“Dogs are people too!” is a commonly heard amongst the canine-loving community. Dogs do feel the same stress response that we humans feel when we are put into uncomfortable situations. When welcoming a new dog, most facilities require a temperament test to see how dogs respond to humans and other dogs. If you find that a dog is skittish about staying the night then you’ll want to make sure you know the basics to easing their discomfort.

Stressed out dogs cause other dogs in close proximity to be stressed out as well. You don’t want one dog’s anxiety to create a domino effect with the rest of the pack. Solving the problem upfront and comforting a dog from the start will nip the problem in the bud before a single dog’s problem turns into a multi-dog one.

Here are a few things you can do to welcome a nervous dog into your facility:

1. Maintain a routine

It may take some extra effort to make sure you follow a dog’s home routine, but you want your business to be a home away from home rather than as temporary storage. Customers are always on the look out for facilities who are flexible enough to pay special attention to their dogs.

At the time of check-in, make it a habit to ask the pet owner for any special instructions such as specific feeding, medicine, nap, and play times that you can note in your kennel software. Recreating a dog’s home schedule will reinforce familiarity and help anxious dogs to adapt better to new surroundings. You’ll also receive reminders to administer medications once you add the dosages into your Pet Health Record. A printable Room Card will also help you keep track of these important feeding and medicinal times. Relieve a pet parent’s burden of guilt by providing an environment that is as close to comfort as a dog can get.

If a dog has a bed or home food that they prefer, especially during an overnight stay, then make a note of it in your PawLoyalty kennel software for your employees to reference later. Don’t be a “one size fits all” facility. Making small adjustments to customize a dog’s stay will prove to customers that you provide genuine care for each dog that comes in.

2. Recommend extra playtime.

Some resorts may be all-inclusive, but we recommend you have “extra playtime” or “cuddle time” as an add-on activity, especially for skittish dogs that need more affection. Some dogs are adverse to anything new and hesitant to adapt. The extra playtime can help them familiarize themselves with your staff and other dogs and allow them to enjoy their stay.

3. Do not reinforce anxious behavior.

It’s not recommend to give a dog a treat when he or she is scared or acting aggressively. Treats are seen as rewards for good behavior, therefore you will only want to give a dog a treat once they have calmed down.

In PawLoyalty kennel software, you can look up a dog’s behavioral habits and social history in the Pet Health Record. On your end, you can add special notes about a dog’s stay or change in behavior to share privately with your staff members or publicly with pet owners so that owners can check in on their dog’s social progress.

4. Distract them with toys and activities.

Take their mind off of their stress levels with a game. If you can get a dog to have fun, they’ll forget about all their worries. Start them off with one-on-one playtime with you. A game of fetch or a Sniff N’ Seek scent exploration activity should do the trick. Gain their trust and then slowly integrate them with the other dogs. Try putting them into a playgroup of dogs preferably with relaxed temperaments, or at least similar size.