Dawn D.
Marina, CA
Paws-itively Purr-fect Pet Sitter
Pet care experience
My expertise spans across all ages of cats and dogs with various types of needs. As a child, I knew that a dog's cleanliness, or lack of, could greatly affect their health. I offered to bathe my neighbor's dogs and would even remove ticks. Yuck! I know! But I knew they were better off after! My dog, Charlie, is now 14 years old. When he was only 2 weeks old, his mother developed eclampsia and could no longer feed him. His eyes and ears were still sealed so it was up to me to start mixing formula, and warming it up, every 2 hrs to feed him and his litter mates. Because they were so young, after feeding, they had to be stimulated to use the bathroom. Itruly feel like his Mama. When I first moved back to San Diego, I became a self-employed dog-walker and loved the opportunity to see new areas. In addition to having personally cared for a dog that had ME caused by MG and required the assistance of a Bailey chair, a dog experiencing geriatric vestibular disease and a cat with feline leukemia; I was most recently a Practice Manager at a veterinary clinic. My experience from fostering dogs that were going through a service dog training program, and boarding pets that are on medication, has helped sharpen my attention to detail when it comes to requests and requirements made by clients.
Reviews
Simply put, Dawn is amazing. She is by far the best dog sitter/walker/trainer I have ever known, and has become a very dear friend. She is incredibly knowledgable about dogs and behavior and her compassion for animals is evident in her enthusiasm for what she does. She helped watch my (mischievous) dachshund and had him doing new tricks within the first hour! She sent regular updates and videos of them playing which made me so happy and kept my mind at ease. She agreed to help work with him/me on some of his problem behaviors and was open (and graciously responded) to my frequent calls and texts! She is communicative, detail oriented, and explains things using metaphors that are totally relatable! My pup also had back surgery so I am very particular about his care (no jumping off furniture, length of walks, how he plays with other dogs) and she follows my requests to a T. She also picks up on small details that are not obvious to the untrained eye (dog's demeanor, posturing, eye gaze, etc) which adds an extra layer of comfort when she is taking care of my boy. She is responsible, trustworthy, and just an all around kind person. She regularly goes out of her way to make sure the animals under her care are happy and have everything they need. Dawn is ALWAYS my first choice for pet care.
Dawn has become a lifesaver for our family! We have a Jack Russell who can be a bit of a challenge. From the first meeting, our girl loved Dawn and every time they go on a walk together, I see just how happy our girl is with her friend! Dawn is extremely knowledgable about dogs and dog behaviors, and she takes the time to learn about what both you and your dog are looking for. I have always been nervous about leaving our girl with anyone and from the first time we met Dawn, I had 100% faith in her ability to handle my dog as well as keep her safe. I can't say enough great things about here and recommend to her literally every other pet owner in the area. She's THAT good!
Dawn is absolutely wonderful!!! She has watched our 4 Frenchies several times, and I have nothing but good things to say about her. The dogs absolutely love her!! She is so great working with the pups- she trained them to sit/ shake, and she sensitized them to the drummel nail trimmer, all in 1 long weekend. We weren’t able to do that in 4 months! Another thing Dawn did that we really appreciated was posting stories of our pups on her IG account. It can be stressful going away and leaving your pups behind, but it really put us at ease to be able to constantly see what our pups were up to while we were away from them. One last thing about Dawn that I want to mention is that she is very competent in terms of animal health. The last time Dawn watched our pack, one of our pups was ill and taking 9 pills per day. Dawn is very experienced in administering medications and we were completely comfortable leaving our sick pup in her care. Clearly, Dawn has gone above and beyond to make sure our dogs were well cared for and was amazing at communicating with us while we were away. I can’t recommend her enough!!!
Dawn is the only person that I trust with my fur baby. Her impact has been monumental in our lives. I would wholeheartedly recommend her.
About Dawn D.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I have a 15lb dog named Charlie, who is 14 years old. I live across the street from a very large, unfenced park. I have a 20 ft long line to allow them to run and play in a safe manor! I will not let them off-leash unless explicitly asked. I have plenty of toys to ensure that they play with a toy that is appropriate for the size of their mouth. I have multiple size crates and can crate when requested and/or necessary. When in a client's home, I follow their requests as put forth. Upon approval, Charlie will accompany for me sitting bookings.
Home
Information Dawn D. would like to know about your pet
Please let me know if you're dog has any allergies!! I have a lot of different treats so I can avoid a certain ingredient, if needed. In addition, let me know if your dog has any special needs that require extra attention. After working in a vet hospital, I became very familiar with the different conditions that dogs can have/develop and the different medications to help manage those conditions. If your dog knows any commands or is crate-trained, that information will be helpful as well!
A typical day
With my experience as a dog trainer, I understand that each dog and their needs are different. I like to exercise them physically and mentally! I will usually see if they know any commands/tricks and will have them do them for me. If not, I'll see if they're able to pick one up! Shake is usually an easy one! I know that this keeps them sharp and can be mentally exhausting.
Services
Dawn can host
Dawn can watch in your home
Availability
Aside from the occasional social gathering, all of my time is 100% devoted to taking care of our furry friends!! I'm available on weekends and holidays!
About Dawn D.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I have a 15lb dog named Charlie, who is 14 years old. I live across the street from a very large, unfenced park. I have a 20 ft long line to allow them to run and play in a safe manor! I will not let them off-leash unless explicitly asked. I have plenty of toys to ensure that they play with a toy that is appropriate for the size of their mouth. I have multiple size crates and can crate when requested and/or necessary. When in a client's home, I follow their requests as put forth. Upon approval, Charlie will accompany for me sitting bookings.
Home
Information Dawn D. would like to know about your pet
Please let me know if you're dog has any allergies!! I have a lot of different treats so I can avoid a certain ingredient, if needed. In addition, let me know if your dog has any special needs that require extra attention. After working in a vet hospital, I became very familiar with the different conditions that dogs can have/develop and the different medications to help manage those conditions. If your dog knows any commands or is crate-trained, that information will be helpful as well!
A typical day
With my experience as a dog trainer, I understand that each dog and their needs are different. I like to exercise them physically and mentally! I will usually see if they know any commands/tricks and will have them do them for me. If not, I'll see if they're able to pick one up! Shake is usually an easy one! I know that this keeps them sharp and can be mentally exhausting.
Location
San Diego, CA
Pets
Dawn D.
Marina, CA