Riverview’s VIP- Drake’s First Week
Drake, enjoying time in one of our large, grassy yards
We started a new endeavor in the last few days we are calling Riverview’s VIP. It’s an amazing transformation journey from shelter to forever home. Our first Riverview VIP is Drake. You can read the first blog post about him, here.
This second blog will walk through some of the steps we have taken with Drake in our first week together and provide an update on how he is developing.
Introducing the Team
Over his first week, Drake was able to meet every team member as they rotated through their work schedule. Besides Michael and Kimberly, there are nine other team members: One Receptionist, two Trainers, and six Kennel Technicians.
We have a stellar team that cares for the dogs and cats who stay with us for boarding or daycare. This amazing team works hard to help us maintain our high standards for health, safety, and fun. We say this with pride and confidence because we are very intentional about hiring well, training well, and providing growth opportunities.
Once we decide to bring someone onto our team they begin the process by completing a course on 'Dog Body Language’ through International Boarding & Pet Services Association (IBPSA). This series provides rich information about how to read dog body language well in order to serve them best. The Kennel Technicians begin working through mastering three phases of development through on-the-job training: Cleaning; Feeding & Medications; & Assisting with Social Groups. This provides us valuable insight into each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. Once a Kennel Tech has mastered these three phases of development (usually by the 3-month mark) they then complete two phases of canine training through IBPSA: Canine Care Provider & Canine Care Specialist.
Our Receptionists similarly work through specific stages of on-the-job training in their role. This includes mastering the following: Cleaning Cat Condos; Scheduling with Our Pet Management Software; Handling Phone Calls; & Managing Vaccine Records. After three months the Receptionist completes Feline Care Provider and Feline Care Specialist.
You may be wondering, “That’s great, but what does this have to do with Drake the Riverview VIP?”
Good question.
When Drake was introduced to each of our team members, he was introduced to a team who knew how to handle dogs and cats. While each member hasn’t worked with a dog in a long-term process like the one we are engaged in with Drake, they each bring professional ability and experience to the table.
Conducting a Dog Evaluation
Every dog in our facility first goes through a Dog Evaluation. You can read about that process here. This evaluation step provides us with important information as we partner with owners to develop their dog. It allows us to learn the dog’s history, watch the dog settle into an environment, and interact with other dogs. At the end of a dog evaluation, we grade a dog one of three colors: Green, Yellow, or Red.
Jan, our onsite trainer, with Drake, Shadow, and Ollie.
In Drake’s case, we knew about his history from our dear friends at South Coast Humane Society. We knew that Drake was a little over a year old and had been a fostered pup for over six months. He came to the shelter with his mom and nine siblings. We also learned that he was the last of his family remaining to be adopted. The final piece of information is that he had zero issues with other dogs- large or small.
Once we got Drake to our facility we were able to watch how he settled into a new environment. This taught us quite a bit as we watched his body language. We learned that he tends toward higher anxiety and that he takes quite a while to settle in. We learned quickly that he is ball-motivated and that while having a ball gave him something to direct his attention toward, he still remained cautious about other people in his environment.
We were able to introduce Drake to another dog, Lucky Hanly and noticed his greeting behavior. We quickly learned that he is comfortable meeting most dogs. He now has a growing list of friends.
We graded Drake a Yellow Dog. While we feel comfortable with Drake in most situations with other dogs, his high anxiety is something we want to further address. We scheduled daily leashed forest walks and personal times for Drake so that he had focused time with our Kennel Technicians for physical stimulation. We also scheduled a rotation of mental stimulations for Drake including stuffed Kongs, IQ puzzles, and lickmats.
Managing Anxiety with Physical & Mental Stimulation
Hannah, our Assistant Trainer, on a leashed forest walk with Drake.
Some dogs, like Drake, tend toward anxiety. In Drake’s case, we notice that he stays in high alert and takes a long time before he settles down. A great strategy for coping with high anxiety is to provide a positive release for that energy.
We have a beautiful, manicured trail system through our forest. This half-mile loop provides an amazing space for boarding and daycare dogs to enjoy a walk. They love sniffing all of the spaces along the trail in order to find the perfect place to pee.
Drake loves taking a walk. He doesn’t pull on the leash and tends to stay right beside his human walker. The half-mile loop is a great way for him to focus on something he enjoys and to get some aerobic exercise.
Drake’s first IQ Puzzle
After a walk, Drake loves to get back into his room with a stuffed Kong. Pumpkin isn’t his favorite but he loves Peanut Butter. Having a tough toy to chew on, stuffed with delicious food, is a great way to release energy and focus on something pleasurable.
Providing healthy ways like this for Drake to gain physical and mental stimulation is great for helping him regulate his anxiety.
First Beach Trip
Since this has been a whole team process, Brittany, one of our Lead Kennel Technicians, took Drake off-site with her husband, Chris. They enjoyed a great trip to the beach. Drake adapted quickly to Chris. This was a success as we are wanting to increase his skill at meeting humans for the first time. He loved playing fetch in the sand. He quickly adapted to the sights and the smells.
First Trip to Dragonfly Nursery
Kimberly needed some primroses so she made a trip to Dragonfly Nursery- one of her favorite spots on the Southern Oregon Coast. Hannah went along and they took Drake to give him more practice with human interaction.
They had a great time, met some other dogs, and Drake enjoyed all of the extra attention. He smelled all of the plants and flowers and even tried to eat a flower. He peed for the first time while on leash. He loved being out.
We got to tell the team Drake’s story. They loved hearing about his journey and were really excited for him.
Next Step: Board & Train
We have identified a list of items to work on with Drake. We want to:
See him get better at greeting people
Learn some basic obedience cues (‘sit’, ‘wait’ at doors and ‘place’)
Show him how how to go to his mat, a place where he can “settle” and know the mat is a calming place. The mat will go with him to his new home.
We plan to focus on this list through our Board & Train strategy. Some dogs stay with us for boarding, but add training to their stay. For an additional fee, these owners work with Jan, our onsite trainer, to develop a list of goals to address during their stay. At the end of the stay, the owner is provided videos that show the goal being addressed and provide reinforcement for further work at home.
With Drake, we will set a designated set of days to focus upon our list of goals and re-evaluate at the end of the process. Stay tuned in our next blog for an update on the Board & Train.
