Kids and animals, it’s a love affair!

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I have many wonderful memories to share about my kids, our dogs, and our pet care business. Here is one of my fondest.

When my son Mason was one, he was doing what any self respecting one year old does in a high chair, he chucked food. It was the Christmas holiday week, and we had a few dogs boarding in our home.  I was baking some peanut butter cookies, and as I pulled a fresh batch from the stove, I turned and saw that beneath the high chair was a neatly crafted semi-circle of dogs patiently sitting, waiting  for small bits of peas and carrots to be flung exuberently in every direction.  Not only was this hysterical to witness, but I thought, “brilliant, I don’t have to clean those up!”

Kid greeting dog at beach
Kids can greet dogs safely!

We’ve always had animals. Owning a pet care business has provided a beautiful opportunity for my boys to fall in love, many times over.  They’ve only known a life with animals. They are woven into the fabric of our business by walking the dogs with us, accompanying us when we’re cat sitting, and helping when we have guest dogs in our home. Our love for animals runs deep.

How do you connect with yours? I always ponder how we connect with ours, and how we can improve our relationships. Here are some timeless and creative ideas:
  • Feed them every day
  • Walk them everyday
  • Give them baths
  • Brush your dogs and cats
  • Decorate their collars
  • Include them in family photos
  • Give them a little gift for the holidays
  • Include them in your vacation
  • Play games with them
  • Learn about their breed
  • Paint portraits of them
  • Watch your favorite movie with them – Make some Bow Wow Popcorn made for dogs
  • Throw them a birthday party
  • Write a poem about them
  • Make up a song about them
  • Write a story about them
  • Read a book with them – Our favorite series of books is Mr. Putter and Tabby, by Cynthia Rylant. Sweet, simple, and loaded with charm.

That’s a big list. Pick a few, have fun!

Woof! Woof!

 

Stop dogs from jumping on you or your guests.

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Did you know that one of the top three dog training issues is dogs jumping up on people? Are friends a family unwilling to come and visit because your dog obnoxiously jumps up on them? Dog trainers hear the call for help, and what they hear is help me teach my dog to stop jumping on me or my guests! Good news! There’s an exciting new dog training tool and method called Off Doggie.  Off Doggie helps you to teach your dog “off”, so go ahead, invite people to your home with confidence.

Jumping dogs
Does your dog jump on you or your guests?

Off Doggie was designed by professional dog handlers, and recommended by trainers to help stop the unwanted jumping. Off Doggie is a training line with a foot-pad on the floor that you step on to gain quick control of your dog. Attach Off Doggie to your dog’s collar and adjust to size. When your dog begins to jump, simply step on the foot-pad for quick control. Now your dog is under control, and you can greet your guest. It’s brilliant! Your dog can no longer jump, you stop reinforcing the unwanted behavior, and when your dog settles, you calmly reward your dog.

Off Doggie is an effective new tool and method that teaches you to stop reinforcing unwanted behavior. Off Doggie helps you gain quick control of your dog, so your guests can enter your home with a dog that greet politely. Watch the Off Doggie demo video at http://www.pawderosa.com.

Professional Dog Handler vs. Professional Dog Walker

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I recently read a very eloquent article written by a pet care business owner. He was illuminating the difference between a dog walker and a dog handler. His summation was clearly about the differences between the professional, that invests in their training and skill to build a career, vs. the person who isn’t as serious, and thinks it would be an easy way to make a buck. Having owned a pet care business for more than twelve years, I can tell you we’ve seen our fair share of crappy dog walkers. Let’s refer to them as IDW (Irresponsible Dog Walkers).

Once, my husband and I were getting our dogs out of the truck to go for a trail walk. If you’ve seen our video, you know that we train our dogs. We call each dog out, one by one, and make them sit until we are ready to enter the trail calmly. Another dog walker was pulling up to the trail head. The hatch to the truck shell was unlocked or broken, so it was flapping open. “Woohoo,” thought the dogs, and they started jumping out of the back of the truck. IDW was still backing up, so they could have easily squished a pup running amok. To make matters worse, the trail head was alongside a crazy-busy road. Needless to say, my husband and I are freaking out, and trying to get the person’s attention.

