Sometimes it’s beneficial to prioritize certain dogs for movement, such as those who are overly excited or prone to causing disruptions. These dogs can be moved first (individually) or placed in a timeout crate temporarily to help them process their energy without disturbing the energy of the pack.

Hallways can be particularly tricky, with dogs eager to pull their handlers along during a move from one playgroup to outside or to another area. In such cases, leashing the dog and utilizing the leash as a body harness can provide both physical and mental pressure, helping to calm them and shift their focus.

As we work with an excited dog, we’re teaching them that crossing a threshold does not mean they need to lose their mind. They’ll learn that they can be more comfortable and confident when they follow your lead and your commands, and still get to go outside or go to a new group. Nobody likes a bull in a china shop.

Managing excited dogs during movement in a daycare setting requires a combination of strategies, including rewards or redirection, and prioritizing certain individual dogs for movement. By implementing these techniques and putting safety first, we can create an environment where dogs can transition between spaces calmly and confidently, without creating chaos. A calm and controlled environment benefits both the dogs and their human handlers alike.

Here we’ll dive into seven innovative ways to unearth the hidden potentials within your existing operations, adding substantial value and profitability without the typical grind of problematic price hikes or constantly hunting for new customers.

Oddly enough, by offering these higher-end options, you may find that more clients opt for your standard services too, viewing them as more accessible yet high-quality choices. Remember, pricing taps into emotions more than logic.

Cross-selling can be as simple as offering an “Existing Client Loyalty Discount” on a service they aren’t buying yet. By focusing on relevant, value-adding services, you can effectively multiply the value of each customer, turning single transactions into multiple opportunities.

A comprehensive “New Puppy Package” might include obedience training, several daycare introduction sessions, a “Confident Puppy” grooming session and a “Welcome Home Puppy Kit.” Such bundles make it easy for new pet owners to choose you over competitors, ensuring they get everything they need in one convenient package.

Offering packages will increase sales and also enhance customer loyalty, as clients come to appreciate the convenience and care you provide for their beloved pets.

So, can you charge for consultations, meet and greets, no-shows and cancelled bookings? Yes, you can! You can also design new services where you charge clients for something that no one else charges for. Here are two examples:

• Recurring Revenue Membership: This locks clients into a monthly fee just to be able to use the daycare, ensuring steady income and consistent use of daycare services.
• Daycare Induction Program Trial: Dogs undergo a five-day assessment before joining the daycare. This improves integration and significantly increases the initial transaction value per client.

Look for opportunities to turn staff interactions into sales opportunities, then make it easy for the staff to sell. Provide scripts, sales aids and even incentives that make it worth their while to add “sales” to their job description. Consultations, meet and greets, and facility tours all present a great opportunity for staff to identify problems and better selling solutions.

What other interactions can you add in to your process that will make it easier for you to communicate and sell your other services? Can you introduce a client appreciation call one week after they’ve started using your service? And on the call you tell them about your upgrade and cross-sell services. Could you do a semi-annual “Pawrents Evening” where you talk to each client about their dog’s progress and see what else they might need from you?

Dom Hodgson is Europe’s leading pet business coach, and is known as the Pet Biz Wiz. His mission is to help pet service providers create superior customer service systems that enable them to build an impactful and profitable pet business. Dom has written over nine books, and is a much in-demand speaker. You can instantly download a free copy of his latest book “How to Disnify Your Doggy Daycare Business” by going to www.petbusinessmarketing.com/daycaremagic

With today’s high interest rates it can feel impossible to make large purchases or major life changes like moving or switching jobs. This, coupled with a period of high inflation, has made people far less mobile than they were before. For example, during and after COVID many people moved, bought new houses or simply refinanced their existing mortgage at rock-bottom rates. Now, with today’s much higher prices and interest rates, it’s significantly more expensive to move than to stay where you are.

