| Club Canine: About Us |
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| About the Club |
| Club Canine, Doggie Daycare has over 5,000 sq. ft.of indoor, 1/2 inch rubber flooring to provide cushioning for dogs' joints, and to give them better traction to prevent slips and falls. Dogs are ALWAYS supervised by dedicated, highly-trained & caring staff (for more information about this, please see "About the Owner" - below). This allows us to redirect inappropriate behaviors before they ever have a chance to escalate. We have several different pieces of playground equipment for dogs to play on (such as tunnels, barrels, slides, etc.) We also have plenty of safe toys for dogs to play with, including "Kongs", "Jolly Balls" (large rubber balls with handles), rope tugs in various sizes, and of course tennis balls and racquet balls. We also have plenty of giant Nylabones available for dogs to chew on when they feel like taking a break from running and playing. Many daycares don't provide toys or bones because they fear they MIGHT cause conflicts. Here at Club Canine, though, we think it's important to allow dogs to play with toys, which is why we'll work with any dogs who have "resource guarding" issues, rather than just banning all toys preemptively! We have an attached outdoor yard that is enclosed by a 7 foot fence for safety. There is a doggie door which most dogs learn to use fairly quickly, although we also let the whole group in and out frequently just in case there are any dogs who aren't yet comfortable with the doggie door concept. Here are more pictures to give you a better sense of our facility, as well as to point out some of our unique features: In this picture, you'll notice our custom designed "airlocks". These "airlocks" allow us to enter and exit the playrooms safely. By closing the door or gates behind us, IF a dog should ever sneak past one of us, he is still safely contained with no chance of him running out the door to the reception area. The airlocks also enable dogs to sniff a newcomer through the fencing. This helps us decrease the overall excitement level prior to letting a new dog into the playroom, which is much safer for everyone. Speaking of the reception area, below is a picture of it. If you've noticed, dogs love to look through the viewing windows too! They probably just want to catch the first glimpse of the next friend coming in to play with them! |
About the Owner Kera Slowitsky, the Owner & Operator of Club Canine, is an experienced trainer, as well as an applied canine behavior specialist, with recognized expertise in multiple dog interactions and aggression issues. Many other dog daycares are owned or managed by well-meaning, but inexperienced people. It takes many years of hands-on experience to become proficient in managing large groups of dogs in an off-leash environment. Veterinary, or even training experience alone does not qualify someone to safely manage groups of dogs off-leash, since most vets and even trainers deal only with a single dog or two at a time, and usually while the dog is on a leash. Always be sure to ask about the Owner's and/or Manager's background in dog behavior, AND their level of hands-on experience with dogs in an off-leash setting before entrusting your dog to their care. Kera personally evaluates every dog prior to accepting them into Club Canine's daycare program, and uses positive reinforcement techniques when dealing with inappropriate behaviors. Kera also personally trains and works with all staff extensively prior to allowing them to supervise dogs on their own. Dogs aren't actually "trained" while they're in daycare, however Kera and her staff work with all the dogs to promote good canine manners and polite behavior. She is happy to discuss each dog's behavior with their parents, and her recommendation for training classes and/or additional help with behavior problems is Brad Phifer at Bark Tutor School for Dogs in Broad Ripple - www.BarkTutor.com or Warren Patitz at Doggone Connection - www.DoggoneConnection.com In addition to her many years of training dogs professionally, Kera has worked in a Veterinary hospital, and was also the Education Coordinator at a local Humane Society. Kera was also on the Board of Directors of GRRACE (Golden Retriever Rescue and Community Education - www.grrace.org) for several years, and has fostered over 40 rescue dogs in her home and now in the daycare as well. (Kera also has a Master's degree in Elementary Education and used to teach human kids before she switched over to canine kids! :-) Kera has several large dogs of her own, and she is continuing her rescue work as she builds Club Canine. She is also providing discounted and free services to local shelters, rescue organizations, and new adopters (see our web page titled "Info for Rescues"). |
| Club Canine opened it's doors on September 5, 2006 |
| This is Kera with her dogs: Apollo, Noah, Maggie and Zeke. (Sadly, Maggie passed away in July 2007, and is dearly missed by Kera and all of her friends here at Club Canine...) |
