Getting to Know Your Dog
Every stay includes a professional behavioral assessment and 45 point command audit
I want to understand exactly who your dog is so I can make their stay as comfortable as possible. Think of this as me learning their personal language.
The Purpose of the Evaluation
I believe that understanding dog behavior is rarely intuitive. What might look like a smile can be a sign of tension and what looks like guilt is often an appeasement signal meant to repair a connection. By observing these subtle cues I can match your dog to the environment where they will feel most at ease.
This clinical evaluation typically costs several hundred dollars but I build it into my baseline process for every visit. I provide this because I truly love what I do and I believe that understanding your dog is the only way to provide a safe residency.
As my guest your dog receives a detailed behavioral roadmap and command audit prepared by a professional social behaviorist included with the residency at no additional charge.
The Integration Protocol
I use a proprietary three stage system to introduce new guests to my home environment safely.
1Visual Threshold Assessment
Your dog begins in a secure quiet area where they observe the rhythm of the home through a transparent threshold. This allows them to settle without physical pressure while I observe their visual thresholds and recovery rates.
2Mediated Social Cues
I introduce my resident expert dogs who specialize in polite social signals through a safety barrier. This allows me to monitor every subtle shift in body language and ensure everyone feels secure.
3Supervised Freedom
Once comfort is established we move into a shared space. Your dog is always given the autonomy to choose their own distance and pace. I simply follow their lead.
Calibration: The Command Lexicon
Precision requires a shared language. I ask for your specific home cues to ensure my audit remains accurate. This alignment honors the training you have already established and allows me to test your dog’s brain rather than my ability to guess their cues.
If you are starting fresh simply let me know. This is valuable information that helps me know exactly how to communicate with your dog from the start.
The Proficiency Rubric
I rate understanding on a professional 0 to 4 scale. This provides a quantifiable map of your dog’s current capabilities.
The 45 Point Inventory
I audit every guest across these five functional skillsets to identify exactly where their education requires reinforcement.
Essential Safety (1 to 10)
These represent the emergency brakes. I audit these to ensure the dog remains safe in high stakes environments.
Domestic Lifestyle (11 to 20)
These skills ensure peaceful coexistence within a home. I observe these to see if a dog is an asset to the household rhythm.
Social Fluency (21 to 30)
These markers prove a dog can handle the pressure of the public world and the social pack without anxiety.
Cognitive Stamina (31 to 40)
Advanced control builds confidence by providing a job. I test these to measure the dog’s mental endurance.
Elite Mastery (41 to 45)
These final points prove a dog is fully bilingual in the human and canine worlds.
Always Within Reach
Because my home is a family environment your dog is never on their own. My daughters and I work as a team to make sure someone is always within arm’s reach to reward a calm choice or offer comfort through the night. In my home no one sleeps alone.
This audit moves our partnership from guesswork to professional behavioral management.
Help Me Get to Know Your Dog
Simply share the specific words your dog understands. This helps me prepare a warm welcome tailored just for them.
SHARE YOUR DOG’S WORDSI am looking forward to meeting your dog and making them feel right at home.
