Barbara H.
Portland, OR
Services
Prices may vary based on your selections. A booking fee of 11% will apply.
Barbara can care for
Availability
My schedule is flexible, and Rover is my first priority! Let me know what you need, and when you're planning to go on your vacation. I will meet with you and your pets first to get to know you a little and avoid surprises on their behalf. I don't walk dogs with any others that aren't part of your household, or bring any other pets or people inside your home.
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About Barbara H.
Communication
Dog skills
Safety, trust & environment
Each pet is so unique, just like people! I like to find out what your preferences are for your pet, and what makes them happy and relaxed. I love walks, long slow sniff adventures with senior dogs, games, and giving them lots of affection and attention. Rewarding with treats, and/or positive tones and words, and affection for positive behavior goes a long way!
Information Barbara H. would like to know about your pet
I need to know if your dog pulls heavily or tends to take off after other critters, and if there's a Halti or good quality anti-pull device to use for walks, not just a collar. I'm not able to hold back larger dogs, over 40 -45 lbs (depending on the harness), so it's a liability if they might run after something. I do use a walking belt, but if they're more than 50lbs and bolt, I won't be able to keep them out of harm's way. Happy to work with dogs who have some issues, such as anxiety, as long as I'm in communication with you, and have plenty of treats/rewards to help them. I appreciate complete honesty up front if your pet has any special conditions or medical issues, which are no problem at all. I do draw the line at pet who bites, nips often, or tries to bite me. I will request that you return immediately if I'm bitten and it breaks the skin.
A typical day
Let me know their favorite places to go, and favorite things and activities at home, as well as what to avoid. It's wonderful if there are new activities or places to go that you think they'd enjoy, and I also want to know their limits and what works best for them. A happy and relaxed pet when you get home is my goal.
Location
Portland, OR
Barbara H. has Star Sitter status
The Star Sitter program highlights responsive sitters who deliver highly rated care and have a history of listing accurate availability and preferences, making it easier for pet parents to find the best care for their pets.
Trust your pets to Mama's care!
Pet care experience
Welcome to my profile! I'd love to care for your pets in SE, NE close-in, SW downtown, and S Waterfront neighborhoods of Portland. I enjoy walking dogs, playing with and cuddling dogs and cats, and am very interested in what makes them feel secure and happy. I love animal energy and enthusiasm! I'm always happy whenever I'm provided with information about what they like, their typical schedules, favorite activities and treats. I do my very best to make them feel as secure and content as possible while you're away, which can be a stressful time for many pets. I send updates with photos at least twice daily, despite what Rover says about 90%. I have many clients who travel internationally, so we use alternative apps that work more efficiently on your end than the Rover servers. I do my best to duplicate messages and photos for Rover simultaneously. If I'm just walking your dog(s), Rover has a walk feature which tracks our walk and time, so you know exactly where we went and get an update with pics. The Rover servers have only been down a few times since they introduced this feature, so I always use it. I'm 100% cyclist, so I don't need parking for a vehicle, but I do need a dry safe place to store the bike while in your home. This does limit my service radius to the areas defined. I also do part-time landscape maintenance, so if you'd like to return to a yard that has been weeded and tidied, or whatever you need, please talk to me about it! I'm careful in your home, doing my best to leave it as clean and tidy as you left it, or better. I have cared for a variety of family pets and neighbor's pets all my life. My own dog passed of old age at the end of 2022, and I had a wonderful cat right out of college who lived to be 21. I miss them both very much, but for the first time in my life I am free to house and pet-sit without the complication of my own to care for in addition to yours. I've also had and am very experienced with chickens, rodents, and fish. While she was growing up, my daughter and I also walked dogs and fostered animals as volunteers for the King County Shelter in Kent, WA, before we failed as fosters and adopted our adorable and loving Cockelier Donut.
Cat care experience
Barbara also cares for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Reviews
Barb is amazing. She is so great with my dog and cats and they look forward to their staycations with her.
Barbara was wonderful! Garlic seemed happy and at ease while we were gone. Barbara sent lots of detailed updates about Garlic and when we got home the house was cleaner than we left it.
Barbara watched our pets for five nights. She was communicative and sent great photos with updates. She even dealt with a home repair issue and I’m pretty sure our home was cleaner when we returned home! She made sure our pets were taken care of when we had an evening return home, which we really appreciated! Our pets were so calm and happy when we returned home 🙂
Barbara was fantastic with our energetic border collie, Stu. She made sure he had plenty of physical and mental exercise, which is important for our high energy dog! She even worked on commands with him. Barbara checked in frequently with us and sent fun pictures. She left the house cleaner than it was when we arrived. We are so grateful to her for being such an amazing sitter!!
About Barbara H.
Communication
Dog skills
Safety, trust & environment
Each pet is so unique, just like people! I like to find out what your preferences are for your pet, and what makes them happy and relaxed. I love walks, long slow sniff adventures with senior dogs, games, and giving them lots of affection and attention. Rewarding with treats, and/or positive tones and words, and affection for positive behavior goes a long way!
Information Barbara H. would like to know about your pet
I need to know if your dog pulls heavily or tends to take off after other critters, and if there's a Halti or good quality anti-pull device to use for walks, not just a collar. I'm not able to hold back larger dogs, over 40 -45 lbs (depending on the harness), so it's a liability if they might run after something. I do use a walking belt, but if they're more than 50lbs and bolt, I won't be able to keep them out of harm's way. Happy to work with dogs who have some issues, such as anxiety, as long as I'm in communication with you, and have plenty of treats/rewards to help them. I appreciate complete honesty up front if your pet has any special conditions or medical issues, which are no problem at all. I do draw the line at pet who bites, nips often, or tries to bite me. I will request that you return immediately if I'm bitten and it breaks the skin.
A typical day
Let me know their favorite places to go, and favorite things and activities at home, as well as what to avoid. It's wonderful if there are new activities or places to go that you think they'd enjoy, and I also want to know their limits and what works best for them. A happy and relaxed pet when you get home is my goal.
Barbara H.
Portland, OR