Nauset Kennels

Wow! Who would have thought that constructing a new building would cause us to change almost every aspect of our business? Silly, naive, girls we were! We just thought we would have a little bit more elbow room. Instead, we’ve spent the last year examining our business. Our construction turned into a business exercise that I think all business owners should go through even without the new building!

So what’s new you ask? Let’s start first with the most noticeable things. After 38 years, our wonderful logo, originally designed by Kirsten’s mother, is now more reflective of who we are as a business and the lighthouses that are the Cape. The new logo moves from the dog and cat with their suitcases going on vacation concept (see below) to a lighthouse totem pole of pets (see above), a shining beacon in the pet care industry.

We are also in the process of changing our name from Nauset Kennels to Nauset Pet Services. Similar to our logo, we are no longer “just a kennel.” We’ve always offered many of these services, but on a much smaller scale. We have always offered day care, but no one thought of it in terms of advertising. Seventeen years ago, Brewster was our one day care dog, hanging out in the grooming room with Nancy.

New logo, new name, what else? Well, as Kirsten likes to remind herself, we really aren’t the little mom and pop kennel that we used to be. Like so many of our colleagues, our industry has changed dramatically. Look at your own attitude towards your pets - like so many others, I bet your pet is far from just the family dog or “that cat” anymore. We are constantly re-educating, learning new things, trying to make each animal’s experience with us the best it can be. Just today I realized that even the food we feed in the kennel is vastly different from the food we fed when I first started so long ago.

In that effort to create the best experience for each animal, we started offering pet sitting knowing that not every animal is comfortable in a kennel environment. This idea, which used to seem contrary to the concept of the kennel, now compliments our services quite well. We love going to Jake and Cali’s house, feeding them, making sure they have been out, and sitting on the front stoop snuggling with them in the sun.

We now offer pick-up and delivery to more than just Provincetown and for more than just grooming. Katie used to climb in the Subaru wagon twice a week. We now have three vehicles of all different sizes going two different directions!

Perhaps some of the more difficult but important changes are in our policies. We require deposits on holiday and summer reservations. We won’t waiver on your vaccinations and have implemented more stringent requirements. Your pet’s paperwork needs to be in to us before your first visit.

What hasn’t changed though is our commitment to your pets. Yes, we are “bigger” now. Yes, we have a new name to reflect what we truly offer. And yes, we’ve added staff and changed some of our more relaxed policies to stricter policies. But all of these changes were made and implemented with you and your pet in mind. Our deposit requirement is to ensure that people don’t just make reservations on the off-chance that they might be going away for Thanksgiving and then decide not to show up (which happened with enough regularity that it became a nightmare having to turn away so many clients every summer weekend or holiday).

Along the way we’ve been having a ball. Not every change is easy to implement and not every customer gets it or agrees with it. Change is hard. But we are loving the challenge of continuing to provide the absolute best care that we can for your pet.

So you think you’re a responsible dog owner? Take this quick quiz to find out.

1. Is your dog up to date on all yearly vaccines?

2. Do you administer heartworm preventative?

3. Do you regularly brush your dog’s (or cat) teeth?

4. Is your dog within healthy weight guidelines?

5. Does your dog know basic training commands?

6. Is your dog wearing a collar with

current owner information?

7. Is your dog microchipped?

If you answered yes to all of the above, then kudos to you! You are responsible to your pet’s needs.

Many of us would probably answer yes to some of the questions above, fully knowing that we should be answering yes to all of them. Quite honestly, our dogs teeth haven’t been brushed since, well, since ever! We absolutely know that we should be doing this, but we don’t. And I can’t even really tell you why we don’t!

We are working hard coordinating a day that will help us all be better dog owners, even those of you already ahead of the game. On September 26 from 12-4 we are hosting the AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day. Seminars, pet first-aid and CPR, raffles, and other fun things are planned to promote responsible dog ownership.

