Rare is the company name that’s catchy, memorable and at the same time speaks to a higher business ethos.
Sure, Mindful Mutts rolls off the tongue, but it also acutely puts the company’s philosophy into perspective.
The New Westminster-based company specializes in group dog care, boarding, pet First Aid courses and positive training – but central to all of those tasks comes attention to positive reinforcement, science-based humane training and low-stress dog daycare.
“Each of our staff has training to be able to manage group play and understand and read dog behaviour,” says managing partner Kiran Basra. “We adjust play groups as needed to ensure that dogs are playing consensually and are engaging positively with each other.”
Mindful Mutts puts an emphasis on force-free training, and is a proud member of the Shock-Free Coalition. All staff have opportunities, and are encouraged, to continue learning about positive reinforcement and science-based education.
“We understand that not every dog is a great fit for daycare, so there are dogs that we provide alternate recommendations for, for activities like group hikes or one-on-one walks,” Basra adds. “We want to make sure that a dog is happy in this environment—playing with other dogs, showing body language such as a wagging tail or being excited to come in in the morning.”
Every dog that comes into the company’s care is screened through a trial day, receiving an assessment with how their first day went and any recommendations or suggestions based on that first day.
The team maintains a high
Since setting up in the Royal City five years ago, Mindful Mutts has been the New Westminster Record’s Readers’ Choice Award winners for “Best Dog Daycare” from 2016 to 2021 as well as A-List Winners for “Favourite Pet Daycare” from 2016 to 2020.
Mindful Mutts is closing out 2021 with a pair of promotions that entail both
