Over the years we have noticed the important role that clear and transparent communication can play especially when working with a dog with underlying issues – health, behavioral, emotional etc. And as our daycare has grown, especially over the past two years, so has the rate with which we must communicate with our clientele. Sharing unpleasant information about a dog’s behavior or health can be a tenuous situation; many clients are, understandably, sensitive to information about their four-legged family member. While we aim to be non-alarmist in our messaging, we also must prioritize the health and safety of all the dog’s in our care. As such, we appreciate our clients’ responses and feedback when we communicate issues to them.
In turn, we value our client’s respect of our policies and their willingness to share new information about their dogs as it arises. While our intake forms provide some general insight into a dog’s health and personality, both of these things can change over time and depending on context (insert blog link here). Sometimes, when a client first completes our registration forms their dog is a submissive puppy, but over time – typically in adolescence – they notice their dog becoming more dominant at home – this is an example of something that would be helpful to share. Clients should also let us know if their dog has recently been in a scuffle or altercation with another dog outside of daycare, if they’ve brought a baby (or someone new) into the home, if they’re traveling or disrupting their dog’s regular routine in any way, if their dog has any recent injuries or new medical diagnosis, if their dog’s bowel movements are irregular, if their dog has recently slipped out for an adventure, or been put on a new medication…the list could go on but these examples should provide some general ideas of the type of intel we value.
While clear communication is integral, at the crux of the client/dog/daycare bond there must also be trust. We must trust that our client’s will be honest with us about their dog, and honest with themselves about their dog’s capabilities and limitations. And cour client’s must trust that the information we share with them is honest and complete to the best of our knowledge.
Second only in importance to love (awww), we think that trust may be cornerstone of every successful relationship, including that of client and purveyor or doggie daycare services! Trust, love, and dogs for a better world (and therein lies our new tagline!)!
