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Off-Leash Dog Play Supervision: Communication and Behaviour

Staff-to-staff, staff-to-dog, and staff-to-guest communication standards, plus the behaviors to watch for and the correction order to use.

Purpose

Off-leash supervision runs on communication: to other attendants, to the dogs themselves, to the team over walkie-talkie, and to the guests dropping dogs off. This SOP lays out the standard for each of those, plus the behaviors to watch for in the yard and the order of corrections to use when a dog needs one.

At a Glance

  • Communicate special requests, temperament notes, and behavior escalations to other attendants.
  • Manage the group with body pressure, tone of voice, and other reinforcers.
  • Every staff member carries a working, correctly-channeled walkie-talkie at all times.
  • "DAYCARE DAYCARE DAYCARE!" is the emergency call word for immediate help.
  • Watch for stiffening, whale eyes, rowdiness, skittishness, instigating, and bullying.
  • Corrections escalate in a fixed order: verbal, body pressure, spray bottle, e-collar, leash.

Staff-to-Staff Communication

  • Pass along any owner special request, like a food allergy, to other DC attendants.
  • Communicate any animal behavior you recognize: temperaments, which dogs mix well together, and so on.
  • Communicate any potential escalation in behavior that may need further assistance.
  • Service requests (baths, swim, training, etc.) get communicated to the team members running those services that day, and marked on the Training Boards.

Staff-to-Dog Communication

Communicate control to the dogs using body pressure, tone of voice, and other reinforcers to manage the group dynamic.

Walkie-Talkie Protocol

  • All staff carry a walkie-talkie at all times.
  • Keep it turned on and at a volume you can actually hear.
  • Keep it set to the same channel as the rest of staff.
  • Daycare and ACT staff are required to wear an earpiece.
  • Speak slowly and clearly so every staff member can understand.
  • Repeat messages for confirmation.
  • At least one staff member should respond to any walkie-talkie message: "copy," "be right up," "can an available member of staff handle, please?"
  • Keep walkie-talkie communication strictly work-related and concise.
  • Put walkie-talkies back on their chargers at the end of the day so they're ready for the next one.
  • Report a broken walkie-talkie to a manager.
  • To call for immediate help on the walkie, use "DAYCARE DAYCARE DAYCARE!"

Guest Interaction

  • Carry a big smile and a service mindset.
  • Assist with putting on or taking off equipment if needed.
  • Greet guests and ask how their day is going.
  • Reply "My Pleasure" to any "Thank You."
  • Give small verbal feedback at the end of the day on how their dog did, in addition to the report card.
  • Thank them each day for bringing their dog. They're the reason you have a job.

Behaviors to Watch and Correct

Watch for, and step in on:

  • Stiffening, posturing, or "whale eyes." A dog showing these is poised to react and needs to be addressed right away.
  • Acting rowdy, especially around calmer dogs that could get annoyed.
  • Being skittish or avoiding.
  • Resisting reinforcement.
  • Instigating: raising the arousal or energy of other dogs.
  • Acting anxious.
  • Running together as a pack.
  • Bullying other dogs.

Separating Dogs by Size and Temperament

General

  • Little dogs with other small dogs.
  • Medium and big dogs together.
  • Energetic dogs with other energetic dogs.
  • Calm dogs with other calm dogs.

Specific

  • Dogs that play appropriately together stay together.
  • Dogs that are potentially reactive with a particular other dog get separated.

Daycare Cues

  • Leave It. Don't interact with the object you're directing the cue at (food, another dog, etc.).
  • Out. Don't interact, and move away from the object.
  • Basic cues. Heel, Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Watch.
  • Back-Up. Used mostly to stop dogs from crowding a gate when a new person or dog enters the area.

Correction Order

Corrections escalate in this order:

  1. Verbal
  2. Body pressure
  3. Spray bottle
  4. E-collar
  5. Leash

Who to Ask

How do I handle a correction that isn't working?

Move to the next step in the correction order. A verbal correction that doesn't land moves to body pressure, then spray bottle, then e-collar, then leash if needed, rather than repeating the same step and hoping for a different result.