.. HOW THIS SERVICE WORKS ..

  Preparing for Your Dog Sitter

What is covered during the Client/Dog Sitter  "Getting Acquainted"  visit?

* Please note that not everything below will be relevant to all clients.  The "Getting Acquainted" visit does not obligate you or the dog sitter to accept this service.  You must feel comfortable & secure with the sitter - and the sitter must feel safe and reasonably comfortable in your home.

When you first contact Terry, or complete the "SERVICE REQUEST FORM", a complementary "Getting Acquainted" visit to your home will be arranged to meet you and your dog (or dogs) at your convenience if the date or dates you need service are available.

During this time, we will go into more detail about caring for your furbaby and your home while you are away.  This is the time to ask your pet sitter the questions on your concern list.

 If you own dogs and cats, please do not ask the sitter to care for the dogs and “just ignore the cats;” in order to save a few dollars.   A sitter’s professionalism,  ethic responsibility and conscience would not allow the oversight of a cat in need of food, medical care or human attention.

All dogs must be kept indoors. Terry will not care for dogs that live outside, are CHAINED or have temperment problems.  If your dog growls or snaps at a pet sitter during a "Get-Acquainted" visit, please understand that the pet sitter may ask that you make other arrangements for your dog’s care during your absence.

Be honest about your pet’s quirks, i.e. a dog that is nervous about having his leash put on, having his ears or tail touched, snarls and is agressive or protective over food, treats or toys. The more your pet sitter knows, the better equipped she is to care for your pets and recognize something which may be wrong  -  while both remain safe from injury or undue stress.

* Terry reserves the right to decline care to a dog she feels is not healthy or safe.  All clients reserve the right to decline services prior to signing the "Service Agrement".

- You will be asked to sign several documents such as a "Veterinary Release" should your pooch need to be taken to your vet while you are gone.

 - You will be asked to complete and sign a "Service Agrement" so we know we have both agreed to your services, needs and requests.

- You will be asked to show the dog sitter where the dogs food, special diets, meal preps, treats, medications, toys, poop bags, leashes, brushes, carrier or crate and cleaning supplies are kept. 

- All Dogs & Cats in the home must be up to date on Rabies vaccines.  Please have proof of a current Rabies vaccine ready.  Current Rabies tags must be on all dogs & cats or proof from the vet left on the counter.

- The sitter will check your dogs collar for fit, ID tag and Rabies tag. (or papers)

- One of the forms you will be asked to complete is a "Pooch Bio".  Please be prepared to include  all health issues or concerns your pet may have — major or minor, past or present, and all medications your dog is taking so we can go over it.  Please be certain your pets medication supply will not run out while you are away.

 - Show your pet sitter your dog walking locations and how you want poop clean up done and where to properly dispose of it.  It is recommended that a pooper scooper be provided rather than hand scooping through a bag for larger dogs.

- Client will show the sitter how to work the alarm system, where smoke detectors are located (all smoke detectors must be in working order! We cannot provide overnight service in a home without smoke detectors.) and provide any home safety tours and information necessary to help assure your beloved pets and the sitter are safe.

- Show your pet sitter where the thermostat is and how to operate it.  Regretfully, Terry can only provide service lasting no more than 4 hours in homes without air conditioning during the summer months.  Sorry... it's an age thing!

- All dogs must have a well fitting collar on with ID Tags attached.  A reactive or scared dog may back up and slip out of a too-large collar while being walked. The tags must remain on with the collar even when the dog is inside your home with the sitter.  

- While we try our very best to be sure your dog will go out as often as needed or possible depending on the weather,  program or service the client chooses, your pet sitter is not responsible for pet stains on "any surface in your home" (e.g. counters, carpet, tile, wooden floors, or furniture).

We will remove solids and soak up urine/fluids, but the actual removal of any pet stain is the client's sole responsibility.  We will only use water to help avoid a cleaning chemical reaction or damage to floors, carpets or furniture.

- Inform your pet sitter of anything that may be out of the ordinary such as a defective electrical outlet, a bad light switch, a broken appliance, a toilet that overflows, sinks that don't drain properly, a broken window, a broken lock, etc....

- Clean out the refrigerator to avoid smelly food spoilage, empty waste baskets and wash the dishes in the sink to prevent ants, flies or other pests.  Please do not leave unfinished house work for your sitter unless this has been discussed ahead of time. ( for overnight stays )

We only put the name of your pet on the key, no address or personal identifying information is kept on the key.  Clients only need two, plain keys, we take care of tagging them. 

The keys are kept in a safe place in Terry's home and returned to the client at the end of the assignment after she knows they family has returned to the home ... unless the client prefers the sitter to keep the keys for emergency or last minute, unscheduled visits to care for their dog in the future.

- Tell your sitter if anyone will be in your home during your absence.  Because of safety concerns, many pet sitters will not enter a house if they see someone there or suspect someone else has been there while they were out.  For the safety of your pets and the sitter, no one else should ever enter your home while you are away unless the sitter is informed ahead of time and agrees to someone coming in at a specific time.

Providing for Your Pet's Future Without You 

CLICK BELOW FOR INFORMATION

Make Sure Your Pets Will Be   Cared For If Tragedy Strikes   

 Although it may sound morbid, whether you are going away on vacation or a business trip -  or you are incapacitated or die, you need to give your veterinarian the authority to deal with your Pet Executor.  

It is always advisable to make legal arrangements and directives for your pets in case of serious illness or death so you can be sure your pets will be cared for the way you wish and by whom you wish to be responsible for them from that point on.

Often, those who do not make their wishes known, have their pets wind up in shelters because family members do not care to or are not able to take responsibilty for the pets left behind. 

