Our Standards of Care & SafetyAt Sit Means Sit San Antonio, Austin & Cibolo, the safety and well-being of every dog entrusted to us is our first responsibility.
Whether a dog is with us for a day of training, an extended training program, boarding or transportation, we believe responsible care requires more than simply having good people watching dogs.
Our approach to safety is built around layers of protection and redundancy.
We never want a dog’s safety to depend upon one person, one air-conditioning system, one door, one internet connection or one piece of equipment. Whenever reasonably possible, we build multiple safeguards into our facilities, transportation procedures and daily operations.
Climate-Controlled Dog Areas
Any enclosed area where dogs may be housed or resting without a staff member continuously present is climate controlled and actively temperature monitored.
This includes kennel rooms, indoor/outdoor kennel buildings, designated dog rooms, training buildings and other areas used to house dogs.
Our standard operating temperature range for dog-housing areas is 60°F-72°F, with our facilities typically maintained at approximately 69°F.
Independent Cellular Temperature Monitoring
Dog-housing areas are equipped with independent cellular temperature monitors.
Our monitors are programmed to alert management when temperatures rise above 72°F or fall below 60°F.
These are intentionally conservative early-warning thresholds. An alert does not mean that a dog is already experiencing a temperature emergency. It tells us that conditions have moved outside our normal operating range so we can investigate and respond before a developing problem becomes an emergency.
Because these monitors have their own cellular connectivity, this important safety system does not depend solely upon a facility’s primary Wi-Fi connection.
When an alert is received, the affected area and the dogs housed there are evaluated. Corrective action may include checking or adjusting the HVAC system, inspecting doors or equipment, relocating dogs to another climate-controlled area or initiating emergency procedures when necessary.
Individual dogs may require additional precautions based upon age, breed, coat, medical condition or other individual needs.
Video Monitoring
Our dog-care and training areas are equipped with video cameras to provide an additional layer of safety and management oversight.
Camera coverage includes areas where dogs are housed as well as our training floors.
Video monitoring allows management to oversee facility conditions, dog-care practices and training activities and provides an additional resource for reviewing an incident should one occur.
Cameras supplement – but never replace – direct supervision, routine physical checks and staff responsibility.
Double-Barrier Protection
Escape prevention is an important part of our facility design.
Areas where dogs are housed are designed with redundant containment at exterior access points. Where a door could ultimately lead outside, dogs are protected by an additional physical boundary, such as another door or gate.
Opening one door should not give a dog immediate access to an unsecured exterior area.
This double-boundary approach provides an additional layer of protection against accidental escapes.
Climate-Controlled Transportation
Dogs are transported in passenger-style vehicles equipped with air conditioning throughout the passenger and dog-transport areas.
Dogs travel in secured kennels designed to provide appropriate ventilation. Kennels are positioned with space around them to promote airflow rather than being placed directly against the vehicle walls.
Individual fans provide additional air circulation around the kennels.
Passenger windows in our primary transport vehicle have reflective coverings to help reduce solar heat entering the vehicle.
Temperature monitoring is positioned with the kennel areas so staff can monitor conditions where the dogs are actually riding rather than relying solely upon the temperature displayed on the vehicle dashboard.
Our primary dog-transport vehicle also carries independent cellular temperature monitoring as another layer of protection.
Supervised Transportation & Field Trips
Our transportation safety standards address both environmental safety and physical security.
Climate control and temperature monitoring are important safeguards, but we do not believe they are substitutes for human supervision.
When dogs are in one of our vehicles, a staff member remains with or immediately responsible for the vehicle and the dogs.
We may take dogs on supervised field trips to appropriate public locations so they can practice their training in real-world environments.
When multiple dogs travel together, trainers may work with the dogs individually. One trainer may take a dog into a dog-friendly business or other appropriate environment while another staff member remains with the vehicle and the dogs still inside. Trainers can then rotate dogs while maintaining continuous supervision of the vehicle.
