The Happy Hound Play Park is brought to you by the founders of the Wellbeing Dog Care model. We took our industry-transforming model, refined it by expanding with the 3 Components of Care and layered on our Social Measures of Success program for an even more comprehensive approach to creating rewarding and positive daycare and boarding care for dogs.
Wellbeing Dog Care
The Wellbeing Dog Care model combines:
- science-based research about learning theory and the cognitive abilities of dogs,
- the effect of positive reinforcement in training and behavioral rehabilitation, and
- the impact each dog's unique personality, experiences, preferences and confidence have on their response to being in the care of someone else and interacting with other dogs.
This model provides an environment and programs that go beyond caring for the the physical wellbeing of a dog to caring for their emotional and mental wellbeing as well.
Our wellbeing-based model is founded on:
• meeting the unique needs of each unique dog,
• improving the relationship between dog and owner,
• educating each owner, and
• advocating for each dog.
The 3 Components of Care
The 3 Components of Care acknowledges that care for each dog needs to meet their needs for sleep, for relaxed wakefulness, and for activity.
When dogs spend about 50% of each day sleeping, 30% awake but relaxing, and just 20% being active, it becomes clear that a well-rounded care program needs to focus on all three areas.
For daycare, this means our responsibility is to ensure we support positive experiences and create opportunity for both awake but relaxing times and also active times. For boarding, that responsibility extends to the additional 50% they need of good sleep.
This is why we practice a very intentional model of rotating rest and relaxation that considers where each dog is on the social comfort spectrum with their need for a balance of sleep, relaxation and activity.
Where we particularly differ from traditional daycare and dog kennel models is our attention to and integration of the awake relaxed part of your dog’s day and the role that plays in your dog’s overall wellbeing—both with us and at home.
Settling for Success
Being able to disengage from the activity and busyness of play group is an important part of recharging for the next round of activity and keeping a dog's social battery full.
We have threaded trainer-led settle sessions into our daycare and boarding programs, included in the price of each. Each day our trainers work with dogs to reinforce a relaxed wakeful state, and our overnight attendants are trained in these sessions to additionally reinforce and engage with dogs to help them have their best sleep.
Boarding isn't an innate skill dogs have or understand; these sessions and helping dogs learn to be in a calm relaxed state is essential to preparing dogs for boarding and setting them up for a stay that intentionally looks out for your dog's need for sleep, relaxed wakefulness and activity.
Social Measures of Success
We are a social-based facility, but do offer programs for dogs who fall outside of the social comfort spectrum. For all dogs, we begin with a Meet & Greet which assesses each dog based on the Social Measures of Success criteria. This Meet & Greet informs which program we refer your dog to, whether social, confidence-building or personal play.
For dogs referred to our social or confidence-building care programs, we observe each day for the following and keep you informed of your dog’s comfort within a social group:
- Communication
- Social Interest
- Comfort & Confidence
- Play & Development
For dogs referred to our personal play program, we evaluate and observe for their comfort and confidence with us and in our environment, and we also observe your dogs activity interests and adjust your dog's activity time and play with us to match what they find most rewarding.