When we got over to IDW, they jumped out of the truck in a huff, and totally blew us off. No explanations, no guilt, no “Oh my god!” statement because of what just happened. INCONCEIVABLE! We were stunned, upset, and thoroughly enraged that they could be so crass, and irresponsible. This was going to be the first of many incidents we would have with this particular person.  Do you want to know the saddest part of this story? This person had been written up in the newspaper as a “fabulous trainer.” INCONCEIVABLE!

So how do you know who’s good and who’s not. Here are a few things to expect/demand from an excellent dog walker/handler:

-Safety absolutely first! This goes without saying that the dog walker is caring for another person’s beloved animal. You, as the client, should ask them about their safety protocol. How do they handle new dogs, puppies, etc? Go out on a dog walk with your prospective dog walker. What a great way to see them in action.

-A walker/handler should only handle what they can handle. I know it’s tempting for new walkers to start immediately with big groups. However, handling large groups (3 to 6 dogs) takes lots of skill and technique. Ask about their experience and training.

-They should always be professional, conscientious, and reliable. These are the hallmark traits of any good pet care professional. You must do your research. You can check references, but better still, find out what professional services are referring them like; vet offices, pet stores, trainers, etc.

We always ask our prospective clients to come out on a walk with us. Many have, and have loved the experience, gained tremendous trust in us, and learned a few tricks. IDW’s may tell you what you want to hear, but the proof is in the dog food. This is how you’ll know you’re dealing with a professional.

In the end, it doesn’t matter whether they’re a dog walker or a dog handler.  It’s clearly about how they conduct themselves and their business, within the amazing world of animal care! Woof!

“You know you’re successful in life, when kids and dogs love you” LS

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Life with Animals and Kids!

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We live the country life, here in the middle of our urban city. We have a pet care business were we help families care for their furry companions. Some of the basic services we provide are dog walking, cat sitting, and improving the relationship between animals and their humans, through guidance and support. When our own babes were born, we reached a whole new level of appreciation for what we were doing, and how it has affected our lives.

Fast forward ten years later, and we have dogs, cats, chickens, a gecko, a mouse, and two lively and wonderful boys. Gosh, I’ll say it again, we need a sign on our front door that reads “Animal House.” Our house is crazy, loud, and fun! It’s a bit messy, because kids and animals are always running amok, and tracking stuff in and out of the house. I generally buy second hand, so it already has a that “well-loved” feel. I know that the dog is considered to be man’s best friend, I would say my Dyson comes in as a close second.

I want my kids to grow up in this kind of house. I want them to revel in the beauty of life; to be silly, expressive, loving, and kind. Animals bring that out in us. They draw out our nurturing side. They reward us with undying love and affection. They get us outside to play and have fun. They remind us of our humanity, and the responsibility we have to our world and everything in it!

Socializing animals and kids – it’s a wonderful thing!

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A pet care business is the most amazing business to have when you’ve got kids. My five year old can tell you if a dog is a Grey Hound or Basset Hound .  My nine year old comes along on dog walks, and can identify an approaching dog’s demeanor; whether it’s friendly or fear aggressive. It’s awesome, and I smile a lot when I think how we’ve been able to share the wonderful world of animals with our kids.

Our house is fun, crazy and loving…..and I give most of the credit to the animals. Our house is the perfect house for socializing dogs. We have chickens, cats, dogs, and a gecko. I should put a sign on our door that reads Animal House-minus the frat boys. (hehehe…well, until my boys get older)  It’s been a gradual accomplishment that has taken patients and love. The boys learned very early how to be with the dogs, and the basics of animal care.

Ideally, socializing begins very early when dogs are just pups. At two to three months, you should be having “pass the puppy” parties, so that your puppy is handled by many. Our dogs were adopted at an older age,  we missed the window, so we took our time and made the interactions positive. We included the dogs in everything we did. They got accustomed to strollers, scooters, bikes, and squealing little ones. And when the dogs had enough, we taught them that avoidance is the best response, and gave them a place to go and hide, which was off-limits to the kids.  We called it personal time, and the dogs loved it!

www.pawderosa.com