The “Play Professors” of Doglando
Running a canine enrichment center is not a job that can be done by one person. It takes a team of dedicated Play Professors to care for all the dogs that we welcome to Doglando each day. Today, I'd like to talk about how I developed the role of Play Professors at Doglando with the purpose of canine enrichment in mind.
Why "Play Professors"?
We have never referred to ourselves as "trainers" at Doglando because we dislike its connotations of discipline and obedience. When Doglando first started out, we referred to our team members as "Campus Coaches." The idea was that we would be there every step of the way to encourage and motivate the dogs, like a good coach. Eventually, we evolved into "Play Professors" in an attempt to better describe the work our team actually does. We are opening these dogs' worlds up to play, not obedience or discipline. We want to drive home the point that, when you come to Doglando, it's not because your dog needs training. It's because your dog needs to play. He needs to run, explore, interact with other dogs, and live his best doggy life. We provide dogs all the things they need to be themselves, and play is at the core of those needs.
Who Are Play Professors?
I try not to ever say that the Play Professors at Doglando are my "staff" or "employees," because I believe that what you call someone influences how you treat them, and I value the people who work to contribute to Doglando's purpose tremendously. From the beginning, I was committed to a particular outcome, not just for the dogs we care for, but for the people who care for the dogs. I like to think of the people I bring on to be Play Professors as "intrapreneurs" — people who want to innovate and create change from within the organization. It's meaningful to me that Doglando serves as a vehicle for these people to achieve fulfillment in whatever their dream is. I always want people who believe that they can accomplish their goals, who have that burning desire to be exceptional in their work. I'm not looking for worker bees who will clock in and do whatever I tell them to do — I'm looking for intrapreneurs who want to explore their own greatness.
Surrounding myself with a team of intrapreneur Play Professors has helped me succeed in my mission to promote canine enrichment. You can learn more about our team at Doglando here.