Elite Pet Care- Seattle Dog Walker 206-777-5327

Posts Tagged ‘dog walking’

Its June and the weather is awesome!  As a Seattle dog walker, this is my favorite time of year because the weather is perfect for dog walks! I was overnighting at a clients over the weekend and took the pups on a nice outing.

The dogs love getting out as much as I do! They spent the majority of the time sniffing and exploring, but by the time our walk was over, they were super tired!

Here they are enjoying the trail!

Dog walks in Ballard are beautiful!

Solution for dog owners with long work days.
I was on Craigslist today looking for a pet barrier for my car…I stumbled on a listing from a guy that was getting rid of his dog because he worked all day and felt bad about his dog being home alone.
I emailed him this solution.. hire a Seattle dog walker!
If you work all day and have a dog..a pet sitter is an awesome help! I can come to your home,pick up your dog and take them for a 3-4 hour outing. They will have fun, socialize, go potty and be tired out.
They wont care that you’ve been gone all day. And better yet, I am affordable!
The first step in hiring your Fremont dog walker is to call or email me for your FREE consult! 206-777-5327

Its getting cold outside! This is when people dont want to walk their own dogs because its cold outside. Dogs still need their walks and dog park trips so make sure you hire your Seattle dog walker to get your dog outside and exercised!

Come to Petapoluza for some doggy howl-o-ween fun! Youre seattle dog walker presents Howl-O-ween!

If you have a dog that never seems to get tired even though they go to the dog park or for runs….try a doggy backpack.

Dog backpacks add weight to the dogs and makes them work harder on their seattle dog walk.
The dog pack also makes them feel like they are working and helping you out so they feel important!
They focus more on the backpack and keeping it balanced then to their surroundings. Its harder to chase a squirrel with a heavy pack on!

Its a win win. Being a Ballard dog walker I actually have a few dogs that I pack on our walks, its great!!!

As a Seattle/Ballard area dog walker I see some random things during my dog walks.

Yesterday I was walking a puppy and we came across 3 squirrels. I have come to find that dogs don’t like squirrels. Every dog I walk in Seattle wants to chase them! Even dogs that dont try to chase cats want to chase them.

So the puppy scared the squirrels which got them over excited and made them mad at
each other. Two of the squirels ran up the tree, argued about 3 stories up in the tree and one fell.

All the way to the ground. It seemed like he was in free fall for 30seconds, but I am sure it was faster them that.  I couldnt look away and way expecting to have to take the squirrel to the vet!
The squirel landed on its feet, and ran away like it was no big deal that it just fell about 25 feet onto the sidewalk!
I was so relieved. I was also relieved that it didnt come confront the puppy and me!

So if anyone was wondering….cats and squirrels land on their feet!

I own a pug and since he has a smooshy face and pug eyes, I do not have a collar for him, but a harness.

If a pug wears a collar and stops suddenly so the collar pushes up againt the ears and towards the face, , the pugs eyes can pop out!

And  pulling on a collar can damage a pugs already sensitive esophagus.

Harnesses are great for small dogs but I do not recommend them for large dogs that pull as a harness gives them leverage…like a sled dog. mush!

As a Seattle dog walker, I come across many dogs that wear harnesses and I have to remind people that harnesses can rub on the dogs skin so it is important to take your dogs harness off at night when they are safe and sound in the house for the night. This gives your dogs skin a chance to rebound.

If you must leave your dogs harness on all the time, make sure you take it off every few days and check the skin. A loose piece of fabric, dirt, etc that gets trapped under the harness can cause a huge irritation on your dogs skin.

I had a foster pug that I put a brand new harness on. A few days later I took it off to give her a bath and there was a huge sore under the harness where a bad seam started to dig into her skin. I felt so awful because she didnt even complain.

Buddy has a soft Puppia harness and it still rubs against his skin when he lays down,so even though I take it off every night, his skin still gets  irritated.

buddy in his harness

This Seattle pet sitter is looking for a new harness for him. Any ideas?

Walking your dog is crucial to its health. Sometimes walking your dog around the block isn’t enough. Sometimes walking your dog for an hour isn’t enough. You know the types, those that will play fetch til they keel over, those that are always looking for a toy to play with. There are some dogs that need more then a walk around the block to tire them out physically and mentally.

