Dave N.
Donaldson Terrace, TX
Dog Behavior Specialist, CPR cert.
Pet care experience
HI! I'm Dave Navarro, born in 1986. I share a house with my wife Angel and our 3 dogs Ravi, Luna, and Jane! We love to relax and enjoy the long days together. We go out for walks at the park and run/bike around neighborhoods to get our exercise. I am a Dog Trainer/Behavior Specialist of 5yrs. I have my own business (Navarro Dog School of Hard Knocks). You can find me on Google and Facebook for more reviews. Grooming dogs over the last 15 years and experiencing the behavioral issues of pets led me to training. I have had plenty of pets throughout my lifetime and cared for many unfortunate souls that were left without companionship. I have training in CPR for canines and small animals, and am certified through ISCC. Have also worked as a kennel technician for dog daycares in the past so I know the in and outs of pet care. Pet safety and their happiness is my main priority. I have had pets all of my life and learned from my experiences. Not only how to care for them, but personalities, characteristics, instincts, and general health. working as a groomer and having worked at kennels and salons has also given me much needed experience in handling and watching over pets. I have also gone through courses for pet care and overall health and behavior as well as training in behavior control and dietary necessities. I continue to educate myself since animals are my life. Veterinary school was my first choice in life careers, but sometimes things don't go it the exact direction as you planned. Either way, I'm happy and I love what I do. I am also proud that I know the things I do and continue to expand my knowledge. Animals deserve the best. We all can do something to better their lives and in return they always better our own :) Many people have trusted me to look over their pets both in my home and at theirs. I have shown that i can be trusted to handle any situation and go beyond the basics of sitting. There have been all sizes and breeds in my care. Also many, many, many dogs at the same time so I am really good at mediating during playtime. I'm not afraid of any breed and have almost too much confidence in my skills and abilities as a sitter, groomer, bather, trainer, and boarder. and of course as a companion to these amazing creatures. I believe in maintaining structure while you (the owner) are gone, so I offer to work with your dog while they are with me. Love dogs, dogs love you! ASK ABOUT ADDING GROOMING, A BATH, OR NAIL TRIMMING iTO YOUR STAY! (Can be added for most dogs at an additional cost)
Reviews
Dave did an awesome job for us. This was our first time using rover. He helped to make this an easy process. We were nervous about leaving our pups with someone we didn't know and the pups we nervous starting out. When we picked them up they we following Dave around and we could tell the we're comfortable. Dave had gone into the house to get something we forgot and Ellie was following him back in. Will definitely recommend him and will use him again.
Once again milo was provided with great care! I received many videos of milo having so much fun!!
Dave did an outstanding job sitting my dog for one week. He kept in touch by sending numerous updates, pictures, and videos. Would definitely bring my dog back to him!
What can I say about Dave? He's such a special person. I know he treats my dog like his own. I'm so grateful for Dave.
About Dave N.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
When caring for dogs at your home or walking them, I make sure to use a slip lead to prevent any escapes and maintain control. I have never lost or had a dog injured in my possession. I understand dog behavior so I am prepared for any situation. Any special requests that are reasonable will be followed. If you want to maintain training during interactions, I am happy to oblige. When dogs board with me they must be crate trained as there will always be multiple dogs and some may have aggression issues we are working through, so it is for their own safety and for me to manage better. They get many potty breaks throughout the day. If there is a dog that they get along with well, they will be slowly introduced and allowed interaction. I have a fenced in yard but I typically have a tie out that i will attach newer dogs to in order to prevent escape. dogs are never left unattended for more than a couple of minutes and I have cameras to watch when I am not home. This isn't a daycare and I do not allow them to get overstimulated in order to prevent altercation and advocate for everyone. I typically have a peaceful household with many dogs in my care.
Home
Information Dave N. would like to know about your pet
I need to know if your dog has any behavior issues. Are they fearful of people, dogs, inanimate objects? Will they bite or have they bit any dogs or people in the past, and why? Are they reactive on leash or for any reason? Is there anything about their behavior that bothers you and might need to be addressed while they are with me? While boarding: NO BEDS, BLANKETS, BOWLS , TOYS OR TREATS WILL ARE ALLOWED TO BE BROUGHT OVER. This is to prevent injury by ingestion, destruction, loss, and soiling of belongs. ANYTHING LISTED THAT IS BROUGHT OVER WILL BE SENT BACK HOME. Please make sure your dog is wearing a well-fitting collar and not a harness. MAKE SURE YOU BRING FOOD FOR YOUR DOG! I will not provide meals for your dog as there is always a possibility of a reaction or stomach issue. Please be sure your dog isn't covered in fleas, if they are ridden with fleas they will be sent home. If your dog has fleas and you plan to bathe them in order to get rid of the fleas please follow these directions: Use dish soap or any shampoo. Lather heavily using warm water all over starting from the face and ear openings down through the body. Make sure to get down to the skin, you will see them scrambling. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly using warm water. The point in doing this is to break down an oily hydrophobic barrier that allows the flea to breath underwater by creating an air bubble, thus drowning the flea. Also, Make sure to rinse heavily in order to get all soap out with cool temperature water in order to rehydrate the skin and coat. Remember you are removing all of the oil from the coat so you should always condition it in one way or another. Also remember that a flea bath is not going to get rid of fleas forever. It will kill whatever is on the dog but as long as they are going back into the environment that they initially got the fleas from they will continue to persist. At this point flee preventative is a must and is highly recommended.
