Losing clients to day care
  • adogwalkeradogwalker
    OK so you mentioned this in another post. I've gotten better at talking clients out of it over the years. 

    I start by saying that "I don't want to sound biased but...." - and then I go over the pros and cons with them. Start with the pros - the social aspect, the round the clock care, the potential for extra exercise etc. Then move onto the negatives. 

    Most importantly, I tell them about the health risks of doggy day care - that their dog is so much more liable to pick up viruses and parasites that go around. In fact when the major outbreaks happen, dogs in day care are almost guaranteed to pick them up. I don't feel like I'm being dishonest here, because we've had more than enough experience of it. I've had tons of clients that go to day care on one or two days a week and have subsequently become very sick. Choose your worst story. In my case, it was a dog who picked up parasites from day care and after weeks of sickness she ended up with kidney failure. Not only that, the owner ended up with the parasites too. I have a dog now that was going to day care twice a week (we were taking him). At first I tried to talk the owner out of it by mentioning the above, but she was determined that he go. Within three weeks he had picked up a severe cough from day care which turned into pneumonia. He's still very sick. She has vowed never to take him there again. 

    Next, mention that their dog is far more likely to get into a fight. Again, it's not hard to reference real life stories. I've had client's dogs end up with stitches after getting into fights at certain day care places. Let's be honest, a lot of these places employ non-dog people on low pay and they're not qualified to supervise large groups of dogs and they certainly don't know what to do if all hell breaks loose. There are plenty of cases you can find online of smaller dogs being savaged or even killed by more powerful and aggressive dogs at day care. Oftentimes they're so eager to make profit that they'll accept dogs with "issues." 

    In addition, it doesn't hurt to talk to them about some of the other disadvantages of day care. Explain to them that ultimately, they want to raise a normal dog. And normal dogs are fine with being left on their own while the owner's at work, with one or maybe two walks to break the day up. A dog raised on day care is going to be addicted to attention and company, and when the time comes when they have no choice but to leave them alone, their dog is going to feel very distressed. Do they really want a dog who has to go into day care whenever they're going to be away from the owner for a few hours? 

    Tell them that day care dogs don't really get that much more exercise. And they don't. I look into the window of day care places every day and see that most of the dogs are asleep or shuffling around slowly like they'd do at home. 

    Then of course, remind them that most day care places pack walk dogs. Do they want their dog to be walked in a pack, by a different person every day who might not even know them? 

    There are some clients who you just cannot convince. But I'm definitely losing far fewer clients to day care than I used to. 
  • Pet+Sitter+BiblePet Sitter Bible
    @adogwalker

    Great post and such a huge issue for both individual dog walkers/pet sitters plus pet service companies in general. It really is like a mom and pop shop where everyone knows your name taking on daycare. Daycare is all about volume so they are fine with having a low price point, they just want to get you in the door to sell you the rest of their products (grooming, retail, training, etc.)

    I think you make some great points for what's better about in-home service as well as what's not so great about daycare/boarding. I've thought a lot about this subject lately and discussed it with pears too and here's what I personally think:

    I think we need to go on the offensive of the services we offer (specifically to puppies) as a sexy alternative to daycare and boarding. What do people like about boarding?

    * that it's not in their home - this type of client we can't convince probably because that would be like changing their personality

    * that it's cheap - we don't want to offer a cheap service, so we can't change this one either

    * that their dog gets to socialize with other dogs - there's lots we can do to combat this one

    * that their dogs exercise - as you wrote so well, daycare is not exercise it's more like sending your dog to do data entry, their minds come home tired more than their bodies

    Let's explore the areas I feel we do have power over a little further:

    Their dog gets to socialize with other dogs.

    Would you rather your dog socialized in a cage, not always supervised? Or would you rather take your dog on your own to a dog run to watch your dog interact with dogs in a healthy and positive manner. I feel we should promote that our owners take their own dogs to dog runs and parks to supervise the socialization. We too can take their dogs to the dog run so puppies can learn the body language of other dogs and learn manners from adult dogs.

    We can also set up puppy play groups in the safety of a client's home. We can even bring over adult dogs who are fully immunized and good dealing with puppies.

