Initial Meeting / Initial Visit
Far from being a mere formality, this meeting and first short visit are in fact vitally important to your dog’s future experiences at the Ranch; the first impression that your dog receives when arriving on our property and meeting a qualified Simba Ranch Team member will have a long-lasting impact. As a result, only dogs that have successfully completed an Initial Meeting and Initial Visit and met the following guidelines are eligible to make a reservation at Simba Ranch:
• The dog has been spayed or neutered.
• The dog is up-to-date on vaccinations and immunizations.
• The dog is not aggressive or violent toward people or other animals.
The Initial Meeting is most often conducted by Hallie Bauernschmidt, our Client Relations Manager, or by Michele Taluba, Owner and General Manager. It normally lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and is designed to give our potential new clients a chance to see our facility, meet the team, and become familiar with our policies and procedures while also enabling us to begin bonding with your pup and determine whether or not he or she will be a good fit in our pack. The first things that we will do when you arrive is put your dog on a leash in order to quickly establish the roles of leader and follower and ask you to fill out a New Client Information Sheet while we begin our assessment of the dog’s temperament. Next, we will also ask you a series of questions about your relationship with your dog in order to gain a better understanding of the dog’s behavior at home before introducing your dog to one of Simba’s two canine hosts, Smokey and Jackson. Finally, you and your dog will be given a tour of the grounds and will have the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.
The Initial Visit is a period of about 45 minutes to an hour in which we will ask you to leave us alone with your dog. Most owners choose to schedule this visit directly after the Initial Meeting, as it is free of charge and gives them the opportunity to go for a short drive or walk around the area or to visit one of the coffee shops or restaurants located nearby. In some instances, more time is required to develop a trusting relationship with a pup, and if necessary it is also possible to schedule a full day visit at a discounted rate of $10. The main goal of the Initial Visit is to ensure that there is no drastic change in behavior after you leave, but by having the owner leave for a brief period and then return, an association is also immediately established in the dog’s mind that this is a place to visit; it becomes clear that Simba Ranch signifies a brief and fun “camp” experience as opposed to a traumatizing separation. During this time we will introduce your dog to the rest of the visiting pack a few dogs at a time before bringing the entire pack together to assess the level of socialization. We pay careful attention to body language and posture, especially watching for overly dominant or fearful behavior, which can be equally problematic in a pack environment. When you return, you will be given a written assessment of your dog’s behavior while you were gone, as well as a copy of the Client Handbook (Also available for download here). If it is a positive one, you are more than welcome to make a reservation for a future stay, if it is not, we will be happy to talk with you about the specific problems that we encountered and provide some suggestions for possible solutions.