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click shovel man for winter info

Before We Meet ...

Several FORMS will be emailed to each client containing everything your sitter neeeds to care for your pooch & your home while you are away.

Preparation can make  a big difference in how smoothly things go for your pet when the pet sitter comes to visit or stays in your home for several days.   

Here are some tips:

* If your pet sitter's first visit will be after dark, be sure to leave an outside and an inside light on for her to avoid injury.

* Please remember to call your sitter when you arrive home so she knows your pets will be cared for and does not need to return.  Terry will keep your keys until she is sure you are home.

* For safety reasons, no one besides your dog sitter should ever be scheduled to come into your home for any reason while you are away unless it is an emergency.  Be sure to inform your sitter if anyone must come to your home, who they are and why they are expected.

* It's a good idea, if possible, to give Terry's home & cell # to a neighbor you trust or close friend/family member in case they need to contact her for any reason.

* Please be sure your furbaby's shots are all up to date. Don't wait until the last minute in case he or she has a reaction to the vaccine. 

All dogs & cats "MUST" have proof of a current Rabies vaccine!

 ALL pooches MUST have an up to date ID tag on at ALL times ...no exceptions!

* Please be sure your furkid is clean when you are having a sitter stay over night... especially if your furkid is used to sleeping with you.

DID YOU KNOW? 

WINTER HEALTH TIPS for PETS:

Ice melting chemicals and rock salt can burn or irritate the pads of your pet’s feet and be harmful if the pet ingests them. 

Wipe your pet’s feet with a damp cloth after coming back inside.  Check between the pads of your pet’s feet for ice balls too. 

It is important that your pet is well groomed.  A matted hair coat doesn’t protect an animal and won’t help to keep a pet warm.  Matted fur is also painful as it tugs and twists at the skin.

Certain plants and holiday decorations can be dangerous to pets.  Mistletoe, lilies and holly are poisonous.  Glass ornaments can shatter and injure pets.  Ribbons, tinsel, and string can be deadly to a cat if they swallow them.  Keep electric cords away from curious pets—chewing on them can cause burns or death.

Poinsettias, on the other hand, are not overly toxic.  Eating the plant may cause irritation in the mouth and/or vomiting, but they are not deadly poisonous, as many believe.

Holiday treats, such as bones from turkey or ham; rich and fatty meat scraps; alcoholic beverages; and chocolate can be harmful to pets as well.  Please keep these foodstuffs away from your pet, and advise visiting friends and relatives not to give these to your pet.

Antifreeze tastes sweet, but is extremely poisonous to pets.  If your pet licks even a very small amount, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Occasionally, outdoor cats sleep under the hoods of vehicles.  When the car or truck is then started, the cat can be maimed or killed by the fan belt.  To avoid this, bang loudly on the hood or honk the horn of the vehicle to allow cats time to escape before starting the engine.

Your Pets and Pool Safety

On a blistering hot day, owning a pool definitely has its advantages as a refuge from the heat. It also holds the potential for a family tragedy all year round if you are not careful.

Pool safety issues for pets are almost synonymous with those for children, and they go far beyond just careful supervision. With pets and kids, you can never assume that you can watch them all the time.

It only takes a few minutes of distraction for either one to fly out the door and into the pool. In fact, one study showed that in the case of children, supervision failed in 69 percent of the drowning incidents.

With that said, pools can be great fun for your pet. Here are just a few of the issues you should consider:

Although many dogs love the water, don't assume they can swim naturally. Never throw a dog into the pool; he may panic and not be able to climb the slick sides to get out of the pool.

Even excellent swimmers will gradually lose their ability as they age and become weaker. In addition, senior dogs are more prone to slipping and falling into a pool.

Heat and sunlight are more intense around a pool. Your dog cannot keep as cool as you, so watch for signs of overheating. Don't let your dog drink from the pool; the chlorine will make him sick.

In the same vein, you should be aware that chlorinated water may irritate your dog's eyes. When the two of you are finished playing in the pool, hose your dog down with fresh water to get the chlorine out.

When designing safety measures, many people find it helpful to think of "layers of protection" to guard against the unforeseen. For instance, when you are away, what's to stop someone else's pet (or child, for that matter) from wandering into your backyard pool? The following are a few tips that can avert tragedy:

Install a see-through pool fence or barrier. This is your first and best line of defense. There are many quality pool fences on the market. Once installed, keep it closed at all times, even if you leave the pool area to go inside for a few minutes. The fence should have a self-closing, self-locking gate.

Keep doors to the pool securely closed. Many dogs and cats can nose open doors, so make sure there is no gap between the door jam or sliding glass door runner and the door itself.

Purchase a floating pool alarm device. These float in your pool and go off if the surface of the pool is disturbed. You should have it designed so the alarm sounds both outside and inside your home. Infrared beams can also alert you to danger.

For your health and the health of your pet, make sure your pool's chemical balance is correct. As any pool owner knows, it takes very little to throw your pool out of balance; your pet can get sick if he drinks or is exposed to the green algae that inevitably invades your pool now and again.

A Note About Dogs & Beach Safety

If you take your dog to the beach, watch for signs of overheating and sun exposure carefully; the sand gets very hot, the sun is more intense and dogs perspire through the pads on their feet.

During summer the water warms up as well, spurring the growth of "sea lice," which are microscopic organisms that can cause severe itching.

Warnings are usually posted when lice are present in great numbers. However, after swimming in the ocean, you and your dog should rinse thoroughly with fresh water immediately.

If you see red bumps and your dog is scratching furiously, take him to a veterinarian for treatment. 

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