Pet Boarding and Daycare September October 2018

VOL 8 • ED 5

SEPT / OCT 2018

WWW.PETBOARDINGANDDAYCARE.COM

and daycare magazine Profile of Success

CANINE

COUNTRY CLUB

BUILDING

VS BUYING NEW WHAT SHOULD

YOU DO?

INSIDE: ycar and da

e

EXPO

PROGRAM GUIDE PHOTO PROVIDED BY CANINE COUNTRY CLUB

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PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

3 SINCE 1927

STAFF PUBLISHER Barkleigh Productions, Inc.

and daycare magazine

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Rebecca Shipman

SEPTEMB ER / O CTO B E R 2 0 1 8

CONTENTS

ART DIRECTOR Laura Pennington SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jenn Barraclough JUNIOR DESIGNER Jenny Thomas WEB MASTER Luke Dumberth PRESIDENT Todd Shelly

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VICE PRESIDENT Gwen Shelly

CANINE COUNTRY CLUB: SUCCESS BY D.O.G.

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Adam Lohr

CREATE A TOP– NOTCH and daycare

EXPO

16

28

Preview & PROGRAM GUIDE Animal Health

6

44

50

Business 18 10 Ways Pet Boarding Facilities Can

Use Facebook Live as a Marketing Tool 22 How to Outshine Online Competitors

Know the Facts: Canine Infectious Cough (CIRDC) Pet Insurance: A Real Lifesaver

Industry News 54 New Products 54 Classifieds

Facility 40

4

ADMIN / MARKETING ASSISTANT Karin Grottola MARKETING COORDINATOR Alyx Robertson SOCIAL MEDIA / PR COORDINATOR Chelsey Hall

Business The Dog Daycare Reality Show

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & CLIENT RELATIONS James Severs

Buying vs Building New: What Should You Do?

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

CONTACT

General: (717) 691-3388 info@barkleigh.com Editorial: rebecca@barkleigh.com

(717) 691-3388 (ext. 225) Advertising: james@barkleigh.com

(717) 691-3388 (ext. 224)

Copyright September 2018. Pet Boarding & Daycare is published bimonthly by Barkleigh Productions, Inc, 970 West Trindle Road, Mechanicsburg PA 17055.

Postmaster: Send change of address to Pet Boarding & Daycare c/o Barkleigh Productions, Inc., 970 West Trindle Road, Mechanicsburg PA 17055. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

Editorial offices: 970 West Trindle Road, Mechanicsburg PA 17055. (717) 691–3388 FAX (717) 691–3381 Email: info@barkleigh.com

What’s your vision for the future of your business?

3 NO.

Questions to ask as you enter discussions with potential partners.

01

NO.

02

NO.

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Is it the right culture fit for your team?

Are there flexible deal structures?

How comprehensive are the support services?

As you begin considering your options for selling your pet resort business, it’s important to find a partner aligned with your values, respectful of the individuality of what you’ve built, and equipped to grow your business, while your team and culture remain intact.

Because selling your pet resort is such a personal decision, you’ll want to understand what types of options are available, and to what level they can tailor the terms to meet your needs.

As you contemplate transitioning your business, you’ll want to know every aspect is covered. Seek out a partner with a dedicated team seasoned in marketing (including digital advertising and social media strategy), web development and hosting, client satisfaction surveys, IT, HR, accounting, taxes, legal and more.

Ask around to find out which buyers have the best reputation for caring for pets and the people who love them.

ASK IF THE BUYER CAN: • Make all cash offers with no finance contingency • Offer Joint Venture partnerships for growth and flexibility • Buy the real estate outright or lease from you

NVA partners with over 600 flourishing Pet Resorts and Veterinary Hospitals in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Our passionate, visionary local pet resort and hospital leaders embody NVA’s unique entrepreneurial spirit. We’d be more than happy to talk through your questions and concerns. You can reach us at 888.767.7755 or acquisitions@NVAonline.com.

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

5

T HE

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

DOG RE

DAYCA

RE A LI TY

SHOW

By Fernando Camacho Welcome to everyone’s favorite program, The Dog Daycare Reality Show!

It’s where you can tune in every single day and see your favorite characters get into all kinds of different antics and situations.

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S

ometimes it's fun, sometimes there's drama and sometimes there are tears. You'll see the whole spectrum when you tune in to this particular show—and it's happening live, every single day inside your dog daycare.

The way to survive this show is to understand the players. If you know who they are, you can better understand what to expect from them so that you can create an environment that's not only happy for the dogs, but it's easy for you to manage.

Let's meet the cast.

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

THE GOOFBALL This is your super friendly, very social dog who just wants to play, play, play all day. That is his only agenda. His motive for anything is just entertainment and he just wants to have fun. These guys need a playmate. If he can find that match, he's very happy and will pretty much play all day. The problem occurs if there's not a dog with a compatible energy level for him. Then he becomes a little tricky because there's no one to give him the outlet that he needs. So then he becomes a pest to other dogs who don't want to play and can really stir things up

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

7

THE GOOFBALL He’s actually a dog that is ideal for daycare because he just wants to have fun and you’re doing his owners a great service in giving the pooch a way to release all that energy. with the pack.

As long as he has someone to play with, he's happy. He plays appropriately and he reads the other dog's body language well. He's actually a dog that is ideal for daycare because he just wants to have fun and you're doing his owners a great service in giving the pooch a way to release all that energy.

THE FUN POLICE This is a dog who's not actively engaging in play with any of the other dogs. He's kind of an outsider who Dick with Ace, Ruthie & Gaston

feels he needs to intercede when other dogs are playing. He's watching from a distance and always monitoring what's going on. His problem is that he gets uncomfortable when the energy gets

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step in front of him and cut him off

As the person in there monitoring the pack, you're going to make sure you're watching him as best as you can in a group environment to try to stop him before he intercedes. When you notice him getting visibly bothered, before he engages. You're trying to teach him that he doesn't have to react, and if that energy does continue, nothing bad will really happen—he

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THE FUN

POLICE He’s kind of an outsider who feels he needs to intercede when other dogs are playing. He’s watching from a distance and always monitoring what’s going on.

can be okay with it and not have to always step in.

