Samantha H.
South Saint Paul, MN
Samantha H. has Star Sitter status
The Star Sitter program highlights responsive sitters who deliver highly rated care and have a history of listing accurate availability and preferences, making it easier for pet parents to find the best care for their pets.
Home Full-Time with Fenced Yard
Pet care experience
Hi, I'm Sam! My husband, Nick, and I have been working with people and their companions since 2016. We began in Saint Cloud, MN where Nick attended college, took a break while transitioning to life in Burnsville, and have now firmly planted our roots in South Saint Paul with the purchase of our house in 2020! We are very excited to build new relationships here and hope to provide peace of mind while your companion is in our care. I do petcare full time and Nick is currently working from home so dogs in our care are very rarely left completely alone. Our current crew consists of 2 dogs (Pinto, 11, and Bella, 2) as well as our precious kitty Midnight (11.) I have had cats and dogs (as well as mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, assorted amphibians, fish, etc) for the entirety of my life and thoroughly enjoy caring for them. In addition to walks, cuddles, and play time, we will also be able to send photo and video updates so you can rest assured your pup is having a great time! Please note: I can only accept dogs into my home who are familiar with cats and ignore them. If you’re unsure how your dog will react to cats, my home may not be the best fit. My cat is nearly 12, doesn’t defend herself, and has been chased too many times. If you're interested in a meet and greet or have any questions, please feel free to send me a message and I will be sure to reply right away. Thank you!
Reviews
Samantha is great with dogs. I trust her completely to take care of Gus. It’s evident that she understands and respects them.
Samantha is Consistently excellent!!
Samantha has been my weekly dog walker for almost 2 years now. Every week, 4 days a week, she's there with him. Samantha is AMAZING with my dog. My dog isn't the easiest dog there is, he has reactivity issues, nervous, anxious, and very routine oriented. Samantha took the time to get to know my dog, to not force him, and now, he looks forward to her coming every day (granted she gives him a special treat, so that could be why). I went on my first vacation since adopting my dog 4 years ago, and Samantha and the friend who stayed with him really worked hard to make sure Parker stayed comfortable and kept his routines. She gave me great updates while I was in Hawaii, and sent me tons of cute pictures ❤️ definitely will keep Samantha around as long as possible 🙂❤️
Samantha is a fantastic caregiver! I’ve had her come to care for my cat, Jack, for more than a year. She is consistent, loving, and dedicated. I highly recommend Samantha for outstanding pet care!
About Samantha H.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I feed all the dogs twice daily and use gates/crates/bedrooms to separate for the feedings. I ask that you don’t bring your dog’s toys from home because that will be new and exciting to my dogs which can cause resource guarding. However, I’ve found my dogs don’t really mind sharing their “old and boring” toys. I supervise closely when toys are down and separate and/or remove toys if I’m unable to supervise. I have an assortment of Super Chewer and Kong toys as well as durable chews such as: deer antlers, elk antlers, and water buffalo horns. *If your pup has multiple accidents or marks inside, I will use doggy diapers/male belly wraps as necessary.
Home
Information Samantha H. would like to know about your pet
Prior to booking your companion with us please let us know about any: -aggression/resource guarding -anxiety -medications I do my best to mitigate reactivity triggers by feeding all dogs separately and only allowing toys while supervised. Please let me know if your dog is leash/barrier reactive, afraid of thunderstorms, resource guards something unusual (like water, furniture, people, their kennel etc.) We can work with most issues as long as we're made aware of them prior to the booking so we know what we may need to modify in our own routine/behavior to work best with your dog. We do not discriminate based on breeds- all are welcome!
