Karmen W.
Kamloops, BC
Looking to Love
Pet care experience
I have had the honour of taking care of several of our friends’ dogs over the years and I enjoyed getting to know new friends during fire season when a dear dog named Lass needed a place to stay. I will take care of your pet like it is my own. I’m currently a stay-at-home mom. My husband works during the day so he is always home in the evening to help. Other than the occasional time period when my elderly parents need me, I’m at home with a very flexible schedule. I have two teenagers - dog-loving sons - who are home and would love to play with your dog as well. My younger son studies from home so his schedule is flexible (to help with exercise) even in fall and winter. My eldest son is in high school and he is available most days after school and on weekends to help. Since he is the tallest and strongest of the three of us, he can help handle the larger dogs. Although I am the primary caregiver, we hope to work as a team to care for your beloved dog! We are a quiet, peaceful family with open, gentle hearts. We have a young pup named Kona. She is easy-going and playful and loves “playdates.” She is a bernese/collie/hound mix. We have always dog-sat when friends need help. We took in a dog during a bad fire season a few years ago when there were evacuees in town. We once dog-sat for seven months. We never tired of that small dog named Canaan with the amazingly powerful herding instincts. We owned a small and very lovingly licky puggle/terrier named Rocco for several years just after that. He came to us as an adult who needed to be re-homed. When he passed of an autoimmune condition it was a very sad day. We have a large fenced yard and we are close to the section of the Rivers Trail which is just off Aviation Way out by the the airport. I will keep your pet active. My sons are excited to help. I could accomodate a crate in our home if you have one. We live on a dog-loving street and there is plenty of opportunity to socialize (the neighbours are all responsible dog-owners). We would happily invite your dog into our day-to-day activities. Even Grandma- who comes over weekly for puzzle-time- would enjoy meeting our newest furry friend of the family.
Reviews
Karmen was always responsive with messages and answering any questions. She was wonderful at introducing dogs with each other to make for a positive experience for all. She also took my pup for exploration walks which made her a tired happy doggy! Highly recommend Karmen.
Ollie is a very lucky boy to have Karmen and her family as his extended "pack". Karmen is caring, careful, kind, attentive to the individual dogs in her care, intelligent, and trustworthy. She genuinely loves dogs, and I know when we drop Ollie off, he's with family. Thank you, Karmen for all you do.
Karmen was always in communication with me. She cleaned up any messes and was very loving with my dogs. She sent me videos that showed exactly her interaction with my dogs which was excellent. I’m very comfortable with her and will always have her as my first choice to take care of my babies. ❤️
Another lovely experience with Schaffer in Karmen and her family’s care! Second time booking and both times my dog comes home so relaxed and tired, can tell he gets lots of exercise. Highly recommend :)
About Karmen W.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I have a fully fenced yard. I keep a fairly tidy home and we all do our best not to leave things lying about that are unsafe for dogs. My dog is crate-trained and you are welcome to bring a crate for your dog as well to ensure he/she does not ingest something dangerous if we run to the store without the dogs. We are home 98% of the time, though. We don’t leave dogs unsupervised. Often I bring the dogs in the car with me if I run to pick up kids from school etc (quick stops where I am just acting as chauffeur). Afterall they love to travel as a pack! 😉 Although my dog is young - and playful - she is socially aware. She quickly picks up another dog’s vibe and will listen to them if they say “no” or “buzz off.” If I have a dog visiting that is a bit touchy, I am not opposed to putting a houseline on my dog Kona so that I can more easily rein her in (if necessary).
Home
Information Karmen W. would like to know about your pet
I would appreciate knowing how active your dog likes to be and also how well socialized he/she is. We do not have little people living with us permanently, but we do have lots of family (with small ones) who visit on occasion. So we would like to know how well your dog does with small children. I would also like to know how you discipline or train your dog and what ways you manage behaviour so that we can engage with your pet in a healthy way. I don’t want to confuse or “frustrate” your pet. I would also appreciate knowing if your dog has any tendencies to damage furniture, or eat non-food items, or dig. Persistent barking or howling could be a problem if I was boarding your dog because we sometimes have basement tenants. While I can accommodate many things I would prefer not to incur damages to our home or livelihood.