THE GRUMP This is an antisocial dog who doesn't want to be bothered by the other dogs.

He's kind of being forced to go to daycare. The Grump really doesn't like dogs entering his personal space or specifically getting in his face. He's got his little bubble of space and doesn't want anyone to invade it. As long as everyone stays away from him, he's usually fine.

But once they enter his bubble, he is not happy about it and he is not shy about letting everybody know.

Most of the time this guy can be managed, but I would say he might not be the perfect fit for daycare. If he's not really enjoying his time there and you're not seeing an improvement over time (like he's getting more tolerant of the other dogs), then I would make a determination if he should stay there.

THE CLINGER This guy is a people–focused dog that tends to follow the humans around like crazy and is dependent upon their attention. He's there, but he doesn't

cause any trouble with the other dogs— he just wants nothing to do with them.

Typically he will just be indifferent to them; ignoring them completely.

We want him to be comfortable on his own, in any environment. This is tough because you might not even realize this guy is stuck to you like glue and that you're giving affection to unhealthy behavior. So just be very aware of it and give him a little tough love in this environment, and be more businesslike with him when he's orbiting you. Being at daycare can help him because he's already been detached from his owner. You just need to cut the cord with you in the pack to begin to improve his human dependency.

THE LONER This guy just keeps to himself and doesn't interact with the other dogs.

Unlike The Clinger, he doesn't really care about the people in the pack either.

The Loner just wants to be by himself at daycare. If dogs come up to him, he's fine, but he's not really going out of his way to interact with anyone. He's not nasty about it, but it's obvious he prefers to be by himself. The other dogs realize this too and tend to leave him alone for the most part.

You just don't want to push him. We don't want to force him to be interactive with the group or even with you.

We want to make sure we respect his wishes, and if he wants to be left alone, that's fine. Keep dogs from bothering him too much and if you feel he's getting a little bit more attention than he really wants, make sure that his space is respected. Hopefully over time he may become more social.

THE AMBASSADOR This is the friendly, easy going dog that gets along with everyone—both people and dogs. He's very well socialized and not much really affects him.

If the pack gets fired up, he doesn't get sucked in and fired up with everyone

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TH E

SHY GU Y When in the daycare environment, this guy is uncomfortable but we can help him feel a little more secure by letting him know that you have his back.

else. If there's an altercation, he doesn't pile on like everybody else. If someone's grumpy to him, he doesn't get grumpy back. He says, “whatever,” and just shakes it off.

This is a great dog go have in your business. I mean, we wish we had a daycare full of ambassadors because it would make your job effortless.

You don't have to focus on them as much and they're just a pleasure to be around. This is a great dog to use for evaluations. When you're not sure how another dog is going to do at daycare (maybe this is their first time at daycare), you want to start him off with The Ambassador.

THE SHY GUY This guy is anxious, maybe even a bit fearful and is overwhelmed by the dog daycare environment and everything that comes with it. He's a little tricky because again, we have to ask the question,

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is this the right environment for him?

When in the daycare environment, this guy is uncomfortable but we can help him feel a little more secure by letting him know that you have his back.

If he needs space, you need to make sure he gets it. Make sure that the other dogs don't do things that he doesn't like as much as possible and help him keep his bubble of comfort.

THE WILDCARD This guy is a little tricky—sometimes they're great, other times they're nothing but a headache. The annoying thing is that it can be hard to predict when he's going to be good and when he'll be a nightmare. Typically these dogs are reactive to what's around them, so a lot of time their behavior is dependent upon the other dogs in the group. If we have a dog with a lot of energy or that is pushing his buttons, the Wildcard becomes a pain in the butt. If we have a good pack, then all of a sudden he does well too.

Much of the time, making him take breaks at the right times can keep him in check so that he's not ending up being a jerk at the end of things. This is a dog that is very tricky because he'll do good one day and not the other. Over time, you're going to have to determine if this dog is right for the daycare or if he is just stressing out your staff.

THE MAMMA'S BOY This guy has been spoiled like crazy by his owners, causing him to become very dependent upon them. The Mamma's Boy does not want to be in daycare whatsoever. He wants to be basically sewn to his owner's lap or leg and does not want to leave him/her—ever. A lot of times these guys will just sit by the door.

They'll just run back and forth nervously trying to get out the entire time they're at daycare. He's just basically looking at his watch saying, “when the hell is my mom or dad coming back?”

If you can manage them and don't mind their behavior, you can keep them

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

13

He’s always causing problems in the pack and is the dog that demands a good amount of your attention. He’s the dog that when he shows up, your entire staff says, “Oh crap,” because they know they’re about to have the

THE PUNK there. Just understand that it's unlikely to get better over time. You want to communicate that to the owner as well. Be honest if the dog is not enjoying himself here.

THE MOUNTER Sadly, this guy is pretty common in daycare groups. He is annoyingly persistent with mounting certain dogs.

Typically he won't do it to all dogs

longest three hours of their life. (although they can) but target specific dog(s). Who knows why they pick these dogs to hump and not others—I can't figure it out. We'll never know why, all we can do is try to address it.

To get dogs to stop, it really requires close supervision. The good thing about mounting is that you can see a dog getting in position to do it. If you catch them early, you can get them to stand down. You

start with a verbal sound and then move in between the two dogs and back the mounter away. Hopefully, over time, just a verbal will stop them, but you're going to have to intercede in the beginning until you have done enough repetitions for him to get that you don't want him doing that.

THE PUNK This guy is very assertive and a trou-

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blemaker. He's always causing problems in the pack and is the dog that demands a good amount of your attention. He's the dog that when he shows up, your

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entire staff says, “Oh crap,” because they know they’re about to have the longest three hours of their life. This dog doesn't

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listen well at all.

This guy needs a lot of structure and a very businesslike relationship— something they are probably lacking at home. When I do consulting at daycares, they always have The Punks come in that day and, at the end of it, I almost always tell them that those dogs are not right for daycare. They are

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fit into your environment. It all starts by understanding them and now you know what to do to best work with each individual personality type.

Good luck and have fun with those pooches. n Fernando Camacho is a dog behavior consultant, author, speaker, educator and all-around dog guy. With The FernDog Trainer Academy (www.