A typical day
Boarding dogs spend a lot of time with me relaxing in my back yard. It is large and has plenty of space to explore while I do some gardening or just hang out with them. We will often walk the neighborhood and relax out and about. Sometimes we go to parks for more exercise. For dogs wanting to maintain structure, I can also make every interaction with your dog purposeful and reinforce the behaviors you want. Dogs that can be respectful of personal boundaries, don't have issues with marking/destructive behavior, and don't get overstimulated easily get more opportunities to hang out in my living area and chill mostly toward the end of the day when we are winding down.
Services
Dave can host
Dave can watch in your home
Availability
I train dogs for a living and I am self employed, so I spend everyday working with and caring for dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds. I focus on structure and discipline in the home to have well behaved pets. If I have other business to attend to, I always have time to get home and let the dogs out for potty breaks and to relax or socialize throughout the day.
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About Dave N.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
When caring for dogs at your home or walking them, I make sure to use a slip lead to prevent any escapes and maintain control. I have never lost or had a dog injured in my possession. I understand dog behavior so I am prepared for any situation. Any special requests that are reasonable will be followed. If you want to maintain training during interactions, I am happy to oblige. When dogs board with me they must be crate trained as there will always be multiple dogs and some may have aggression issues we are working through, so it is for their own safety and for me to manage better. They get many potty breaks throughout the day. If there is a dog that they get along with well, they will be slowly introduced and allowed interaction. I have a fenced in yard but I typically have a tie out that i will attach newer dogs to in order to prevent escape. dogs are never left unattended for more than a couple of minutes and I have cameras to watch when I am not home. This isn't a daycare and I do not allow them to get overstimulated in order to prevent altercation and advocate for everyone. I typically have a peaceful household with many dogs in my care.
Home
Information Dave N. would like to know about your pet
I need to know if your dog has any behavior issues. Are they fearful of people, dogs, inanimate objects? Will they bite or have they bit any dogs or people in the past, and why? Are they reactive on leash or for any reason? Is there anything about their behavior that bothers you and might need to be addressed while they are with me? While boarding: NO BEDS, BLANKETS, BOWLS , TOYS OR TREATS WILL ARE ALLOWED TO BE BROUGHT OVER. This is to prevent injury by ingestion, destruction, loss, and soiling of belongs. ANYTHING LISTED THAT IS BROUGHT OVER WILL BE SENT BACK HOME. Please make sure your dog is wearing a well-fitting collar and not a harness. MAKE SURE YOU BRING FOOD FOR YOUR DOG! I will not provide meals for your dog as there is always a possibility of a reaction or stomach issue. Please be sure your dog isn't covered in fleas, if they are ridden with fleas they will be sent home. If your dog has fleas and you plan to bathe them in order to get rid of the fleas please follow these directions: Use dish soap or any shampoo. Lather heavily using warm water all over starting from the face and ear openings down through the body. Make sure to get down to the skin, you will see them scrambling. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly using warm water. The point in doing this is to break down an oily hydrophobic barrier that allows the flea to breath underwater by creating an air bubble, thus drowning the flea. Also, Make sure to rinse heavily in order to get all soap out with cool temperature water in order to rehydrate the skin and coat. Remember you are removing all of the oil from the coat so you should always condition it in one way or another. Also remember that a flea bath is not going to get rid of fleas forever. It will kill whatever is on the dog but as long as they are going back into the environment that they initially got the fleas from they will continue to persist. At this point flee preventative is a must and is highly recommended.
A typical day
Boarding dogs spend a lot of time with me relaxing in my back yard. It is large and has plenty of space to explore while I do some gardening or just hang out with them. We will often walk the neighborhood and relax out and about. Sometimes we go to parks for more exercise. For dogs wanting to maintain structure, I can also make every interaction with your dog purposeful and reinforce the behaviors you want. Dogs that can be respectful of personal boundaries, don't have issues with marking/destructive behavior, and don't get overstimulated easily get more opportunities to hang out in my living area and chill mostly toward the end of the day when we are winding down.
Location
San Antonio, TX
Pets
Dave N.
Donaldson Terrace, TX