Reviewing conflicting owner instructions at intake

Ask which instruction is current

When two notes disagree at intake, do not average them and do not guess. Read both aloud to the owner in front of you and ask which one applies today. Write the answer as a dated instruction with a start and end, such as "no ball play until Thursday, vet recheck." An old note that is still true stays; an old note that is no longer true gets a struck-through line, a date, and initials, never a silent deletion.

Separate feeding, play, and pickup rules

Conflicts are easier to settle when each area has its own line. A dog may be fine for group play but not for the yard's toy bin, or fine for treats but not for the shared chew basket. Keep three short fields: feeding, play, and release. A conflict in one field does not cancel the other two.

Same dog, two emails, one decision

Milo, a dachshund mix, arrives with a January email saying "no stairs" and a March text saying "stairs are fine, he is stronger now." The intake sheet has both. Staff ask the owner standing at the desk, who confirms the March text and adds "but carry him if he seems stiff." The record now reads: "Stairs: allowed per owner 3/12; carry if stiff." The January line is struck through and dated. The pickup note on the board says only "Milo — group 1 — carry if stiff."

When the owner is not present

If the conflicting instructions arrive by email and no one can answer, hold the dog in a quiet separate space and use the more cautious rule for the day. Call the owner before the first play period and log the time you reached them. The observable change is a single dated line that names the instruction in force, with the older line still visible underneath it.

Related: Dog Daycare Manager features.