FernDogTraining.com), his online program to become a successful dog trainer, he helps people realize their dreams of working with dogs as a career. Fern also created an online dog business coaching program, The DogBiz Rocketship (www. dogbizrocketship.com), where he works with dog daycares, boarding facilities and grooming salons to take their businesses to new levels of success.

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

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T

and daycare

EXPO

2 0 18

THE LEARNING & SHOPPING

EVENT OF THE YEAR RETURNS TO HERSHEY, PA

With the largest industry tradeshow yet, the top industry speakers and cutting-edge professional pet care educational programs, the 2018 Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo is one not to miss.

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PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

his year’s expo features many brand new, progressive programs that are a must–see for all pet care professionals in the boarding and daycare industry. With a focus on facility design, moving your business forward and disease prevention, the 2018 Pet Boarding & Daycare Expo has something for everyone—from employees new to the industry to veteran owners/managers.

To kick off the expo, a fun and inspiring keynote address will be given Monday night by facility owner, trainer and pet industry consultant, Phillip Paris. Phillip’s presentation, “Guiding Principles for Success in Today’s Pet Care Industry” will leave attendees with relevant and actionable information that can immediately transform any business to a higher level. Following the Keynote Address will be a fun and relaxing meet & greet party, hosted by National Kennel Sales and Live Oak Bank which will feature appetizers and a bar.

Seminars will begin Tuesday morning and run through Thursday afternoon, with plenty of time on Wednesday and Thursday to attend the tradeshow. This year’s tradeshow will be the largest yet, featuring nearly sixty vendors showcasing their products and services for all things boarding and daycare!

Also, be sure to sign up for the Round Table Luncheons held on Wednesday and Thursday which will give you a chance to swap stories and ideas with some of your industry peers.

Some of the brand new seminars being featured are Dr. Boyd’s twohour “First Aid for Your Facility”, Robin Bennett’s “Creating a Puppy Program”, Mark Moore’s “Taking the Fear out of Expansion”, Colleen Pelar’s “Demystifying Dog Bites”,

November 5-8, 2018 Al Locker’s two-hour “Integrating the Business Plan and Facility Design” and Jamie Migdal’s “Turning Customer Service into Customer (and Business) Success”. With something for all levels of pet professionals going on at all times, you are sure to get the most of this year’s expo!

The brand new certification program, “Professional Pet Boarding Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Certification” will be making its east coast debut on Tuesday afternoon.

This program is the first in a series of Professional Pet Boarding Certifications, which is collaboration of Barkleigh Productions (Pet Boarding & Daycare magazine) and

HERSHEY LODGE & CONVENTION CENTER

The Outstanding Pet Care Learning Center. This particular program has the most up to date information on Canine Infectious Respiratory Diseases, including Canine Cough and Canine Flu, and is designed for pet care facility owners, managers and staff to educate them on the causes, prevention and treatment of these illnesses, as well as how to respond to an outbreak.

Also available on Tuesday afternoon is Laurie Wagner’s “Quiet Dog Daycare Workshop”, which is a three part, four hour program designed to help dog professionals help & retain more dogs—and make more money! Learn ‘how to speak dog’ in order to get your playgroups under control for a more

enjoyable, controlled environment.

With all of the new and innovative seminars being offered, the enormous tradeshow and fun events, it will be well worth it for anyone in the boarding or daycare industry to attend this year’s expo. n

To register for the expo & for additional information, go to www.PetBoardingExpo.com

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BUSINESS

PE T BO A RD IN G

FA C IL IT IE S PET BOARDING

FACILITIES

CAN USE CAN USE

By Jen Phillips April

In the crowded pet boarding market, it’s essential to set yourself apart from your competition. One way you can do that is through a simple piece of video technology called Facebook Live.

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PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

I

n case you’re not familiar with it, Facebook Live is an easy–to–use feature that exists right within the Facebook app on your phone. With the touch of a button it allows you to “go live” and talk directly to your audience on Facebook. People can say “hi” to you and ask questions in real time. Plus, it lives on in your feed after you’re done so people can see it even if they missed it “live.”

It requires no tech skills and because video feels more personal than a Facebook post, it has the power to easily build that all important like / know / trust factor that your clients require.

While the following can pertain to any video, there are extra benefits to using Facebook Live. One of those benefits is you get a little extra boost from the Facebook algorithm (meaning more of your followers will see it.) Plus, with 100 million internet users watching live video every day, it’s clear the demand for live video is only going to increase.

Consider these statistics: • Social media video achieves 1200% more shares than text and image COMBINED. • Businesses who use video find a 41% increase in web traffic.

• Users watch Facebook Live videos 3x longer than non–live videos.

And if that isn’t enough to catch your attention, throw into the mix that the internet is expected to be primarily video driven by 2020.

Besides, as pet caretakers, you have the perfect subject matter. Yet, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear from small business owners like yourselves is “What would I talk about?”

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Here are 10 topic ideas for your next (or first) Facebook Live at your facility: Give a Tour of Your Facility.

You probably give tours when potential clients first stop by, why

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

19

not give one virtually? This way, all your Facebook followers can see your reception area, your play area, your kennels, etc.

Bonus points if you say hello and introduce yourself. Your future clients want to know who’s caring for their pets!

Introduce Staff Members. A smile, a wave and a short introduction can go a long way towards making people feel comfortable. Keep it simple with a staff member introduction of the week or you can have one or two primary staff members help you with ongoing Facebook Lives.

Offer a Q&A. What are the most frequently asked questions your human clients ask? Make a list and answer them on camera. Questions about pick up and drop off times, play times and feeding schedules all are good fodder for your Facebook Live.

Introduce the Pets. Cats and dogs rule the internet which means you have excellent resources. Why not hit your Facebook Live button and show us your charges? Do you have a social butterfly who’s the hit of the play

area, or a lazy Sam who naps the day away under the desk? Introduce Them!

Share your “Behind the Scenes”. What’s it like on a typical day at your doggie day care? Take your audience through it. Share any special activities you do with the dogs, or your feeding or bedtime routine.

Highlight Your Accomplishments. If you go to a seminar or conference, go “Live” and tell them something you learned that would benefit your facility and the pets you care for.

