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

Posts Tagged ‘Seattle pet sitting’

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!

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!

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

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/