The concept of Wagging Tails Academy & Inn begins with the philosophy of Maria Montessori who believed that all children functioned better and learned more in open communities working together not to be the first, or to win, but to help each other learn and to function in community with the freedom to move away from others or be a part of a group at will.  The purpose of open community is to meet the needs of all the participants to encourage happy and secure interaction between all members of the recognized community.

It is unknown as to whether Maria knew that what she was describing for children regarding education is what works best for dogs and is the natural state of dogs when they live in packs.  Just as in the Montessori concept where children are not praised for being the first or the best and there is no glory in teams or competitions but, instead, children are praised for being the most generous and giving and for helping others to learn and generally just for being a good citizen in the community, this is the type of environment that works best with canines.  So, we have taken the Montessori philosophy and recreated it in Wagging Tails Academy & Inn for doggy daycare and we call it the Muttessori Model for Doggy Daycare. 

Over the last decade there has been much new knowledge discovered regarding canines yet so many of the old myths and misconceptions still run rampant through our society.  At Wagging Tails Academy & Inn we work very hard to stay current with information that helps us to better understand our canines.  Some of the old questions and new answers are: 

Are dogs color blind?  No – we now know through many studies that almost all dog breeds see the three primary colors and most dog breeds can see the secondary colors.  That is why our academy will be decorated in red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and orange. 

Do dogs only see objects in two dimensions?  No – or retriever breeds would not be able to pick up objects and return them to people. 

Do dogs function better alone?  No – dogs are very social pack animals and function better in groups than separated from other dogs.  Yes, there is the occasional dog that reacts hostilely to other dogs, and most dogs that are leashed will respond to other dogs in a protective manner.  But, usually a dog who reacts hostilely to other dogs is a dog who has been separated from his own kind for a long period of time and has no idea how to act.  We call this under-socialized.  An under-socialized dog can learn very quickly to become social once they are helped to move past their insecurities and fears and become a part of the community.  However, most humans will pull a dog away that has acted in a hostile manner and keep the dog away from others saying that their dog just doesn’t get along with other dogs.  Actually, if the dog were gently introduced to the community (just like a child in a new school) it would learn quickly to become a part of the community pack.  Yes, – even old dogs can learn this. 

Are dogs aggressive?  Not necessarily – aggression comes in five types. 

Play Aggression is a playful stance that includes tail wagging, some vocalization,  and a type of wrestling we call “rolling”.  It is all in good fun and most dogs will only do this type of behavior with dogs of an equal size to them.  Tails wag the entire time. 

Food Aggression is most often seen in dogs that were starved at one time or another in their lives and they are afraid there will not be enough food to eat.  They will growl in a menacing way at people or dogs that approach while they are eating.  This is hard to overcome and why dogs are screened for food aggression issues at the academy and inn.  Treats at snack time are hand fed by all of the teachers and are different than feeding bowls of food.  Dogs must mind their manners that they learn in the etiquette classes to get their snack.  Tails do not wag with food aggression. 

Pack Aggression is an aggression that manifests as the result of a mix of curiosity and fear in more than one dog and the dogs’ focus on an object or animal as the cause of that curiosity or fear.  Allowing dogs to form natural packs in a controlled environment teaches them to not be afraid and that curiosity as a group is a learning experience, not an opportunity for aggressive behavior.  Tails wag in curious mode and stop wagging in fear mode. 

Possessive Aggression is triggered by having a dog perceive that a personal possession will be taken away by another dog or a person.  Dog’s possessions smell like them.  They recognize their toys by sight and smell and when a personal toy starts to smell differently they will re-scent it by licking, chewing, or other methods.  At Wagging Tails Academy & Inn we do not allow toys (or anything else) to be brought from home.  All of our toys smell like the academy and dogs recognize these toys as community toys.  A dog’s tail wags hesitantly then stops when possession is threatened. 

Angry Aggression occurs when a dog is in a bad mood or in pain.  This is the most serious of all aggressive behavior as it is very difficult to deal with a dog expressing anger.  It is best to isolate a dog from community when they are angry until they overcome that and are able to be reasoned with or the pain issue is resolved.  The dog’s tail does not wag and is usually tucked. 

Please note that these are the same five types of aggression expressed by children. 

At Wagging Tails Academy & Inn all canines are watched while they are in community and negative aggressive behavior is dealt with immediately by one of our two methods of discipline. 

The first method we advocate is doggy time-out.  The canine is leashed and the leash is connected to a stationary stanchion off to the side of the room, yet where he can be seen by his friends.  He is not allowed to play with his friends for a specific period of time (usually ten to fifteen minutes) and his friends are not allowed to approach him.  The second method is for the aggressive canine to be surrounded by a small, short, portable fence and isolated from the community for a specific period of time usually not to exceed thirty minutes.  The dog in isolation can look over the fence to see his friends but his friends are not allowed to approach him.  With both of these methods the dog in time-out or isolation is never left alone – one of the staff will always be with him.  Both of these methods are incredibly effective because no dog likes to be removed from community and not allowed to participate. 

PLEASE NOTE: There will never be a crate, cage, kennel, or enclosed individual run on any Wagging Tails Academy & Inn property.  Just as we don’t put children in cages we do not put canines in cages!  

All exterior exercise yards are fenced to protect the canines and are supervised by staff for the length of time that one or all of dogs are outside.  Playtime is for the dogs to play with each other – interacting in community.  Staff may play with the dogs as long as they play the dog’s games by the dog’s rules.  YES – dog’s make up games and establish rules and teach them to each other!  If we humans watch carefully we can see the game and the rules and the canines are overjoyed when we play!

Do dogs understand more than their name and basic commands?  Yes - most breeds of dogs have a language capacity of more than 500 words.  We help the canines to enlarge their vocabulary by repetitive words or short combinations of words voiced as requests not commands.  Yes, that means we say please and thank you to the canines. 

During naptimes (two a day) dogs are allowed to sleep with whom they want.  Canines are very loving animals and crave touch from both humans and other canines. They sleep at their most secure, relaxed and happy when they are touching another living being.  They often sleep in groups that we call “puppy piles” and are free to choose their companions for naps.  Our staff ensures that no canine is left out and that all have at least one sleeping companion. 

So, to sum up our philosophy – Canines are Kids!  At Wagging Tails Academy & Inn your canine companion is as important to us as your child is to his/her daycare center.