BACK TO DOGGIE DAYCARE

from Kendall County Magazine_Fall 2020

by Shaw Media

OPTIMIZE YOUR

DA YC AR E BACK TO DO GGI E

Socialization, regular routines can help your pets with transition back to normal

ByVickiMartinkaPetersen

Whether it was more walks around the neighborhood or frequent cameos during Zoom meetings, no one can deny that many pets relished their owners’ extra time at home this year.

As many companies cautiously welcome employees back into the office, the transition back to normal can take some time for all family members to adjust, including the fur babies.

One way to help pets readjust to being back at daycare and around their peers is to maintain a consistent schedule with regular times for eating and taking walks, suggests Kristi Eberhardt, owner of Top Notch Kennels in Oswego.

“If you normally walk your dog twiceaday but took your dog on multiple walks during the stay-at-home order, it can take some time for them to adjust to not having those extra walks,” Eberhardt says.

It’s also not surprising if your pets are doggone tired their first few visits back at daycare.

“Dogs tend to be tired after not having much activity while everyone stayed home,” says Eberhardt. “They often go home after

daycare and fall asleep without dinner because they’re tired after a full day of being with their friends.”

For those not ready to return to doggie daycare, Eberhardt suggests leaving the TV or radio on during the day to keep the dog company. Another option for human interaction is having a dog walker come by.

In addition to a return to the office, many families are venturing out on vacation again. If it’s been awhile since your dogs have been in a crate, it could be a problem when it’s time to take them in for pet boarding.

“You can help your dog get used to the crate again by putting them in it while you’re gone for short amounts of time like going to the grocery store,” Eberhardt says.

In some cases, dogs might be ready, but their owners might be anxious about bringing them back to daycare. Ask your doggie daycare or boarding facility what social distancing measures they have in place. Top Notch Kennels does staff temperature checks and has hand sanitizer stations. They also communicate with pet owners via phone calls and emails.

During the stay-at-home order, many people filled extra time at home by adopting a new pet. This left pet parents struggling to find opportunities for their new pets to socialize. Some ways to encourage socialization is to set up playdates with other dogs or sit on the driveway with a leash to acclimate dogs to others.

Top Notch Kennels offers a free evaluation to see if dogs like being in daycare.

“Even going into daycare onceaweek can help dogs become acclimated to other dogs,” suggests Eberhardt.

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Pet adoptions soar during pandemic, providing comfort and love to new homes

By Pat Szpekowski

If you need a silver lining for the first half of 2020, look no further than pets.

“Pets are amazingly resilient and wonderful in showing us unconditional love,” says Kristen Funk, executive director of Naperville Humane Society. “Those two traits are essential in providing comfort to people in general and especially now during COVID.”

The stresses of this spring also brought a sincere yearning for the presence and companionship of a furry friend while Zooming online, working from home or e-learning.

While there were fears no one would consider adopting a pet during this time, a large number of pets found new homes. Consider Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin and Tails Humane Society in DeKalb, both of which began appointment-only pet adoptions in early April. From that time through early July, a total of 1,315 pets found new homes. Of those, 61% were puppies or dogs, 36% were kittens or cats and 3% were little critters.

“We have been open for adoption by appointment only since the start of the lockdown,” says Funk, “and as our facility is not large enough to accommodate our normal volunteers, staff, and potential adopters, we have decided to stay by appointment only for the safety of everyone.”

Brooke Condon of North Aurora adopted Avery, a male puppy boxer mix, in April through Tales Humane Society. “We renamed our puppy Milo,” Condon says. “He has been a great addition to our family. Getting out, walking and hiking with Milo has provided us with a lot of activity during a time when it’s easy to just remain sedentary.”

Anderson Animal Shelter CEO Beth Foster says her adoption program has been going strong ever since it reopened. “This is an emotional time for people and we know that pets provide emotional support during times of stress,” she says.

Matching the right pet with a loving family is a key part of the process. Potential adopters have honest conversations with shelter staff about what kind of pet would best fit their family’s needs and lifestyle.

“At Tales, a potential adopter completes an adoption profile,” says Michelle Groeper, executive director of Tales Humane Society, “where they answer questions about other pets in the home, kids, and if they have a quiet or active home. Before finalizing adoptions, we prefer all family members to bring along their own pets to meet the adoptables, too.” What type of a pet is a good fit and for whom? “High energy, outgoing dogs and cats tend to fit better into active families,” says Foster, “while lower energy and fearful pets tend to do best in quiet homes and may be suitable for older adopters.” She also encourages adopters to pay more attention to a pet’s personality rather than appearance when making adoption decisions.

“Tails was amazing,” notes Condon, “helping us set up private meets and following up with us to make sure all was going well.”

Setting your new pet up for success is important. Provide a calm and safe environment for them at home. Set up a quiet crate where your new pet can be left alone to get used to his or her new home, Foster says. And then — get ready to receive loads of love. PAINTING Established 1989 Quality Painting You Can Count On For All Your Interior & Exterior Painting Needs! Hurry! Act Now! Protect your house’s exterior from the SUMMER SUN