DOG WALKING BEHAVIOR VOLUNTEER TRAINING MANUAL - QUEBEC & BUDDY CENTER Thank you for choosing to be a Behavior department volunteer! This manual will help you understand the basics of volunteering with the dog walking program in the Behavior department. If you have any questions please feel free to ask any Behavior staff or veteran volunteers. This volunteer position provides the dogs with exercise and appropriate elimination opportunities. The Dog Walking program objective is to help the League s dogs be more manageable, more adoptable, and more likely to stay in their new homes. TRAINING: 1. Attend a 2-1/2 hour orientation program. 2. Interview with the Volunteer Services Manager or designee. 3. Attend the DFL 101 training session covering the League s philosophies, policies and procedures. 4. Complete Hands on AC-Dogs training 5. Complete 3 shifts in Animal Care-Dog Kennels 6. Complete the Dog Walking Basics webinar 7. Purchase DFL approved leash (required) and optional treat pouch. Both are available at the DFL Pet Supply store. (Leashes $6.50 to $8.50, pouches $10.00 to $12.00). Your own treat pouch may be used but a DFL approved leash must be purchased. 8. Complete Q-DW Hands on training class. 9. Recommend Learning Theory Class. Please be sure to ask plenty of questions. These are the managers and supervisors that can assist you in your training: Please do not attempt any of these processes or techniques until you have been trained by a DFL staff member.
Attendance and Vacations If you are unable to work your shift, please contact Volunteer Services at 720-241-7160 or volunteer@ddfl.org. This way we know that you will be out and we may be able to find another volunteer to fill your shift. If you would like to permanently change your position or the day or time of your shift, please contact the Volunteer Services Manager at volunteer@ddfl.org. Getting Started Please wear your volunteer name tag and t-shirt for all shifts. Pick up individual hand sanitizers. Please return the sanitizer when your shift ends. Refills are available in the supervisor/ manager s office. Clock in at the time clock for every shift. Make Sure You Have 1. Leash (only use approved leashes for walking) 2. Treats found in the Dog Adoptions Food Prep Room** 3. Fecalizer (located in the adoptable dog food prep room above the dog walking list; extras are in health care) 4. I am on a walk sign. **Hot dogs and cheese are VERY high reward treats for dogs and are only to be given out by the Headstart volunteers to dogs that are enrolled in the Headstart program. If these treats are used by everyone, they will no longer be considered high value and the training done by the Headstart volunteers and staff might not be as effective. All other store bought treats for the dogs are ok to give. Treats can be found in the dog adoptions food prep room. You also are welcome to bring your own treats, however these treats cannot be human food. No left over chicken, hamburgers or other human food please. We do go through a lot of treats, if you don t want to bring your own from home and aren t finding the treats you need, please see the Behavior department. Starting Your Shift Look up your name on the Dog Walking Assignment sheet. If your name is not on the list please find a Behavior Staff Member to assign you to a section. Find the coordinating dog walking list on the White Board in the section you are assigned to in the dog food prep room to identify which dogs need to be walked (dogs on this list are the ONLY dogs that can be walked). On the dog walk list, write down the time you re taking the dog out along with your initials; when you return with the dog check off under the done column.