A typical day
I have plenty of energy to keep your dog stimulated mentally and physically. My sons are interested to help provide activity as well. We love to take dogs down to the sandbar by the airport tower where they can run and dig and sniff around. We can go for hikes out in the hills or if your dog doesn’t have that much energy we can take them for sniffing tours around Brock. There are plenty of scents to explore, I’m sure. Our yard is large enough that a small fetching-dog would be kept busy right in our own backyard. We used to enjoy creating “snifftacle courses” for our puggle and trying to teach him new tricks. I enjoy learning about dog training and psychology. I’ve been actively searching out learning since bringing home Kona. Some of my favourite trainers are Susan Garrett, the McCann Dog Training group, Victoria Stilwell, and Beckman. I have been informally learning from them through youtube. Kona and I are now (Jan-April 2023) attending actual classes through the Cactus K9 Club here in Kamloops (Rally Class). All the this is to say I am aware of best practices for managing doggy behaviour and want to help your doggo live his/her best life. ?
Services
Karmen can host
Karmen can watch in your home
Availability
I am a stay-at-home mom. One of my sons does school from home, so we are home most days. I can easily walk, board or do daycare for your dog. Kona and I hit the trails around Kamloops daily so your dog will get plenty of exercise and fresh air.
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About Karmen W.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I have a fully fenced yard. I keep a fairly tidy home and we all do our best not to leave things lying about that are unsafe for dogs. My dog is crate-trained and you are welcome to bring a crate for your dog as well to ensure he/she does not ingest something dangerous if we run to the store without the dogs. We are home 98% of the time, though. We don’t leave dogs unsupervised. Often I bring the dogs in the car with me if I run to pick up kids from school etc (quick stops where I am just acting as chauffeur). Afterall they love to travel as a pack! 😉 Although my dog is young - and playful - she is socially aware. She quickly picks up another dog’s vibe and will listen to them if they say “no” or “buzz off.” If I have a dog visiting that is a bit touchy, I am not opposed to putting a houseline on my dog Kona so that I can more easily rein her in (if necessary).
Home
Information Karmen W. would like to know about your pet
I would appreciate knowing how active your dog likes to be and also how well socialized he/she is. We do not have little people living with us permanently, but we do have lots of family (with small ones) who visit on occasion. So we would like to know how well your dog does with small children. I would also like to know how you discipline or train your dog and what ways you manage behaviour so that we can engage with your pet in a healthy way. I don’t want to confuse or “frustrate” your pet. I would also appreciate knowing if your dog has any tendencies to damage furniture, or eat non-food items, or dig. Persistent barking or howling could be a problem if I was boarding your dog because we sometimes have basement tenants. While I can accommodate many things I would prefer not to incur damages to our home or livelihood.
A typical day
I have plenty of energy to keep your dog stimulated mentally and physically. My sons are interested to help provide activity as well. We love to take dogs down to the sandbar by the airport tower where they can run and dig and sniff around. We can go for hikes out in the hills or if your dog doesn’t have that much energy we can take them for sniffing tours around Brock. There are plenty of scents to explore, I’m sure. Our yard is large enough that a small fetching-dog would be kept busy right in our own backyard. We used to enjoy creating “snifftacle courses” for our puggle and trying to teach him new tricks. I enjoy learning about dog training and psychology. I’ve been actively searching out learning since bringing home Kona. Some of my favourite trainers are Susan Garrett, the McCann Dog Training group, Victoria Stilwell, and Beckman. I have been informally learning from them through youtube. Kona and I are now (Jan-April 2023) attending actual classes through the Cactus K9 Club here in Kamloops (Rally Class). All the this is to say I am aware of best practices for managing doggy behaviour and want to help your doggo live his/her best life. ?
Location
Kamloops, BC
Pets
Karmen W.
Kamloops, BC