If your profile is not complete, please give us a short bio. If possible, let's schedule a meet and greet. You can bring your dog(s) over to my place so that we can all meet and you can see where he/she/they will be staying. When are you available? Please be sure to bring him/her/them along… sometimes people do not bring their pup and it is really weird. LOL Meet and greets are generally not long… usually not more than 15-20 minutes. I recommend looking over this profile as it outlines what you can expect from us as caretakers of your cherished one. I will go over everything in our meeting as well and answer any additional questions you may have. No breed preferences. Flea and tick free and treated is a must. My super senior girls passed in 2012 although the long term borders we have here are pest free and we do our best to keep the chemicals down. Often folks don't complete everything on their profiles. The Safety of your loved one is ALWAYS my PRIMARY concern. I do have a few questions I like to ask up front (meaning, before we talk or meet). Every question has come from a lesson learned. It could “seem” like a lot, and I promise you, they are all extremely easy to answer quickly... and not having the answers has the potential to cost us both dearly... both is safety and finances. I am speaking to several pet owners a month with multiple pets. It is important that I have this information in a localized place where I can refer back if needed. I do not like to rely merely on my (superb... lol) memory when other people's loved ones are concerned. I take looking after your family member very seriously. :). If the questions are not answered in the initial correspondence or by the profile, I generally will respond with the following requested info. 1a) Is he/she up to date on vaccinations? (I have never had a challenge and sometimes other pet owners are concerned about it so, for everyone’s safety, I like to know what the story is.) Bordatella &/or any vaccination for Kennel Cough is always good when dogs will be around other dogs. Again, we've never had an issue and it's a good practice. Also, a waterborne parasite is on the scene. It is not as prevalent as it was a few years ago and still, ask your vet what they think about vaccinating for Leptospirosis.) 2a) What kind of flea and tick prevention is he/she on and how often? 3a) Is he/she on heartworm prevention? 4a) How is he/she with other dogs? It is common that we may have other stays here at the same time. 5a) How about cats? (My cats can always be and are often locked away for safety. We have been letting them roam more often and with the kids going in and out of rooms, the kitties sometimes make a break for it to run around.) 6a) Is he/she allowed on furniture &/or bed? (I am good either way, I just like to do my best to keep the same rules she would have at home.) 7a) Does he/she use, sleep in or need a crate? (If so, please bring when he/she comes to stay.) 8a) Does he/she mind well to commands or does he/she need to be leashed at all times outside? (Do I need to be concerned that he/she may take off running if he/she were to make it past the front door?) 9a) Is he/she fixed? 10a) Is he/she a chewer or a nervous chewer? How is he/she with stuffed toys? (Most all of the toys we have now have had the stuffing extracted from previous visitors. I do not buy stuffed toys any longer and generally, do not suggest bringing them unless it is a comfort thing.) Is there any concern with him/her chewing or scratching up things she should not? 11a) Is he/she potty trained? (We do have an area rug and there is carpet upstairs so this is really important to know. We just can’t have a lot of accidents.) 12a) Did you mention his/her age? How old is he/she? 13a) How is he/she around children? My two stepsons are 13 & 15 and are with us part-time. They are good with the animals and we do need to know that he/she is good being around kids. Unfortunately, over-rambunctiousness just isn’t a fit here right now. 14a) Also... my youngest, Bryce, is supposedly allergic... we are taking all kinds of additional precautions. Our housekeeper comes on a regular basis. We get the cats groomed once a month and using an anti-allergen shampoo. We wash the couch covers every other day and vacuum daily. I have anti-allergen sprays and wipes that we also use. I am asking, for each of my stays to either be bathed or groomed prior to coming. Even short-haired pups can shed. I have a wonderful groomer behind my old place in Boca in the Boca Greens Plaza. They are TNT Grooming. I can support if you want to drop her off there or at another groomer nearby my house and... I am also looking into a reliable, mobile groomer that I can use. Is that possible for you? Can he/she be groomed ahead of time, or would you need support in maybe picking him/her up at the groomers? 15a) Is there any food or treats he/she cannot have? I often use fresh chicken broth to entice everyone to eat in a timely fashion. Would that be ok if needed? (Side note… I do not give rawhides as a rule… generally, even when they are brought as a treat. They can be too dangerous on the digestive tract.) 16a) How is your pup about barking? Obviously, barking comes with the territory. Purposeful (barking at intruders and the initial guest), playful barking and barking while playing is totally fine. We live in a townhome, so we do get to keep our neighbors happy and all of us sane. If your pup is prone to absolute nuisance barking we may need to assess if he/she is a fit. (Some clients that have this challenge have bark collars for their dogs. I have experience with both sonic and static and even then, seldom needed to use them.) 17a) This will probably sound like a silly question and rest assured… it has come from a lesson as all of the above questions… Can he/she open doors? (I do have french door handles throughout. Even little dogs can be quite wily sometimes.) 18a) Can he/she, will she jump baby gates? 19a) How is he/she with stairs? Can he/she manage going up and down? We have 12 steps to the landing and then another 5 to get upstairs. 20a) How is he/she with frogs/toads? Will he/she chase them or leave them alone? If he/she is a chaser, please remind me of this upon drop off, even if it is a rebook. I will be uber-vigilant with him/her outside during frog season. 21a) How is he/she about thunderstorms? 22a) Does he/she counter surf or have a tendency to climb on things she should not (like tables or counters)? 23a) Is he/she prone to any kind of separation anxiety if left home without a human present? If so, what does she do? 24a) Is he/she microchipped? If so, are you certain all information is completely up to date with proper address, contacts and phone numbers? All that is needed for a stay is: 1b) When you book… please list times for drop off and pick up. I do my best to keep a very up-to-date calendar. :) (If you provide your email address, I’d be happy to copy you on the calendar reminders if you would like.) 2b) Leash 3b) Collar &/or harness THAT FITS… it must not be too loose where he/she can pull out... and preferably with ID. 4b) Food… exact or ample amount with feeding instructions (even when you rebook :) ). Typically every guest has their own specific food that they regularly eat. I do not supply food because changing a dog’s food suddenly to something different can often result in digestive issues. Marking his/her food bag, cans &/or boxes with her name can also be supportive. 