*A Meet and Greet is required prior to care. Meet and Greets ensure the home is a great fit and we are both comfortable with me caring for your furbaby. I cannot accommodate last-minute/emergency care for new pups. A Meet and Greet must take place 2 weeks prior to a booking. Your dog must be up to date on the rabies vaccine per North Carolina law. Vet verification will be required prior to our Meet and Greet. To ensure the safety of all parties, including pets, children under 12 are not permitted inside the home during meet and greets, pick ups and drop offs. Many of the pets I care for are NOT child friendly. This includes my own dog who does not do well with children inside the home. *Although Rover has different size limits, I only provide services for dogs up to 30 pounds. No exceptions. Puppies must be over 6 weeks old. Please inform me if they haven't had all their puppy shots so I can ensure their safety. *The Drop-off/Pick-up is only available for those within the Wake Forest and surrounding areas, up to 15 minutes from my home. Sitter Drop-off/Pick-up is between 9am to 6pm only. *Caring for your pets is one of the many things I do, which is why it's important that we are all on time. Plans change. Delays happen. I try my best to remain flexible as I understand life happens. I schedule my work and life around the times you select for your furbabies. Everyone is given a 30 minute grace period. If you're not on time for your pets Meet and Greet, drop-off, or pick-up, it causes delays with my schedule and other clients. I only allow a 2 hour time window for scheduled pick-up and drop-off. If you haven't arrived by then, I can't ensure I'll be available. A new time window will be provided based on my availability that day. Drop off and pick up times must be finalized one week prior to the stay. Drop off and pick up hours are from 8am to 7pm. If requesting Sitter Pick-up/Drop-off, hours are 9am to 6pm. My name is Dominique but everyone knows me as Nikki. I'm married. No kids. I have one female dog, Prissy, and two birds. I have over 20 years of experience with animals. I've worked with rescues, shelters, and have fostered dogs, small animals and birds in the past. Although I offer pet boarding for all, I specialize in holistic pet care. My holistic pet care services provide a variety of services for sick, disabled and elderly pups. I also work with pet parents interested in herbal remedies or interested in transitioning their pups to a fresh/raw diet. If you are interested in my holistic service add ons, feel free to discuss at the meet and greet. I live in a single-family home and have a decent sized yard, but it is not fenced. I require all dogs to be leash trained. There are a few close by parks and trails where I like to take the pups, if given permission. On a hot day we may stop by Starbucks for a pup cup or local ice cream shop for a nice treat. For dogs who are elderly, disabled, or downright lazy, I own a Dogger Stroller that can accommodate the crew. All dogs must be fully house trained regardless of age. If they are not fully house trained you must provide doggie diapers or wraps. (I can assist you with finding the right fit for your pup) Females in heat must have doggie diapers as well. Complete Pet Care animal hospital is 1.3 miles away in case of emergency. Other services and products offered: Doggie Baths: $15.00 extra per pet ( I have a variety of options for your pets needs. For elderly dogs and dogs with skin issues I use Dr. Bronners Baby Castile. You can also inquire about my holistic pet rinses). Why I love dog sitting I love all animals, especially dogs. I realized having a dog is no different than having a child except, you cannot bring them everywhere you go. Luckily I have family that is more than willing to spoil my baby. So I offered dog sitting for the holidays one year and have been pet sitting ever since. I've kept my furkids in dog kennels in the very beginning and soon realized they were miserable and not cared for they way they are accustomed to. It's the nice way of saying they were complete spoiled brats. I've also encountered some horrible experiences with several dog facilities that left me to never put my trust in them again. So I decided to offer my home as a place people can leave their babies and know they will be treated no different than my own. The last reason I love pet sitting is because my husband said no to bringing home any more dogs so I need your pups to love on as much as you need a sitter to love on them. About my yard I have a decent sized yard however, it is not fenced. There is a stone patio and fire pit right outside the back door where I often work from if the weather permits. Your babies can relax on the patio, in the grass or on the pet cot. I also have a pop up tent for those that prefer the outdoors more than the indoors. My experience administering medication I am not comfortable administering medication unless it is orally. My schedule changes daily but I have the flexibility to spoil my pets and yours. Your furkids are not left alone for more than 4 hours. If I have meetings that require me to be out longer, my husband is usually home. My normal routine depending on my schedule: Since I don't have a typical 9 to 5, my day starts and ends a little earlier than many of my pups are accustomed to. I wake up between 5:30 to 6am. I may pop out house for a walk/run or stay upstairs until 7:30. The furkids go outside to potty. Then it's breakfast. Then another potty (only if needed and discussed during the meet and greet). My work may be in or out the home. They roam, play, nap, or whatever they normally do. If I’m home and not in meetings Im often sitting with them or we are in the backyard. Afternoon potty. I try my best to keep your furkids on their regular schedule so things don't get messy in the house when they return home. 4:30 to 5:00pm is dinner. Last potty is at 8:00pm. Everything is shut down at 9pm. The furkids are put to bed and lights are out. Your furkids are allowed to roam free downstairs. They are crated when nobody is home and for bedtime. 99% of my furkids get along but there is always that 1% that I have to keep a close eye on. If there are dogs that don't seem to get along, I ensure they are separated. That could mean I relocate downstairs to work, bring one of the dogs upstairs to the office, or use gates to section off half the downstairs. When it comes to food, I try my best to ensure your dog doesn't get into another dog's food. But it can happen. Some dogs, like my own, nibble throughout the day. Unfortunately, leaving your dogs food down is not an option. I'll periodically offer their food to them throughout the day. Even hand feed if I have to. If your dog requires medication in their food, I feed them first or let them eat in the laundry while I prepare the other meals. *If your dog is on a fresh/raw diet, no worries. I have a special shelf in my freezer and fridge just for homemade pet food. You are also more than welcome to bring their groceries. I'll meal prep for them as I meal prep for my own.