I have to admit that I originally said no to hosting this event. It was the last week in August and we were in the end of summer scramble with kids out of camp, but not in school. The kennel was still rocking and rolling and we were trying to put together a float for the Windmill Weekend parade. I didn’t feel confident that we could pull everyone together so quickly. However, Joanne correctly adjusted my opinion saying, “How can we not host this day?”

You see, we are also the “pound” for the wandering dogs in our area. And, by the very nature of our business, we see responsible and irresponsible dog ownership daily in many ways (including the fact that I don’t brush our dogs’ teeth!!). Some examples that really prompted us to host this event:

This summer, one of our local animal control officers brought in a dog that had been left in a hot car. The owner, angry and feeling affronted, could not understand why his dog was removed from his car. Another town continues to bring in the nicest set of dogs on a regular basis, who routinely wander from home and get picked up by the animal control officer. While we love having them visit, it is scary thinking that they might be hit by a car or something like that. And many of our dogs who board with us are a bit pudgy and like us, will suffer in the long-term from the extra weight.

Needless to say, I could go on and on with our reasons for hosting this event. I hope you can all join us, responsible pet owner or not :)

Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 12-4 at Nauset Kennels, 2685 Nauset Road in Eastham. Call to pre-register for the Pet First-Aid/CPR class (offered from 11-3, for $45). Bring your dogs responsibly - on leash!! See you there!

We’ve been waiting patiently and the great folks at Landmark Fence here in Eastham helped us out (huge thank yous!) and installed the fence for our new play yard. Cape Cod Ready Mix poured the concrete trench that prevents dogs from being able to dig under the fencing. This yard is attached to the kennel and is used solely for boarding dogs.

As you can see, it is HUGE! So, how does it work? Well, we work very hard to try to get every dog out in the yard at some point in the day. This yard is supervised and we usually take groups of 2-6 dogs out at at time. Some get to stay out longer than others depending on how well they are getting along and if it’s a good mix. The dogs love the kiddie swim pool and the opportunity to roam around sniffing all the good doggie smells.

For those unsocial dogs, it can be a bit trickier, but we know that they love their time outdoor too, so we try like heck to get each one out.

Some dogs absolutely cannot go in this yard. Any dog who is actively looking for a way out will be brought back inside. A dog who is just making a huge ruckus cannot stay in the yard. Dogs who won’t come when called or run and play a game of chase when it is time to come in won’t go out again. And any dog who is a known escape artist is not allowed in the yard. We’ll let you know at the end of a visit if your dog falls into one of these categories.

We get a lot of requests from boarders and neighbors to use the yard. Unfortunately, the yard is only for kennel use. We need access to it and couldn’t possibly compete with the numbers of families asking to use the yard.

We also get a lot of questions about the cost. Our standard boarding fee includes the possibility of yard time. I say possibility because it is not a guarantee that every single dog will get out in the yard during a visit. For those owners who absolutely want their dogs to have yard time, we offer a 20 minute play time for $8.00. That time can be designated for walking on the bike trail, playing one-on-one with one of us, loving (what dog doesn’t love a good belly rub?), or socializing with a few good buddies. If you want your dog to be outside for the majority of the day, ask about doggie day care.

We love our new yard and are loving the great weather that we’ve had! We’re sure you’ll find it “tail-waggin’good”!

As I entered checks on the deposit slip the other day, I happened to glance at the “For” line on one particular check. Usually people write things like, “Barney - bath.” Sometimes dates are jotted down or an invoice number is provided. This check was different though, and it so perfectly sums up why doggy day care is important and why people use it: “For: peace and quiet.”

“How perfectly simple!” I thought. From our end, we often see the purpose of day care as tiring out your pups. I’m sure that for most of you, this is the reason why you bring your dogs to day care. Some people have different reasons though, such as providing an owner with peace and quiet. Guilt probably plays a big role too; we feel guilty when we don’t have enough time for our dogs. For those of you who wonder what would prompt someone to bring their dog to day care, I’ve compiled a list of reasons, many provided by owners. Please let me know if I’ve there are any I’ve missed.