We do not leave a vehicle containing dogs unattended in a parking lot while trainers go inside a business, even when the vehicle is locked, running and air-conditioned.
This policy protects against more than temperature-related emergencies. It also reduces risks associated with vehicle theft, mechanical or air-conditioning failure, unexpected changes in a dog’s condition, escape and other emergencies requiring an immediate human response.
If dogs are in the vehicle, someone is responsible for watching the vehicle and the dogs.
Added Protection During Off-Site Training
When a dog leaves our facility for an off-site training session or field trip, we add another layer of protection.
Dogs participating in off-site activities wear a GPS tracking device in addition to their normal training and identification equipment.
We have never had to rely on GPS tracking to recover a lost dog. We use it because our safety philosophy is to prepare for unexpected circumstances rather than assume they cannot happen.
A leash, trained handler and established safety procedures remain our primary safeguards. GPS tracking provides an additional layer of protection should an unforeseen event occur while a dog is away from our controlled facility environment.
We don’t use additional safeguards because we expect something to go wrong. We use them because the dogs entrusted to us are worth planning for the unexpected.
Heat & Air-Conditioning Contingency Planning
Operating in Texas means that we take heat and air-conditioning failures particularly seriously.
Where multiple climate-controlled dog-housing areas are available, dogs can be relocated if an air-conditioning system fails or environmental conditions in one area become unsuitable.
A dog’s normal kennel assignment never takes priority over environmental safety.
We continually evaluate our facilities, equipment and procedures to identify additional safeguards that can further protect the dogs entrusted to us.
Feeding, Exercise & Rest
Feeding and physical activity are intentionally scheduled with appropriate rest periods.
As a general operating standard, dogs receive approximately 45-60 minutes of rest between significant exercise or training activity and feeding.
Food is routinely hydrated with water as part of our feeding protocol.
Dogs also receive probiotics during approximately their first three days in our care to help support gastrointestinal adjustment to a new environment.
Individual veterinary instructions, medical requirements and owner-provided feeding instructions take precedence when appropriate.
Veterinary Emergency Preparedness
Each of our San Antonio, Austin and Cibolo operations has an identified veterinary provider and emergency veterinary resource.
We believe veterinary relationships should be established before an emergency occurs, rather than trying to locate appropriate veterinary care for the first time during an emergency.
If a dog develops symptoms that our staff believe require urgent veterinary attention, the immediate health and safety of the dog takes priority.
Technology Supports Our People – It Does Not Replace Them
Temperature monitors, cellular alerts, cameras, fans, climate-control systems, GPS devices and physical barriers are valuable tools, but technology does not replace responsible people.
Our staff remain responsible for observing the dogs in their care, recognizing changes in behavior or physical condition and responding when something does not appear right.
If environmental conditions become inappropriate, our priority is to move the dog to safety first and address the underlying problem.
Safety Through Redundancy
The principle behind our safety program is simple:
We do not want the safety of a dog to depend upon a single safeguard.
- Climate-controlled dog-care environments
- Independent cellular temperature monitoring
- Early temperature alerts above 72°F and below 60°F
- Video monitoring of dog-care and training areas
- Double physical barriers at exterior exits
- Climate-controlled transportation
- Kennel-level airflow and temperature monitoring during transportation
- Continuous supervision of vehicles containing dogs
- GPS tracking during off-site training
- Direct staff supervision and physical observation
- Veterinary emergency planning
- Alternative climate-controlled housing when available
Each layer provides additional protection if another layer fails.
Our Commitment
Every dog entrusted to Sit Means Sit San Antonio, Austin & Cibolo should receive the same attention and concern we would expect for our own dogs.
No safety system can eliminate every possible risk associated with caring for animals. Our responsibility is to identify foreseeable risks, build safeguards around them, monitor the dogs and their environment, and respond quickly when something isn’t right.
Our standards will continue to evolve as technology, veterinary knowledge and best practices improve.
Prevent foreseeable risks. Build layers of protection. Pay attention. And when something isn’t right, act.
That is our standard of care.