So what does this mean for the pet care industry? Fewer people are moving into our markets, meaning fewer new customers are searching for our services. We’re not beating away new customers with sticks like we were last year. So, if you want to be profitable and grow, it’s critical to apply the most important strategies exceptionally well. After all, that’s what owners and managers are paid to do.

But wait, the tightrope walk isn’t over…high inflation and dwindling savings have made consumers more financially sensitive, too. Free money isn’t burning a hole in their pockets anymore, and generally people are more financially stressed and concerned than they used to be. This makes our customers more “choosy” and likely to complain about anything from prices and customer service to unfulfilled expectations. This is especially true if you charge more than your competitors since higher prices cause customers to expect more.

The good news is, even a “trapped in place” economy still presents opportunities in this industry; however, pet business owners must adapt to seize them. Here are three strategies to do just that:

Even in the healthiest economy, properly pricing your services is a delicate operation. But it’s necessary to re-evaluate your prices and price model on a regular basis—yes, even in times of economic flux.

So, how much should you be charging? Take your market, region, facility, amenities and competition into consideration. Determination of the right rates is only the first step, then it’s essential to qualify your pricing to an increasingly selective customer base. How? With a highly trained and skilled phone person (or team).

Your phone person/team’s job is to take and make as many phone calls as possible, connect with pet parents on an emotional level and demonstrate why your facility is worth the extra cost. If you charge higher rates, the phone call is your platform to justify them to the client and convince them you’re worth the extra cost. If you don’t, they’ll turn to your competitors. It’s necessary to arm your phone person/team with compelling information to help prospective customers visualize and understand what their pets will receive in your care, and why your business is better than your competitors’.

When properly trained and prepared, phone people can be revenue rainmakers. There is so much untapped opportunity on the phones in this industry, and for many it’s a primary key to success. But the rest of your staff matters, too—especially your managers.

It’s impossible to provide amazing pet and customer care without dedicated, well-trained, accountable employees and an effective management team. In this industry, managers tend to earn their positions by providing fantastic care to the pets and their pet parents; however, they rarely receive management training.

The job market is still somewhat active, but significantly slower than it was last year. It’s a major challenge to find people with management experience. Chances are your existing managers already have what it takes—they just need appropriate guidance and training to truly shine. Consider putting your leads, supervisors and managers through specific management skills training.

The goal is to create a hospitable environment for career-minded employees. These are the people who are likely to propel your company to success, even in uncertain economic times. Establishing a solid management structure can significantly improve the strength of your business, leading to smoother operations, high employee morale and better customer service.

A helpful first consideration is to review career growth opportunities within your business. To spread duties, boost accountability and give employees a track upward in your company, consider implementing more roles, such as Senior Pet Care Technician and Pet Care Supervisor. Doing so can increase motivation, employee longevity and foster a positive work environment, ultimately leading to more satisfied customers.

At the end of the day, the challenges of a “trapped in place” economy require adaptability and proactive, strategic action to overcome. By successfully implementing overlooked opportunities such as appropriate pricing, differentiating yourself on the phone and a great management team, your business can thrive, even in today’s economy.

Laura Laaman is president of Outstanding Pet Care. Outstanding Pet Care’s Revenue Building Services and Absentee Owner Program provide the tools to help pet care business owners thrive. If you’re interested in a healthier and more rewarding business, schedule a consultation by calling 1-888-836-8740 or visiting www.outstandingpetcare.com/contact.

f you run a boarding facility, chances are, most of your clients are dogs. But with more people in the Millennial and Gen Z generations owning cats and spending more on them, it’s important that pet care providers understand what’s needed for a successful stay when it comes to the feline persuasion.

Rita Reimers and Linda Hall are cat behaviorists with the Cat Behavior Alliance.¹ Their consulting firm helps cat owners deal with problems ranging from cat aggression to litter box issues. With all the issues they deal with, the two cat experts have a ton of advice to make cat stays the best they can be, especially when it comes to enrichment.

