When hiring a professional dog walker to walk your dog you should think about exactly what your needs are for your dog. Many professional pet sitters and dog walkers offer a variety of different dog walks or dog hikes depending on the personality and activity level of the individual dogs in each group. Pairing your dogs needs with the correct program is important.
Dog Walking or Pet Sitting for a New Puppy?
If you are planning on getting a dog and decide on a puppy PLEASE plan accordingly with your vacations! As far as Pet Sitting goes, those little puppies are not the best candidates for Drop in Visits OR overnight stays. Plan to get a puppy when you will be able to commit to staying home and providing pet care until your dog is at least 5 or 6 months old. This will provide a secure home environment and a confident dog. For Dog Walking find a puppy care program for midday feedings and potty training. Happy Tails Pet Sitting provides this service.
Tick season is upon us! Advice from a professional dog walker
Now that the rain has come, so do the ticks. As a Professional dog walker, I have seen my fair share of ticks. The dogs pick them up on our Adventure hikes and even just on our dog walks. Please be sure to use some tick preventative on your dog to protect against these awful bloodsuckers!! You can call any vet hospital for a recommendation, or just visit your local pet store. Here are some links to help you out. I have included a holistic alternative for a Vet Hospital as well.
Taking dogs hiking for the first time on Happy Tails Adventure hikes
Many people ask “how do you get the dogs to stay with you when you are out hiking with a group of dogs?” It’s simple really. We go out in groups and we carefully screen our dogs before. I set up a meeting with the client and the dog to get to know them both before we “go wild” in the open space. If the dog has already gone on dog hikes with his parents, then he is a great candidate for our Adventure hike. Some dog training on recall is needed to be eligible, but that is something that I work with while we are out there. Lots of positive reinforcement with excited voices and love (and a little treats too)! The new dogs are so thrilled to be out there racing the hillsides with their new dog friends, they don’t want to run off. All dogs stick together in a pack when we are out there. It’s truly amazing to be the leader of this pack. I LOVE my job!!!!!!!!!
Home Security for the Pet Sitter
The holidays are quickly approaching and unfortunately the crime rate is on the rise. Using a professional pet sitter can definitely give your house that “lived-in” look while you are on vacation. For Home Security, first, there will always be a car coming and going to your home in case a criminal is watching. As a professional pet sitter, we can do a variety of things to make it look like someone is home. We bring in the mail, newspaper and garbage. We alternate lights indoors and outdoors. We can open curtains during the day and close at night. All of these little things add up to give your home the appearance that someone is there. So when hiring a Professional Pet Sitter to take care of you dogs or cats when your are on vacation, be sure to utilize our home security options as well.