Author Archives: Mariana Peeva

Mar
19

How Often Should You Give Your Dog a Bath?

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It is normal for people to shower every day but what about dogs? An interesting fact is that most dogs sweat through their tongue rather than their skin like humans do, so they don’t need to be bathed as often.

If you are a new dog owner or a dog sitter, you might catch yourself asking how often your dog needs to bathe. There is no straightforward answer since the frequency of bath depends on the dog breed, – fur length, climate or seasonal conditions and of course outside vs. inside activities. Dog owners and dog sitters need to do their research or consult with their vet to figure out how often they should give their pooch a bath. Bathing too often can strip away the natural oil layer and expose them to infections, or make their skin dry and irritated. On the other hand, not bathing them enough can result in itchiness, flea exposure and may make them messy and greasy.
After finding out more about your dog breed’s bathing needs:
  • Try to set a routine to ensure your dog stays clean and healthy.
  • If your dog needs to be cleaned up after playtime, or a walk outside, you can partially wash them using other alternatives to a full bath. Try wiping them down with a damp towel or use bath wipes or spray-on shampoo.
  • Always check how they act after you give them a bathe. If they are scratching themselves, it might indicate that you bath them too frequently or the shampoo might be too harsh on their skin.

We’d love to hear about your dog bathing routine. Please share your experience as a dog sitter or dog owner and give any tips, advice and guidance about how to make this experience more positive for the dog and their humans.

Post by Mariana
Mar
8

What does it take to be successful hosting a dog on Rover.com?

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Good morning, Roverlutianaries! We’d like to continue our blog post from last time and talk about how to host a successful dog sitting on Rover.com. Of course the main requirement is a REAL LOVE for dogs.

If you are new to Rover.com, make sure to have a full description and pictures of yourself, your home and dogs if you have any. In your profile descriptions make sure to distinguish yourself as professional by listing your certifications and training or if you are a dog lover that would enjoy the company of a dog guest for a weekend or two while making some extra cash.

Here are some recommendations from Rover.com to make sure that you have a great experience in home dog boarding. Always make sure that the dog will fit your home environment and your living style. Try to familiarize yourself about the dog(s) you are about to watch. Is the dog friendly with other pets and children? Does the dog have any record of accidents or misbehavior? You don’t want to host a dog that won’t get along with your kids or pets. Ask the dog owner a lot of questions about the dog and the dog’s routine, and try to maintain this routine as much as possible. This will ensure that both you and your guest dog have a great time. Ask the owner to bring the pooch’s favorite toys, food bowls, bed, blankets and anything else that could help the dog to feel just at home. You should also ask the owner about the commands that the dog obeys such as “sit”, “heel”, “stay” and etc. Dogs will listen to you as long as you know their commands.

Another great tip to be a successful dog host on Rover.com is to send daily updates and pictures to the dog owner. Nothing can melt a dog owner’s heart like seeing their favorite “pooch” fetching a ball or sweetly curled up sleeping on their favorite bed.

If you are new and haven’t booked through Rover.com yet, ask for Testimonials from your friends and family that know your passion and love for dogs. Once you start booking through Rover.com, each dog owner will be able to provide a review for other dog owners to learn more about you.

Post by Mariana

Mar
7

What should you look for in a dog sitter?

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Rover.com is becoming one of the leading websites for dog care and here is a reason why. We connect a wide range of dog sitters, dog owners and dog lovers with different backgrounds and experiences. What brings them all together is their love for dogs. Dog sitting and in home dog boarding is a “roverlutionary” opportunity for many dog owners who need to find a real solution to a real problem. Rover.com is here to help you find real dog lovers who may be just blocks away and can provide your dog with a safe home environment that is more affordable than a kennel. We believe that when people do what they love to do, they will be happy to provide a safe and fun environment for your pooch. You have a real choice by browsing sitter’s profiles; see their pictures and whether they have life long experience of dog ownership or do this professionally.

We wanted to give you some tips on how to ensure a great match for your dog when looking for a dog sitter. One way to ensure that the dog sitter matches your personal requirements is to try and inform yourself more about the services provided by the dog sitter of your choice. Try to initiate a “Meet and Greet” before the actual stay so you don’t encounter any surprises at the last minute. Here are example of questions to consider asking before you do the “Meet and Greet.”