Recommend Another Business That Serves Your Target Market. Do you always recommend a specific dog groomer when your clients ask? Then go live and recommend them on camera. You can drop the link to their website or Facebook page in the comments when you’re done. (Hint: Invite the business to do the same for you.)

Share The Top Toys. Which pet toys are the most popular?

Around the holidays, the internet is teeming with “top dog toys” and “top

Pet Business Success!

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PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

cat toys” lists. You can go one better by showing us on camera which ones your brood likes the best.

Share Tips on Pet Care. You’re an animal care expert; share tips that people would find valuable.

Anything from safe ways to clean your dog’s ears to tricks to pilling a cat are great fodder. If you do enough of these you’ll be seen as the area’s pet specialist within just a few months.

Introduce Happy Clients.

You know those loyal clients you love? Ask them if they’re willing to say a few nice words about you on camera. You can do it “selfie style” by showing both of your faces in the screen, introducing yourself and your client and asking why he/she chose your facility.

As you can see, these are simple ideas that you can easily implement with your phone and the Facebook app.

Sure, you might feel a little awkward or nervous during your first couple of “Lives”, but just call it practice and keep going. Most people are surprised by how much fun they have once they get past the first–time jitters.

How to Incorporate Facebook Live into Your Marketing Strategy Choose a schedule you can commit to meeting. Whether you do a Facebook Live once a week or every day is up to you, but if you want quicker growth, I’d recommend doing them daily or at least every other day for 3–4 weeks.

Then you can cut down to twice a week.

If you have a waiting list already, then once a week will keep you top of mind.

Doing live video is the fastest and most cost–effective way to set yourself apart in a competitive market like pet boarding and doggie daycare. You’ll know it’s working when you start getting more messages and recognized in the grocery store. Keep going. Your business will thank you. n

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HOW TO

ONLINE

COMPETITORS

By Laura Laaman

Technology continues to affect the way business is done, and the pet care industry is no exception.

We’re now faced with a powerful new class of competitors: those who’ve tapped into the thriving frontier of digital apps.

22

T

hese fast–growing companies have quickly amassed huge resources, client bases and competitive presences across the United States (and soon, internationally). However, brick–and–mortar pet care facilities have solid advantages over these new competitive giants—if leveraged correctly.

You’re Competing with the Big Dogs Now Rover.com is a Seattle–based company founded in 2011. Within one year, pet parents across all 50 states were using the Rover.com app. This location– based program offers dog boarding, inhouse sitting, dog daycare, dog walking and drop–in visits by alleged certified employees. As of 2017, Rover.com had more than 200,000 sitters, with more than 100% year–over–year growth

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

since its inception.

Rover.com acquired early competitor, DogVacay.com in 2017, with combined bookings earning over $300 million last year. And Rover.com seems to be on a path of continued growth. In May 2018, a round of funding brought in $155 million, money Rover.com plans to use for international expansion.

Wag! is a similar location–based app, created in 2015 in Los Angeles.

Tech–focused venture capitalists have poured millions of dollars in funding into both Wag! and Rover.com, with more than $200 million funneled into the two companies last year.

These companies are aggressive rivals, with ads attacking brick–and–mortar pet care. Upon a Google search you might see such pointed ads as “RoverNo More Kennels,” and descriptions

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of Rover users as “Dog Lovers” who choose “Home–Based Care Instead of in a Cage.”

What Attracts Pet Parents to These Apps?

Smartphones and digital apps provide undeniable convenience to pet parents. By searching their location, pet parents can see listings of all nearby sitters, complete with rates, reviews from other pet parents and photos. All it takes is a few taps to schedule services with a local sitter, whose hyper–local, personalized profile lends feelings of warmth and realness.

How to Compete & Thrive Standing out against your appbased rivals means emulating their strengths while promoting your superior services. Here are some of the best ways to enter the ring: Strong Website. Your website is your interface with the digital world where your app–based competitors live.

To carve out your position in the online space, a high–performing website is a critical tool. However, a strong website isn’t enough. You’ll need compelling and competitively superior text as well as imagery and proven, powerful “ Calls to Action.”

Excellent Phone–Based Sales.

Even in this digital world, the telephone is your primary channel of business and your greatest advantage over apps. Why? Pet parents have such a strong emotional connection to their pet, they are looking for emotional and intellectual reasons to trust a new provider. Would you book a child daycare service without talking to someone or seeing the daycare facility? Therefore, pet parents generally call to check you out or stop in for a tour. The people who answer your phones need to be well–trained and measured to ensure a quality experience for each new client and a high conversion rate (inquiry to phone call),

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

25

DOGS ARE

With facilities and staffing designed for social play, pet care facilities offer a safer and more exciting social experience than at–home sitters.

capitalizing on your marketing budget.

Once you have a strong phone sales team, your marketing efforts—from your website to brochures—should be generating new leads and driving them to your phone lines. A highly–trained and monitored phone sales team, aware of the competitive nature of app–based companies, is a secret weapon.

Adequate Marketing Spend. Due to incredibly fast and widespread growth, Rover.com and Wag! have immense marketing resources. Aggressive marketing campaigns put apps ahead in many competitive markets, and you might have to amp up your marketing spend to stay in the game. However, it’s often unwise to try and outspend your app–based competitors and their deep pockets. By monitoring your marketing and investing appropriately, you can stay at the forefront of pet parents’ minds.

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have an inherent advantage over app-based companies: the social environment of play with other dogs. With facilities and staffing designed for social play, pet care facilities offer a safer and more exciting social experience than at–home sitters. By highlighting this advantage, you can remind pet parents why your facility is the most fulfilling & fun place for their pets.

Promote Your Quality Care. Your facility was built for happy and healthy dogs—remind your customers everything you do to make yours the best pet care facility possible. Exciting activities and play structures are more fun than at-home boarding. Your carefully trained staff use only the best practices and protocols.

Utilize Your Client Base. Your loyal, trusting client base knows you and your staff by face and name. Using relationship-based marketing tactics can leverage your existing client base;

a population of pet parents whose hearts you’ve already won. Referral programs, especially by email, can be a powerful tool in generating new business. This proven concept has worked for such prominent companies as Uber and Plated.

