THE TYPES OF DOGS I WILL SIT I prefer pet sitting dogs UNDER 30 pounds-preferably smaller breeds. This fits my situation best. The dogs should be spayed or neutered if they are old enough but I will take intact dogs. I do not take dogs that are aggressive towards animals or people. Your dog must also be up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations and any other vaccinations that your veterinarian requires. Dogs MUST be on and effective flea and tick preventative. I specialize in sitting puppies, senior dogs and dogs that may need a little extra TLC. For puppies under 1 year old the rate is $40 per night because puppies do require extra attention. Special Needs dogs, dogs with chronic health conditions or on multiple medications are $40 per night. Because of the individual attention each dog receives I limit the number of dogs that I will keep at any one time. It is very important to register your stay early. I prefer to commit to no more than four dogs at a time. Occasionally there may be an overlap because of pick up or drop off times. IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ MY MEET AND GREET AND DROP OFF PROCESS. I have specific ways of handling bringing a new dog into a boarding situation. I have developed these from my experiences as a canine behavior specialist. You will find explanations of why I do things the way I do below. I will send you a form to fill out so that I have important contact information and any special instructions your dog may need for its care. As a dog trainer I have a deep understanding canine behavior, I am able to deal with dogs that may have some separation issues when staying away from home. Please realize that the extra care of these dogs need will involve an additional charge. But my goal is for you to feel comfortable leaving your dog. Contact me through rover.com for more information. PUPPIES UNDER FIVE MONTHS COST A BIT EXTRA TO BOARD, $40 per night. That is because puppies are extra work and need much more attention. They need extra potty breaks, more interaction and play and often don't sleep through the night. :-) The same goes for special needs/senior dogs. You can be assured these dogs get the extra care said you pay for. THE MEET AND GREET - YOUR DOGS FIRST IMPRESSION I have particular way that I like to handle the meet and greet and to make the drop off of your dog as stress-free as possible. I like to meet your dog on neutral ground. There are important reasons behind this that will help make your dog more comfortable during its stay. First, if I come to your house, I am invading your dog's space. It doesn't matter if the dog is friendly, a little shy or protective. I am a stranger coming in to their home and that is not the most positive first impression. The second option of your dog have a Meet and Greet at my house is even less helpful. In this scenario your dog would be invading MY dogs space. That could be overwhelming for most dogs. Even if my dogs are crated or in the backyard, your dog would still know that they are around somewhere and he was in their territory. After a short visit ,you take your dog home and he will think "Boy, that was stressful. I'm glad to be out of there! I hope I don't have to go back." While my dogs will see your dog as an uninvited stranger on their turf. This does not bode well for a guest visit. The best Meet and Greet is meeting in a NEUTRAL space. Your dog does not see me as a stranger coming in to his home. I am not a threat to anything that belongs to him. I take the time to allow the dog to COME UP TO ME and sniff my shoes, sniff my pants, my hands, etc. on his terms. From that experience a dog can learn a lot. He can figure out that I have dogs, if they are girl dogs or boy dogs. He can smell that there's a cat. He learns what I smell like and he can smell that I have some really good treats in my pocket. :-) I allow the dog to introduce itself to me and I don't try to push myself on your dog. Your dog will also notice that you and I will be having a nice relaxed conversation and figure that if his person thinks that I'm okay then I must be okay. This helps the dog to accept me into your circle. When I go home my dogs can smell that I have visited with your dog. So when he comes into our home it's a familiar smell. When the time comes for your dog to stay at my house I usually greet him at the car and talk a bit with you. Your dog will probably sniff me and think "Oh, I remember you." I will quietly take the leash and walk him around the front yard while you drive off. That way we avoid any big goodbyes that can be extremely upsetting to dogs. Of course your dog realizes you're leaving and may be a bit upset at first but it's not a big emotional situation. That is something we try to avoid. When I take him in the house, my dogs are out of sight in crates in their room or out in the backyard. He knows they are there but he isn't greeted by everybody head on first thing. Introductions are made very gradually through the baby gate. Aother helpful thing is that your dog hasn't seen you walk out the front door and leave him. Dogs understand you leaving through a door. Not seeing you do so can take a great bit of tension out of the boarding situation. I know it seems like a long process. Yes, it would be much easier for you to come in the door, just hand me the dog and walk out but believe me the dog would see that as being abandoned. When I did take in dogs that way, I had guest dogs sit at the front door for days waiting for the owner to come back. Your dog doesn't need to go through that. I know this does work because now I have regular clients whose dogs will get out of the car and trot up my front steps to the door without even a backward glance. :-) Of course, they are still VERY glad when you come and pick them up but the trauma of feeling like they WERE being left behind has been avoided.

I do my best to make your dog feel at home and comfortable when staying with me. I limit the amount of dogs that I can take in so it is extremely important to BOOK YOUR STAY WELL IN ADVANCE so your dog will not miss out on the fun. I have a large double fenced backyard Where are your dog can play and explore. Additionally to the fence backyard, I have a fenced in 50' x 100' lot and play yard. This is where I take visiting dogs to play, fetch, exercise and use some of that extra energy. It is a nice grassy lot with shade trees and a wonderful place to run and stretch their legs and have a good game of Fetch or Chase. Dogs are always under my personal supervision when they are outdoors and are NEVER left in this yard without my supervision. I am very careful about whether I let your dog play with other dogs. If there’s any indication that they will not get along or to much difference in size or age they will not be put in a group where they would feel uncomfortable. Your dog's sleeping arrangement Dogs that are guests in my home sleep in individual dog crates for the sake of safety. Each crate has its own comfy bed and your dog will have access to water at all times. Dogs that are not used to crates maybe started out by sleeping in doggy beds, but using positive techniques I am very successful at teaching a dog to accept sleeping in a comfy crate. I feel that this is an important for safety reasons, just as it would be important to know the safety exit if you yourself are staying in a hotel. If for any reason I had to get out of the house fast, I feel it's imperative to know where the dogs are and where their leashes are so that they can be removed from the home quickly and safely. Of course, we always hope and pray that something like this would never happen but it is much better to be safe than sorry. Time I'll spend with your dog I work out of my home so I am with the dogs most of the day. Occasionally I will have meetings with clients but I am rarely away from my home for more than three to four hours. Some dogs come and stay with me, also take advantage of a training. This is a separate item from a stay and is priced accordingly. Contact me if you are looking for a board and train situation. Most dogs just enjoy relaxing and feeling comfortable and a home environment. I try to keep the dogs stimulated and interested in what's going on with games, walks and time spent outdoors together. I also make sure that they get to relax and watch a little TV in the evenings. Dogs can be taken for walks through the neighborhood or in local parks but only with the owners permission that must be given in writing at the time of the drop off.