Katie B.
Proton Station, ON
Flesherton Farmhouse Dog-Sitting
Pet care experience
My husband and I own a beautiful 100-acre farm in Grey Highlands, 40-minutes from Arthur, and about a 60-minute commute from the GTA. Both of us are avid animal lovers, who are 'addicted' to rescuing. We are a foster family for Sato Saved Dog Rescue out of Brantford, ON and occasionally have foster dogs in our care. Dog-Sitting History... - Worked at Countryside Boarding & Grooming for three years - I have been dogsitting family and friend's dogs since 2013 - Both of us have a combined 16-years experience with dogs A Little About Us... - My husband is a Heavy-Equipment Mechanic out of the GTA - I am a Graphic Designer who works from home full-time - We have a pack of seven rescue dogs - We have six dog-savvy indoor/outdoor cats - Our property is partially fenced (not ideal for flight risk dogs) - We have two large ponds on the property - Lots of space for dogs to run around and play
Reviews
Thus was Luna's second boarding stay. All went well... lotsa fun dog time for her, and relaxing human time for me knowing she is in good care.
Katie is a great pack leader. Tuple had a great time and is happily exhausted. I love that Katie sends updates both videos and photos. I feel confident in the care that she provides my fur baby.
After a preliminary canine meet-and-greet followed by a day visit... which are useful preliminaries... I felt ready to leave Luna for 5 nights while I was away. I was confident leaving her in Katie's care, which sure helps your enjoy your trip :-) and I received many photo and video updates. In addition to being good quality boarding, I believe that the change of pace, new sensory inputs, and being part of pack are all great bonuses which are a good counterpoint to Luna's regular "only child" life. I would certainly call on Katie again for boarding or daycare!
I'm so pleased Luna has a pack to hang out with. And I have confidence leaving her in Katie's care; she clearly cares deeply for, and has control of, her pack. And the strongest canine intuition of anyone I've met.
About Katie B.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
*Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate any un-fixed dogs (male & female) over the age of 6-months - No Acceptions* Meet-and-Greets... Before a new dog comes into our care, we request that we do one to two meet-and-greets. This gives us the chance to meet you and your dog and see the chemistry / energy with our pack. This also gives you a chance to see our home, property, and meet our dogs. Incidents & Accidents... We believe in 100% transparency when we have dogs in our care. We never want anything to happen when your dog(s) are in our care, but, we always say they are children with teeth. Disagreements can happen, but we do our best to avoid any of that behaviour. When your dog(s) are here, we will give you day-to-day updates; whether it be on their eating habits, bowel movements, upset stomachs, accidents in the house, and even scratches and cuts. We want you to have absolute trust in us, while your dog(s) are with us. Outdoor Safety... For the most part, when dogs are a part of a pack they stick together. However, this isn't always the case should a dog like to wonder OR not have the best recall. In these situations, we like to leash the dog until they gain our trust - we use a long lead, and as they continue their stay here we work on using the leash less and less. We have had a lot of success with this, but each dog is different and we treat them as such! Home Environment... - Dogs sleep in our mudroom at the back of our house* - Small crates can be accomodated, but they are not necessary - We have lots of blankets & beds in the mudroom - Dogs are permitted on our furniture on the main floor (couches) - The mudroom acts as a 'holding area' when they are muddy or wet *Dogs are thoroughly tested in our mudroom prior to bedtime, to make sure that there are no issues, toys are removed at bedtime as well. Typically, the dogs are so tired at the end of the day that bedtime goes off without a hitch. Cleaning Routine... We take great pride in our home, and cleanliness is very important not only for ourselves but for our animals' well-being as well. I use Nature's Miracle Stain & Odour Remover + Vinegar and Water to clean floors and walls. This is done frequently as I have a little OCD regarding the cleanliness of the home. This is done both during dog visits and after each dog visit.