Reimers stresses that the first thing you should do is make sure you communicate to the human client that you need the schedule and habits of your feline guest before they arrive. “Cats are creatures of habit and don’t adapt to change as well as dogs,” she explains. “Make sure you bring everything that reminds your cat of home. We’re talking a shirt or something you’ve sweated in, their food, all their toys, and even their litter box.”

If it’s not convenient for you or your clients to bring their cat’s litter box, Reimers says there is another way to make a cat feel at home: “I know this is disgusting, but have your client put a plop of their poo in a baggie and put it in the litter box as soon as they arrive. Believe it or not, that is going to calm the cat, because they can smell themselves and immediately take ownership of the space.”

Both behaviorists also suggest that the pet care providers offer additional toys, especially those that are high-prey-drive entertainment. “We believe all cats need human attention, but sometimes you can give the feline even more exercise through self-play by using USB-powered cat toys that are wireless. We love the toy snakes and mice you can find on Amazon, but don’t get the green snakes because they look too realistic and can be scary!” says Hall.

Hall also recommends the plush toys where you can record the voice of the cat’s owner because it can be soothing to the cat when it’s stressed. Even better, though, she says, is to schedule a FaceTime with the cat’s owner during their stay so the cat can see and hear them. When that’s not possible, Reimers says to ask your human client the key phrases they use when talking to their cat. Ask them to say the phrases for you so you can match their inflection when repeating them to the cat.

Research also shows that music can make a difference in a cat’s behavior, so both cat experts recommend Music for Cats,² which are tunes specifically composed for feline ears by classical cellist David Teie. Reimers says she has had amazing luck with his music calming cats in difficult situations. She encourages boarding facilities to pipe in music to its cat areas.

But what if toys and enrichment don’t work and the cat is hiding or aggressive? Hall says don’t force yourself on your four-legged client; give them space. Reimers says if a cat is hiding, sit in the room somewhere close to them. Read out loud to them so they can get used to your voice, or bring your laptop into the room and get some office work done so they grow accustomed to your presence. The boarding staff member who is primarily taking care of them can also leave a sock or something they’ve worn to get the cat used to their smell.

Cats love small spaces for comfort, so Reimers and Hall think your cat clients should have access to their carriers, which is a reminder of home. This of course depends on the set-up of the boarding facility’s cat area. If space does not allow for this, at least provide a small hiding spot for them to escape to if they’re feeling insecure.

Lastly, you likely host “movie and pupcorn nights,” “barks and crafts,” and all sorts of other activities for dogs and their owners—get creative and do the same thing for cats! Not only will it attract more cat clients to your business, but you’re showcasing that cats are not just sedentary, second-class pets.

The two cat behaviorists really want to encourage boarding and daycare professionals to remember that cats need enrichment and human interaction just like everyone else.

1. Cat Behavior Alliance. https://catbehavioralliance.com/
2. David Teie’s Music for Cats. https://www.musicforcats.com/

Mandy’s involvement in the training and pet care industry started out small but, step-by-step, she has created a phenomenal all-encompassing pet care business. In the beginning, she operated the training business by going into owners’ homes. Mandy got the word out about her services by visiting the local veterinarians, introducing herself and giving them information about her training program. Her business took off, and in a little over a year, she was so busy that she needed a brick-and-mortar facility.

The following year, the unit next to her training space became available. So, she opened a dog daycare in it and began to hire staff. Within just a year and a half, they outgrew that location. Deciding it was time to buy, Mandy and her husband, Mike, bought a building which they gutted and completely renovated. When it was completed, Manners Matter Dog Training and Daycare opened its doors. The new building has a 3,000-sq.-ft. indoor playroom, two 40’ x 50’ outdoor play yards of turf, two training rooms, a kennel room and lobby. They can accommodate about 40 to 45 dogs a day in their daycare.

Caring for all of the dogs and providing the specialized services takes a skilled and competent staff, and Mandy has built a great team.

