Andrea G.
Capitol Hill, DC
Pet care pro! Special needs welcome
Pet care experience
I've always loved animals but it wasn't until I adopted a special-needs rescue dog that I found my calling: caring for our four-legged, furry best friends. I'm now a professional dog walker and provide positive-reinforcement training. I have a special place in my heart for reactive, fearful, aging, and special-needs dogs, too; I love training and rehabilitative work and will meet your pup wherever he or she is at, in terms of training and development. Whether your dog needs special care or is a well-adjusted rockstar, we'll have tons of fun together. Long walks, jogging, playing ball, belly rubs, and butt scratches are just a few of my favorite activities. I want your dog to know that he or she has my full attention so aside from taking photos for you and keeping you updated, I won't be listening to podcasts or surfing the web. Instead, we'll be playing and sniffing and exploring the world together. When it comes time to settle down, we'll enjoy plenty of snuggle time. I'm a champion dog-cuddler - my own dogs would love to demonstrate that I make a great snuggling partner. I hate to move and disrupt a happily-dozing furry friend. Your dog will love that quality as much as my own does! Clicker training your pup? I'm happy to reinforce your work, or to accommodate your other positive training methods. I know your dog isn't the only one who needs to feel comfortable with me, and I work hard to provide outstanding customer service so you'll be just as happy as your pup. I always take photos and notes of each walk. For longer pet sits, I'll provide periodic updates with the same info, up to three times each day (but only if you want to hear from me that often). I'm responsible, reliable, and take my work seriously. And most of all, I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a field I love, so you can rest assured that I'll be striving to win your repeat business and to ensure I've accommodated all your needs. Drop me a line to set up a meet and greet, or to ask any questions you might have. I am looking forward to meeting you and your furry family member!
Reviews
Andrea is by far the most attentive detail oriented and knowledgeable dog lover I have met. I search for her every time!!!
Andrea is the BEST! She is always so thorough, so professional, and so caring! I always receive updates and a dozen or so photos from her visits. She is my #1 go-to always!
We couldn’t be happier with the care that Andrea provided for our cats! Andrea was everything that we could have asked for in a catsitter. She was responsive, flexible, provided great daily updates, and most importantly took excellent care of our cats. We will definitely be using Andrea again in the future!
We love Andrea! She clearly loves our dogs, which comes through in her regular and caring updates. She’s also so helpful in improving behavioral issues and having patience with some of their quirks. Andrea is able to take care of our hyper pup and our dog with special needs, and our time away is even more relaxing because we don’t need to worry about them. She’s always our first choice to watch our babies!
About Andrea G.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
---- I know how important your home is to both you and your furry family members, and safety is my highest priority. I'm proud of the systems I've developed to ensure that safety, including collar/harness/leash management, precautions for entering and leaving homes (especially with cats!), key/keycard security procedures in between visits, and being a good neighbor in our shared community. COVID-19 Policies & Info: I'm so very grateful to all my clients - human, canine, and feline! In order to help keep all of us as safe as possible, I am fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, continue to wear a mask outside my home, and am fanatical about keeping hands and surfaces clean. Please inquire for more info about my safety procedures!
Information Andrea G. would like to know about your pet
I love dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments, and the more you share about your dog, the better our time together will be! Depending on your needs and those of your dog, I may want to know about your dog's play style and favorite activities, any special requests you might have for our walking/playing time, your dog's normal schedule and routines, any history of medical and/or behavioral issues, and any history of biting or aggressive behavior (it's not a deal-breaker to have special needs, and with a full accounting of relevant details, we can work on troublesome behaviors together). If you'd like me to focus on training or rehabilitative work, please let me know what you'd like to accomplish and what work you've already done.
