Santana E.
Martinsburg, WV
Dog Handler/Trainer/Boarder
Pet care experience
I attended Animal Behavior College for dog training along with 4 years of hands on experience learning from some of the best training mentors. I’m well educated in reading dog body language, teaching basic obedience, and overall basic care of dogs. I also have experience whelping and raising puppies, along with socializing and training them. I’ve participated in Schutzhund dog sports along with working dogs who have functioning jobs (i.e. nose work, mantrailing, and protection sports) Along with that, I also offer boarding and care for the everyday house dog. If you click on the cover photo above, you can scroll through more pictures of what I have to offer and some of the dogs that stay with me regularly.
Reviews
Santana is AWESOME! My two working dogs ... a Mali & GSD ... LOVE their visits. How do I know? ONE-at the beginning of their stay they are excited when they see her! She has cared for my dogs many times, sometimes she has had one for a couple weeks when I'm doing some intense training with the other, and she's cared for both at the same time. TWO-every day Santana sends me photos/ videos of my dogs playing in the fenced play area and they both consistently appear to be having a great time. She interacts with them individually and everything she does works in partnership with our IGP training program. This is in-home boarding so my dogs are treated like loving members of her family ... in fact I'm pretty sure my Mali loves Santana's partner, Geoff, more than me!! I highly recommend Santana for short or long-term boarding! Your furry family members will be treated with loving care.
Santana has been trusted multiple times with boarding my working line shepherd. Her previous experience in the sport world along with working dogs has made her phenomenal at caring for dogs that need a little extra attention due to their energy that a real working dog has; as well as ensure that events that could be detrimental to a sport/working dog’s training/performance are avoided. this goes far beyond what a normal pet would need and any “normal” dog owner should feel very good about trusting their loved one with her.
I have known this lady for some time now and she is amazing with dogs and equally amazing with dog owners. She is one of a very few people that I completely trust with my dogs and listen to every piece of advice she gives. We rescued a stray together and in his time with her she had him trained in all the basics and rebuilt his self confidence. She has been incredibly patient with my dogs and even more so with me as I wrestled with my expectations of what my dogs could and should accomplish.
Santana is the best of the best. She is wonderful with my dogs, and they always come back happier and healthier than I left them. I’ve had the opportunity to watch how she runs her business, and she is on top of everything. Her boarders have a set routine and everything flows so smoothly. Her place is spotless and everything is safe and comfortable for the dogs. She is detail oriented, from precise instructions for each dog and following owners every detail, to making sure that every dog is safe. She is very knowledgeable about health and safety for dogs, and I’ve never been worried less than with my dogs are with her. Plus, if you ask for photos, they will be incredible.
About Santana E.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I have a fenced in kennel area for all of my dogs to potty and/or play in. It is attached to the back door, so there’s no chance of any dogs escaping and getting loose. I also have a separate 10x10 outdoor kennel for dogs who have stayed with me and are well established. All of the dogs I currently care for are crate trained and I also have extra crates to accommodate new dogs coming in. I also take dogs that aren’t crate trained, as long as they are well behaved outside of the crate and are house trained. My house is split level, so dogs that are crate trained stay downstairs in their own area accompanied by a radio, tv, couch and bed. If a dog isn’t crate trained and needs to stay with me, they get the top floor of the house where they can roam the living room and bedrooms and chill on the couch if they so choose to. I should also mention that I am always with the dogs during their duration of potty/playtime to supervise body language and ensure their safety; they are never unattended. If I take any dog outside of the kennel area for a walk, they are ALWAYS on a leash as well. I also have crate covers on all of my crates so the dogs can’t react to eachother while they are boarded. Classical music is always playing to keep them calm and they are usually watching some sort of cartoon on tv. (Usually Sesame Street.) All of my kennels and boarding areas get cleaned daily, along with disinfected to prevent any diseases such as Parvo, Bordetella, Giardia, and Distemper. Poop is always picked up and disposed of properly and crates are cleaned daily along with fresh water. I also use Google Photos and share a link with you so you can view photos and videos of your pet daily while they’re in my care. (Photos and videos sent daily.)
Home
Information Santana E. would like to know about your pet
Please let me know ahead of time if your dog has any reactivity or doesn’t get along well with other dogs so I can accommodate a rotation schedule for them as well as set aside extra time for them for play and mental stimulation. I also will need a copy of your vet records emailed to me (specifically vaccination records) and your dog must have the Bordatella vaccine before staying with me. Tractor Supply offers the nasal vaccine for (around) $11 you can administer yourself (or I can upon arrival) but I will need video proof that it was administered to your dog before their stay. This is to ensure your dog, my dogs, and other boarding dogs don’t get sick with kennel cough during their stay. I also ask that your dogs be on preventives, such as flea and tick + heartworm medication.
