Mary S.
Toronto, ON
Services
Mary can host
Mary can care for
Availability
I work from home. Leica is a rescue dog, and my home is her "place." She stays with my partner when I am dog-sitting. I prefer to spend multiple days with the pups I care for because it allows us to form a genuine relationship, rather than something superficial. It can be stressful for animals when their owners disappear. I appreciate having the flexibility for at-home support since I have the freedom to work my own hours while supporting small businesses and the tech industry.
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About Mary S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
For my dog, she gets fed as soon as I wake up and then at 5 PM every day. The timing is important because she is restricted from food, and it stresses her out not knowing when to expect meals, so I maintain a consistent schedule. We walk twice a day for between 20 and 60 minutes each time. She has a couple of designated spots that are "hers only" because the Boston Terrier tends to bully the bigger dog (Leica), so we have established a few firm rules regarding the beds. Leica is uninterested in chewing many things. Her preference is for food items, and we take extra care to provide edible bones that are soft enough not to hurt her teeth. Additionally, I spend a considerable amount of time ensuring that the treats and food she receives do not harm her teeth or negatively impact her digestion. Since she has had pancreatitis, I also monitor the fat content of her treats and food closely. We engage in enrichment activities like hiding kibbles in towels, using puzzle toys, and teaching tricks. We have a few buttons that allow for communication, and we try various activities to keep the Border Collie’s mind engaged and the Beagle stimulated. For other dogs, I make an effort to learn from their parents about their favorite toys to figure out how to best play with them. If possible, I take them to an enclosed off-leash area to play chase, which helps gauge their comfort level with me and allows me to encourage their playful instincts. Building trust is essential. I also observe if they are ready to take treats from me, and I incorporate tricks to enhance our interactions. For pups that are more fearful, this provides valuable insight into their comfort zone and how much space they need. Beyond that, maintaining consistent feeding times, regular walks, and the type of play they enjoy will always form my foundation for care. For cats, I like to learn from the owner a bit about the cat's personality. Some cats may be affectionate one moment and then switch to distain and attacking the next, while others can be very cuddly. During housesitting, my goal is to ensure that the cat is happy with someone there to care for their food and general needs. If they want anything else, such as string toys or catnip play, I’m happy to provide that, given that the owners are okay with it.
Home
Location
Toronto, ON
Playfulness and trust first
Pet care experience
As most people on here, I'm one of those people who loves getting to know the non-verbal communication between humans and animals. They say so much with body language and their eyes, ears, tails and mouths. I think it's amazing. My goal is to get that light out of them. The light in their eyes. I want them to feel confident and protected. And, want them to know if they want fun, I'm in too. I have a 15 year old rescue Border-Collie Beagle mix with my partner. I helped her personality come out through trust, learning new things and building her confident in me so she could trust the world more too. I started working with her in 2021. Rosie is my partner's dog. She's 12. She used to be reactive. I was able to build her confidence. She did have a lot of stuggles and works a lot together. Now she isn't reactive. She has many eye drops and arthristis things to deal with. Our focus with her is to keep her experiences hapoy and diverse. In September 2023 to April 2024 I was helping out a professional dog walker. We did pack integration, reactive or skiddish dog integration and confidence building work. And we did fun dog park runs. I worked with him with his clients dogs, and I also had him teach me specific fearful dog training by working with my mother's dog who would cowar and bark exsessively at anyone that wasn't her parents. She is now confident off-leash woth my dogs and listens to come commands. She is also able to go to the dog park and run her zoomies. Something she didn't have the confidence to do before especially with non-mommy and daddy around. Lastly, my ex and I had a Toy Australian Shephard together. I helped for the first few months on puppy care once every 3 weeks for a week. (We were in different countries). And then I was with her all daytime by myself for 4-5 months straight. We did crate training, poaitive reinforcement, and so many games, tricks, and learnjng to keep that mind going. Positive reinforcement is my go-to. It isn't helpful with all dogs however. My positibe reinforcement is my starting point because it can built trust with enjoy fastest.
Cat care experience
Mary also cares for cats. Learn about their cat-specific care experience.
Reviews
Mary Elizabeth has taken care of our 2 chihuahuas (Ayden and Abby) twice now and each time I’ve always felt confident our babies (and home) were in great hands. Abby can be quite fearful and closed off but Mary Elizabeth has a real gift for reading energy and was able to connect with Abby quickly, on her own terms, and that alone means the world to Abby and us! Thank you Mary Elizabeth for your unique and connective care (all round). We are grateful to have you on our team!💗
It's so easy having Mary Elizabeth to look after our two girls - she knows them so well now! She pays attention to the idiosyncrasies they have and makes sure they are happy 100% of the time. She sends us photos each day (we love that) and keeps us up to date while we are away. We would recommend Mary Elizabeth to anyone looking for a high quality dog sitter, she is fabulous.
Mary Elizabeth was a great dog sitter to our two dogs. She took care of all of their needs and gave us the peace of mind to enjoy our vacation. Thank you Mary Elizabeth.
We are grateful we can leave our girls in Mary Elizabeth's safe hands every time we go away, knowing they will be totally cared for in the manner to which they are accustomed!
About Mary S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
For my dog, she gets fed as soon as I wake up and then at 5 PM every day. The timing is important because she is restricted from food, and it stresses her out not knowing when to expect meals, so I maintain a consistent schedule. We walk twice a day for between 20 and 60 minutes each time. She has a couple of designated spots that are "hers only" because the Boston Terrier tends to bully the bigger dog (Leica), so we have established a few firm rules regarding the beds. Leica is uninterested in chewing many things. Her preference is for food items, and we take extra care to provide edible bones that are soft enough not to hurt her teeth. Additionally, I spend a considerable amount of time ensuring that the treats and food she receives do not harm her teeth or negatively impact her digestion. Since she has had pancreatitis, I also monitor the fat content of her treats and food closely. We engage in enrichment activities like hiding kibbles in towels, using puzzle toys, and teaching tricks. We have a few buttons that allow for communication, and we try various activities to keep the Border Collie’s mind engaged and the Beagle stimulated. For other dogs, I make an effort to learn from their parents about their favorite toys to figure out how to best play with them. If possible, I take them to an enclosed off-leash area to play chase, which helps gauge their comfort level with me and allows me to encourage their playful instincts. Building trust is essential. I also observe if they are ready to take treats from me, and I incorporate tricks to enhance our interactions. For pups that are more fearful, this provides valuable insight into their comfort zone and how much space they need. Beyond that, maintaining consistent feeding times, regular walks, and the type of play they enjoy will always form my foundation for care. For cats, I like to learn from the owner a bit about the cat's personality. Some cats may be affectionate one moment and then switch to distain and attacking the next, while others can be very cuddly. During housesitting, my goal is to ensure that the cat is happy with someone there to care for their food and general needs. If they want anything else, such as string toys or catnip play, I’m happy to provide that, given that the owners are okay with it.
Home
Mary S.
Toronto, ON