Keeping up on your dogs walking routine will also help with your dog training. A tired balanced dog is a well behaved dog! So whether you hire a Seattle dog walker, or do it yourself, make sure your dog is walked daily!

For those crunched on time, one way that I have found to tire dogs out faster is with a dog back pack. These are packs that the dogs carry, great idea, I know! The packs give the dog a “job” and make it feel important.  When you put water bottles in the sides, it also adds weight, making the dogs work a little bit harder on their walks/hikes, thus tiring them out faster. This is great because while the dogs have crazy energy, we as their dog walkers don’t!

Note the walking collar as well as the back pack.

Dog walking gear is sold at pet supply stores. Or online. Shop around for prices as they seem to vary from store to store.
I use the Outward Hound pack for my large dog clients, this website has amazing prices:
http://www.myoutwardhound.com/backpacks-for-dogs-dog-backpacks.html
And I recently bought a small outward hound dog pack from Bark! in Ballard,
http://www.barknaturalpet.com/

There are dog booties if you are going on rocky trails, icy or hot pavement:
http://www.ruffwear.com/Barkn-Boots-Grip-Trex?sc=2&category=7853

And always make sure you bring a light snack for them for energy and plenty of water.
Elite Pet Care offers 3 hour dog excursions and will back pack your dog upon request.

Happy trails!

As a professional dog walker in Seattle, I often am asked the question “what dog food should I feed”
Well the answer is easy. Natures Variety, Wellness, Natural Balance, Canidae, Solid Gold or other all natural filler free foods.

The  pet food industry is a million dollar industry and there are some companies out there that dont care about your pet. As a pet care professional that works closely with your pets, I do care.

So I am going to give you tips on feeding your dogs!

Don’t buy something cuz the commercial said to, do it because you are a smart consumer and know what is good for your dog.

There are dog food companies that are small and focus on dog food.  You don’t hear about them on TV because they take that money and put it into the food, not their advertising budget.
They care about QUALITY. They rely on word of mouth to help spread the news. These companies are Natures variety, Wellness, Natural Balance, Canidae, Solid Gold, etc.

Do not buy dog food that you can buy in a normal grocery store.
Do not buy food you can buy at Target or Walmart.

Look at the ingredients, pick food with NO cheap filler like corn, wheat and soy
No byproducts. No cancerous preservatives like BHT/BHA and ethoxyquin
I feed Natures variety. I feed the kibble, canned and raw! Its amazing food.
Its built for rotation so I can feed salmon kibble, then when that runs out..beef.

Read the labels, do not fall for gimmicks.  Your dogs health depends on it! And your dog has to eat what you feed, so your dogs really depend on you!

Keep an eye on your dogs treats too!

In Seattle there are a ton of pet supply stores that sell great food.

I really likeand recommend:

Bark!: http://www.barknaturalpet.com/

and

Petapoluza: http://www.petapoluza.com/

Seattle is a city where dogs are definitely a part of the family.
As a Seattle dog walker, I drive around and it makes me so happy to see owners driving with their dogs,
eating on the patio at a restaurant with them, etc

When you have a long day at work or need to go out of town, what do you do with your best friend.

Let your pets stay in the comfort and safety of their own home! Pet sitters are a great alternative to boarding and doggy daycare.

Pet sitters are like an extended family member that is always there for your pet siting questions and needs.

Pet sitters keep in touch with you via text messages, emails and picture messages. They leave care notes about
their visits with your pet. Each dog gets one on one attention and love. They arent just a number like they are in a kennel.

Pet sitters customize visits to each pet/owners needs. The dogs are exercised according to their needs, not just thrown in a room and left to do whatever they would like.
(Potty inside is 1 bad habit learned at kennels and doggy daycare).

Some pet sitters are also dog traners so they can work on dog training with your dogs while they are taking care of them.

What to look for in a pet sitter. If you have found my website, you already found a great one!
If I do not service your area, you can google pet sitter and “your zipcode”

Pet sitters should be experts at pet care and should not only be able to watch your pets, but they
should be able to give you tips on toys and food. Tell you what vets, groomers, etc are great.
You will be able to tell a pet sitter that loves their job, is respectable, responsible, etc at your free consultation.
Make sure your pet sitter is insured, bonded, has references, has experience, etc.
The relationship you have with your petsitter is a long lasting one, enjoy it!