Follow us on:

Proud member of:

Elite Pet Care Seattle is bonded and insured. I am also background check cleared for your extra peace of mind. I am also First aid and Pet CPR certified.

Member of:
The Citizen for Off-Leash Areas
COLA

Pet Sitters International
PSI

Posts Tagged ‘dog walking’

Being a dog owner is one of the joys in life! They provide us with some love and companionship and  we do the best we can for them.
But sometimes the things our pets need dont fall into the time frames that we can do them.
Its a fact of life that sometimes our pets need pet care when we are busy.

Say the only time the vet can see the dog is 2 p.m. on a weds.
Well most people work at that time and cant get in. Or  they have a lunch break, but not a long enough lunch break to get the pup, go to vet and sit and wait, then take pup home and go  back to work.
Or Fido needs a professional groom and you dont have 3 hours to wait around for the process to be finished. Or you can drop him off, but cant get off work to go get him.

Or you drop your dog off at boarding and you get home on a saturday night AFTER they boarding place closes. And they are closed on Saturday. And you work Monday.  One great pet service is pet taxi! You can call a pet taxi to pick your dog up from boarding on that Saturday before they close.  The pet taxi will then drive your pup home where you will be happily greeted! So not only will you save a trip to the boarding place, you will save money from extra boarding costs.

Its easy to find a pet taxi, just contact your local Seattle pet sitter. You will meet the pet sitter and fill out
paperwork about your pet. You give them a spare key that they keep in a safe and when you need services, you call and set it up!

Your Seattle pet sitter will provide an abundance of helpful things to make your life as a pet owner easier! yay:)

Jade going to the vet

Jade going to the vet

One of the most common bad behaviors that I see when I am on my pet sitting rounds is door charging.
Dogs that try to get out of the door when ever it is open is dangerous and rude! Alphas always go through a door first
so it is important that you teach your dog to only go through when you say so.
This training is easy! This blog will just focus on dogs that are going to go for a walk.
Your dog is probably going to get to the door before you like Roxie pictured below.  She wants to go and she wants to lead.  No can do Roxie!   (ps she actually knows better and i had to make her misbehave to get this example picture)

1wrong

Reel her back and stand in between her and the door. If needed back up the dog so she isnt crowding the door. Have confidence and be the leader. Your dog just needs you to tell her what to do. They dont know how to act unless you tell them!

1stay

Have your dog sit and stay.Face her and open the door with your free hand.
If she moves a muscle say  “eghttt” deep and stern and take a step forward and make her sit again.
With the door open, keep your dog in a sit and stay. If needed, put your free hand up in the universal “stay” sign.
Give the leash some slack and walk backwards out the door, keeping an eye on the dog and keeping her
in a sit. If she budges, repeat the process of “egth. sit.stay”

1goodYou can have your dog sit like this as long as you like. Sometimes I go in a second. Sometimes I make the dogs sit for a minute. This gets them to respect me as a leader and learn that they follow me. We  go when the alpha wants to go… we make the rules. Being PACK LEADER rules!!! And our dogs need and respect the structure and discipline!

Once you are out of the door, you can lighten your voice and give a playful”ok!” and encourage the dog outside.
Once outside, have the dog sit and stay while you close the door and lock up.

Enjoy your walk!

Seattle is a beautiful place to walk your dog! As a professional dog walker in Seattle, I have seen some owners having a hard time walking their dogs. Whether its being pulled down the street by their pooches to not picking up dog poop.

Here are a few tips to make your dog walking experience, and everyone around you too, enjoyable.
First step is to find a collar that works best for your dog while you are walking. This collar should be different then
their normal nylon collar that they wear all the time with their microchip tag, ID tag and county license on it.

Since I have over 10 years of walking dog experience, I have found that the best collars to walk dogs are the martingale(nylon with chain little loop) and the gentle leader/Halti.

Many people use choke chains incorrectly which hurts the dogs throat. If used properly(right behind their ears) Choke chains are perfectly fine and harmless. Think show dog.
If you have a dog that likes to chase things, walk then in a heel so you have complete cotrol over them. Do not allow them to lunge at other dogs. If you need to distract them ,bring treats with you when you see another dog, dont tense up, but be confident. Have your dog sit and look at you.
Put the treat to their mouth and have them mouth it, getting little pieces of it. Do not give them the entire thing
it to them until the  other dog passes. Then give them the rest of the treat.

Always remember to bring bags to pick up dog poop. There are bag specifically made for this or you can use your
old grocery store bags. Even if you dont have a bag, ask a fellow dog owner to borrow one. Worst case scenario, dig a hole and bury the poop or fling it into the bushes. Yes these are things that I have done in the past.  Not picking up poop is against the law and can get you a hefty fine. And it is gross and can spread disease.

Check with your local rescue groups on where to get a low cost microchip.
Dogs are required by law to have a license so if you are in King County you can get your dog licensed at, http://payments.kingcounty.gov/Safety/Animalservices/PetLicenses/FAQ.aspx

If you live in Seattle, http://www.seattle.gov/animalshelter/licenses.htm

For great low cost id tags visit, http://www.simplytags.com/

Are you looking for a dog walker in Seattle? If you said yes then you have come to the right place. Dog walking is a crucial pet service to ensure the health and happiness of your dog.
I have been walking dogs professionally for over 10 years. I have walked the sweet simple dogs
that are on retractable leashes and walk fine. I have also walked a 220 lb bear head rottie that wants to eat cars as they
pass. berniewalkI can walk one dog at a time, or 5.

Through the years of dog walking I have come up with a tried and true dog walking method.
I can walk(and teach you how to walk) your dogs with ease. For dogs that need to walk for mental and physical exercise, I walk them
in a brisk heel. I hike them on 3 hr excursions through our beautiful Seattle parks. They will learn how to walk nice and b tired and well behaved for you when you get home!

Dog walkers are great for busy dog owners that are stuck at work all day. Mid day hikes are a perfect break during the day.
For instuctions on how to walk your dog in a perfect heels, stayed tuned for my blog about P.A.W.S.

And look for my upcoming blog about the importance of daily dog walks.

Thank for choosing Elite Pet Care: To schedule an appointment, pleas email or call us today! sarah@elitepetcare.com 206-777-5327
Proud member of: