Recently I had to inform a fantastic client that I could no longer look after her lovely dog at my Hound Dog Hotel. But if a client is fantastic and her dog lovely - why on earth would I say this? In a word, Recall - or to be more precise - a lack of Recall.
If you're sending your dog to a kennel where most likely they’ll be locked down 24/7 then whether a dog has Recall or not is irrelevant.
But :
- what if you want your dog to experience an exclusive service?
- what if you want your dog to have only the best there is?
- what if you want your beloved VIP to have a holiday of their own?
- what if you are seeking dedicated, secure in-home living for your furpal?
- And - really vital - what if you want to know your dog is going to be taken out and have terrific fun every single day? Somewhere where they will get real exercise – only achieved by being off leash to run free, fast and play with other dogs.
Because I cannot stress enough the importance of the role of exercise in keeping a dog happy and balanced:
'A happy dog is a tired dog, A tired dog is a happy dog'.
A big reason why dogs are so happy at the Hound Dog Hotel - the ultimate in dog accommodation here on the Central Coast -is due to the ethos we have of providing quality exercise. Believing it is so important we’ve made it an inclusive part of our 24/7 dog care service. However, when it comes to exercise walking a dog on a lead doesn’t count as exercise in any helpful sense and why we focus on leash free outings.
This is why at the Hound Dog Hotel your dog’s daily walks are active and enriching. Your dog is taken to fantastic venues and allowed to play and interact with other dogs, and do what they love – run. Then, to ensure you know what’s happening, included with your daily email reports you receive screenshots of GPS recordings which track every one of our walks. You know where we went, the route we took and how long we were out (almost always an hour or more). As well as that you receive numerous photos of your dog out on each of their outings.
So that is a fantastic benefit to the dogs booking in for their holiday here, comfort and bliss air con inside, great fun and games outside.
Pepper, Herbie, Sparky & Brodie at McMasters Beach
However, to benefit from such an exclusive service it is crucial guest dogs have recall. Because there is nothing worse than letting some doggie guests run free, but then having to restrain one of the pack by their lead. I hate to do this. It’s frustrating for the poor dog being held back and not able to be involved in the fun and games. But once a dog doesn't return to my call, even with permission from the owner to let them off lead, I can’t then take the risk as the safety of each dog in my care is paramount.
There are many reasons to train your dog to recall – and if you want them to come to the best dog care in all Australia – there’s another one!!!
So work on that Recall!! (And if you need any help see my previous detailed Blog on this topic)
Until next time…..
Brodie, Sparky & Herbie
Kelly
Herbie, Harvey, Mello