Wilma S.
Bellevue, WA
Dogs Love Me!
Pet care experience
As long as I can remember, dogs have been part of my life. As a teenager, we had several dogs, but the best was Fritz, an Australian Shepherd, who worked on our ranch helping us herd over 300 head of cattle. Then, I went through a phase where I raised toy poodles, and everyone teased me that I didn't have a real dog. After my last toy poodle passed at the age of 18 in 2008, I adopted Thor, a beautiful, blue pit bull mix. I trained him from a puppy to sit, stay, lie down, come, etc, and most importantly, how to tell me to go outside. Thor and I worked with a local trainer to socialize traumatized rescued dogs that had been abused and neglected. I don't discriminate based on breed. Sadly, Thor passed away in August 2022, but that means I have a huge space in my heart to love on your dog. Let me know how I can help.
Reviews
Wilma was amazing and took such great care of our sometimes difficult dog - they bonded quick and had the best time!! I will absolutely be calling her again next time!
Wilma was wonderful. Will use again. We have two older small dogs. One of them needs special attention with food and care. Wilma took care to make sure dogs were happy and comfortable. She sent lots of pictures that helped us relax knowing the dogs were safe.
Wilma is simply amazing. She really cares about our dog and it shows. She leaves our home clean and our dog happy. It’s so wonderful to have someone like Wilma for when we need to leave town. We feel lucky to have found her.
Would highly recommend Wilma. She kept us up to date with daily photos of the boys and how they were doing, along with funny anecdotes about their day. She let them sleep with her. House was neat and clean when we returned home, and she even cleaned up when one of the dogs was ill and made some messes on the carpet. Wouldn't hesitate to have her stay with them again.
About Wilma S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
There are various techniques to gain a dog’s trust, but I tend to avoid eye contact and making any big advances toward them until I see they want me in their space. Then, I will typically offer my hand for them to smell. Once they decide I’m ok, we become great friends. When on leash, I will not let your dog greet other dogs. This is how a lot of accidents happen, and I prefer to tell strangers, “I don’t let him/her play when on leash.” When approaching strangers, I’ll keep the leash close so your dog is walking right at my hip. If you have a big dog and use additional methods to keep your dog safe, I will, of course, use those as well.
Information Wilma S. would like to know about your pet
How does the dog greet strangers? Is he/she dog aggressive when on a leash? Is he/she fearful of anything? What signals does your dog give that he/she needs to go outside?
A typical day
We can walk around the dogs home neighborhood or on nearby trails with the owners permission. I enjoy playing fetch, tug, and various training activities like "Find It."
Services
Wilma can watch in your home
Availability
I work full-time, Monday through Friday, so I’m primarily available on weekends. However, if your dog is used to you being gone to work during the week, I’m available for housesitting and it wouldn’t disrupt your dog’s routine too much.
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About Wilma S.
Communication
Skills
Safety, trust & environment
There are various techniques to gain a dog’s trust, but I tend to avoid eye contact and making any big advances toward them until I see they want me in their space. Then, I will typically offer my hand for them to smell. Once they decide I’m ok, we become great friends. When on leash, I will not let your dog greet other dogs. This is how a lot of accidents happen, and I prefer to tell strangers, “I don’t let him/her play when on leash.” When approaching strangers, I’ll keep the leash close so your dog is walking right at my hip. If you have a big dog and use additional methods to keep your dog safe, I will, of course, use those as well.
Information Wilma S. would like to know about your pet
How does the dog greet strangers? Is he/she dog aggressive when on a leash? Is he/she fearful of anything? What signals does your dog give that he/she needs to go outside?
A typical day
We can walk around the dogs home neighborhood or on nearby trails with the owners permission. I enjoy playing fetch, tug, and various training activities like "Find It."
Location
Bellevue, WA
Pets
Wilma S.
Bellevue, WA