Dogs, Grease Pencils, and Laminated Pads

If you manage dogs in multiple kennels, it is very useful to have a grease pencil and laminated pad outside each door. Under each laminated pad is a printed-out checklist of required tasks (feeding, exercise, training, medical treatment, cleaning up, changing of bedding, etc.). Thus, one volunteer or employee can work their shift, do what they are supposed to do, write down the completed tasks, and then the next volunteer or employee on their shift can look at that pad and see what has been done, any observations made, and check off the tasks they are to do during their shift. At the beginning of the next shift, such as the next morning, the morning person can see what was done the previous day and start over. Grease pencils are erasable so that you can keep reusing the same laminated pads. This is a great way to not only standardize your procedures but also individualize the work, so each dog has better care. This can also be useful for a family to hand off duties, especially for puppies and older dogs that need extra attention.

Here is an example of a package of Grease Pencils. Multicolored since each color could have a special meaning to the observers. 

I would investigate going to a print store to custom make laminated charts for your operations. At the top, you'd list the name of the dog, possibly an identification number, an open square that could be filled in with a color (such as blue for a medical dog, red for a dog with a biting history, green for ready to adopt, etc.) Then below that would be columns. The first column would be essential tasks. Each subsequent column would be time, such as 7 am, noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, 8 pm. Each row would be tasks to be done during those periods. The bottom of the sheet would be for Notes. There are other layouts that you could devise, but I'll leave that up to your imagination. Depending upon the type of materials used, you can wipe off grease pencil marks with a paper towel, some types of erasers, and in some cases you might need some kind of solvent like rubbing alcohol. Test these before using them. The pencil and the chart would be hung inside some kind of envelope or portal outside each kennel, along with a spare leash, an adoption form, and a basic printout of the dog's history and characteristics. In a separate pouch, I recommend having some healthy treats for volunteers, employees and guests to facilitate management and greetings. 

Ideally, you'd be using some kind of high tech electronic pads outside each kennel, but not every operation can afford such a thing. Old school still works, folks. 

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