A typical day
My backyard is fully enclosed with a 6ft fence and my front porch is gated. If a dog runs out of either exterior doors they are still safely contained! I have two gates inside: one for the master bedroom and one to keep dogs from going upstairs. This keeps the dogs off the carpet while they’re settling in (sometimes accidents happen when they’re adjusting and that’s okay!) Once they’re comfortable in the new environment, I open the gates and give access to the whole house. We love hearing the thunderous pitter patter of zoomies up and down the stairs! Then I just use the gates to separate everyone for feedings so there’s no fighting or food theft. If we are hosting more dogs than we have gates, I also have 2 kennels I can use to separate as well as 2 additional bedrooms/2 bathrooms I can use if needed. I feed guest dogs at the same time as I feed my dogs: once in the morning and once in the evening. My senior has IBD and often refuses food so I’ve gotten really good at getting picky eaters to eat. Some tricks include sprinkling freeze dried beef liver over the food, adding low sodium bone broth, or occasionally some plain rice. If I have trouble getting your pup to eat I’ll message you to discuss how you would prefer I handle it. We often have anxious pups so I have CBD oil for pets and an Adaptil pheromone diffuser. The diffuser will always be running, but I’ll message you to ask if I can administer the CBD oil if I think it might help a particularly anxious dog. I have also been working on making the furniture in our home more accessible to injured and/or small dogs. There is a ramp at the foot of our bed and doggy stairs to get on living room furniture. For additional fun, I have assorted dog puzzle toys and treat dispensing toys I set up to let them exert some mental energy. I also have a flirt pole for the really energetic dogs (mine go NUTS for it! Best toy I’ve ever purchased!) The backyard also has a jolly pets 10” ball to push around and chase as well as a Tumbo Solo Slinger for solo rope tug play! Over time I’m looking at converting the backyard into a mini dog park with a sandbox, puppy pool/splash pad, and a lure chasing course so stay tuned for more updates!
Services
Samantha can host
Samantha can watch in your home
Availability
I do petcare on Rover 24/7 so the only time I’m away from home while your dog is with me is if I’m stopping by to check on someone else’s dog (or cat.) My husband is currently working from home full time as well so even if I’m away, the dogs are never alone!
About Samantha H.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I feed all the dogs twice daily and use gates/crates/bedrooms to separate for the feedings. I ask that you don’t bring your dog’s toys from home because that will be new and exciting to my dogs which can cause resource guarding. However, I’ve found my dogs don’t really mind sharing their “old and boring” toys. I supervise closely when toys are down and separate and/or remove toys if I’m unable to supervise. I have an assortment of Super Chewer and Kong toys as well as durable chews such as: deer antlers, elk antlers, and water buffalo horns. *If your pup has multiple accidents or marks inside, I will use doggy diapers/male belly wraps as necessary.
Home
Information Samantha H. would like to know about your pet
Prior to booking your companion with us please let us know about any: -aggression/resource guarding -anxiety -medications I do my best to mitigate reactivity triggers by feeding all dogs separately and only allowing toys while supervised. Please let me know if your dog is leash/barrier reactive, afraid of thunderstorms, resource guards something unusual (like water, furniture, people, their kennel etc.) We can work with most issues as long as we're made aware of them prior to the booking so we know what we may need to modify in our own routine/behavior to work best with your dog. We do not discriminate based on breeds- all are welcome!
A typical day
My backyard is fully enclosed with a 6ft fence and my front porch is gated. If a dog runs out of either exterior doors they are still safely contained! I have two gates inside: one for the master bedroom and one to keep dogs from going upstairs. This keeps the dogs off the carpet while they’re settling in (sometimes accidents happen when they’re adjusting and that’s okay!) Once they’re comfortable in the new environment, I open the gates and give access to the whole house. We love hearing the thunderous pitter patter of zoomies up and down the stairs! Then I just use the gates to separate everyone for feedings so there’s no fighting or food theft. If we are hosting more dogs than we have gates, I also have 2 kennels I can use to separate as well as 2 additional bedrooms/2 bathrooms I can use if needed. I feed guest dogs at the same time as I feed my dogs: once in the morning and once in the evening. My senior has IBD and often refuses food so I’ve gotten really good at getting picky eaters to eat. Some tricks include sprinkling freeze dried beef liver over the food, adding low sodium bone broth, or occasionally some plain rice. If I have trouble getting your pup to eat I’ll message you to discuss how you would prefer I handle it. We often have anxious pups so I have CBD oil for pets and an Adaptil pheromone diffuser. The diffuser will always be running, but I’ll message you to ask if I can administer the CBD oil if I think it might help a particularly anxious dog. I have also been working on making the furniture in our home more accessible to injured and/or small dogs. There is a ramp at the foot of our bed and doggy stairs to get on living room furniture. For additional fun, I have assorted dog puzzle toys and treat dispensing toys I set up to let them exert some mental energy. I also have a flirt pole for the really energetic dogs (mine go NUTS for it! Best toy I’ve ever purchased!) The backyard also has a jolly pets 10” ball to push around and chase as well as a Tumbo Solo Slinger for solo rope tug play! Over time I’m looking at converting the backyard into a mini dog park with a sandbox, puppy pool/splash pad, and a lure chasing course so stay tuned for more updates!
Location
South Saint Paul, MN
Pets
Samantha H.
South Saint Paul, MN