Stay Connected. Another important step in keeping customers connected to you is for them to use multiple services for their pet. When a customer first calls, they’re usually focused on only one service. After they’ve checked out for that first service, you may consider cross-marketing efforts including outbound phone calls.

Making outbound calls promoting additional services can bring customers back sooner.

More than anything else, don’t be afraid of change! In an ever–changing environment, the strongest competitors are the ones who adapt. n

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

Laura Laaman is president of Outstanding Pet Care. Outstanding Pet Care guarantees to substantially increase the revenues of its clients with its proven services. If you’re interested in growing your revenues, schedule an individual consultation with Laura Laaman or one of her team members. Call Outstanding Pet Care at 1-888-735-5667 or go to www.OutstandingPetCare.com.

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CREATE A TOP–NOTCH

By Amy Castro

28

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

H

ire for attitude. Train for skill,” is a philosophy of many customer–focused organizations. However, too many organizations don’t provide the structure or effective training programs to actually accomplish the “train for skill” part. Once you’ve got that great employee hired, you have to provide high-quality training—especially customer service training—and follow up on that training to ensure employees are implementing the skills they learned.

There are many factors that go into creating an employee customer service training program, but here are some steps to get you started: 1. Identify what types of client interactions your employees will encounter. There’s no point in sending employees to telephone skills training or having a phone skills trainer come into your boarding or daycare facility if the employees attending spend little to no time on the phone with your clients. It’s critical that you look at how each employee spends his or her time interacting with clients and train accordingly.

Will the employee be your clients’ “first contact” at the front desk when they check their pet in for a week-long stay or when they drop off for daycare?

Does the employee spend a good part of the day on the phone confirming appointments, or is he or she responsible for your email marketing campaigns and social media, with client contact happening virtually in writing? If more than one type of contact applies, what percentage of the employee’s time will be spent on each? Once you identify the need, you can start searching for the appropriate customer service training.

2. Identify what your clients expect from your employees.

Hopefully you’ve already done this

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

29

SEEK YOUR EMPLOYEES’ INPUT Let your employees research training opportunities and present you with the information for you to

discuss. This empowers employees to take a role in creating the direction for their careers.

as part of your hiring process. But if you haven’t, you’ll need to know what your clients expect from your employees and your facility. Is it punctuality?

Friendliness? Courtesy? Scheduling skills?

Organization skills? Technical skills?

It’s easy to say that all clients expect all of these. However, the reality is, your business type, focus, size, geographic location and other factors impact your client base as well as your clients’ needs and expectations.

A pet resort in a big city like Los

Angeles will likely have clients with different expectations than a boarding facility in a small town in Georgia.

Knowing what your clients expect will help you identify if your employees need training in time management, etiquette, conflict resolution or other customer service skills.

3. Find quality training programs that are aligned with your business.

There are so many approaches to training these days it can be hard to identify what direction you should take. Should

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you seek online programs? If so, should they be self–paced or live–scheduled?

What about those $99 all–day, off–site mass seminars offered by the big, international training companies? Or should you hire a trainer to come to your location and present a customized program just for your staff? The answer will depend on your employees’ schedules, learning styles, your budget, and your employees’ willingness and ability to implement skills learned.

Either way, be sure to get references, check out testimonials, and confirm that the training you’re purchasing contains quality content that is taught by a subject–matter expert, and that the content will help you achieve your goals. Additionally, be sure that the training is in sync with your business’s values, policies and procedures.

4. Create training plans for each position in your business. Just like every position in your business should have a clear and specific written job description, every job should also have a sequenced list of required training and a time–line for completion for an employee to be considered “competent” in customer service for that position. Training shouldn’t be one–size–fits–all. If you do steps 1 and 2 above correctly, you’ll quickly realize that your dog handlers and kennel attendants will likely need different customer service training than your front desk receptionists.

Additionally, it’s a great idea to also seek your employees’ input about what skills they think are needed to perform their jobs optimally. Let your employees

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research training opportunities and present you with the information for you to discuss. This empowers employees to take a role in creating the direction for their careers.

5. Reinforce training once employees have completed it. It’s always amazing to me that business owners and managers will send employees to training and then never follow up with the employees once they’ve completed training. If you want to make the most out of the money you spend on training your employees, follow up.

Here are some things you can do: • Meet with employees once they’ve completed training to find out what their top take-aways are and how they plan to implement what they’ve learned.

• Ask employees to present an overview of the training at your next staff meeting and share with your team how everyone can implement new

processes and procedures they learned.

• Have employees who are thoroughly trained and who have embraced the lessons learned act as mentors to new employees. It’s critical that new staff members have a great role model to follow in creating the face of your business.

• Reward those who complete training and implement new skills.

Good work that gets recognized is likely to be continued!

6. Don’t forget to seek training for yourself. The greatest training in the world will not help your employees if you don’t set the example for great customer service behavior yourself.

Employees are not going to “do as you say, not as you do.” They’re going to follow the example you set. Therefore, if you’re not modeling great service behavior and participating in the same or similar training as they are, they’ll never embrace the new skills learned and your

training money will be wasted. n Amy Castro is a communication, customer service and management expert, speaker, author, and animal advocate.

She holds Master’s Degree in Communication Studies/Human Communication Theory and is Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). Amy is also the author of the books “Practical Communication,” and “The Secrets of Effective Leadership Communication.” Amy’s passion for working with animals started when she worked for a veterinarian/boarding kennel/groomer, and she’s been an active shelter volunteer and foster for many years and has personally fostered more than 500 abandoned pets. In 2017, she started Starlight Outreach and Rescue, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to helping Houston area animal shelters provide resources for pets in need.

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33

PROFILE OF SUCCESS

SUCCESS BY

D.O.G.

By Kathy Hosler

34

Photos provided by “Canine Country Club”

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

The Canine Country Club, located in Manheim, Pennsylvania, is a family owned and operated pet resort that offers boarding, daycare and grooming/spa services.

It had a humble origin, but has grown into two bustling locations.

