For those who want a quick intro: Hello, I (Trisha aka mom) am the main caregiver, updater, family coordinator, dog/animal spoiler. I participated in the 4-H club for a few years and raised A Guide Dog for the Blind. I have always had a dog in my life and home. And I have always been the one who takes responsibility for their care. I have adopted many of the training techniques from raising a Guide Dog and have relaxed them a bit and used them with my own Pups and clients. I have been an animal sitter for most of my life for family, friends, and other Guide Dog families. And I joined the online dog sitting world about 6.5 years ago when we moved cross country and wanted to meet new clients. Quick mention for those who don’t want to read a novel. •We are pretty laid back. •I do safe and slow leashed warm-ups when introducing any dogs. •I have crates for dogs/clients who prefer to use them. (But it is not a requirement to be crate trained.) •I am willing to take any breed. Just fill me in the details if they have any quirks or reactivity. It is not a deal breaker. In fact I love a challenge. I just want to know how to best help them feel comfortable. •My two children join me about half the time to my drop-Ins and walks. And they live in my home where I board and offer daycare. They are active participants with the animals(when appropriate). This is actually something that many clients have considered a selling point so that their animals could be socialized with experienced children. But don’t book with us if that is a deal breaker for you. Having them join me is what makes my availability so flexible. But I do try to schedule my nervous cat clients for the evening so that kids can typically stay home with my husband. So If you are looking for drop-ins for your nervous cat, I am happy to accommodate that. :) For detail oriented people/or nervous first timers that want a painted picture of what to expect: Keep reading to get an unnecessarily thorough and somewhat repetitive explanation of what you can expect if you chose us to care for your pup (or other animals). And/Or send me a message if you want a short cut. ;) (I do have experience caring for dogs, rabbits, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, hamsters/guinea Pigs, and other small animals. So if you need care for them as well, message me and we can coordinate a care plan for them too.) Couch/bed policy: When your pup comes to stay in our home, we stick to your house rules. If they are allowed on the couch and bed at their own home, they are allowed on ours. If they aren’t, we like to stay consistent with what they already know. What you say goes. Our Animals: We have a couple of dog loving kiddos, our 8 year old blue heeler Pepper, 2 year old Siberian Husky Aero (ask us about his story sometime!), and our 1.5 year old mini golden doodle Rosie Belle. We also have an 11 year old Red Eared Slider (turtle) and 6 fish that he terrorizes on a daily basis. (He’s eaten about 9 of their more colorful friends. Spoiled turtle. 🤦🏻‍♀️) Pepper tends to think she’s the queen at first glance, Aero talks at us and anyone who visits, and 15 lb Rosie thinks that SHE is the big dog of the house to warn us of new people/dogs. 😂 But don’t worry, after your pup acclimates to our home, about 99.9% of the time- yours and ours become best friends. We have yet to see the day that everyone didn’t eventually settle in. (Currently knocking on wood ;)) Everyone ends up wrestling and racing the entire stay, and having the time of their lives. Timid dogs: If they don’t take to each other very well, it’s not a problem. We have found that with a bit more time to acclimate and get used to the new environment, everyone settles in and finds their place in our family. Even the really nervous pups. It’s totally normal for people and animals to need a little bit of time to get used to new changes - and we allow time and space for that. We’ve noticed that Pepper is really good at meeting dogs where they are comfortable, so if your dog has special needs, is timid, or small enough to fit in her mouth- she’s really great about toning down her play for whomever she is interacting with. She is getting a little old and grumpy, so she usually just naps on the couch or under the table. But she does have a maternal instinct for small dogs. So prepare yourself for adorable photos of her snuggling small ones. Aero and Rosie are pandemic puppies, so they are a bit more introverted initially (naturally lol!) but they are always the first to become everyone’s favorite duo as the dynamic settles into a fun and playful balance. They are the most miss-matched little pair, but they are attached at the hip, so they tend to help new boarders of any size/breed/personality feel more comfortable because of their drastic size difference. Aero becomes the life of the party, and Rosie is the rambunctious “sneezing” spaz that thinks she’s 40 lbs heavier than she is. She ends up being everyone’s emotional support animal. No matter the personality- she is everyone’s friend without fail. ❤️ Meal times: Your pup will eat their meals on whatever schedule you are comfortable with, and have access to clean water all day long. I am comfortable with whatever food you have your animal on(including raw meat), so don’t worry that a different type of schedule or regiment will throw me off. House and Yard: They have a fenced in yard and lots of grass and cemented space to run, and they often like to treat the kids jungle Gym as a little doggie obstacle coarse. We have twinkle lights on in the back at almost all hours so we can play with all of our pups in the warm atmosphere and patio furniture. Now that the temperature has cooled down, we often leave the back door open to the house and the kids and dogs have free reign to be where ever they want to be(always supervised). And in the summer months/hot days we turn on the mist system on the swing set, and there is lots of water and shade for the pups to cool down in. But we keep our outside visits shorter in the summer months so we can enjoy the AC. I do keep a close eye on the yard and house to make sure no kids or dogs are getting mischievous, but they are welcome in every room in our house as it is kid and doggie proofed. Luckily we have hard floors and zero carpet throughout, and a lot of natural light. Walks: When your pup is boarding or spending the day with us in our home, they get a lot of exercise in our yard. But if we have a pup that is particularly antsy or needs some one on one time outside the group atmosphere, we have a really safe and quiet neighborhood, and will take them for a little walk around our little block. We have a walking path that goes behind our house onto a space of grass and a pavilion. We will likely instigate a meet and greet at this spot, so you’ll get a chance to get a feel for our neighborhood. If