Each of our employees undergoes a number of different training sessions. While all employees have a sense of how to interact with animals when they are hired, Tails on Trails feels it is important to provide several different types of trainings to standardize the care that all of our clients receive. Employees go through a variety of training, all meant to guarantee that all of our walkers and sitters are able to make each and every client’s pet feel as much at ease as possible.
With an animal behaviorist, employees focus on learning about reading animal behaviors. During this training session, items are covered like the best way to approach a new dog, how to deal with a frightened pet, and more. This is an important lesson for many of our walkers who often meet a dog for the first time without the owner present. By learning basic lessons on how to put a stressed dog at ease, they are able to ensure the comfort of our clients’ pets.
The animal behaviorist does another training session with each employee focused completely on leash walking. A large part of a walker’s job consists of walking dogs outside. In that environment, as any dog owner knows, there are all kinds of distractions. So this training which covers how to handle different situation in order to walk each dogs safely and successfully.
Once a year, each employees meets with a veterinarian who comes and helps the walkers learn how to read the behaviors of animals in stress. This training covers how to read the signs of an ill pet. Because walkers often deal with pets whose owners are on vacation, being able to understand what a sick animal looks like is important because they are often the first line of defense when an owner is away.
Although much of our training revolves around making sure that our clients’ pets are safe and comfortable, some of the training focuses on the safety of the walker separate from their interactions with pets. During our safety training, we focus on personal safety, safety when entering and exiting a home, walking pets in different locations, and driving. This safety training is useful in ensuring that all of our walkers are kept as safe as possible. It also helps as once again the walkers become the first line of defense for our clients’ homes when they are away.
There are also a number of internal training sessions that each walker does throughout the year. With new equipment, each walker is taught how to use them properly. Although leashes might be easier to understand, the harnesses that we require for all dogs above a certain weight limit take a little more training to properly use. Other internal training sessions include review of processes, employee manuals, policies and procedures.
Overall, our goal is that all training will accomplish one thing: provide a premier standard of care from all of our employees. By standardizing training, we have become a business dedicated to providing the best care by the best prepared workers and we are proud of this accomplishment.
Read More About What Sets Tails on Trails Apart.