A new list is printed at 7:30 AM and Noon, if all the dogs have been walked when you come in for your shift and it is not near one of these times, please find a behavior staff member to print off a new list. Use Chameleon to verify the dog on the walking list is still in that assigned kennel, look at the picture to make sure you can visually identify the dog if there are multiple dogs in a kennel. Only walk the dogs in the area you are assigned to and only walk Basic dogs. Advanced dogs are walked by advanced walkers only. Approaching the Kennel Once you have identified the dog you are going to walk, find the dog s kennel and approach slowly and calmly. Before entering and removing the dog from its kennel, make sure you have a slip lead and that all four of the dog s paws are on the floor. Try not to make direct consistent eye contact with the dog, this can be intimidating and scary. It is important to remain standing up or kneel down next to the dog and not to lean over the dog. Leaning over the dog can be intimidating and scary. You can use treats throughout your walk to reward and distract the dog if needed as well as help it stay calm Don t rush. The calmer and quieter you are, the calmer the dog will be. Make sure the dog has four on the floor before opening the kennel gate or going through doors. Watch for certain body language and postures: o Friendly postures: loose wagging tail, lip licking, ears held back softly against the head o Aggressive postures: maintaining eye contact, snarling/growling/baring teeth, tensing of the muscle, forward postures o Fearful postures: crouching/retreating, tucked tail, urination/defecation, snarling with teeth visible When there are two or more dogs in a kennel: o In the A, B, E, or F kennels, use the cut-off gates to help you leash the dog you want. o Once you have your dog on leash, you can toss a treat to distract the other dog, giving you time to exit the kennel with your dog. o If the kennel does not have a cut-off gate and you are unable to successfully remove your dog without the other escaping, ask another volunteer or staff member for help. o If dogs are a bonded pair you can get help from another volunteer to walk them together. o Make sure to check the kennel gate for any important signage. Walking the Dog
When you remove a dog from its kennel, be sure to put an I Am Being Walked sign on the kennel door so staff and other volunteers will know where the dog is. Walk only one dog at a time. One volunteer = one dog. Healthy dogs All healthy dogs from any section can be walked in the Friendship Circle located at the back of the building. o To access the Friendship Circle from the dog donut, use the exit located between kennel mods 8 and 9. From the back side of the kennel mods, next to kennels 9A and 9B, there is a narrow hallway that leads to the patron side of the kennels. Take the stairs next to this door and it will lead you out to the Friendship Circle. Never wrap a leash around your hand or arm Always clean up any messes that your dog makes. Plastic bags are located at the entrance of the Friendship Circle and along the path. Always walk counterclockwise. Do not let dogs greet each other in the Friendship Circle. Always be alert and ready in case your dog bolts at squirrels, rabbits, cats or loud noises. There are play yards inside the Friendship Circle: o You can use the empty play yards as an opportunity to let the dog off its leash. If you have a fearful dog just drop the leash and let it drag so that you can easily pick it back up when you are ready to leave o There are toys in the play yards; if you use a toy take from the clean bin and put it in the bin labeled dirty when you are done o If a dog has recently had surgery, do not take it into a play yard. o Never leave a dog unattended in a play yard. o Some small dogs can squeeze through the fence in the play yards. Do not take these dogs off leash. o Do not let your dog pace at the front of the yard and bark at passing dogs, use treats to distract them and call them over. Do not use your cell phone while walking a dog unless it is an emergency. Temperature: When walking dogs we want to be sure to take into consideration what the weather is doing, and do what is safest for our volunteers and our dogs. Please see below for dog walking restrictions due to extreme temperatures: o Hot: If it is over 90 degrees outside take dogs for a quick walk (no more than 20 minutes). Move quickly over the blacktop. Watch for signs they are overheating Keep a close eye on their behavior if they are panting excessively, or reluctant to walk bring, them inside. Older dogs, overweight dogs, brachycephalic and dogs with a thick coat should be watched closely when it is really hot.