F

ounders and co–owners Gary and Kim Buchen credit their success to their strong faith, work ethic and love of animals. "From the very beginning our motto was D.O.G; Depend On God," says Kim. In 1991, Kim started a pet grooming business in their four–bay garage that Gary renovated for her. A few years later, Kim taught their daughter, Dashia, how to groom and their business started booming. Soon they began keeping dogs owned by friends and family, and the first section exclusively for boarding pets was built.

As their business grew bigger, the Buchen's kept expanding. They added the

main Canine Country Club lobby and additional luxury pet suites and condos. Their spotless, climate controlled rooms have heated floors and tempered glass doors, and most of them have their own patios.

Later, to accommodate their growing doggie daycare, Dashia and Kim designed the newest addition, The Clubhouse.

Between boarding and daycare, they were caring for over 10,000 dogs and cats a year. The Country Club was operating at full capacity, but demand for their services was still growing. You would never believe that it all started in a garage!

It became increasingly apparent that they needed to open a second location.

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

35

THE WINDSOR

“We learned what worked and what didn’t at the Club, and we incorporated that knowledge into the planning and building of the Windsor.”

— Dashia Stauffer (Co–Owner)

Now in addition to the Canine Country Club, they also have their newly opened Windsor location just seven miles away.

The family stays hands–on in their ever expanding business. Gary and Kim live on location at the original Canine Country

36

Club site in their restored 1800's farm house. Daughter Dashia and son–in–law Cody Stauffer (also co–owners) can be found daily at one or both of the resorts.

"Each location is situated on ten beautiful country acres," says co–owner,

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

Dashia. "The Windsor was designed and built from the ground up. It was very exciting. We learned what worked and what didn't at the Club, and we incorporated that knowledge into the planning and building of the Windsor."

"Over 1,000 people came out to the grand opening of the Windsor on May 5th and 6th, 2018," says Tracy Musser.

"We are in a very rural area, not a big city, so we were really excited to have such a huge turnout."

When you step into the immense lobby of the 20,000 sq.ft. Windsor location, you are greeted by a relaxing fireplace and a gorgeous baby grand player piano.

Adjacent to the lobby is their spectacular indoor pool. It has everything a canine guest could want: an inviting beach entry, jets for therapy swimming, bubblers and fountains. It's open year round. They also have a 16' x 32' outdoor pool that operates during the summer months.

The canine guests can even invite their owners to join in the fun.

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Both the Club and the Windsor board dogs and cats, have daycare and offer grooming/spa services. Together, they can care for upwards of

300 PETS A DAY.

dogs and cats, have daycare and offer grooming/spa services. Together, they can care for upwards of 300 pets a day. All the dogs who board with them start with the basic package, then the owners can select additional services from a large list of activities. They actually get to design their pet's vacation. For example, the Windsor's Favorites Activity Package includes a daily

fifteen minute nature walk, a fifteen minute extra recess, wake up wags, ice cube treats every other day and a peanut butter Kong.

"One of the most popular activities is the nature walk," says Co–owner, Cody Stauffer. "With all of our roomy acres to explore, the dogs love it. Even the cats can enjoy a nature walk. A staff member carries them in a backpack that

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has a large screen window."

Pet guests can also have specially prepared treats and can add on group play. Boarding dogs enjoy a full or half–day of daycare at the Club. There are also evening playgroups where the owners can participate and play with the dogs—almost like a dog park.

The Club also hosts daycare parties.

Their most popular one is the Bark 2 School party. Professional photographers come in and take head shots of all the dogs, just like school kids take for a yearbook. The owners love it!

WAGS is the daycare program at the Windsor. "We don't do all–day playgroups," says manager, Tracy Musser.

"We have 65 rooms that are reserved specifically for the daycare dogs. Each dog has a room where they can settle in, get breakfast, have a potty break and then be matched up with the best playgroup. They play together for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon in our spacious real grass or artificial turf yards.

In-between the sessions, they can relax in a climate controlled atmosphere."

"It's an enrichment style of daycare," says co–owner, Dashia Stauffer. "We focus on skills that make the dogs more

"We have over 50 employees.

They have all received

EXTENSIVE

TRAINING

in animal behavior, handling and communication.”

— Cody Stauffer (Co-Owner) well–rounded—like sit and stay and waiting at doors before going through them. It's making their days more educational—not just a free–for–all play day. We definitely see the industry going this direction. We jumped on board with it.”

"Not every daycare dog can be a WAGS program dog," continues Dashia.

"There is an enrollment process. Dogs that are accepted in the program get one hour of playtime and one hour of activity play where we do mental games with them. And, they also get a focus session where we work with two dogs and one staff member to practice a skill."

Cats are cared for and pampered at both locations. At the Club, comfortable, individually vented villas provide soothing music, a large observation window and free time out of their condo.

Whiskers Away at the Windsor is a cozy and quiet feline paradise located on the second floor. The feline guests can enjoy a room with a view and daily playroom time. They can also schedule various activities like cuddle time and laser pointer games.

The Fur Studio and The Windsor Spa offer full grooming and spa services.

Owners can schedule grooming services for their pets while they are staying at the resorts, or by appointment any other time.

"Our staff is a critical part of the success of the Country Club Resort and the Windsor.” says co–owner, Cody Stauffer.

"We have over 50 employees. They have all received extensive training in animal behavior, handling and communication.

We all work as a team. No one is too important to clean up poop.”

"Our website, www.cccresorts.com, is our biggest source of advertising," Tracy says. "And, our social media presence reaches a lot of current and potential clients. They get really involved and love seeing what we post on Facebook."

Even though their Windsor location has just opened, plans are already in the works for a two-story addition. The first

floor will feature an indoor park in the center with canine guest rooms all along the outside border. The upstairs will be designed to look like a street in New York City that will be lined with suites and penthouse rooms.

From a humble garage to two luxury pet resorts, the Buchen family has followed their dreams and worked tirelessly to create the ultimate pet vacation destinations.

"Everything we have accomplished has been a direct result of our motto," say Kim and Gary emphatically, "D.O.G. Depend on God!" n

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VS VS

NEW: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

NEW

NEW: WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? WHAT SHOULD

YOU DO?

By Craig McAllester

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

I get this kind of question all the time. Clients want a

1

clear-cut answer, but all too often in life, things are not so cut and dried. This is one of those instances.

