Why is it Important to Acclimate Your Dog in a New Setting?

Why is it important to acclimate your dog in a new setting?

All dogs have their own personality. Some are shy, some are happy-go-lucky and some are fearful. The majority of the time this can be overwhelming for your dog at first which can cause stress. Just like a first day at a new job or school, the same feelings can occur for your dog. This is why it is so important to acclimate your dog in a new setting.

At My Love Fur Paws, we require a six hour evaluation process. Once you have set up your profile online and we have verified your dog’s vaccines, we will schedule a day for your dog to come in for a temperament test. This allows us to get to know your dog and your dog to get to know us, our facility, our staff and the sights, smells and sounds of our place. The routine lasts six hours and we take it slow with your dog. Our staff is here to help your dog overcome fear of a new place. While not all dogs come in and are comfortable right away, we do our best to work with you and your dog by explaining to you on how your dog did at the end of their six hour stay. If your dog shows no signs of fear or stress, does well with our temperament tests dogs and plays well in group, then your dog will pass with flying colors. However, if your dog show signs of fear or stress, we will consult with you to either say this is not the right fit, or bring in for more daycare prior to full on play daycare or boarding. This will set your dog up for success.

Success for some starts slowly. The dog that shows signs of stress will be required to come in a minimum of three times prior to daycare or boarding. This allows your dog the opportunity to get familiar with staff, the facility and other friends. We want your dog to feel comfortable with us and for your dog to know that you will be coming back! This is extremely important. We never want a dog to feel left behind and that abandonment has happened. We want your dog to know that we are friends and we have a happy place where fun is to be had.

Here are some of the practices we follow so “fun” can happen:
• Your dog MUST come in a minimum of three times prior to daycare or boarding so we can take it slow with your dog and acclimate to our routine, staff and facility
• We build a bond with your dog. Trust is highly important and we want your dog to trust that we are friends and we are here to help.
• We introduce slowly in groups to ensure your dog feels safe and is not over stimulated. Dogs will pick up the energy and body language from a dog that lacks confidence and exudes anxious behavior. This is NOT good in a group setting as others dogs may react to this.
• We may recommend training to build your dog’s confidence.
• We recommend daily probiotics! Stress can weaken the immune system. Probiotics can help! We highly recommend administering a daily probiotic to support good gut health. 80% of your dog’s immune system starts in the gut. An all-natural pumpkin can help, Forti Flora, an all-natural, plain greek yogurt, goat’s milk or daily probiotic tablets can help as well.

This is why acclimating your dog is so important. There’s nothing worse than a dog coming in and feeling alone. We never want a dog to be unhappy at our facility. We are here to offer a safe place where your dog can thrive with humans and furry friends. In the end if your dog does not feel comfortable with us, we will be honest and tell you this is not the right fit. However, we do our very best to accommodate you and your dog. But the one thing we do not want is a dog getting sick from stress, destroying their suite or crate, causing injury from separation anxiety, biting a staff member out of fear or not playing well with others due to high levels of anxious behavior in a group setting.

Thank you for your understanding. Your friends at MLFP.