Home
Information Katie B. would like to know about your pet
- Dogs must be non-aggressive, but willing to work with the dog if discussed beforehand - Dogs must be cat-savvy (willing to test) - Dogs must be OK with baby gates and barriers and should respect them - Dogs must be spayed/neutered (if over six months of age) - Allergies - Any preferences you may have about your dog(s) - If there is a history of separation anxiety - Do you practice boundaries at your home currently - Have they been boarded before (kennel or in-home setting)
A typical day
- Off-leash hikes are available if dogs have a good recall - Leashed walks can be accommodated - Lots of cuddling & naps - Swimming in the ponds - Toys & fetch are only introduced after we know there are no reactive behaviour - Lots of outside time (weather permitting)
Services
Katie can host
Availability
Routine... - First potty time is 4:00 am when my husband leaves for work (this is optional) - Second potty time is between 7:30 am and 8:00 am, and they are let out for an hour - Lunchtime potty is around 12:00 pm, and they are let out for an hour - Dinner time is between 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm - Bedtime potty is between 11:00 pm - 12:00 am *Throughout the day, the dogs are let out as they want, with many short breaks throughout the day. Outside duration is also determined by weather, if it's really gross out - the time will be shortened.
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About Katie B.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
*Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate any un-fixed dogs (male & female) over the age of 6-months - No Acceptions* Meet-and-Greets... Before a new dog comes into our care, we request that we do one to two meet-and-greets. This gives us the chance to meet you and your dog and see the chemistry / energy with our pack. This also gives you a chance to see our home, property, and meet our dogs. Incidents & Accidents... We believe in 100% transparency when we have dogs in our care. We never want anything to happen when your dog(s) are in our care, but, we always say they are children with teeth. Disagreements can happen, but we do our best to avoid any of that behaviour. When your dog(s) are here, we will give you day-to-day updates; whether it be on their eating habits, bowel movements, upset stomachs, accidents in the house, and even scratches and cuts. We want you to have absolute trust in us, while your dog(s) are with us. Outdoor Safety... For the most part, when dogs are a part of a pack they stick together. However, this isn't always the case should a dog like to wonder OR not have the best recall. In these situations, we like to leash the dog until they gain our trust - we use a long lead, and as they continue their stay here we work on using the leash less and less. We have had a lot of success with this, but each dog is different and we treat them as such! Home Environment... - Dogs sleep in our mudroom at the back of our house* - Small crates can be accomodated, but they are not necessary - We have lots of blankets & beds in the mudroom - Dogs are permitted on our furniture on the main floor (couches) - The mudroom acts as a 'holding area' when they are muddy or wet *Dogs are thoroughly tested in our mudroom prior to bedtime, to make sure that there are no issues, toys are removed at bedtime as well. Typically, the dogs are so tired at the end of the day that bedtime goes off without a hitch. Cleaning Routine... We take great pride in our home, and cleanliness is very important not only for ourselves but for our animals' well-being as well. I use Nature's Miracle Stain & Odour Remover + Vinegar and Water to clean floors and walls. This is done frequently as I have a little OCD regarding the cleanliness of the home. This is done both during dog visits and after each dog visit.
Home
Information Katie B. would like to know about your pet
- Dogs must be non-aggressive, but willing to work with the dog if discussed beforehand - Dogs must be cat-savvy (willing to test) - Dogs must be OK with baby gates and barriers and should respect them - Dogs must be spayed/neutered (if over six months of age) - Allergies - Any preferences you may have about your dog(s) - If there is a history of separation anxiety - Do you practice boundaries at your home currently - Have they been boarded before (kennel or in-home setting)
A typical day
- Off-leash hikes are available if dogs have a good recall - Leashed walks can be accommodated - Lots of cuddling & naps - Swimming in the ponds - Toys & fetch are only introduced after we know there are no reactive behaviour - Lots of outside time (weather permitting)
Location
Proton Station, ON
Pets
Katie B.
Proton Station, ON