Have Dog Will Travel…

I recently had my dog boarded at a vet hospital. She had to stay in a little cubicle all day and night, cement floor, fenced in, listening to all the other dogs barking, moaning, whining and so on. In other words, puppy jail. She was taken out and fed on a regular schedule. Her basic needs were met but there was little TLC time. Little extra special belly rubbing, head scratching, and no playtime. Ok, she was not allowed to play because of the surgeries on her leg. Still, it seemed that the prevailing attitude was that it was normal for the dogs to make all that racket. Just ignore them.

As a pet owner, I don’t want my dog ignored. She had to go outside on a number of occasions and was ignored. When I was there I took her myself. There is no excuse for this kind of attitude especially when you are paying good money to have your dog boarded.

This is one of the reasons, I offer pet owners who’s animals I take care of the option of having their pet stay at home, and I will come to their home or stay at their home, to ensure that their animal is safe, healthy, comfortable and given extra special care… brushing, walks, lots of playtime and belly rubs. Dogs need love, too. And Kongs with treats inside and peanut butter on the outside… yum yum.

Here are some tips to ensure a happy pet sitting experience. With the holidays coming up, you might consider having a pet sitter stay at your home rather than taking your dog to the vet boarding facility. You might be surprised at how much happier they will be and it is not as expensive as you might think. In fact, I paid $30 a day for the privilege of having my dog ignored. I charge about the same to take care of your pet at home.

Pet Sitting Tips

1. Make sure that the pet sitter can accommodate both your pet’s daily feeding and walking schedule during your desired vacation schedule
2) Does the sitter offer regular progress reports and telephone and email availability?
3) Meet the sitter ahead of time with your pet(s) present to establish that it’s a fit for both you and the pet(s)
4) Be clear about the schedule you would like them to keep and give clear instructions about your pet’s needs, medicines, walking, playing, feeding, cleaning, favorite toys and other habits, quirks and idiosyncrasies of your pet
5) Provide medical and behavioral history about your pet(s) as well as veterinary and other emergency contact information, and gather all necessary supplies, including food, vitamins, toys, medicine, and treats in one central location… there is a really handy ceramic erasable babysitter tile that you can get that can be used for the same purpose…. at http://www.placetile.com

I would like to do pet / house sitting in southern and/or northern California over the holidays (beach areas such as Monterey area, south bay, north bay, peninsula, Half Moon Bay, Solvang, Santa Barbara, LA, Malibu and so on)… Thanksgiving and… so if you’re interested, please visit my website at:

http://house.petsitting.googlepages.com/home

Here’s a cool video that tells how to make chicken strip treats for your dog… it also has a ton of tips on pet care…

Click here for more on “Baked Chicken Strips : Homemade Dog Food Recipe”