School Yard
Etiquette and Rules

The School Yard is our name for the private off-leash dog play sessions we hold in our 1,000-square-foot enclosed courtyard (or inside our center in cases of bad weather). Each School Yard session is monitored by a dog trainer. Attendees must be Members.

Below, please find our guidelines for maintaining the integrity and safety of this special space. We have included some photos of typical postures as we encourage our School Yard Members to keep play safe and appropriate by learning to read their dog's body language.

If you’d like to apply to be a member, please read this and then fill out an application, which includes an exam that touches on many of the points below. If we feel that the School Yard would be right for your dog, we will contact you in order to schedule a free evaluation visit.

GENERAL SCHOOL YARD RULES

• Never leave your dog alone in the Yard. You must be present at all times.
• If new people and/or dogs enter the Yard, go to your dog and hold their collar, say their name and feed a treat.
• Pick up poop and dispose of it properly. Spray down the spot with an enzymatic cleaner and finished with Rescue Spray.
• Ask before petting or otherwise interacting with a dog that is not yours.
• Remember that by entering the School Yard, you acknowledge there are inherent risks and hazards involved in off-leash dog play, and you indemnify School For The Dogs against any liabilities and damages incurred by your dog.
• We ask that you respect that this is a private space and we aim to run it with the utmost regard to the safety, health, peace, and happiness of our dog students, our human clients, and our neighbors. For these reasons, we reserve the right to ask any person and dog to leave at any time, for any reason.

CHILDREN

• Children under 12 are not permitted in the School Yard unless they have received prior trainer approval and are accompanied by a parent.
• If you feel your dog cannot be around children, please make us aware before your first visit.

TREATS

• Treats are allowed in the Yard, but they should be inconspicuous so dogs don't become fixated on them. Please avoid crinkly plastic bags as they can be distracting for dogs and hard to access for humans. If you don't have your own treat pouch we have spares on hand to borrow, please just ask.
• Please do not leave treat pouches (or anything with food in it) on any surfaces that can be accessed by dogs, to avoid counter-surfing.
• You may feed your own dog treats but please do not feed anyone else's dog. Please do not feed your dog within 3-4 feet another dog, to avoid any food guarding.

• If your dog is approaching another that is being fed, please intervene quickly. If they won't respond to a recall under such conditions then it is your responsibility to retrieve them.

PLAYING

• We encourage you to practice “collar, name, treat” protocol for play breaks, and once you have control of your dog, gently lead your dog by their collar or harness into the Zen Zone (gated area.) We will also do group relaxation breaks periodically throughout the sessions upon the trainer's request.
• When giving your dog a break during School Yard, please try to keep your dog's four paws on the ground. With small dogs it is easy to just pick them up, but that can be exciting for other dogs and a safety concern if your dog gets aroused and tries to jump to the ground.
• To make it easier for your dog to take breaks, in each yard, we will have a dedicated “Zen Zone” that will be fenced off to allow your dog to relax without you having to move other dogs away.
• It is always okay to interrupt your dog in play, whether or not you think they are playing rough or making another dog uncomfortable. We want them to have nothing but good feelings about you approaching them during play. How do you know when to interrupt? You can start by noticing when you are talking to your dog. The chances of a dog stopping what they're doing, or modifying their behavior, is pretty much nil if you're trying to command them by saying “be nice.” But use that impulse to to converse with them as a cue that you should go interrupt your dog, with a collar-name-treat.
• Humping sometimes occurs during play and usually isn’t sexually motivated. It is often seen when a third dog is trying to figure out how to engage with two dogs who are playing. There is no need to be embarrassed or offer apologies if your dog is humping another dog. Just interrupt and redirect the humping dog’s energy to something else, like playing a game of tug.

ALTERCATIONS

• If you notice a dog that is not your own is playing a bit too rough, mention something to the guardian or get a trainer's attention rather than trying to manage the dog yourself. Every dog at the yard is their guardian's responsibility.
• Be your dog’s advocate; make sure that they aren't interacting in a way that may lead to fear or aggression; interrupt play if you’re concerned. It is always better to interrupt than not to. We do not believe that dogs should be allowed “to work things out on their own.”
• If your dog comes to you to escape play, or does not want to play at all, please respect their choice and head to the Zen Zone for a break! Play should always be optional.
• Because guardians are vigilant in the School Yard, it’s rare that interactions become dangerous. But if an interaction gets out of control and you’re concerned for the safety of your dog or another person’s dog, break up the fight by pulling the dog’s back legs towards you. Avoid grabbing the dog’s collar, since putting your hand close to the dog’s mouth could be dangerous. In extreme situations, you can break up fighting dogs using an air horn, spray from the hose, or, if necessary, citronella spray. We keep the equipment needed at a station on the wall.

PUPPIES

• We do not admit puppies under 5 months old into the outside portion of the School Yard, except when previously approved by one of our trainers. The space is not adequately disinfected between uses to be safe for most non-fully-vaccinated puppies.
• When play occurs indoors, we still discourage puppies from engaging with adult dogs as many adult dogs do not like puppies.

EQUIPMENT

• Try to avoid loose, jingling tags on collars or harnesses, if this is too distracting for some attendees, we can provide tape or a tag silencer to borrow.
• We may ask for your dog to wear a harness if we need to drag a leash behind them during play.
• All dog attire (coats, boots etc.) and leashes must be removed before you enter the play area.

HANDLING

• Please do not carry any dogs in the play area – this is to avoid tempting other dogs to jump up.
• We ask that guardians sit on chairs rather than on the floor. Please help yourself to a chair (these are hanging on the wall) or ask a staff member to get you one.
• If a dog barks at you, or shows any fear towards you, please don't take it personally! The best way to help them feel more comfortable is to ignore them; avoid eye contact, speaking to them or moving toward them without a trainers instruction.
• If you require a friend or family member to bring your dog to Yard, please have them first attend a session with you and make sure this is ok with a staff member beforehand.