My partner and I have been providing dog boarding services for the past 5 years. We are dog lovers and want to provide a home from home for your pet while you are away. We like to say that your pets deserve a holiday as well and that’s the experience we try to achieve. We have experience with puppies and all types of dogs, see our photo gallery for some of the dogs we have cared for. We have a 40+ meter long secure fenced garden and will provide your pets with all the loving home comforts they deserve. We aim to provide the best personal care for each of your pets individually and we will send owners (or as we like to call them; parents) regular updates and pictures through Rover. Your pets safety and your peace of mind will always be our priority. We have many regular returning customers and lots of word of mouth recommendations so it is advised to book early as we get very busy especially during school holidays. For dog drop ins and walking - please message us with enquires. Worried Dog Parents or Worried Dog? I was encouraged to write this article to help dog owners try to understand the feelings both they and their pets can have when searching for a dog sitter. Firstly, I’ll break it down into two separate parts as, although they may seem similar, are very different issues. Parent Anxiety We often get approached by potential customers who are experiencing fear, stress, anxiety and worry about leaving their much loved pooch with a stranger for a period of time. This is normal and as a dog owner ourselves, have also gone through the stress of worrying about who will care for our amazing, beautiful baby, Pepsi while we are away. These feelings stem from the love and adoration we have for our furry friends. As parents, we are protective, loving and worry about our little pooches just like we would a child. So it’s only natural that we may feel worried about leaving them with someone we don’t know. As experienced pet sitters and dog lovers we will always do our best to reassure parents about the level of love your dog will receive whilst in our care. I often use the following phrases and feel they truly are an honest expression of what we try to achieve with every dog visitor we have; Your dogs deserve a holiday as well - we try to make your pets stay a fun filled stay. Lots of human love and doggie interactions. Regular walks and mental stimulation. A home from home - we want your pets to feel at home, loved and cared for just like they are at home. Our priority will always be the dogs safety and your peace of mind - we understand that both pets and parents sometimes need reassuring when it comes to booking a visit and during any stay. Caring for your dog is one part of our job, reassuring parents is another. We will send parents regular updates, pictures and even videos, if requested, of their pets during the stay. We do this so that parents can see their much loved dog enjoying themselves and to help relieve any concerns parents may have. As we grow our profile on Rover we hope to gain more and more reviews. Not only does this help us build and improve our profile but much more importantly it helps future customers read honest feedback about our services. Going forward this is one of our aims as we hope it will help settle some of the concerns future parents may have. At present we have a Dog Boarding Facebook group with more than 600 members. We have found this group a great help for our customers to share their experiences with us, it also allows new customers to see what other parents think of our service and we hope to do the same via Rover. So please, could we kindly ask that a review is always left when booking on Rover. We appreciate it and so will others. Meet and greets or home visits are a great way for parents to get a feeling for the sitters and environment their dog will be staying in. We would encourage any concerned parent to request for a prior meet as another way of reassuring yourself that you’ve chosen the right person to care for your pet. We would always encourage meet and greets or home visits prior to any stay, especially for first bookings and concerned parents. Lastly, we always aim to build trust with our parents and dogs alike, this is often done with good communication. If you require anything from us that would help settle your concerns or lower your level of worry we simply ask you to let us know. We are doggie parents as well and want you to enjoy the experience also. _______________________________________________________________ Dog Anxiety Our second most common concern is; my dog is a little nervous around other dogs or my dog takes a little time getting used to others. There are many different levels and types of dog anxiety. Just like in humans, it can cause great stress in a dog or merely cause a small level of anxiousness. I always remind myself how I feel in certain situations and dogs are often no different to us. If I’m going somewhere new, with people I’ve never met then I can also experience a small amount of trepidation and worry about what’s going to happen. Dogs are often the same. However, the more we are placed in these situations the better we learn to deal with them. It’s also important to try to do this from a young age as the younger we are introduced to things the easier we find dealing with them later on. Dogs and parents build tremendous bonds with each other. Dogs trust and love their parents and feel safe and secure when they are by their side. When you introduce a new environment, new dogs and new people into a setting it is natural for a dog to feel a little inquisitive about their new surroundings. Different dogs deal with changes differently. We all wish our pets to be that type to walk in anywhere and be confident and playful from the get-go but it’s not always the case. There are a number of reasons why dogs may become anxious; 1. Social anxiety - They lack regular doggie interaction or are experiencing something new. 2. They have had a bad experience before and have not rebuilt their confidence. Sometimes this can occur if your dog has previously been attacked or harmed by a person or dog and they are wary of the situation. 3. Age anxiety - this can occur in older dogs for a variety of reasons. 4. Separation Anxiety - This occurs when dogs are left alone and away from their parents. There are also different levels of anxiety from mild to severe. All dogs we’ve cared for that have shown some levels of anxiety have shown either mild or moderate signs of anxiety. In my experience, all dogs we have cared for are anxious due to the lack of regular doggie interaction or due to experiencing something new. Most dogs overcome their anxiousness within the first few hours of their stay. All have overcome it within 12 hours. As pet sitters and dog lovers, it’s why we promise to closely monitor your pets behaviour, especially when they first arrive. This will help them settle in quickly as they build confidence in our home and their new surroundings. As soon as they arrive we aim to work on building trust and confidence in every visitor we have. The result of this can often be seen by how quickly even the most anxious visitors settle in. As experienced dog sitters we not only recognise dog anxiety immediately but also have experience with how best to deal with it. Our actions will differ depending on the level of anxiety and the behaviour your dog is displaying. We’ve had many experiences where parents have told us that their dog is nervous around other dogs. Within a few hours they’ve been playing, chasing and having a great time with other dogs. We’ve had many occasions when parents have been amazed by their dogs behaviour. Some have even said they can’t believe what they are seeing. Others have commented that they could see improvements to them even once they’ve returned home. I hope you found this article useful in some way and that it helps you find the best dog sitter for you and your dog. Of course, we also hope to see both you and your dogs next time you are looking for someone to care for your pet. My partner, Renata and I work together to ensure your pets stay is an enjoyable one. Our much loved pet Pepsi is also incredible when is it comes to welcoming our guests. Your dogs safety and parents peace of mind will always be our priority. We open our home to all visitors and try our best to make it welcoming, warm and homely.