  • How many dogs will be present during your dog’s stay?
  • How much time daily will the sitter spend with your dog inside and outside?
  • Who will be the prime caregiver?
  • Where the sitter plans to take the dog when outside?

As a dog owner you should also consider telling the dog sitter everything about your dog to ensure that the dog sitter is familiar as much as possible about your dog’s preferences, habits, likes and dislikes. Be prepared to provide information about medical history and vaccinations, and how your dog behaves around children and other pets.

And finally, let’s not forget that bringing your dog’s favorite toys, treats, beds, or blankets will help your dog feel right at home when you are away.

Post by Mariana

Feb
27

Is there a Best Time to get a Puppy?

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So you have made the lifetime decision to add a puppy to your life and now you wonder when the best time to get one is? While there is no hard rules when to become a dog owner and get a puppy, there might be times that are more favorable for you and for your dog. Most dog owners, dog sitters and dog boarding facilities may agree with us that spring or summer could be the optimal time obtaining your four legged friend. Spring and summer months might be the great time of the year because it’s not raining when you’re house breaking and it also gives your family the benefit of longer and warmer days. If you have kids, this time is great for them to get used to the new family member while they are in spring or summer break. The dog can create routine and by the time fall is upon us, he would be few months old and will already know commands and would be potty trained. Of course, you should consider whether you are taking any time off traveling during these months since many people like to take vacations during the warmer days. Getting a dog or puppy right before going on vacation will interfere with getting familiar with each other and with house training efficiency. Remember that dogs are pack animals and like to be part of the family. It might be stressful for the dog to separate with its owners right after becoming part of the family.

Fall and winter can be a little harder and trickier to get your dog properly trained. One concern with these seasons is that it can be getting cold out, especially for a new puppy. Most puppies and small breed dogs have a hard time adjusting to the cold weather and the house training might be harder to accomplish. The months before end of the year are also considered the holiday season when people are busy with their holiday shopping, traveling and family gatherings.

Of course no matter when you decide to get a puppy whether during the spring or fall, there is never a better time to get a puppy other then when you can afford to spend quality time with it, get to know each other and house train it.

We’d love to hear what your opinion is as a dog owner or dog sitter. Tell us your experience of what were the pros and cons at different times of year.

Post by Roverlutionary Mariana

Feb
15

Dog Allergies

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Hi there Roverlutionaries! This is the second part of our series about dog diet. In this part, we want to focus on dog allergies and toxic foods.

Is your favorite pooch scratching and itching a lot? It is always a good idea for dog owners and dog sitters to first check if their dog has flees. If there are no sign of flees, there might be a chance that your pooch has a food allergy. Symptoms can start as early as your dog is still a puppy but in most cases the allergic reactions are noticed after they turn 2 years. Dogs usually need the same nutrients in their diet as humans such as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals but they also have many intolerances and allergic reactions. Their systems can’t process much of the poor quality of ingredients that can sometimes be found in commercial dog food. Some of the allergic reaction ingredients are soy, corn, wheat, diary, fish, and eggs.

The main treatment of allergies is transition is to find a dog food that is highly digestible and higher quality and many times the allergy symptoms will disappear. However, if the dog is allergic to a specific ingredient, the trial and error is the best approach. It is a good idea for dogsitters, dog owners or Seattle dog boarding facility owner to try avoiding each food for some time until finding the one that triggers the allergy and eliminating it completely from the dog’s diet.

Dogs can eat many of the same foods just like people but there are some that are highly toxic even fatal for dogs to consume. The list below highlights some of the most common foods that can be dangerous to your pooch.

· Avoid giving chocolate and caffeinated drinks that can affect the heart

· Bones from fish and cooked bones can block the digestive system

· Macadamia nuts and Grapes can do harm to the kidneys

· Mushrooms and alcohol can end result in shock or coma.

· Citrus and bread dough can cause vomiting

· Onions and garlic have the ability to damage red blood cells and cause anemia.

· Spoiled food and garbage, well, let’s keep these in the trash can.

What is your experience with your pooch’s allergy and no no food choices? Please share your experience with our readers.

Post by Mariana