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

Posts Tagged ‘pet services’

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?

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)

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!

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”

You 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/