Cleaning, cleaning — all surfaces that encounter dogs, laundry, and toys. All food and water dishes are either disposable or sanitized after each meal. All staff monitor dogs for coughing, sneezing, or other signs of illness.

• Proof of all vaccination records is required before reservations are confirmed and the pet is allowed in the facility.
• Any dog exhibiting signs of illness will be removed from their playgroup immediately and sent home or taken to their veterinarian as quickly as possible. Please ensure we have the owner’s or emergency contact information on file. We will keep you updated.
• Dogs displaying symptoms of illness at check-in will not be accepted for service.
• All sleeping cabins feature solid walls with sealed bottoms to prevent contamination between dogs. Each cabin includes raised “Kuranda” beds for the dogs’ warmth and comfort.
• Regular fresh air exchanges help reduce the spread of airborne pathogens.
• Our daycare and camp programs will be canceled for a necessary period (usually two weeks) to protect the dogs in the surrounding area.

Why Do Dogs Jump on People?

Our staff loves caring for and seeing each dog that comes to us for boarding, daycare, and grooming. However, we have experienced a few instances where our staff or beloved clients have been injured due to dogs becoming overly excited and jumping up on them.

We are reaching out to educate you on why dogs jump on people and how you can train them to prevent these injuries. This effort helps keep everyone safe, allowing us to continue serving you in the best way possible!

We seek your support and cooperation to ensure the safety of our staff, other pets, and clients, allowing our programs to remain open and accessible for your pet.

Reasons Why Your Dog Jumps

Greet Their Pack Members

Most of the time, your dog will jump up on you to greet you. This is especially true if you have been away from them, and your pet is excited to see you. Dogs greet each other by sniffing each other’s faces and butts, leading them to believe they need to jump up to your face to get a good whiff of where you have been and with whom! Puppies also jump up at their mothers in greeting and for safety. Since you are hopefully the pack leader, they may simply be mimicking this behavior. However, there are actions you can take to help reduce or eliminate this dangerous behavior in dogs.

Dominate Pack Members or Strangers

There are various ways that dogs display dominance, and jumping up is undoubtedly one of them. This is especially true when a dog encounters new people or other dogs and attempts to gain control of the situation by asserting its dominance. This behavior can be dangerous and unsettling for the person or dog being jumped on! Occasionally, the jumping is accompanied by growling, mouthing, scratching, or damage to furniture or clothing.

To Get Attention

Another potential reason dogs jump up on people is simple attention-seeking. The dog may have pent-up energy and be easily excitable, jumping up to get attention. It might be bored from lack of exercise or interaction, simply telling you it’s time for a walk or play session. Connie Winters’ Pet Resort has a daycare/camp program to help dogs play and expend their energy in a safe environment with trained, loving staff members and other social dogs of similar size and temperament.

How to Stop Your Dog from Jumping

To stop your dog from jumping on people, you will need to engage in a home training program with support from our staff. Ideally, this correction training should begin during puppyhood, but jumping behavior can also be corrected at any age with enough patience and consistency.

The first essential step is to stop encouraging the jumping. You may not realize it, but if your dog greets you by jumping up and you respond with a smile, you inadvertently reinforce this behavior. To stop this, avoid giving your dog any attention until they have calmed down and are sitting. You demonstrate that this behavior is unacceptable by turning your back so they cannot see your face and crossing your arms over your chest until they settle down.

It can be more challenging if your dog is jumping on visitors or our staff.

To stop the behavior, the best way to train your dog not to jump is to put them on a short leash, insist on a sit beside you when friends (or staff) arrive, and make your dog sit and stay calm before greeting new and old friends. Ensure your friends do not encourage the jumping behavior you are trying to eliminate. Most people and dogs do not like being jumped on — do not let a few individuals spoil your dog’s participation in camp or family gatherings. Remember to reward your dog when it sits nicely and accepts petting and attention in a sitting position. Only the sitting behavior should be rewarded.

Positive reinforcement training is the most effective method for stopping your dog from jumping. If your dog does not jump or listen to you when you command them to get off, praise or treat them to reinforce the behavior. This will be very helpful. Additionally, ensure that your family follows the rules, ignores your dog’s jumping, and informs visitors of your training intentions.

Conclusion

• Most of the time, dogs jump on people simply because they are excited and want to greet them, and they have never been taught the proper way to introduce themselves. This behavior could also indicate dominance or attention-seeking, but in any case, it’s usually an easy problem to solve with some patience. With consistent training, you can quickly teach your dog to stop this behavior using a sit command — make sure your family and friends are on board 100% of the time! If you are having trouble getting your dog to respond to this command, please ask for help from our front desk staff. We can schedule a short private lesson for you or reinforce your training during exercise sessions and camp. We also offer training classes for you and your dog. We love our furry friends and enjoy spending playtime with them, but we also appreciate our dedicated staff and our dog families and want to ensure everyone’s safety.

Summer Pet Safety Tips

It’s important to know that summer can be a tricky time for your furry friends. Let’s stay alert and get ready to keep them safe from heat stress!

Be Aware of the Signs of Heat Stress

If your pet shows ANY of these signs, call your vet immediately and take him to the vet office or an emergency clinic:

• Heavy Panting
• Unsteadiness
• Staggering and Walking in Circles
• Vomiting
• Collapsing

Here Are Some Things You Can Do Immediately to Cool Him Down

• Position your pet in a cool, but not ice-cold bathtub.
• Use a hose to wet your pet, then let the water run under his belly, especially between his front and back legs. This will help cool him down faster.
• Apply ice packs only to the head, neck, and chest.
• Place the pet in the car with the air conditioning set to the coolest setting and go immediately to a veterinary emergency clinic.

Check Your Pet for Ticks and Fleas Every Day!

Some pets are susceptible to flea bites and develop sores due to scratching or chewing. If you notice your dog scratching, identify the cause!

Ticks transmit serious diseases, including Lyme, but symptoms can often be challenging to detect. Dogs may appear tired, feverish, or lame before you notice the illnesses.

Fleas often carry tapeworms, which can cause intestinal issues and other problems as they travel through your pet’s gut.

All pets should be checked daily for these pests, especially if they have a heavy, thick coat, play in the woods or deep grass, or are frequently in areas with wildlife or many other pets.

Preventative solutions include flea and tick collars, injections, and skin applications. Consult your vet for the best preventative option for your individual pet.