjoy all the fun play of regular daycare with the added benefit of reinforced training which means you get to take home a better-behaved dog!

TRAIN AND FITNESS

This daytime training selection is perfect for dogs that aren't necessarily appropriate for daycare but need an exercise outlet and reinforcement of training. Your dog's cardio sessions can include a treadmill session, ball time, individual play time or group play. In addition, your pal will receive reinforcement of commands and obedience skills. Your pet will get fit and become better behaved, all in a day's work!

To learn more about our new daycare options call us at 973-252-5100!

We hope to keep providing you with the best of the best!