    My point is we need to go on the offensive when it comes to the reasons we're losing dogs to daycare and boarding facilities. Let's concentrate on our strengths and be proactive with our services from first touch with a puppy client. We know there will come a time when many puppy clients consider daycare so let's mention from the very beginning they should try our socialization services once their dog is old enough so we've already planted the seed from the very beginning that hey you can use us to cover ALL your puppy needs.

    Their dogs exercise more at daycare and boarding.

    We should debunk this falsehood by pointing out how much more cardio you get from dog walks, runs and trips to the dog park more than bashing boarding facilities. I think some clients are turned off if we bash the competition but making a stark comparison between the organic cardio high a dog gets from taking a nice long walk with no more than 1-2 other dogs can not be matched by daycare/boarding!

    Just my thoughts, such a helpful topic for our industry, thanks!

  • adogwalkeradogwalker
    I know what you mean about turning clients off by bashing the competition. It's hard not to sound biased (or even bitter!) when you're trying to convince them not to go with daycare. Sometimes they have their heart set upon the idea that they're doing the best thing for their dog (like buying a retractable leash lol!) and they cling to that idea for dear life. It's easy to offend someone if you're not careful, by making them feel like they have bad judgment.

    I think you're right about selling them the idea of taking their dog to the dog run for the pack socialization element. We, however, have a policy of not taking dogs to runs due to a few unpleasant incidents in the past mainly caused by irresponsible owners/walkers bringing aggressive dogs into the run and our dogs getting attacked. But really, the owner should be taking their own dog their in the evening.

    Another selling point I use is that dogs get a lot out of street walking as opposed to indoor exercise, in terms of sniffing and leaving their own little messages around the neighborhood. The key word is "outdoors." I know some daycare places offer walks as well, but they usually walk in packs and you have to ask the client, are you comfortable with the idea of your dog being walked in a large group by someone being paid a low hourly wage? I also find it helps to direct the client to some of the horror stories and bad reviews posted online about the "big" daycare place (no names but we all know which one!). I'm lucky in that one of my walkers is an ex-employee of theirs and has some scathing things to say about what goes on in those places. I've offered to let some of my potential daycare clients talk to him about his experiences as a daycare employee.
  • Pet+Sitter+BiblePet Sitter Bible
    re.: It's easy to offend someone if you're not careful, by making them feel like they have bad judgment.

    Wow yes so true, takes careful wording.

    re.: We, however, have a policy of not taking dogs to runs due to a few
    unpleasant incidents in the past mainly caused by irresponsible
    owners/walkers bringing aggressive dogs into the run and our dogs
    getting attacked. But really, the owner should be taking their own dog their in the evening.

    That's a great policy and I'm with you, only in a few rare cases do we go to the dog run but totally agree clients should take the dogs there themselves and decide for themselves what type of interaction they want their dogs to have.






  • deafdogwalkerdeafdogwalker
    I do not use dog runs myself due to incidents with other walkers not paying attention to their dogs while in the runs. I won't even take my own dog to one. We walk 2-3 dogs at most at a time but most of our walks are solo walks and if I'm the one walking, my dog comes along as long as I'm not dealing with a dog aggressive dog. I sometimes bring dogs on the outskirts of a public park, but mostly we walk the streets. I'd rather deal with intercepting chicken bones on the street than another dog biting one of my dogs or vice versa. I just think it's more than a liability issue in the event something happens, and most of the dog walkers I've come across are not properly educated in breaking up a fight nor detecting serious illnesses that are creeping in. There are even un-fenced public parks here that people let dogs run loose at during the daytime and it's always frustrating having dogs run up to my leashed dogs and owners giving the "it's okay, he's friendly" comment while I have 3 dogs yanking me and 2 jumping on my dogs with no restraint. 

    Another reason I stay out of dog parks is the disease factor. I've had many clients have to take their dogs to the vet after drinking contaminated water with giardia and other doggie disesase. It's a shame because the dog parks could be a really cool place if they could be sanitized from time to time but that's pretty impossible when you think about it.

  • Pet+Sitter+BiblePet Sitter Bible
    re.: Another reason I stay out of dog parks is the disease factor. I've had
    many clients have to take their dogs to the vet after drinking
    contaminated water with giardia and other doggie disease

    Great points, definitely a potential hazard.

    re.: I do not use dog runs myself due to incidents with other walkers not paying attention to their dogs while in the runs.

