EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW : ABOUT ME: I love animals, always have! I am a certified Dog Trainer through Animal Behavior College and I have walked and trained dogs professionally in the Montclair NJ area for 4 years and have now moved my services to Maine! Outside of this I have owned my own dog for 8+ years and have cared for multiple animals such as dogs, horses, cats etc. throughout my whole life. I'm a born Mainer but I've moved around quite a lot in my young adult life and have gained a lot of experience working with people and their dogs in all those places. I'm also a professional oil painter and love do Pet Portrait commissions! DOG WALKING: My routine consists of taking dogs for 45min on either neighborhood/park walks or forest hikes, depending on what's nearby your home. I offer individual walks/hikes and mini-pack hikes. I love bringing the dogs to the woods for hikes whenever possible, they absolutely love it and so do I! The woods is where dogs loosen up and received mental and physical stimulation and it gives them some peace throughout the rest of the day/night. I have an SUV for transporting multiple dogs to the trails and I also have a middle aged, well trained, female border collie, Alpine, who almost always tags along with my walks and is used to meeting new dogs. If her presence would be a problem for your particular dog please let me know. Have a shy, insecure dog? Pack hikes in the woods are extremely healthy and therapeutic for shy, timid dogs. If your dog is non-aggressive but has been nervous around other dogs or people and you'd like them to become more social and confident, nothing brings a dog out of their shell and restores that confidence than taking them out into the woods with a small pack of dogs (or maybe even just one other) on a regular basis. It's like magic! They get to socialize in a situation where all the dogs are sniffing and roaming and doing their own thing, including your dog, so it's not overwhelming, but they're still all together and gradually becoming pack-buddies before they know it! I have many very happy, repeat clients from when I was walking dogs in NJ. They were sad to see me go and I was sad to leave my doggie friends there but I'm sure I'll fall in love with many new ones here! I still keep in touch with my old clients and check in on "my" dogs once in a while. I believe in clear, honest, positive communication with both my clients and the dogs I work with and I'm sure their testimonials will reassure you that I'll be a good friend to your dog and you! BASIC ROUTINE/ RULES/ EXPECTATIONS: A Meet n' Greet is required at your home prior to accepting you and your dog as a client. Meet n' Greets are free in Gray/New Gloucester areas. A $10 fee is required for any other towns outside this area but within 15min driving distance. Beyond that, a $20 fee is required. We will spend up to an hour getting to know each other, getting to know your dog and getting them familiar with me. We will go over the routines/rules/concerns and I will end the meeting by taking your dog out alone on a short walk around the block to see how they respond to me. I've had many shy dogs that were nervous at first leaving their home/owners to go alone with me, a stranger. If they're nervous like this, I may ask you to work with me to help make them more comfortable. But soon, I promise, every one of these dogs will see me as their best friend and learn to adore our walks! Once they understand WHY I'm there, after a few visits/walks they will loosen up and become ECSTATIC whenever the see me! Before I leave, I will have you sign a waiver and we will discuss scheduling/walking options. I will drive up to 12 miles from my home in Gray, ME. HOWEVER, if I have multiple clients requesting walks all in the same area but it's a little further, I will happily travel that far and spend part of my day walking dogs in that area so please make sure to inquire with me if you think your too far! Maybe someone else has asked for the same thing and it'll work out! To make it easier, I would greatly appreciate that you find out how far away you are located from Gray before reaching out to me but again, please feel free to ask me if anyone else has already requested walks in your area as mentioned above. I have a very trustworthy reputation, as I've been going into client's homes for 4 years to pick-up/drop-off dogs for their walks and I make sure to care for each dog and home as instructed and as if they were my own. Often owners will just give me a spare key to let myself in and out while they're at work. I strive to stick to a good, strong schedule but require 1hr wiggle room around scheduled time frames just in case. With animals, walking, weather and traffic, sometimes there are delays! For the safety of your dog and everyone involved, I ask you be upfront and honest with me during our "meet n' greet." It's very important that you are able to tell me about your dog's behavior with strange people, strange dogs, car rides, their prey drive and anything else you can think of. My old routine was to travel between homes picking up dog, loading them all into the car together and taking them to the woods for a 45min hike, then bring them all home in the same fashion. I takes things slowly, adding one dog at a time (unless they already know each other) and getting them used to the routines and each other gradually but it's still nice to know their history and personality accurately. Often we will run into strangers and strange, off-leash dogs in the woods and wildlife and I need to know how well your dog can handle this. If this process isn't a good fit for your dog, neighborhood walks might be the answer. I only allow extremely well trained dogs off-leash in the woods at the owners request and only once I've gotten to know and trust the dog, otherwise they will remain on leash. The maximum amount of dogs I'll bring on a hike at once is 4, including my own dog (so 3 client dogs) and they have to