A typical day
I love taking walks throughout DC neighborhoods and have a knack for finding fun, safe spaces for sniffing, exploring, and jogging. If your dog already has a favorite destination or walking route, I'm happy to accommodate their preferences. If not, we can explore and find some new favorite spots together. I'm fully "weather proof" and happy to be outside in sun, rain, or snow, as long as it's safe for your pet to be outdoors. Our walks will include lots of time for exploring the environment, running, play with toys and/or "found" toys such as sticks and snowballs and grass clippings, stomping through puddles for our water-loving friends, and training in loose-leash walking or heeling. If you have a secure yard, I'll be happy to indulge your pup in off-leash play time too. Even without a yard, we can have lots of fun playing indoors! Some of my favorite games include fetch, hide and seek (I'll be happy to teach your pup to seek out toys if he or she doesn't already know how!), tug of war, and trading games for those who feel a bit protective of their toys. If your best friend is reactive or fearful, we can work on that too. I'm experienced in making desensitization exercises fun, and rewarding the kinds of behaviors you'd like to see on your own walks. For safety reasons, during very cold or very hot weather, I will closely monitor your dog and regulate our time outside according to his/her needs. I'm happy to bring your pet to many fun locations throughout your neighborhood, excepting dog parks or similar off-leash areas where the risk of unpleasant or dangerous encounters may be too high.
Services
Andrea can watch in your home
Availability
---- I'm once again accepting new clients! My schedule is especially flexible in the late morning and early afternoon, but I'm happy to try to work with your schedule and needs. Since my client roster sometimes fills up fast, preference will go to animals with behavioral or physical challenges, and those in close proximity to the Union Station/NoMa area.
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About Andrea G.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
---- I know how important your home is to both you and your furry family members, and safety is my highest priority. I'm proud of the systems I've developed to ensure that safety, including collar/harness/leash management, precautions for entering and leaving homes (especially with cats!), key/keycard security procedures in between visits, and being a good neighbor in our shared community. COVID-19 Policies & Info: I'm so very grateful to all my clients - human, canine, and feline! In order to help keep all of us as safe as possible, I am fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, continue to wear a mask outside my home, and am fanatical about keeping hands and surfaces clean. Please inquire for more info about my safety procedures!
Information Andrea G. would like to know about your pet
I love dogs of all breeds, sizes, and temperaments, and the more you share about your dog, the better our time together will be! Depending on your needs and those of your dog, I may want to know about your dog's play style and favorite activities, any special requests you might have for our walking/playing time, your dog's normal schedule and routines, any history of medical and/or behavioral issues, and any history of biting or aggressive behavior (it's not a deal-breaker to have special needs, and with a full accounting of relevant details, we can work on troublesome behaviors together). If you'd like me to focus on training or rehabilitative work, please let me know what you'd like to accomplish and what work you've already done.
A typical day
I love taking walks throughout DC neighborhoods and have a knack for finding fun, safe spaces for sniffing, exploring, and jogging. If your dog already has a favorite destination or walking route, I'm happy to accommodate their preferences. If not, we can explore and find some new favorite spots together. I'm fully "weather proof" and happy to be outside in sun, rain, or snow, as long as it's safe for your pet to be outdoors. Our walks will include lots of time for exploring the environment, running, play with toys and/or "found" toys such as sticks and snowballs and grass clippings, stomping through puddles for our water-loving friends, and training in loose-leash walking or heeling. If you have a secure yard, I'll be happy to indulge your pup in off-leash play time too. Even without a yard, we can have lots of fun playing indoors! Some of my favorite games include fetch, hide and seek (I'll be happy to teach your pup to seek out toys if he or she doesn't already know how!), tug of war, and trading games for those who feel a bit protective of their toys. If your best friend is reactive or fearful, we can work on that too. I'm experienced in making desensitization exercises fun, and rewarding the kinds of behaviors you'd like to see on your own walks. For safety reasons, during very cold or very hot weather, I will closely monitor your dog and regulate our time outside according to his/her needs. I'm happy to bring your pet to many fun locations throughout your neighborhood, excepting dog parks or similar off-leash areas where the risk of unpleasant or dangerous encounters may be too high.
Location
Washington, DC
Pets
Andrea G.
Capitol Hill, DC