Hi, I’m Mel. I love shy/anxious dogs! I've specialized in positive methods care for shy/anxious, special needs, and elderly dogs since 2018. My passion and unique skills in caring for shy/anxious dogs began back in 2012, when I worked for a year at an animal rescue and learned how to build trust with scared pups in the shelter environment. Positive methods means that I go at your pet’s pace! I use careful observation of your pet’s body language, positive reinforcement like praise and treats, and gentleness, curiosity, and empathy about your pet’s experience in order to set your dog at ease and meet their needs. I’m skilled in caring for: Dogs with leash reactivity, who need to be carefully managed on walks Dogs with resource guarding behaviors, who need to be carefully managed around other pets or people Dogs with anxious or fearful behaviors Dogs with a history of trauma Pets with special medical needs I am also experienced in giving pills, providing oral medications using a syringe, providing insulin injections, and administering eye drops. I typically work closely with Aaron, my spouse of thirteen years, in caring for pets. Aaron brings curiosity and gentleness to his animal care and particularly enjoys helping dogs meet their exercise needs whether it’s going for a jog or just tossing the ball around. We are also happy to care for cats and other pets when booked with a dog sitting stay. --- Here are some highlights from our pet care over the years: FRED: Anxious & slow to warm up Meet Fred! Fred is selective about her new friends. When we first met Fred, she expressed lots of discomfort through shy and anxious body language (ears back, tail tucked, licking lips, hesitant to approach). Her dads were worried we’d be scared of her barking, but we understood Fred was just expressing big feelings. We went at Fred’s pace, offering lots of treats and relaxed presence, and letting Fred take the lead in our relationship. Now we can’t get Fred off the couch with us. If your dog is like Fred, they’re in good company. Fred is just one of our many clients who need slow, thoughtful introductions to new people! LUNA: Leash reactivity Meet Luna! Luna is absolutely head-over-heels with any person she meets, but she’s not a fan of other dogs. When Luna catches sight of another dog on leash, she barks, lunges, and pulls. This is because Luna is both overly excited and frustrated all at once! We support Luna getting the exercise she needs without the frustration through careful and proactive anticipation and redirection of possible triggers, using high value treats, distraction, and visual barriers to help Luna be her best self. If your dog is like Luna, they’re in good company. Luna is just one of our many clients who need a little extra attention when on leash! EVIE: Afraid of loud noises Meet Evie! Evie is a Plott Hound with a heart of gold — and a country girl who isn’t accustomed to city life and city noises. A loud motorcycle, thunder, or dump truck slamming a garbage can down one street away can really ruin Evie’s day — and when Evie is scared, she hides, shakes, and can even pull you all the way home on leash. We support Evie with gentleness and understanding, keeping an attentive eye out for possible triggers we can avoid when on walks and offering Evie a calm, loving presence when she’s scared. If your dog is like Evie, they’re in good company. Evie is just one of our several clients who are afraid of loud noises! KLAUS: Afraid of his leash Meet Klaus! Klaus is a sweet old man with one funny quirk: he loves walks but is afraid of his leash! We worked closely with Klaus’s mom to learn his routine and what worked for him so we could safely leash him for his very favorite thing while his parents were away. If your dog is quirky like Klaus, they’re in good company. Klaus is just one of our several clients with special quirks! RUBY: Resource Guarding Meet Ruby! Ruby is the dog who started it all and inspired us to offer our services specifically for shy/anxious, special needs, and elderly dogs. When we first met Ruby, she wasn’t terribly interested in touch and could be quite picky about who she allowed to pick her up, and when. So it was important for us to gain her trust as we needed to carry her down a flight of stairs in order to take her outside! Ruby also engaged in some resource guarding behaviors with her sister Puffy, particularly in regards to space and people. We worked closely with Ruby and Puffy’s mom to make sure we knew how to support them in coexisting peacefully, and how to safely separate them when needed. Last but not least: Ruby took a daily pill as well as liquid medication that we administered using a syringe to squirt it into her mouth. We made sure to keep Ruby’s mom up-to-date about how she was doing with lots of daily text updates and pictures! LIMA: History of trauma & limited touch tolerance Meet Lima! Lima’s loving mom rescued her from a shelter after Lima experienced confirmed extreme physical abuse. Lima’s history of trauma with people contributed to ongoing post-traumatic stress symptoms and fearful behaviors. Lima expressed lots of discomfort through shy and anxious body language (ears back, tail tucked, licking lips, hesitant to approach) as well as through more active warning signals (barking, growling, hackles raised, whale eye, and lifted lip). Most importantly — the only person who could touch Lima was her mom, and even Lima’s mom could only touch her very lightly and in certain areas. We worked closely with Lima’s mom to make sure that we were going at Lima’s pace using extremely slow introductions with lots of high value treats, gentle use of the leash, and absolutely letting Lima take the lead in letting us know what her boundaries were and what she was comfortable with. If your dog is like Lima, you’re not alone! We’re experienced in providing a high level of gentle patience, calm companionship, and careful attention to behavioral plans and the live data of your dog’s body language with us to make sure that your dog receives the love and attention they deserve even when their family is traveling without them. PANDA: Bite history Meet Panda! Panda came to us with a story: He had broken away from his mom while out on a walk and made a beeline to a stranger, who he then bit in the butt. As you can probably guess, Panda has big feelings about new people, and gets extra amped when he’s on leash. Panda’s mom was working with a positive methods trainer to help her better manage his fearful behaviors, and we stepped in to help with both Daytime and Overnight Care while Panda’s mom went on a trip! When we first met Panda, Panda expressed lots of discomfort through shy and anxious body language (ears back, tail tucked, licking lips, hesitant to approach) as well as through more active warning signals (barking, growling, hackles raised, whale eye, and lifted lip). We worked closely with Panda’s mom to make sure that we were going at Panda’s pace using extremely slow introductions with lots of high value treats — following their trainer’s guidelines — and absolutely letting Panda take the lead in letting us know what his boundaries were and what he was comfortable with. We also supported Panda on walks through careful and proactive anticipation and redirection of possible triggers, using high value treats, distraction, and visual barriers to help Panda be his best self.