“For example, I encourage my staff to interact with the owners and give them feedback on their dog,” she continues. “When you hand them that leash, you build a relationship. If an owner comes to pick up the dog and you just shove a leash in their hand and don’t say anything, that’s not going to make them want to come back. But, if you take an extra two minutes to say, ‘Bella had a great day. Her friend Tootsie was here and they had a ball playing with each other,’ you are paying attention to their dog and that’s super important to them.”

The training for the Manners Matter staff is very hands on. They require all new members to go through training classes, which give them an understanding of why they do what they do and how dogs learn.

“Also, I try to foster an environment where there is room for employee growth and people can actually look at it as a career,” she adds. “I offer continuing education to my team members every year as part of their perks. I can see the spark in my staff every time they come back from a conference and implement a lot of what they have learned. I am really passionate about doing that for my staff.”

It had always been a dream of Mandy and her husband to have some property in the country, and recently they made that dream come true. They purchased 22 acres not far from Manners Matter, and now Reddog Farm has been added to their canine-centered dream.

In addition to expanding their training programs and other existing services, Mike and Mandy have big plans for the expansive acreage they have at Reddog Farm.

“We intend to make this like a little ‘Disneyland for dogs,’” shares Mandy. “We have already put in a pool for dock diving, swimming lessons, and splash parties. The pool has been a fun thing. Every Friday night from May through October, we have pack walks, training classes, and other activities where people get together, make friendships, and become part of our ‘doggie’ family.

This year marks the 10th anniversary for Manners Matter, but most of their growth has happened in the last five to six years.

“It’s been fun, but also stressful,” admits Mandy. “As a business owner, you go into your business with a certain mindset of how you want it to be; you have a picture in your mind, but it doesn’t necessarily work out that way.

One of the ways Mandy copes is to concentrate on the positive things.

“If you focus too much on the negative, it wears you out,” she says. “Just let it go. Do your own thing and don’t worry about what anyone else is doing. I’ve had clients come in and say, ‘Hey, Mandy. You’re the one who started this new enrichment program, now the daycare across town is doing it.’ I just reply, ‘Great, I hope it works out for them.’”

“Instead of the constant hustle and bustle of having the daycare in Nicholasville and all the other training and activities at Reddog Farm, our thought is to sell that aspect in a few years, or to transfer management to where I’m not as directly involved and have all of the training and outdoor activities come out here to the farm,” Mandy says.

With the success experienced by Mandy and Matt from the inception of Manners Matter, the possibilities are endless of what they can do at Reddog Farm, where training still tops all!

Chronic inflammation in the gut and subsequent hyper-permeability of the gut lining is also associated with a disturbance in gut microbe populations. A healthy microbiome consists of vast communities of beneficial bacteria, fungi and viruses. Rather than just casual colonizers, these microbe populations make essential nutrients, provide immunological signaling, perform detoxifying functions, and influence neurotransmitters, hormones and even metabolism.

It is also clear that many neurotransmitter chemicals and hormones used by the brain and nervous system, such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA, are produced in the gut. It is estimated that 70% of serotonin is made in the gut, and reports estimate about 50% of dopamine is produced in the GI tract by enteric neurons and intestinal cells.

New research may have us looking more at gut health in addressing behavioral disorders of pets as well. A groundbreaking study at the University of Oregon has shown a clear link between aggressive behavior of dogs and the microbes that live in the dog’s gut. This study analyzed a population of similar-breed dogs in a shelter setting and compared evaluations of behavior with microbiome status, via testing a series of their fecal samples.

With a deeper understanding of the diverse actions of the gut and the critical role it plays in systemic health, metabolism, immune function, behavior status and overall wellbeing, it becomes clear that supporting a healthy gut environment is a powerful proactive approach in maintaining the health of the cats and dogs we care for.