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

40

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

1

I

remember the ‘S&L crisis’ of the late 1980’s. Once resolved, there were banks on nearly every corner

with “For Sale” signs out on their lawn.

I lived in Phoenix at the time, and they seemed to take over the landscape.

Back then, buying vs building new was really clear–cut for those of whom could fit their new business inside a bank building. I designed quite a number of offices, veterinary hospitals and more in those empty bank buildings back then. There was always a concern as to what should be done with those huge vault doors. The thick concrete walls that surrounded the vaults took up so much space, and the cost of demolition was high.

When you are thinking of buying a property today for your kennel, you

True, you are buying a building that is existing, so you won’t need to wait months for your building to be built, but there is still work to be done.

The sale should be made contingent

cleaning water in your new kennel,

upon the use being approved.

building new allows you to slope the

If the building clears zoning, has

new floor to your choosing. Buying an

the right location, has enough space for

existing building, however, makes that

fenced turn–out yards, has room to grow

a little more difficult, but it can still be

and has the right price, then there is a

done. The old floor is often broken out

good chance that you can make it work.

and a new sloping floor is poured after

However, if there is a huge concrete safe

the new drains are installed.

that has a 20 ton door in the middle of

Is the roof sound? Look at the

the building, then your build–out costs

ceiling tiles inside the building and

will start to rise, and rise fast!

see how many water marks you see. If

Along those same lines, if you

only one or two, you’ll probably be fine

plan to use floor drains to collect the

with some minor repairs. If those water

should consider these same things, and more. True, you are buying a building that is existing, so you won’t need to wait months for your building to be

K-9 II & K-9 III

built, but there is still work to be done.

Start first by hiring a commercial realtor. This is not a person who sells homes.

Commercial realtors have an understand-

BLOWER-DRYERS now both available in

ing of all sorts of things that don't come into play when buying a house.

VARIABLE SPEED!

Zoning is a good example. Is your new–found building in a zoning district that will permit a kennel use? Every municipality in this country has its own zoning ordinance. The next town over may permit a kennel in a C–2 zoning district, but your town may not. If your building is located in a C–2 district, you would be well advised to look elsewhere.

A good commercial realtor will research your use (a kennel) and know where to look for the right piece of real estate to fit your needs. Likewise, the realtor would not want you to make a large down payment on the sale of the building until the use has been approved.

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marks are in every room, then you

A lot of the materials used in the

So, what should you do, buy or

might want to pay a roofing contractor

construction of the existing building

build? Really, it depends on what is

to evaluate your fabulous find.

will need to be replaced or protected

available and what fits your needs at the

from cleaning water. This adds cost that

time. There really is no cut and dried

is often not considered.

answer. Consider all your options and all

Is the building itself sound? Look around the outside for cracks. Again, a few might not be a problem, but if there

How will the animals circulate from

the best in your new kennel. n

are too many cracks in the exterior

the kennels to the outdoor yards? Will they

walls, that may be the reason for the

need to cross a parking lot? That could be

Craig L. McAllester, President, Craig

price being right.

dangerous and should be considered.

L. McAllester, Inc, is a kennel designer, and the author of several books, the latest of which is, Boarding Kennels: The Design Process. He has been designing veterinary hospitals, boarding kennels, animal shelters, police, military, and U.S. Department of HomeLand Security/ Boarder Patrol working dog kennels, here in the United States of America, and in countries around the world, since 2003.

Craig may be contacted at 877-234-2301.

Email: Craig@KennelDesignUSA.com Website: www.KennelDesignUSA.com

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ANIMAL HEALTH

KNOW THE FACTS:

CANINE

INFECTIOUS

COUGH

By Michelle Evason, BSc DVM DACVIM & Jason Stull, VMD, MPVM, PhD, DACVPM

Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) is known by many names, the most common being ‘kennel cough’. It has recently been defined as a syndrome (spectrum of clinical signs) in dogs, and is associated with a number of bacteria and viruses.

A

cute onset of a harsh cough is the hallmark of CIRDC, and dogs may have concurrent sneezing, ocular (eye) or nasal discharge (or both). Typically, dogs improve within 7–10 days with basic nursing care, and the disease does not generally require extensive diagnostic testing or specific drug therapy.

Who gets it and why?

This is a very common clinical syndrome in dogs, and frequently related to infection with one or more combinations of the following bacteria

44

and viruses: Bacterial causes: Bordetella bronchiseptica, Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus and Mycoplasma spp.

Other animal species, including cats, can be infected with these bacteria.

Viral causes: Canine adenovirus 2, canine distemper virus, canine respiratory coronavirus, canine influenza viruses, canine herpesvirus and canine parainfluenza virus.

Can people get sick with it?

Human infection from dogs is unlikely; infections with Bordetella

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

bronchiseptica have rarely been reported in people (generally those who are highly immunocompromised).

How is it spread (transmitted)?

Most commonly, infection is spread directly from the respiratory tract (nose, throat) of one infected dog to another. Gastro–intestinal shedding (from feces) may occur with distemper virus.

Transmission may also occur through contaminated fomites, such as bedding, grooming equipment or human hands.

High-density canine housing (e.g. boarding facilities, shelters, doggie

PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

45

SIGNS OF

THE DISEASE

LOOK FOR • HONKING COUGH • GAGGING • RETCHING • VOMITING • NASAL DISCHARGE • OCULAR DISCHARGE • MILD FEVER

daycare, kennels) or events with large dog groups (e.g. dog shows, puppy classes) with frequent dog mingling and interactions increase risk of both exposure and transmission. Veterinary hospitals are another source of infection between dogs.

Time to infection is short for most bacterial and viral pathogens (2-10 days), and co–infection (multiple bacteria and viruses involved in one dog) is common.

Many CIRDC pathogens can be present without clinical disease, which presents a challenge for diagnosis and prevention, i.e. bacteria or viruses can be present incidentally and without obvious disease signs.

The majority of the pathogens involved in CIRDC are short–lived in the environment. Different pathogens vary in importance based on geographic location and sometimes season.

honking cough is classically reported or

What should I look for?