    Argghhh so true, and so annoying how people don't pay attention to their dogs.

    These are all great points but I do think for some dogs it's really helpful to run them off leash as much as we can. Maybe that means going at off times to a park, or maybe that even means running with the dogs more if we're able. There is something beautiful about a dog off leash running with other dogs. All your points are great ones to keep in mind while we try and achieve giving a dog that organic experience.
  • smilekirasmilekira
    @deafdogwalker, sorry a bit OT. How do you collect 2-3 dogs that you walk in a group? Do you have 2 people, where one is getting/dropping off the dog and second person is waiting outside with the rest pups? We offer small group walks and right now its just one handler walking the group, but I have a dilemma: many building dont allow outside dogs inside the building so the handler has to pick up that dog first and drop off last. Thank you
  • deafdogwalkerdeafdogwalker
    I think it also depends on demographics. Living in a big city, the dog runs here are generally packed at all hours. Some services transport large amounts of dogs (uncrated) in vehicles and allow the dogs to run to the dog park from their vehicles. I am lucky enough to have a lot of clients with their own yards so what I'll do is walk the dogs around the streets for about 20 minutes and spend the last 10-15 minutes in the yard throwing a ball with them or letting them jog around with me. A lot of the dogs in town are rescue pit bulls and while most are awesome while at the dog parks, there's a select few who come in while I've been in one who unleash and let their unfixed dogs try to hump other dogs or even worse, steal tennis balls and start scuffles. 

    You're right, there is nothing more beautiful than a dog running around happily, sometimes along with other dogs. It really does promote a healthy and happy demeanor so much more than the exercise factor. It's just a shame that others and the disease factor play such a large role in it and makes our work more focused on leash walking. 

    There's a dog beach in Manasquan, NJ that I frequent with my own dog. He's dog friendly, passed his CGC, and loves the water. It's a perfect place for a hot summer day and the people there are very good about cleaning up and really making the best of it. If only we had that up north or in NYC. People here let their dogs jump in the Hudson River off leash and there are big leash laws, but people just kind of ignore them. That's more than a health hazard aside from a violation of the leash laws. I just try to keep safety first above all. I think if in the future on my new venture that if people request a dog park visit, it will have to be in the evening when the walkers go home and it's mostly owners and low numbers of dogs in the runs. A lot of people come home from work and don't feel like going to the dog park, but offering a service that will pick the dogs up while they are home and walk them to the park may be a good thing as long as there is some kind of contract signed for liability purposes. 
  • Pet+Sitter+BiblePet Sitter Bible
    re.: offering a service that will pick the dogs up while they are home and
    walk them to the park may be a good thing as long as there is some kind
    of contract signed for liability purposes

    LOVE IT!
  • smilekirasmilekira
    In NYC before you walk in the dog park, it says that the owner of a dog that bites your dog is liable for medical expenses and that's the law. I went to a dog run with a dog and another dog viciously attacked the dog i was with. I got info of the owner, but she refused to pay. Luckily it was few minor bites and the bill was low. I went and called everywhere: police department, Animal control,  ASPCA, health department, everybody told me that they would only do something if a dog bit me or another human. So after that no dog runs for us.
  • Pet+Sitter+BiblePet Sitter Bible
    @smilekira wow, good to know, thanks for that and sorry ): Dog runs are one of the few places we lose control for sure.
  • deafdogwalkerdeafdogwalker
    @smilekira I have had a similar issue happen to me early on in my business. In an area that's 90% bully breeds and a lot of careless dog walkers/owners, I choose to stay away from the dog parks in my business. What I do with my own dog (pit bull) is another story, but I have very good control over him and obviously a legal obligation in the event he ever caused damage to property or a human.
  • Pet+Sitter+BiblePet Sitter Bible
    @deafdogwalker Argghhh nothing worse than a wild dog running at you off leash and a naive owner laughing 50 feet behind them as you turn your back to the running dog and in my case once, while walking an aggressive dog myself, pick up my dog and climb on top of a car to avoid the off leash dog ):
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