o Breeds of dogs that may be more sensitive to the heat include: Pugs, French Bulldogs, Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Boxers, Pekinese Cold: If is under 32 degrees take dogs for a quick walk(no more than 20 minutes). o Watch for signs that they are cold o Shivering, picking up feet, not wanting to walk Breeds of dogs that may be more sensitive to the cold include: Chihuahua, greyhounds, Italian greyhounds. Or any dog with a very short/thin coat. Wet: If it is raining outside take dogs for a quick walk (no more than 20 minutes). Move quickly to covered areas in the dog runs. o Watch for signs they are stressed o Keep a close eye on their behavior if they are shivering, not wanting to walk bring them inside. Also, smaller dogs, fearful dogs and dogs with short coats should be watched closely when it is cold and raining. Loose Dog If a dog escapes from its kennel, yell loose dog then use your leash and help catch the dog. Do not chase the dog. Walk slowly and talk in a high-pitched friendly voice. Never grab a dog by the collar; it can injure the dog, the collars are temporary and may fall off, or the dog may head whip towards you out of fear. Be sure to ask for help from other volunteers and staff if needed. If you hear loose dog and you have a dog on a leash, find an area behind a gate until the loose dog is caught. Kennel Cough Dogs Kennel cough dogs from the Real Life rooms can be walked to the inner donut; this is located near the adoptions food prep kitchen. Never take a dog with kennel cough into the Friendship Circle. Always walk these dogs at the end of your shift. Once you have worked with a kennel cough dog you cannot return to healthy dogs. Fecal Samples Use clear fecalizers to collect a quarter size sample of loose stools and diarrhea Containers come with a label that already has the DFL account number on it. Add the A#, the sex, species and the age of the animal. Enter a note in Chameleon that you took a fecal OR fill out a needs attention slip. Take fecal sample to health care (located by laundry room). Returning a Dog to its Kennel Some dogs are reluctant to return into the building and into their kennels. Provide extra encouragement: o Talk in a high-pitched voice o Offer treats o Crouch down
If the encouragement does not work, you will need to use another entrance with less stairs o You can enter through the far south doors labeled Education Center and walk the dog through the adoption lobby. o For foster dogs you will use the ramp next to the garage on the south side of the building. You will need a keycard to access this door, this is located in West Obedience. Once the dog is through the first set of doors, make sure the doors close behind the dog to prevent the dog from trying to go back outside. When re-kenneling the dog, toss a treat in to distract the dog while you exit the kennel. If there is another dog in the kennel, toss in a treat to distract that dog while you and your dog enter the kennel. If a new dog has been added to the kennel while you were out walking, contact a staff member to re-kennel and introduce the dogs Kennel enrichment can be given to a dog that is kenneled alone; bedding, blankets, treats, etc. Kennel Enrichment Upon returning a dog to its kennel, you can provide some extra kennel enrichment to make the dog more comfortable. Make sure you are returning the dog to a clean kennel; you may need to clean the kennel if necessary. To clean a dirty kennel: Bedding should be shaken out to remove any loose fecal matter. If there is a large amount of diarrhea or feces stuck to the bedding it should be thrown away. If the bedding is dirty or has a small amount of dried feces, put it in the laundry. If it is still clean, you may return it to the kennel. If there is a small about of feces use a poop bag to pick up then spray with Rescue Cleaner and wipe up with a paper towel Rinse the kennel thoroughly with the water hose if there was excessive feces or urine. Use a doodlebug to scrub the kennel surface to remove organic material. Hose off the doodlebug. Use a squeegee to remove as much water as possible. Be careful not to squeegee water into the water dish. Return the dog to its kennel. If patrons approach you, please answer questions or direct the patrons to staff member who can answer their questions. Do not let the patrons pet the dog you are walking. If they are interested in meeting the dog, they can sign in for an adoption counsel.
Dog Needing Extra Attention Quebec: If you are working with a dog and you notice any of the concerns listed below, stop your interaction and please fill out a Needs Attention slip located in the dog walking kitchen or in West Obedience. Some signs to look for if a dog is upset or uncomfortable: The dog is in quick/frantic motion to get away from its current location, attempting to avoid touch from people or other perceived threats. Ears Back Fur standing up around the neck or back Whale Eyes, where you can see the whites of the eyes Growling, lip lifting or snarling Tail tucked under body Other Needs: o A dog needs grooming has severe matts or extremely long nails o A dog is sneezing, potentially sick, or has vomit in the kennel o A dog has bloody stools or diarrhea Buddy Center: Please tell a staff member that is available when you see the concerns listed above. Logging a Dog Walk Chameleon You can log in at any computer using these credentials Quebec: Location: Q Userid: bhvol Password: PASSBH Buddy Center: Location: B Userid: bcvol Password: bcvol Record dog walk times for each dog taken outside- VERY IMPORTANT! Wash your hands between each dog and before using the keyboard
In Chameleon go to windows, then animal, then To Do Enter the Animal ID number. The Ref Type is Adoption The Task is Dogwalk Enter in date and time, function key F5 will automatically enter current date and time. Be sure to enter both start and completion date and time. Enter any comment about the dog you just walked in the description box. For example: Pulls hard on the leash, high energy or will not go down stairs. When you are finished hit F9 to store it.