Dogs in hotels. Your team needs to know how to handle them.
One workshop day. A clear stance. No more guesswork when a dog walks in.
This isn’t a competence gap.
It’s an orientation gap.
What this sounds like in practice:
- The server wonders whether she’s allowed to greet the dog at the table.
- The front desk doesn’t know whether to mention the leash requirement to the guest.
- The breakfast area is an open question every single morning.
What this means
I work one day with your team, on the property. No theory from a conference room. Real situations, real answers. By the end, every staff member knows: what do I do when the dog is under the table? What do I do when it comes toward me in the hallway?
The result: a dog protocol built for your property. Not a checklist imported from somewhere else. Rules your team helped write — and will actually follow.
Pet-friendly is a stance. Not a listing.
Typical starting points
The dog is under the guest’s table. The server comes to take the order. Can she greet the dog? Should she keep her distance? Will the guest be offended if she ignores it? Once you know, you never have to ask again.
The dog comes down the hallway toward a staff member — off leash, no warning. Stand still? Step aside? Say something? Three seconds of uncertainty reads as rejection to the guest.
How this runs, step by step
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Intake call.
I find out how your property handles dog guests right now. What works. What doesn’t.
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On-site workshop.
One day with the team. Reading dog behavior. Walking through real situations. Practicing responses that fit your property.
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Property standards.
By the end of the day, a written dog protocol is on the table. Built with the team, not handed down to them.
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Four-week follow-up.
I’m reachable for four weeks after the workshop. Day-to-day questions, edge cases, adjustments.
Why this approach holds
I know dogs in hotels from the inside. As assistant general manager, then as director of finance. Not from a textbook.
My training in canine behavior is through Claudia Kulmsee (Draht zum Hund), a certified canine behavior specialist based in Germany. That gives me the professional foundation for what I observe and assess on property.
I am an Austrian Hotel Association certified hotelier (ÖHV-Diplomhotelier), a trained hotel management professional, and an examiner at the German Chamber of Commerce (IHK). I know what a property can reasonably absorb — and what it can’t.
Questions
Which hotels is this coaching right for?
Owner-operated properties and independent hotels that actively welcome dog guests — and want to do it well. Chain hotels with rigid procedures aren’t the right fit.
What does the team actually learn in a workshop day?
Dog behavior basics: how to read a dog. Practical situations: restaurant, front desk, hallway, breakfast. Property-specific dog standards, developed with the team.
What happens after the workshop?
Four weeks of follow-up are included. If a situation comes up that we didn’t cover in the workshop, I’m reachable. No support ticket — a short conversation.
What does it cost?
It depends on property size and travel. Write to me — I’ll give you a clear number. No twelve-page proposal with fine print.
What if my team has mixed feelings about dogs?
That’s the best starting point. Mixed feelings mean there are already situations that need resolving. That’s exactly what we work through in the workshop.