COASTAL K9 DOG WALKER GUIDELINES & RANCH RULES

DOG WALKER GUIDELINES & RANCH RULES

General Guidelines for the Ranch

• PARKING–Volunteers can park in the lot to the front left of the property
• ENTER by the Volunteer Gate which is the smaller gate left of the office.
• Be careful of GOPHER HOLESwhen walking on the property.
• If you see a POOP, please PICK IT UP. Pick up dog poop using bags or a small poop scoop and put it in the poop cans.
• In the dog PLAY alleys, please use the designated poop scoops to pick up poop and dispose of it in the poop cans. If it’s runny, wash down and disinfect with a spray bottle.
• No TRANSPORTINGdogs until approved to do so.
• BATHROOM–There is a bathroom in the house that can be used, or, a Porta Potty by the front gate.

Dog Walking/HandlingGuidelines

IMPORTANT: Our orientation and mentoring training are intended to help prepare for a successful volunteer experience. If you are volunteering to be a member of our DOG SQUAD (Dog Walking), it is necessary that you are physically able to walk 2-5 miles and handle ALL sized
dogs, including large dogs that pull. 
Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our Volunteers and rescue dogs, Coastal reserves the right to remove any person from the Dog Squad, or from walking a specific dog, if we determine that the knowledge and skills required for a safe walk have not been met. We will
be happy to reassess how that person may be able to help our rescue dogs in other ways.

• Dogs need to WALK every morning starting at 9:00 am, Monday – Sunday.
• In the SUMMER or unseasonably HOT DAYS, the dogs will need to get out earlier. AVOID walking on blacktop and bring WATER for the dogs and for yourself.
• CHECK-IN at the central park area under the trees for Announcements from the staff and for them to retrieve a dog for you.
• SIGN-OUT your dog on the whiteboard and make sure to include your Cell Phone #.
• MAKE A NOTE on the whiteboard if you notice anything about our dogs while walking (limping, listless, sensitive ears, diarrhea, etc.).
• PHONE on you, NOT on your phone.
• KEEP DOG CLOSE on your left, NO Full Extension of leash.
• NO TREATS for dogs unless it’s boiled chicken (check dog sign-out whiteboard for dogs who may be on a no-treat/no chicken diet).
• Dogs STAY ON LEASH outside the kennel unless they are in a Play Yard (Alley).
• No FACE to FACE with dog-to-dog, or dog-to-volunteer.
• Be PRESENT and AWARE of your dog and your surroundings.
• NO walking dogs on the road OUTSIDE the Ranch’s front entrance. (It’s busy and can be scary/dangerous for our dogs) Please walk dogs around the property.
• The dogs can be walked off-site only at Coastal-approved locations. Volunteers are allowed to drive a dog they are familiar with. WALK ONLY in designated areas.
• Dogs and dog walkers are to AVOID CONTACT with the public. Per our insurance, people who have not signed a Coastal waiver cannot touch, pet, or handle our dogs. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• NEWLY RESCUED DOGS will need time to adjust and get settled into their new home. Visits off-site will happen after the new dog is cleared for such activities either by Denise or Teresa. No exceptions.
• COASTAL “SPLASH ZONE” POOL – we are still establishing guidelines for using the pool with the dogs.
  Until further notice, Denise must be present and supervise any pool activities.

Retrieving/Pulling Dogs

• In the morning, DESIGNATED PERSONNEL will get the dogs out of their kennel in the Bunk House and bring them to you.
• DO NOT pull a dog from an Outside Kennel Run unless you’ve been taught how we pull dogs safely and securely.
• After being trained, you can put a dog back in its designated Outside Kennel Run. Make sure the run is secured.

As a Reminder

• ALWAYS CHECK that the dog's COLLARS and LEASHES and SAFETY CLIP are securely attached (especially PINCH COLLARS).
• Check to see which dogs can be PUT NEXT TO EACH other in a Kennel Run or Play Yard/Alley.
• NO DOGS SHOULD BE LEFT UNSUPERVISED in the Play Yards/Alleys. There may be a few dogs who are approved for this, but please check with the Ranch staff first.
• When putting a dog in an ALLEY or KENNEL RUN, please make sure the WATER BUCKETS are CLEAN and FULL.
• DO NOT HAVE TWO DOGS in the Alleys together unless it’s an Approved Pair.
• Remember our BASIC RULES, no Face-to-Face interactions with the dogs. We can’t stress this enough.
• DO NOT pull a Ball or Toy out of a dog’s mouth.
• DON'T LET DOWN YOUR GUARD. We need to be EVER VIGILANT to protect the Dogs, our Volunteers, and our Rescue.

General Ranch Housekeeping

• Throw trash out, ESPECIALLY FOOD & FOOD WRAPPERS, in covered bins only. We want to keep the RODENTS out – they are everywhere!
• RECYCLE – there are designated bins for recycling of plastic bottles, cans, and glass located in the central park area under the trees.
• PUT dog brushes BACK, Furminators, etc. back in the buckets in the middle of the central park area under the trees, so we can all find them again.
• CLOSE SHED DOORS – always close the shed doors whenever you go in there or notice that the door has been left open. We don’t want to invite mice, insects, and other rodents.
• If you SEE TRASH, help everyone out by PICKING UP trash laying around.
• IF YOU SEE KIBBLE ON THE GROUND, PLEASE THROW IT OUT IN COVERED BINS. Kibble and any other food that is left out, or on the ground, invites COYOTES and other unwanted guests.
• The WATER PRESSURE at the Ranch is high. Always TURN THE WATER OFF after you have used it so we don’t blow out the hoses.
• If you see a DOOR or GATE open to the outside, CLOSE IT so that if a dog is loose he/she can’t get out
  and escape the property.

THANK YOU