We use a Meet & Greet at All Dogs Dream for two different things.

Doggy DayCare Meet & Greets

When we have a Pet Parent interested in having their dog attend Doggy DayCare, we schedule a Meet & Greet to evaluate if we think their Furry Friend would enjoy the company of other dogs. Here’s what to expect when you attend a doggy daycare Meet & Greet.

1. We have the owner fill out a Pet Parent information sheet that tells us some about the dog. Our information sheet includes questions like:

• What type of personality do they have (are they laid back, outgoing, shy, etc.)?
• What do they enjoy doing (playing with a ball, playing fetch, just relaxing in your lap, etc.)? 
• Where/how does your dog enjoy “lovings” (belly scratches, scratches under the chin, does not enjoy being petted, etc.)?  

This Pet Parent Information sheet allows us to learn what your dog enjoys and does not enjoy at a glance.

1. We recommend leaving the dog with us for at least a few hours for the Meet & Greet.  This allows us to go at the dog’s pace and not feel the pressure of a time restraint.  We would love you to leave them with us for the entire day if that works well for your schedule. The Pet Parent can observe the evaluation process through a large window outside of the room if they want. Still, we do not allow the Pet Parent to be inside the room so that the dog will focus on just us to allow for a true evaluation because we all know that just like kids, our Furry Friends will act differently around us than they may for someone else.

2. When the dog comes in, we first take them into the training room (this is a room that is quiet and away from the other dogs). We allow them to walk around the room and relax for a little bit. Then we spend some time loving on them, allowing them to get to know the evaluator and start to play or love on us.  Once we feel like they are comfortable with the room and us, we will then have another staff member bring in a conditioned dog on a leash. A conditioned dog is a “regular,” a dog that is very used to other dogs and gets along with different dog personalities. We allow the new dog and the “regular” to smell each other, walk around (with each employee holding onto each dog’s leash) and watch the new dog’s body language very carefully to evaluate their reactions and comfort levels. Suppose both evaluators are completely comfortable with the new dog’s reactions and body language. In that case, they will drop the leash of the “regular” dog and continue to evaluate both dogs until they are comfortable dropping the new dog’s leash.  The time span of this process is very broad because no two dogs are the same. If everything goes well with the first “regular” introduction, another staff member will bring in a second conditioned dog. We then repeat the evaluation process. Depending on the dog, we may only bring in two conditioned dogs and allow them to play and get to know each other. After a while, we may bring in a third. Once both evaluators feel completely comfortable that the new dog will enjoy DayCare, they will slowly introduce them into our regular group to avoid overwhelming them.

3. Not every dog will enjoy the DayCare environment of playing with other dogs, and that is OKAY!  That does not mean they are not a good dog. It just means that they prefer the company of people and/or their Furry housemates. We do offer DayBoarding for those Furry Friends. We have an employee dedicated just to them! They spend time taking those dogs into our dedicated areas outside (or inside, depending on the weather) and playing with them!

Boarding Meet & Greets

When you are boarding your Furry Friend at a new place, it can be scary for them. It is a new environment and new people. When you schedule your dog’s boarding stay with us, if possible, we ask that you make a Meet & Greet appointment before the boarding date. We have found that doing this helps alleviate some of the anxiety that your pet may feel the first day.

1. If your Furry Friend is spayed or neutered and your feel like they will enjoy DayCare while boarding with us, then this is an excellent way for us to evaluate them without the anxiety of being left overnight for the first time. DayCare is included in our overnight boarding, and that allows them to play with other dogs all day while you are away.

2. If your Furry Friend is not spayed or neutered or does not enjoy the company of other dogs, that is OKAY, they can still board with us, but we still strongly recommend a Meet & Greet before their boarding stay. This allows them to get to know our facility and us. So, when their Pet Parent drops them off for an overnight stay, it makes it easier because they have already met some of our staff and know that our facility is not a scary place. For our non-daycare pets, Personalized Enrichment time is included in our overnight boarding.  We have dedicated staff for Personalized Enrichment time to allow for activities they enjoy and ensure that they receive plenty of exercise and “lovings” while their Pet Parent is away.

We look forward to meeting your Furry Friend!

Schedule a Meet & Greet Today!