Why We Bring Our Dogs to Day Care

- “Peace and quiet” (as quoted from a check)

- Exercise

- Socialization

- To acquaint the dog with the kennel as an introduction to an overnight stay

- To allow the exterminators, painters, carpet cleaners, etc. time and space to work at your house

-”Because, while I love my dog, he drives me crazy!” (quoted from an actual customer, not the same customer who wrote about peace and quiet though)

- Guilt over working so much that the dog isn’t getting out

- “To allow me rest after my medical treatments”

- “So I can get ready for our party and not have the dog in the way”

- and along the same lines as the above, “Because our guests aren’t dog people.”

I can’t say that any reason given has surprised me yet, but I live by the mantra of “Never say never.”

The sun came out yesterday and we were all just thrilled! I can’t speak for the dogs, but I could swear their tails were wagging just a little bit more. Some of them might have even been smiling; I know I was!

The parents of our day care crew love the pictures and I love taking them (the dogs are hams!). They don’t always sit as still as I would like, but you get the idea even if it’s a bit blurry from the motion!

It is so much fun to watch them all at play. They wrestle, dig, race around the yard, and do a lot of sniffing! Some are more laid back than others and just sit back and watch. Ozzy Pug is our referee, running around herding everyone where he wants them to go and doing the equivalent of blowing his whistle by barking at them. Some go just wild when one of us is out there, vying for our affection, while others only want to be with the dogs.

I am off to get dirty with the pups. Enjoy the sun! We are!

My parents are here visiting and helping out with the kids so Kirsten and I can work (still trying to get into the new building while operating out of the old building). We love having them around and are so happy to have the help. They are not, however, animal people.

Scout is continually underfoot, waiting for my mom to drop her a tidbit now and then. I am shocked that mom hasn’t tripped over her and suffered a bad fall.

Pecan is still suffering from whatever is wrong with his stomach and esophagus and regurgitates for hours at a time. It really is a pain (both for him and us) and gets old quickly. In an effort to stop the regurgitation, we are experimenting with feeding him three meals a day. And did I mention that he is still skittish and barks at people in the house even though he just saw them two minutes prior?!

Needless to say, my parents will not miss our dogs when they head home next week. If anything, I am sure they will be scratching their heads wondering why we even have animals.

You have all known people who are just not that into dogs or cats, or even the less popular animals like ferrets and birds. There is probably even a hierarchy amongst animal lovers as to what level of commitment they are willing to make. Some people are just into dogs, some are into rabbits, while others have the whole menagerie.

Back to my folks though. They cannot fathom the amount of money we have forked over for our pets (sometimes I can’t either though!!). Nor can they understand the nature of our business and why anyone would go on vacation with their pets. My dad guffawed last night over a conversation abut CPR for animals. Over the laughter I think I heard him say, “Don’t expect me to ever perform CPR on your animals.” If Pecan comes over seeking affection from my mother she sort of looks around to see if we are close by and then quietly tries to shoo him away. This is too good - I can actually hear her right now telling him to go away as I am sitting here typing!

Non-animal people just don’t get it. I suppose we could create a window sticker for our cars proclaiming our feelings like Jeep owners with their “It’s a Jeep thing,” but ours would say, “It’s a dog thing,” or “It’s an animal thing.”

For the moment we are all coexisting in the house with animals, using a lot more of the industrial size lint roller sheets than usual and vacuuming a ton. And thank goodness for the kennel - Scout and Pecan have been spending a lot more time than usual with us at work! Mom and Dad pretend they like the animals to a point (kudos to them for even trying) and do make it a point to remember to feed them and let them out as needed. To animal lovers this probably sounds cruel on their part, that they “make it a point to remember to feed them.” But when it comes to non-animal people, we should remember our new motto. It really is an animal thing. Isn’t it?