(Signs of disease) In dogs, the ‘goose honk’, harsh or

diagnostic testing is not typically

elicited on palpation (pressure) of the trachea in an otherwise bright and alert pet. Pet owners often report gagging, retching or vomiting. Nasal or ocular discharge is frequently present, along with mild fever. Dogs infected with distemper virus may have skin, ocular or intestinal disease (diarrhea) along with respiratory signs.

Less commonly, more severe difficulty or changes with breathing due to pneumonia can occur.

How is it diagnosed?

Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex is diagnosed based on history of likely exposure to infected dogs (e.g. recent shelter adoption, etc.) and physical exam. Extensive advised or necessary (aside from severe or long–lasting progressive disease or in outbreak scenarios with multiple dogs affected) due to similarities between pathogens and high likelihood of co-infections.

What is the treatment?

Therapy for CIRDC entails supportive nursing care, rest and ‘tincture of time’, as infection is selflimiting in less than 7–10 days in most dogs. Cough suppressant therapy may be considered, together with reducing tracheal stimulation, e.g. use haltie or harness instead of pressure from a collar.

Progressive disease or fever, mucopurulent (pus) nasal or ocular discharge, not eating and/or lethargy may prompt consideration of antimicrobial therapy. Patients with pneumonia should be treated with appropriate antimicrobials.

Will the pet recover (prognosis)?

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Most dogs have an excellent prognosis, complete disease resolution and cure. Dogs with distemper virus

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Will the pet recover (prognosis)?

Most dogs have an excellent prognosis, complete disease resolution and cure. Dogs with distemper virus infections have a guarded prognosis. infections have a guarded prognosis.

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How can it be prevented?

Vaccination is considered core for many CIRDC associated viruses. Vaccination also decreases severity and risk of infection for Bordetella bronchispetica.

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Vaccination is not completely protective, and it is important to convey to pet owners that, while vaccination will reduce risk and severity of infection due to many CIRDC pathogens, it cannot prevent all disease risk.

Transmission of many of these pathogens can be effectively reduced with

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A REAL

By Kathy Hosler

A

s pet lovers and pet care professionals, we want the pets that we care for to enjoy long and healthy lives. Unfortunately, that is not always the way things turn out.

Pets get hurt, develop life threatening conditions or suddenly become ill. We have all heard horror stories from distraught pet parents about taking their pets to emergency veterinary clinics and being unprepared for the costs associated with diagnosing and treating their beloved pet.

Our hearts go out to the people who are faced with these tragic situations. We wish that somehow we could help them.

Well, maybe we can. We can educate ourselves and also our clients about the benefits of having insurance for their pets.

What is pet insurance, and how does it protect the pets we love? In a nutshell, it covers unexpected veterinary bills for covered conditions - typically an illness, injury or accident that a pet may

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encounter during its lifetime.

Pet insurance is designed for things that you can't plan or budget for. Coverage varies, but typically does not include preventative or wellness care. Everyone that gets a pet knows that they will have to have things like immunizations, flea and heartworm preventatives, and wellness checkups at their veterinarian. These are things that a pet parent can plan and budget for.

Almost without exception, pre-existing conditions are not covered. In that way, pet insurance is somewhat like automotive insurance. Auto insurance won't pay for any damage that is on your car when you take out the policy, but it's going to cover you for all the future things that happen to your car. That's the way almost all pet insurance works - they don't cover pre-existing conditions.

However, some companies do offer coverage for hereditary conditions.

For example, a three-year-old German

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Shepherd begins to limp and is subsequently diagnosed with hip displasia. That kind of diagnosis can really be significant financially, depending on the treatment options that might be used. The cost of treatment for any serious diagnosis can really set a pet parent back. It may severely limit the treatment options that they can choose for their pet.

When faced with an enormous veterinary bill that they can't possibly handle, some pet parents opt for economic euthanasia. The pet is put down. It's a tragic ending. Other owners will incur that great expense (because the pet is a member of the family) even if they have to cash in their 401K or take out a loan.

Statistics show that one in three pets will need unexpected veterinary care within a year due to injuries like ACL tears, corneal abrasions, being struck by a car or sicknesses like diabetes, pancreatitis and cancer - and an almost endless list of

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ailments that can include common seasonal allergies, ear infections and dental issues. According to Petplan Insurance, every six seconds in the United States, a pet parent is faced with a veterinary bill of over $3,000.

The costs can be monumental if a veterinarian recommends stem cell therapy, hydro therapy, chemotherapy, an MRI, CAT scan or other diagnostics, or high-cost prescriptions. Having pet insurance takes away the financial part of the equation. It allows the veterinarian to make the best recommendation as to the course of treatment and enables the pet parent to select the treatment that will give the best outcome. Having pet insurance helps mitigate the financial risks. Owners can get the best care for their pet when they don't have to make decisions based on the expense.

As the costs of pet health care increase, pet owners are looking for other ways to help manage their financial risk.

Sadly, many pet owners are not aware that they can get health insurance for their pets. Only about one percent of the pets in the United States are insured.

That's where pet care professionals can become an invaluable asset.

Groomers, daycare and kennel owners, pet sitters and trainers are often looking for ways to expand their business and provide broader services to their clients. Introducing pet insurance to your clients can be a real win/win scenario. You are already a trusted source of advice for all things pet related. When you can educate and provide a valuable service, you add value to and strengthen the relationship you have with them.

How can you learn more about pet insurance so that you can speak knowledgably about it to your clients?

Many pet insurance companies offer a lot of options when it comes to education.

Some of them will present webinars to pet care professionals to help them learn more about the basics of pet insurance.

Once you have a fundamental knowledge, you can share it with others.

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PET BOARDING & DAYCARE

Most of the companies offer some type of a referral program. Pet care professionals can become an affiliate of the insurance company.

Most of the companies offer some type of a referral program. Pet care professionals can become an affiliate of the insurance company. You do not sell insurance - you refer clients to the insurance company, and then receive a monetary compensation for a referral that culminates in a policy being issued. Affiliates can put links and banners on their websites, and they can send out newsletters and emails to their clients. The insurance companies will provide you with online marketing tools, brochures and literature that you can give out.

Every owner wants their pet to receive the very best care when they have a medical need. Introducing them to the benefits of pet insurance may be 'just what the doctor ordered'! n

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