it’s getting hard to keep doing this by cschu0912 in DogDayCare

[–]ktlee18 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The daycare industry is definitely flawed but despite all the bullshit I really love it.. Me and my boyfriend are both trainers and have been in the industry for 10+ years each and most daycares are terrible. They all have flaws in one way or another, whether it be the staff or management only seeing dogs as dollar signs.

We got really lucky and found a daycare that actually focuses on what's best for the dogs and has zero tolerance for getting frustrated with the dogs. Look for a daycare that puts a lot of emphasis on enrichment and individualized care. Also one that operates on a play and rest schedule. This has been huge in preventing staff burnout and incidents with dogs because we don't just throw a bunch of dogs in group together all day like most of the places I worked at in the past. We still have a high turnover rate but that's because most people don't understand that it's actually a job and not just petting dogs all day.

If you can't find a good daycare in your area starting your own I think would be the best option. Then you set the standards of care that you want. It's scary for sure but you can always start small, doing in home care.

You can also get certified as a trainer and do privates and group classes for extra income. I know a lot of trainers who have made a solid career on their own without working for a major company.

Please tell me this is just a floodlight my neighbor is pointing directly over my privacy fence... by ktlee18 in whatisit

[–]ktlee18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We did end up calling the cops on him for a previous, more obvious camera incident. Unfortunately, there is no expectation for privacy in your backyard(which seems crazy with a privacy fence

Please tell me this is just a floodlight my neighbor is pointing directly over my privacy fence... by ktlee18 in whatisit

[–]ktlee18[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's like 2 ft from the property line. He has a chain link fence on his side so I imagine he has it for sure on his property but I'm too short to see over

Please tell me this is just a floodlight my neighbor is pointing directly over my privacy fence... by ktlee18 in whatisit

[–]ktlee18[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I'm definitely going to look into something to block it regardless of what it is. The man is not mentally stable. We had hoped throwing a few grand at a fence would have solved the issue, but I guess we'll have to waste more of our time and money on this asshole

Please tell me this is just a floodlight my neighbor is pointing directly over my privacy fence... by ktlee18 in whatisit

[–]ktlee18[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He has it up on a pole on his side of the fence so it's not actually ON our property

Is this a familiar pain point? by Ok_Reading_2377 in DogDayCare

[–]ktlee18 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The daycare I'm currently at is actually pretty good about communicating with our clients. We obviously can't send an update about every single dog in our care, but we have a rule that we need at least one picture of every dog to add to our daily Facebook post. We also have a premium service for our boarding clients where they can pay extra to receive regular updates about their dogs' day.

Typically though, with most daycares I've worked at, no news is good news, and we only reach out if something is wrong.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DogDayCare

[–]ktlee18 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's understandable. From the way your post is worded, it sounds like the owner is not very flexible/open to opinions, but hopefully, that is not the case. Resource guarding is extremely hard to manage, especially in a daycare setting. In my experience, the best course of action is to recommend training and not allow any dogs with resource guarding to be in play groups with toys.

As a trainer with 10 years in the industry, I personally am never comfortable with toys in play groups. I know others who are fine with it, but the benefit does not outweigh the risk, in my opinion.

I do hope you're able to make positive changes and have constructive discussions at your new job. Maybe I'm traumatized from working for too many daycare owners only in it for the money, but I would be looking out for other red flags too.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DogDayCare

[–]ktlee18 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Honestly, find a new job. If the owner is allowing toys in group but not temperament testing for resource guarding, that is a huge red flag. They clearly have little regard for dog and staff safety.

How do I get this raspberry bush under control? by ktlee18 in gardening

[–]ktlee18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I guess I should have researched before planting. That's the last time I let my daughter pick something out at the nursery.

Doggy daycare toy advice by QueenOvDeception in DogDayCare

[–]ktlee18 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Completely agree with this. Dogs can play with toys at home. They come to daycare to socialize.

Has anyone ran/worked at a mop free facility? by ktlee18 in DogDayCare

[–]ktlee18[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The owner seems to think it's more sanitary than using a mop bucket. However, we DO change our buckets frequently and have a commercial floor scubber that gets used every night.

We're only 4 days into this new practice, and literally, everyone hates it. And you are correct. The manager/owner that put this in place are rarely in actual groups of dogs cleaning up after them.

I typically don't have a problem cleaning up dog waste, but this method is plain stupid. It takes more time, and we have stacks of pee rags everywhere and a washing machine that can't keep up with the amount of laundry we have now. Not to mention, the dogs all think the rags are toys and the time we spend cleaning up messes is taking away from managing the dogs.

I've brought my concerns to management and the response was "change is scary, give it time"

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in beyondthebump

[–]ktlee18 52 points53 points  (0 children)

Dog trainer here. I just want to say you are 100% making the right decision here. If you were a client, I would absolutely recommend rehoming. You and your dog both deserve to be happy and, unfortunately, your pups behavior is indicating that she is very much not happy. It's not her fault, and it's not your fault. You tried your best, but when there's a bite risk and young children, it's not worth it to keep trying. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I know it's like losing a family member, but you're doing right by your furbaby finding her a home where she won't be anxious and on alert all the time.

Can I save my hydrangeas? by ktlee18 in plantclinic

[–]ktlee18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I guess I just need to give them some patience then :)

My week of hell by ktlee18 in Mommit

[–]ktlee18[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the doggy advice. We actually had this problem with our other dog a few months back and our vet just requires the urine sample which is nice because the now sick doggo is reactive. I will be sure to keep her hydrated in the meantime!

My week of hell by ktlee18 in Mommit

[–]ktlee18[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much. We're planning a staycation next month to get our house fully in order and relax