Have you ever thought of all the tools you’d need to keep track of a bevy of dogs each day?
(We know – who needs to plan that far ahead?)
Well, we do! Us humans with real jobs and real responsibilities need more than just soft fur, soulful eyes and natural charm to get by.
I know, Bentley. It’s shocking but true.
I got to looking around WOOF and started to notice some bonafide WOOF GEAR we would absolutely perish without. And the more I thought about what each tool does – how unique they are to the care and management of our canine guests – I thought, why, this would be a good thing to share.
So may I present:
The WOOF Gear Top Ten List
By Vickie Jean
10. Loop Leads!
This may seem pretty basic, but this leash has some unique attributes, including a loop on the end for the neck and padded grip. It is worn by all of our staff so they can quickly catch a dog in playgroup. Since our guests play with no collar for safety purposes, we find our lasso-style leads quite handy!
9. Shoe Pouches!
It’s simple math: dozens of dogs = dozens of leashes and collars. These hanging shoe pouches are perfect doggie cubbie holes.
8. Walkie Talkies!
Quick communication is key between our front desk and the dog handlers. When it’s time to corral a dog to go home, all the communication happens over these cool little walkie talkies. This is especially important because we like to keep our dog handlers with the pack at all times so nobody goes unsupervised.
Watch Dog Handler Deztiney demonstrate:
Who’s lunch is this?
Got it!
7. Ceramic Tiles!
To the layperson, this may look like your average kitchen or bathroom tile. But to a WOOF employee, it’s a perfect creation for boarding suite identification. Whoever discovered that dry-erase marker would wipe off these shiny little numbers was a genius. (And you can pick your favorite color too!)
6. Aprons!
You need hands-free body storage bigger than a pocket? Behold the WOOF apron. Small and stylish, this will hold all your gear: leashes, markers, poop bags, gloves, and more.
5. Whistles!
Safe dog management comes down to keeping everyone’s attention in a positive direction. Whistles are wonderful tools to redirect dogs who start to play too rough or get stuck on a barking jag. The key is once you’ve got their attention, get them to do something nice (like sit or quiet) and then praise them all over the place!
4. Little brown bags!
We love these because they keep track of everyone’s personal belongings. (We secretly really love them because they let us express our creative sides – this one shows Great Dane Baxter Holbrook in many stages of development while he’s been with us!)
3. Smart phones!
Okay, so we know we’re not the only ones privy to the wonders of these little devices but we are so thankful for the technology! We are now able to photograph our guests and e-mail Cuddle Time and Tennis Ball Time instantly, take videos and post them to our Facebook and YouTube pages and instant message all manner of goodies to our clients – without missing a step with the dogs. (May I personally thank the iPhone for the ability to do this very blog, in fact.)
2. Headsets!
The more hands-free tools, the better. Especially since our front staff is usually on their feet, ferrying doggies. (I have personally witnessed Elisa cleaning up a mess, holding a dog and taking a phone call all at the same time. Truly amazing!)
And now for number one – the MOST IMPORTANT WOOF GEAR OF ALL TIME.
Are you paying attention?
1. Dog flair!
No? Maybe that’s just me.
Until next time –
xoxoxo,
Vickie Jean @ WOOF