your pup is not staying in our home and we are coming to your home to take them out for some exercise, my children and I wip out the stroller and take the pup out for a very involved sightseeing adventure around your neighborhood. Or if you prefer, we can take them to a safe nearby trail or park. We live near the Reservoir and have been known to walk them there if it is close by your home. If you want a drop-in visit, we give your pup a chance to eat and drink and then take them out for a bathroom break and a brief walk to help them stretch their legs and prevent accidents in your house. We always play and love on your pup for awhile in your home or outside so that they know that their families have ensured they are taken care of and loved in your brief absence. Sleep: If your pup is crate trained and you prefer them to sleep in their crate, bring their crate and any comforting items you feel they will need for a good night, and we will be consistent with them. (Check with us about bringing the crate though- as we may have one already set up of similar size that they could use.). If they are used to sleeping on a dog bed, bring theirs with you. We have one, so if they aren’t picky, they can use it. But if they would be more comfortable, bring theirs. If your pup is used to sleeping in your bed, they are welcome in our bed with us and our dogs. We have been known to cram 5 or 6 dogs (even large ones) in our king size bed at the same time. There’s nothing more comfortable than a bunch of slobbery warm affectionate balls of fur. But we do on occasion drag an extra twin mattress into our bedroom for any dogs that fall out of the doggie pile ;). As well as a couch and lots of space under the bed if they prefer to be more recluse. Updates: We have a center wall from the kitchen to the main living area, and the pups and kids love to run around it like an island. Between the dog-pile sleeping arrangements and the races around the wall, we often end up with some pretty hysterical updates! We send you as many updates as you want. Pictures AND videos. Some of our clients families prefer a lot of updates so they know their fur-ball has acclimated and isn’t feeling nervous or confused. But some families need a break, and prefer to have an uninterrupted vacation. We are understanding and will honor whatever you request. So just let us know your preferences. Daycare: Doggie daycare is very similar to dog boarding ^, just without the dog-pile slumber party. Drop off and pickup: We are extremely flexible, so just send us a message and we can answer any questions you might have! After pickup: Don’t be surprised if your dog wants to nap more than usual for the next 2 or 3 days after returning home from their “vacation.” They run and play hard together while they are here and it catches up with them when they get back into their old routines at home. Our Dogs usually end up napping for days after their friends leave. They miss their friends, so between them being sad they are gone and the exhaustion- they are out for the count for awhile. Our older crew or more low energy clients usually just hang on the couch with me, and I always miss my lounge buddies when they head home. So make sure to Re-book with us so Our dogs and I (and the kids and husband) can see our buddies again. Speaking of my Kids and Husband: My husband Justin loves animals just as much as our kids and I do. He wrestles with them and they always end up loving him more than me. Of course. And while he is gone for work a lot, he can usually be found asleep with one or two of our sleepier clients or children when he isn’t energetically running the halls of UMMC. Our son Ezra is 6 years old and is immediately best friends with every creature he meets, whether it’s a dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, fish, frog, or June bug. Our 4 year old daughter Lida is a little hurricane.. which is why we nicknamed her “Hurricane Lida” and lives to chase, or be chased, by any human, child, or dog that she can convince to play with her. She loves to get puppy kisses and she has been seen eating dog food from the floor... so don’t be surprised if you book with us and end up with a lot of Lida puppy updates with your fur balls. She is always everywhere, doing everything, at all hours- with a full face of self applied makeup. So your pups will never get bored. I can attest to that. But they may end up with a lipstick kiss on their back (don’t worry, baby wipes work miracles.) Gotta love these rambunctious kids and pups. Speaking of rambunctious pups: We welcome puppies in our home as well. We have experience potty training puppies and can help you with daycare, drop-Ins, and boarding. We understand they require lots of attention and bathroom breaks while they learn, and luckily we have hard floor throughout our house for the times we don’t think or act fast enough. So don’t worry at all if your puppy isn’t completely potty trained. Obviously we hope that the older dogs are house trained, but we know accidents happen. And we are totally fine with that. While we are careful to make sure all of our clients are healthy and up to date on their vaccinations- we understand there is an extra concern for puppies while they have not yet received all of their shots. If you prefer your puppy to be indoor at all times(training them on a puppy pad in an enclosed potty space ), that is an accommodation we are willing to make. There are also other options where we can pop in to feed and play with your pup in your own home. We can arrange more frequent visits for puppies or older dogs that need more potty breaks and attention. Just let us know your specific circumstances and we can make a plan that best fits your pups needs. If your dog has special needs/medical needs: We are equipped and qualified to handle any special medical needs. My husband and I both have a work history in the medical field, my husbands current career is medical- and we are comfortable with whatever they need. Just fill us in with the details and we can take care of it while you get some much needed and deserved rest on vacation. Send us a message and see if we are your pups next 2nd home. We’d love to hear from you. A few extra details: I am a stay at home mom- and I do a few gigs on the side. So I am very available- 24/7 for my boarders I can easily crate your pets for small amounts of time if that’s something they are trained for. But they do get constant supervision, so If your dog is not used to a crate- that’s not an issue at all. We are careful to have dogs separated at first, to give slow introductions. Closely supervised bathroom breaks and outside time to run and play. Lots of cuddle time. We are very affectionate with our dogs, and with our boarders as well. But if they prefer their own space and little affection- we have many places they can hide out to relax.