*Please read everything prior to sending a request* Hello! My name is Melissa. As of Sept 5th, I will no longer be residing in Guelph. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and trusted me with their furbabies. I hope to see you all again some day. Kingston residents… I love giving cuddles, belly scratches and spending a lot of time with the dogs I look after. I will treat your dog like it’s my own. I’m reliable, trustworthy and very responsible. It’s difficult leaving your dog with a stranger and letting them into your home. Please let me know how I can to make you feel confident about leaving your family member with me. I will always have your dog’s best interest at heart even if it means being overly cautious. Your dog’s safety is #1. I will go above and beyond for every dog. ~Experience~ I am currently a vet assistant student at St. Lawrence College. Since becoming a sitter with Rover, I have looked after many puppies, several adults and senior dogs. I am able to work with different sizes, ages, needs, personalities and breeds. I am comfortable with large and x-large dogs. I have knowledge from raising a puppy with my family when I was young. I have looked after about 15 puppies professionally since April 2019. I have experience with “bully” breeds and I am very comfortable around them. I am also comfortable with other strong breeds; for example, Rottweilers and Boxers as well as xl dogs like Great Danes and English Mastiffs. I have experience with basic obedience training puppy training. I have some knowledge from helping dog owners. I will be learning “obedience” starting January 2023 and get in person instruction. I know basic grooming techniques such as bathing, trimming nails, removing mats and brushing fur. Starting this month I will begin learning from a vet tech who has a lot of grooming experience. This semester is an introduction to grooming and next semester will be honing our skills. I will be at the school salon once a week with some of my classmates grooming real dogs. I have the ability to recognize changes in a dog’s behaviour, habits and health, but in school I will get educated on Pet Health and Behaviour 1 will be taken this semester and 2 next semester. I am motivated to do well in my program and even after it’s done, I will keep educating myself on animal care, dog behaviour, body language, common health issues, common health issues for specific breeds and much more. ~Cats~ *Rover is a dog based service, but I would love to take care of your cat. This summer I started to receive and then accepted a lot of requests for cat only sitting. I had a lot of cats growing up so I am more than capable of tending to their needs. Please select the cat care option. It is priced at $15/30 minutes. ~House Sitting~ This means that I will look after your dog and your home. $85 per night. I will be living in your home for the duration of your booking. I hope you agree that the price reflects the exceptional care your dog will receive, my experience and the time I will spend in your home. While house sitting I can still check in on your pet throughout the day between classes even if it means cutting into a bit of class time. I have a lot of online classes as well. I don’t want your pet to be alone for too long throughout the day. ~Upcoming Holidays~ I am unsure of my availability for Thanksgiving ~ Covid-19~ I am fully vaccinated and I had my booster shot. I no longer wear a mask or social distance but I will still do so if requested during a meet and greet. ~Important things to note~ *Please do a separate booking for holidays and the days before and after that you need sitting. For example, if you need a house sitting from December 20th to December 27th, book December 25th at the holiday rate. Then send another request for December 20th-24th and December 26th at the regular rate. Please message me if you have any questions about this. *Before I look after your dog, a meet and greet must be set up at your home with an adult over the age of 18 present, preferably you or another owner as well as your dog. Exceptions can be made, but not guaranteed. Meet and greets are free of charge. *Even though I primary offer services to dogs and occasionally cats, please let me know if you need me to check on any other pets you have. The pets must live with a dog or cat I will be looking after. Only booking services for dogs and cats go through Rover. *Please have your dog and cat updated on all shots. *Complete all bookings through Rover. If you have any questions, please send me a message.