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Raechel S.

Blacksburg, VA

4.5 out of 5 stars
15 reviews
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Cheerful Dog Trainer

Pet care experience

I’ve always connected well with animals, especially dogs. I’ve dog walked and watched others’ animals from a very young age. I was 22 when I decided to become a dog trainer. I was fortunate enough to attend one of the best programs in the country at Animal Behavior College, with a certificate in canine behavior therapy & a concentration in rehabilitating shelter dogs. I’m also qualified to train emotional support animals, which has been so rewarding. I chose this as a career path because of how much I genuinely love all living things. I can’t wait to meet your furry friends and give them the best care they could ask for! I own my own business, so I make my own schedule. I can tend to whatever schedule best suits the animals. I don’t have pets of my own, so that gives me even more flexibility. I always make sure I’m doing my best to care for animals, in any aspect of my life or career. I’m diligent in making sure their feeding, walking and play schedules are upheld promptly, and that their routines stay relatively in tact. This is one of the best things you can do to ease a pet’s anxiety about their owners being away. I work as a trainer, which means I’m happy to add on training sessions with your pet while they’re in my care, through my business if that’s something of interest. I’m very amenable to the specifications for each individual animal. Some dogs like to be given affection on the couch for a few minutes each day. Others might enjoy watching the birds in their yard for a while. I’m always happy to attune my care for each dog. When walking a dog, the quality of the walks are just as important as their frequency. Dogs require a certain level of mental stimulation each day, and ten minutes of sniffing is enough to satisfy most dog’s needs. They need the sniffing as much as the exercise. Your dog will be given ample time to sniff and “read the doggy newspaper”, as well as get some great exercise. I always make sure the animal has gotten everything that they need from the experience.

Reviews

Akblarb O.
House Sitting • Sep 15, 2023
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Raechel did an amazing job of watching our 2 dogs for an entire week. She sent us pics of our dogs and let us know how they were doing. Was super nice to come home to some relaxed dogs and know they were well taken care of.

Chris M.
House Sitting • May 12, 2023
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She is very friendly and took care of our doggies at our house while we were out of town.

Aaron L.
House Sitting • Mar 12, 2023
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We had little to no communication. I felt like I had to ask for photos and updates or else I wouldn’t have gotten any. She claims it was miscommunication but she could have texted me and anyone on the point of contact for explanation. She locked my cats in the bedroom, I called 9x and after she finally answered, I brought up what happened and said she was only going to be out for a couple hours?!?!?!! My cats take no longer than 30 minutes to eat and for them to be out for “a couple hours” is insane. Once I told her to grab her stuff and leave the keys, she came at 2:22am. Again, with morning feedings, they eat at 5:30am and I saw them on my ring doorbell leaving at 5:45am that she is declining happened. We also have an ant problem and on the care instructions, it specifically says “do not eat in rooms, we have ants” and yet we found a beautiful sticky lid on our night stand. She was messy, lack of time management, lack of communication and no care for pets. DO NOT BOOK. I wish I could leave 0 stars. My cats seem a bit distressed and have diarrhea. So

Sarah S.
House Sitting • Jan 14, 2023
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Rachel took great care of our dog for the weekend as well as our two cats. She made sure everyone was fed and cared for and we will use her again!

About Raechel S.

Communication

4 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in a few minutes
70% bookings with photo updates

Skills

10 years of experience
Oral medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Information Raechel S. would like to know about your pet

I’d love to know your dog’s name, age and what their favorite things are. What are their favorite treats, toys, spots they like to get scratches? Do they take any medications? I want to make sure that I adhere to their schedules as best as possible; so I will also need a feeding schedule, as well as an estimate of what times usual potty breaks occur. I work with dogs full time, so I’ll need to know if there are any aggression issues, how they walk on a leash, how well they behave around other dogs and people, as well as any other behaviors to take note of. Most of all just tell me how to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Every pet is special, and no detail is too small!

A typical day

Every dog is different, so my time spent with each dog would be spent best attuned to their needs. I love playing fetch and other enrichments games such as tug of war or “find it”. I’m happy to work on leadership exercises or loose leash walking skills. If the dog is eager and willing to learn, we can schedule some trick training as well. I love taking the dogs I’m watching on activities outside of the home such as to the park, dog beach or on a hike. I’m very active and I love having a furry friend to take with me on adventures.

Services

Drop-In Visits
visits in your home
AWAY

Raechel can watch in your home

Cats
0 to 15 lbs
16 to 40 lbs
41 to 100 lbs
over 101 lbs

About Raechel S.

Communication

4 repeat pet parents
100% response rate
Usually responds in a few minutes
70% bookings with photo updates

Skills

10 years of experience
Oral medication administration
First aid/CPR
Senior dog experience
Special needs dog experience
Can provide daily exercise

Information Raechel S. would like to know about your pet

I’d love to know your dog’s name, age and what their favorite things are. What are their favorite treats, toys, spots they like to get scratches? Do they take any medications? I want to make sure that I adhere to their schedules as best as possible; so I will also need a feeding schedule, as well as an estimate of what times usual potty breaks occur. I work with dogs full time, so I’ll need to know if there are any aggression issues, how they walk on a leash, how well they behave around other dogs and people, as well as any other behaviors to take note of. Most of all just tell me how to make them feel as comfortable as possible. Every pet is special, and no detail is too small!

A typical day

Every dog is different, so my time spent with each dog would be spent best attuned to their needs. I love playing fetch and other enrichments games such as tug of war or “find it”. I’m happy to work on leadership exercises or loose leash walking skills. If the dog is eager and willing to learn, we can schedule some trick training as well. I love taking the dogs I’m watching on activities outside of the home such as to the park, dog beach or on a hike. I’m very active and I love having a furry friend to take with me on adventures.

Location

Blacksburg, VA

Raechel S.'s Neighborhood
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Raechel S.

Blacksburg, VA

4.5 out of 5 stars
15 reviews