be easily managed dogs but often it's even less than 4. That way your dog can make some friends but not be overwhelmed with too large a pack. I used to take up to 6 dogs for popular, large pack hikes but I've found a lot of people prefer the smaller groups for their less confident, less rambunctious dogs and so I aim to cater to these dogs as mini-pack walk services are harder to come by and your dog deserves to make friends while not being overwhelmed. I bring treats with me so if your dog has sensitivities to certain foods, let me know! If you have a very strong, rambunctious, energetic dog that is difficult to walk and becomes too rowdy with me or with other dogs, I may not take them on walks, but I may still come to your home to let them out, visit and play with them in your fenced in yard instead depending on your location and my current route for the day. We can discuss these options further if the walks don't work out. Maine has an abundance of dog-friendly hiking trails but often spread far apart. If you know of any less than 10mins of your home that you would like me to take your dog on, let me know! Otherwise I may stick to neighborhoods, parks and certain areas before I discover the nearby trails, if there are any. My hope is to find clients who would like to become regulars and set up a weekly routine with me so I can best coordinate my individual walks and then pack hikes with dogs relatively in the same area who are well suited for each other. If you are interested in the pack hikes but are the only client I have in that area, I may only be able to offer you individual walks until I can get more clients closer to you. All dogs must have up-to-date vaccines, collars with ID, and proper gear (collar, leash, harness etc.) No choke, prong or shock collars allowed. Gentle leaders are permitted and encouraged if your dog pulls very hard. Leaving me Potty Bags for your dog is appreciated!! And if your dog likes certain treats I encourage owners to leave some for me to reward your dog with on our walks. DOG SITTING/ POTTY BREAKS: I do occasionally offer dog sitting and over-night stays at my house for 1 dog at a time (unless you have two very easy keepers). This service is situational and only occasionally if I have a clear schedule and know your dog well already. I do not take on new dogs for sitting at my house and I don't offer house sitting. If your dog doesn't need a walk but just needs a potty break, I will still require a "Meet 'n Greet." I will offer potty breaks to dogs in the Gray/New Gloucester area only UNLESS your location happens to work with my walking route for that day. WEATHER: SUN-RAIN-SNOW- We do it all! The only exceptions are the obvious, if it's too hot, too cold, too windy, too stormy etc. I will even walk dogs in a down poor, as long as the wind isn't too aggressive that it make the woods unsafe for falling branches/trees. The dogs don't mind rain much and neither do I! If it's very hot or cold I will have to determine what we can do safely, even if that just means a potty break and quick visit. Here in Maine you know that it's sometimes just too cold to do anything, even bundled up! But if you have any weather equipment for your dog such as vests/sweaters/booties etc. I'm happy to put them on your dog before I take them out. Snow storms and severe rain may cause cancellations if roads are bad. HUNTING SEASON is something else to consider here in Maine on the trails. Depending on the trails we use we may avoid them during this season or I may ask you provide florescent orange bandanas/vests for your dogs. DogNotGone is a great brand that has florescent vest that are also tick repellent infused! ABOUT MY DOG, ALPINE: As previously mentioned, I bring Alpine on almost every walk/hike I do so here's a little about her: Alpine is a super dog and I love her immensely! Everyone does once they get to know her. She's a low energy border collie and incredibly smart and knows many tricks! She's super well trained and listens great and is very trustworthy off-leash. Alpine is a rescue, we got her at a year old from a shelter when we lived in New Orleans. She's come a long way since then and is now a Northern dog! Alpine has been my walking/hiking partner for many years. She came with me on all my neighborhood/park walks and forest hikes when I walked dogs in New Jersey. She's met many new dogs and has made many friends in the past. She's pretty good with strange dogs but due to being improperly socialized as a puppy she can sometimes be a little insecure and likes her personal space and will tell a new dog that. She can be a little snappy if they get in her face or too excited next to her but once she gets acquainted with them she becomes very playful and pleasant, especially after a walk, that usually warms her seemingly snobby heart! I call her the Nanny Dog who is quick to make rowdy children behave! For younger dogs she can be good fit because they sometimes need that social discipline. Walking with other dogs is just as good for Alpine as it is for any dog because it brings her confidence out and teaches her how to socialize with other dogs (which never came naturally to her) and it desensitizes her. She used to be very nervous and a little reactive and walking with other dogs in the woods did wonders for her, like it has for many of the timid dogs I've taken out. There she could go off-leash and do her own thing but then still come back and socialize when she wanted to, which increased more and more over time. The only thing I can't stop her from doing is barking in the car when I leave her alone (she used to have bad separation anxiety from me but she's SO much better now but she still barks when I leave her in the driveway). But she greets dogs well once they're in the car and usually sits up front anyways. Alpine is practically a perfect dog otherwise and will quickly become one of your dog's best friends! If you have any questions please reach out and I hope to meet you and your dog soon! Thank you!