My dog might be a little timid/reactive/frightened. How do you handle that?
We want your dog to have a positive experience from the get-go at SDK. The following outlines our strategy. Time frames are estimates.
10-30 min after the arrival: New dog is kenneled in the kennel room to acclimate to new sounds and smells.
5-20 min: SDK staff gets down on the floor to get acquainted with the dog and identify any triggers (such as not liking ears touched.) Please alert staff to known triggers at drop off.
5-20 min: SDK Ambassador dogs are introduced to the new dog in the kennel room one at a time. Ambassador dogs are long time SDK customers known for being polite to new dogs.
5-10 min: New dog is released into the playroom with Ambassador dogs. Additional dogs are brought into the playroom one at a time.
5-60 min: New dog progresses through several yards, each containing more dogs. This process is closely monitored for potential conflicts and the general comfort level of the new dog. The new dog is placed in the appropriate playgroup based on these observations.