5b) Food Bowl... It would be preferable not to have a ceramic or porcelain bowl only due to the enhanced possibility of breakage. I will generally write his/her name on the bottom of her bowl just to keep things straight and because many bowls can look alike. (Water bowls are not generally needed as I have several.) 6b) Any medications if needed with appropriate instructions. 7b) Toys, only if he/she is very attached and is not aggressive with them. 8b) Bed, only if you desire (I have a few) and it must be washable. I often suggest bringing them because they provide a comfort from home that helps put your pup at easy with something familiar. 9b) Crate if necessary. 10b) Side note: If your baby has incontinence issues or a profound desire to mark territory... Please look at picking up diapers or a diaper with disposable pads. I am good with handling the occasional accident, and sometimes (especially some boys) it gets excessive. Wee wee pads may also come in handy. 11b) Make sure I have your contact information &/or other emergency contacts. (I rarely if ever need it, although having his/her vet info, even if posted here, is a good idea.) And, be sure you have mine. 12b) Your mental note, if not a list, of what you brought so that everything can be appropriately returned to you. 13b) Any special care or instructions (which are always best to be posted out here as well if possible). 14b) An updated/completed profile out here including photo(s) of your fur child. 15b) This site is very diligent about making sure we stay in communication. When you add your cell number to your profile, they will forward you the messages from within the site to your cell phone. Longer messages will be truncated but you can view on the site. They do also email you as well and there is a free app for your smartphone. While Only One cell number can receive the texts, you can have more than one person be logged into your account on the app. That way they can send and receive messages there, stay on top of communication and even see the pictures I’ll send you during the stay. :) The initial number that shows up on your phone for me is Not my number, but the number that the site assigns to me in order for you to be able to communicate via text through their service. We can exchange contact info as we go forward and… for the most part, I prefer to communicate through the site so we have a record to reflect back upon. 16b) We are very family oriented here. I don’t know if you have (human) children or not. If you do and you plan on bringing them to either the meet and greet, drop off or pick up, please know that my house is much more dog-friendly than child-friendly. We often have other dogs here and although they will probably all be behind gates for newbies to arrive, it is not a good idea to have kids treat it like a petting zoo. Some pups “can” be skittish about squealy, excited voices and hands coming at them. Safety is a primary concern for ALL creatures in my environment. Children… ONE) are, by All means, Always welcome, TWO) get to be properly prepared before entering the house and THREE) should know that house rules are in effect to keep everyone safe and happy. :) 17b) Much of my world revolves around being home. I like to say I am very flexible in working with your schedule as needed… in turn, on occasion, I too may have some schedule shifting that is needed for me to be available. It is not often and it does occur from time to time. I like to say flexibility creates a win / win for all parties. Regardless, if we have an agreement for a meeting time, please adhere to that time frame. If you are going to be early or late, please advise. I may be on any number of calls with my clients or employers and early or late appointments can compromise those. Also, I like to be sure that the pups here are all put away safely behind gates (especially for meet and greets, where, for safety reasons, they will generally stay for the entire meeting). I do prefer not to have them sequestered any longer than necessary. There are also many times that I stagger appointments to be able to give each of you, my full undivided attention. Timeliness is so very appreciated. :) Please do NOT knock on the front door. Knocking on the door of a pet sitter turns the whole house upside down. I have a sign out front to remind folks of this and it would be so very appreciated that you text when nearby or parked outside. If for some reason I do not respond, feel free to call. Please ONLY knock as a last resort. It really does both keep the peace and the peace of mind for all those inside. I am looking forward to meeting you and him/her and assisting in his/her care. PS... Believe it or not, people sometimes make inquiries and then never get back to me. I get a lot of business through this site and I like to help people as much as I can on a first come, first serve basis. If your plans change or you make other arrangements, please let me know. I'm often holding space waiting to hear back and it can all become quite confusing. Let's stay in communication, regardless of the circumstances.

Here's where we'll take our walks: We watch them in the back yard. The yard is unfenced although they are either walked on the leash or on a tether with me walking others or watching them. The tether goes from the back patio to wander a few feet out from the house. They only stay out long enough to do their business or if they just want to linger in the sun a bit. :) Your dog's sleeping arrangement: Where ever he wants. If you don't want them on the furniture, please let us know. Feel free to bring their dog bed as well for their comfort, familiarity and security sake. If they use or need a crate, please bring that too. Time spent with your dog: We work from home for the most part. That's not to say that regular employment may not come into play. The dogs go out usually about 8x a day, no less than 5x and often more than that. They generally hang out in the living room, if and when I leave, depending on personalities and temperaments, I separate them into different areas. When we cannot be here or will be out for a long length of time, either my Mother or another reliable member of my fur-loving crew comes and stays so that everyone can be taken care of and have company. Behavior correction methods: For potty training issues, we use wee wee pads, diapers, and belly bands if it is out of control. For other behavior challenges, a water squirt bottle curtails almost anything. My girlfriend created a clicker of sorts called the Doggie Don't Device. I've begun incorporating that as well. It has shown signs of success, although some breeds seem to care less.