OMG! My dog got kicked out of day care!

I wish it was not true, but people are always surprised there are  a fair number of dogs who do not get accepted into OUR day care.  Our temperament test is second to none,  and yes the expectations are high- and one might be surprised we always have a waiting list to get into our facility.  In 15 yrs we have never NOT had a waiting list. 

So, besides the socialization level of a dog to other dogs and people, what is the most common reason a dog does not get accepted into Tails-A-Wagging?

Demand Behaviors:
This can be demand barking (at people or other dogs)  as well as pushy behaviors,  basically a dog demanding something from someone.  "BARK"  throw my ball!  "BARK" Play with me "BARK" Your not doing what I want fast enough!  Demand behaviors are a sign of a dog with little to no impulse control and the behavior is not tolerated here.  If a doggie day care did allow that behavior, one would see a high turn over of staff,  a lot of scuffles with the dogs,  stressed out dogs and the staff that did stick around?  Well, they are just running around managing everyone all day.  Not a fun place for anyone to be.

Crate Training:
All the dogs at Tails have a nap time in the middle of the day.  This is done in a crate, with a snack (like a treat stuffed Kong)  Its is simply not safe for a dog to be running around 11 hrs a day without a structured break.  No... napping in the play room does not count. They need to settle their body and their mind. Crate naps prevent injury and over stimulation.

General Bad Manners:
Jumping up,  not holding the cue asked of them, disrespectful greeting to another dog...at Tails we care for the best of the best!  If you are not willing to put the time and energy into helping your dog be the best they can be, its silly to expect someone else to.

Our day care staff have lots of dog training experience,  so we can always jump in and address any concern with an existing dog at day care.  Hey,  they are dogs!  Like kids, stuff is bound to pop up. We evaluate it, address it and eliminate it quickly using all reward based- dog friendly methods. Basically this is using clicker training to mark the correct behavior we want from the dog.
If a behavior concern does arise, we inform the client right away and start a progress report.  This is an evaluation that all staff complete of the particular issue with a dog, and how it was addressed that day and how the dog is showing improvement.