Dr. Katie Kangas owns and operates Integrative Veterinary Care, a private practice in San Diego, California, offering holistic and integrative health care options for pets. Dr. Kangas achieved her CVA certification at the Chi Institute in 2008, followed by additional training in Advanced Acupuncture, Food Therapy, Herbal Medicine and Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation (VOM). She has authored several articles published in veterinary journals and pet magazines, and shares her passion for pet wellness education by lecturing and presenting locally, nationally and internationally. Additionally, Dr. Kangas has a background in shelter medicine, with 15 years of contribution to the homeless pets in her community and previously served as the medical director of the San Diego Humane Society & SPCA.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly improve your organic social media presence and build a stronger online community. Remember, the goal is to connect authentically with pet owners and provide content that is not only engaging but also enriching to their experience as pet parents.

Fern is the founder of Overdog Digital, a digital marketing & consulting agency that helps dog daycare and boarding facilities attract, convert, and keep more customers by creating winning marketing campaigns and providing the business guidance to build momentum and spark long-term growth. Fern also has programs to train daycare staff, is a dog behavior consultant, and has a dog training business in New Jersey. He is the author of eight books and a popular speaker at national conferences and private events. To join The Dog Daycare Business Think Tank or ask a question, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/dogdaycarethinktank

I call the 2021/2022 peaks the “sugar-high” years; they felt great but were not destined to last. Our data suggest that two influences are likely culprits: inflation and reversion to the mean.

At 7% in 2021, 6.5% in 2022 and 3.4% in 2023, inflation has been well above the target rate of 2% that we’re used to. So, consumers understandably are slower to spend on less-than-necessary services. We’ve also heard many reports that pet parents are doing more price shopping than before. Indeed, the modifiers “cheap” and “affordable” are showing up with increased frequency for “dog boarding” searches. Much of this has manifested in fewer pet nights, if not fewer clients, because of shortened stays.

2. Reversion to the Mean. This is just the technical way of saying that things are getting back to normal; returning to the longer-term trend after the sugar-high years. The good news for our industry is that the long-term trend is up! So, there’s no need to panic. We just need to be smart while we deal with the adjustment.

To bolster the fact that the long-term trend is up and we’re experiencing a small correction in demand, Morgan Stanley reports that, whereas spending on pets increased a meteoric 11% during the pandemic, pet spending is expected to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 8% by 2030. That is truly fantastic growth.

Without naming names, we have also seen a significant uptick in ad spending for boarding by the large dog-walking services, the large pet supplies stores and a couple of the corporate-owned facilities (with a similar pattern for daycare, grooming and training, where applicable). They are all trying to concentrate market share while they can.

Everyone who has been in business for a while understands that conditions cycle up and down, and that there are opportunities in both halves of the cycle. To take advantage of these opportunities, you just need to be efficient and smart, and here are a few tips to help you do just that:

• First and foremost, run the business for profitability and excellent operational efficiency, always! Be very careful about carrying extra staff (your largest expense).
• Be efficient with your marketing spend. Engage only in strategies and tactics that demonstrably work and are measurable. In most cases, so-called “branding” opportunities like billboards, magazines, TV and radio are neither measurable nor worth it. Even organic social media, if you are paying an outside firm, is often not worth it. The key with social media is to manage the posting and engagement in-house and let a digital marketing company handle the advertising.
• Be aggressive and focus on gaining market share. You have many advantages over the apps and big-boxes—capitalize on them!
• Upgrade your client base, if possible, with a heavier focus on clients with more disposable income.
• Engage in defensive advertising to maintain your existing market share. Some of your existing clients are still searching “dog boarding near me” even though they’ve been to you before with satisfaction. The moment they make such a search, you are at risk of losing them forever. Therefore, it is wise to not only focus on the vaunted new client, but some of your existing clients are actually “new” if you have retained them while they are casually searching.

Duane Carey is the founder and lead strategist at IMPACT Marketing & Public Relations, a digital marketing firm that specializes in pet care. With a science background and an MBA in finance, Duane brings a decidedly no-nonsense, bottom-line, and data-driven perspective to marketing for his 50+ pet-care clients throughout the U.S. For an analysis of your digital marketing approach, you can reach him at Duane@ImpactMarketing.net