A typical day
Turnout/potty schedule typically starts at 7AM. All of the dogs have a rotation, meaning; youngest to oldest usually goes out to potty first (seeing as it’s harder for younger dogs to hold it.) I also have a whiteboard posted by the turnout door labeled with the dogs personality details and also explaining if they’re dog friendly, can be turned out with other dogs, owners requests, etc. After potty turnout is finished, everyone comes back in to get fed. After feeding, everyone typically stays in their crates for a minimum of 2 hours to prevent bloat. After that, turnout starts all over again for the rest of the day which includes playtime, downtime, sometimes the treadmill (if the dog likes it and owner requests) and mental stimulation. In the warmer months, I have kiddie pools for all of the dogs to swim in as well along with a sandpit for dogs that like to dig. Along with treadmill services, I also keep frozen kongs, bones, and lick mats on deck for added mental stimulation for the dogs during their stay, as well as treat dispensers, benebones, and toys. All dogs (unless owner wants differently) get fed twice a day, the last meal usually fed between 8-9pm right before bedtime, to again negate any chance of bloating.
Services
Santana can host
Availability
I currently work from home boarding and training dogs, so I am here 7 days a week. My normal potty schedule for everyone is on a rotation of 2-3 hours starting at 7AM and ending between 8:30-9PM. (Subject to start sooner if I have puppies staying with me or senior dogs.) If I have to leave to go to town for something, I always make sure that I am back within a 3 hour time range to get everyone out for their scheduled potty break or play break. After they eat in the morning, everyone is crated for a minimum of 2 hours to prevent bloat and then the dogs start on their respected turnout potty/play schedule. I typically rotate them every hour so each dog can get their respected playtime vs downtime. Second feeding time is between 8:30-9PM (right before bed) to negate bloat, and dogs that are crate trained stay on the bottom level of the house. If a dog isn’t crate trained, they stay upstairs and are welcome to sleep in the bed with me or on the couch, their choosing.
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About Santana E.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
I have a fenced in kennel area for all of my dogs to potty and/or play in. It is attached to the back door, so there’s no chance of any dogs escaping and getting loose. I also have a separate 10x10 outdoor kennel for dogs who have stayed with me and are well established. All of the dogs I currently care for are crate trained and I also have extra crates to accommodate new dogs coming in. I also take dogs that aren’t crate trained, as long as they are well behaved outside of the crate and are house trained. My house is split level, so dogs that are crate trained stay downstairs in their own area accompanied by a radio, tv, couch and bed. If a dog isn’t crate trained and needs to stay with me, they get the top floor of the house where they can roam the living room and bedrooms and chill on the couch if they so choose to. I should also mention that I am always with the dogs during their duration of potty/playtime to supervise body language and ensure their safety; they are never unattended. If I take any dog outside of the kennel area for a walk, they are ALWAYS on a leash as well. I also have crate covers on all of my crates so the dogs can’t react to eachother while they are boarded. Classical music is always playing to keep them calm and they are usually watching some sort of cartoon on tv. (Usually Sesame Street.) All of my kennels and boarding areas get cleaned daily, along with disinfected to prevent any diseases such as Parvo, Bordetella, Giardia, and Distemper. Poop is always picked up and disposed of properly and crates are cleaned daily along with fresh water. I also use Google Photos and share a link with you so you can view photos and videos of your pet daily while they’re in my care. (Photos and videos sent daily.)
Home
Information Santana E. would like to know about your pet
Please let me know ahead of time if your dog has any reactivity or doesn’t get along well with other dogs so I can accommodate a rotation schedule for them as well as set aside extra time for them for play and mental stimulation. I also will need a copy of your vet records emailed to me (specifically vaccination records) and your dog must have the Bordatella vaccine before staying with me. Tractor Supply offers the nasal vaccine for (around) $11 you can administer yourself (or I can upon arrival) but I will need video proof that it was administered to your dog before their stay. This is to ensure your dog, my dogs, and other boarding dogs don’t get sick with kennel cough during their stay. I also ask that your dogs be on preventives, such as flea and tick + heartworm medication.
A typical day
Turnout/potty schedule typically starts at 7AM. All of the dogs have a rotation, meaning; youngest to oldest usually goes out to potty first (seeing as it’s harder for younger dogs to hold it.) I also have a whiteboard posted by the turnout door labeled with the dogs personality details and also explaining if they’re dog friendly, can be turned out with other dogs, owners requests, etc. After potty turnout is finished, everyone comes back in to get fed. After feeding, everyone typically stays in their crates for a minimum of 2 hours to prevent bloat. After that, turnout starts all over again for the rest of the day which includes playtime, downtime, sometimes the treadmill (if the dog likes it and owner requests) and mental stimulation. In the warmer months, I have kiddie pools for all of the dogs to swim in as well along with a sandpit for dogs that like to dig. Along with treadmill services, I also keep frozen kongs, bones, and lick mats on deck for added mental stimulation for the dogs during their stay, as well as treat dispensers, benebones, and toys. All dogs (unless owner wants differently) get fed twice a day, the last meal usually fed between 8-9pm right before bedtime, to again negate any chance of bloating.
Location
Martinsburg, WV
Pets
Santana E.
Martinsburg, WV