Fireworks & Pets: Tips for a Low-Stress Holiday

By Molly Kenefick, Doggy Lama Pet Care, Dog walking company in Oakland, California
Visit website: http://www.doggylamapetcare.com

Independence Day is just around the corner, and while we humans may love a good fireworks display, our dogs (and other pets, too) may feel as if those loud, unpredictable sounds signal the coming of the end of the world. Our dogs may suddenly do things we’ve never known them to do, but with a little preparation and forethought, we can make our nation’s birthday a relatively safe, easy, and relaxing holiday for us and our pets. Here are some tips to help ensure you and your dog have a low-stress holiday:

• Never take your dog to a firework display.
• If at all possible, be home with your dog when you think fireworks will be going off. No one wants to be alone when they’re afraid.
• If you can’t stay home with your dog when fireworks are scheduled to go off, bring him inside. If your dog is terrified, he may be able to perform amazing feats of strength and agility—he may climb a fence you didn’t think he could climb, or dig underneath one when he’s never shown interest in digging before. Don’t take that chance.
• To help drown out the sound of the fireworks, put on a classical music radio station, which is much more soothing than television. Start to leave that station on now when you go out—before the holiday—so that he gets used to it.
• Make sure you leave plenty of water out. A stressed-out dog needs to drink extra water to stay cool.
• Make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise on the days around the fourth of July—a tired dog will be less anxious than one with plenty of energy and no way to express it.
• Take your evening walk a bit earlier (before it gets dark)—you’ll be less likely to be caught outside your home or yard when there are fireworks going off in your neighbor’s backyard.
• If your dog has an anxiety attack because of fireworks, do not soothe and comfort your dog. That sounds cruel, but rewarding an anxious animal with lots of touch and love is just reinforcing anxious behavior. It’s better to be cheerful and seem in control—that encourages your dog to think that whatever is happening is not a big deal.
• Make sure your dog is wearing his identification at all times. Some owners remove collars when their dog is in the house. That’s usually fine to do, but a terrified dog may uncharacteristically bolt out the door when given an opportunity to do so. If your dog ends up on the street or in the pound, you want him to be wearing his identification. (Pets should be micro-chipped as well as wearing up-to-date identification tags.)
• Have some Bach’s Rescue Remedy on hand. This is a safe, anti-anxiety flower remedy. Put a few drops in his water twice a day. (If possible, give your pets filtered water—an inexpensive Brita water filter is fine. Make sure you wash out pet food and water bowls at least every other day to reduce bacterial growth.) Another popular holistic remedy is a plug-in product, “Comfort Zone with Dog Appeasing Pheromone,” or D.A.P., said to reduce stress-related behavior.
• Make your dog a cozy dark den to hide away in. Some dogs will follow their owners around the house and others will need to hide away. Put a blanket and a favorite toy in a closet in case your dog falls into the latter category.
• If you’re home with your dog when fireworks are going off, you can try to entertain and distract your dog. You might break out the treat-filled Kong, the extra-special toys, or play hide-and-go-seek.
• If you know a dog very well who isn’t afraid of fireworks, schedule an inside-at-night sleepover play-date with him. Your dog will get the message from the other dog that it’s not a big deal, and, coupled with your calm and confident behavior, will be much happier than otherwise. (You should only do this with a dog with whom you already have a very solid relationship with.)

Keep in mind that our neighbors and surrounding towns may be setting off fireworks in the days leading up to the Fourth of July and past that date. For that reason, pet-owners need to be vigilant for the days and nights surrounding the holiday.

Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful and safe holiday!

Whiskers & Paws Pet Services

I provide dog walking and pet sitting services for clients.

New Customers – I offer a FREE CONSULTATION appointment so that we can meet and be sure that we are a good match.  I also have a 10% NEW CUSTOMER DISCOUNT.  This applies to the first pet sitting service, up to 7 days.  For dog walking, the new customer discount applies to the first 5 walks or the first 30 days if less than 5 visits a month are requested.

Dog walking – My standard dog walk lasts from 30 to 40 minutes; however, longer walks or park excursions can be negotiated as well.  I walk from 1 to 3 dogs at a time depending upon their size, temperament & training.  I don’t walk large groups of dogs as I don’t believe that they get as much exercise and attention that way.

Pet sitting – I also provide pet sitting services for dogs, cats and other domestic animals.  I make 1 to 3 visits a day to the client’s home as needed.  I offer a reduced price per visit for clients that need 2 or more visits per day.  My service includes 1 walk a day for dogs, feeding & watering your pets, scooping the litter box and lots of TLC.  In addition, I provide basic house sitting duties such as bringing in the mail & newspaper, watering plants, taking out & bringing in the trash and rotating lights so that the house appears to be lived in.  For longer trips, additional services such as mowing the lawn could be negotiated.

Please visit my website or call me for additional information!

The Irish Sitter

The Irish Sitter is a fully bonded and insured Pet Sitting/Dog Walking Service located in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago. We are a proud member of NAPPS (the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters). Our mission is to treat our clients’ pets as if they were our own and to give them peace of mind knowing their pets are in good, caring hands.

Our primary focus is on cats and dogs, but we can and do provide service for other exotics, birds, ferrets, guinea pigs, fish, etc. with specific instruction from you.

According to the experts, a familiar environment, diet and exercise, along with the personal attention of a professional pet caregiver are the perfect answers. Eliminating the trauma of being transported and minimizing exposure to illnesses of other animals are additional advantages. Here are some of the services we provide:

• Mid-Day Walks
• Daily Cat Care
• Vacation Care
• Overnight Pet Sitting (in your home)
• Pet Taxi to Vet or Groomer
• Administer Medications
• Mail & Newspaper Pick-up

Call us today for a complimentary consultation.

***SPECIAL DOGWALKER.COM OFFER***

Mention this DogWalker.com listing for a FREE first walk to all new clients who sign up for weekly mid-day walks.

Manymutts Pet Care

Los Angeles Premier Dog Walking & Pet Sitting Service at affordable prices. Manymutts Pet Care knows that your pets are a big part of your family. When you are short on time, at work all day, or need to head out of town, you shouldn’t have to decide between you or your pets. Reliable, loving and professional sitters. Licensed, bonded and insured.

Other services include: Group hikes and park play, private boarding, dog walks, cat visits, pet transport, doggie daycare and in-home sitting.

Considering Dog Insurance? Think About Pet Assure

Have you been thinking about getting pet insurance for your dog (or maybe even your cat)? If you’ve been looking at pet or dog insurance plans, you might want to think about Pet Assure. With PetAssure.com, it’s easy to save money on the bills that can easily pile up as a result of owning a dog.

According to the Pet Assure website, it’s simple to save money:

Present your Pet Assure membership card to any participating vet and you will receive 25% off your bill right at vet’s office on all of the following services:

• Office Visit & Exams
• All Shots
• Any Elective Procedure (e.g., dental care)
• Any Surgery (e.g., spaying & neutering)
• Hospitalization (in Network)
• and more!

With no annual usage limit, there is no concern that coverage may run out. No pet health questions asked, as every member will receive the same coverage on the above services, regardless of health issues that exist or that may arise in the future. There is no waiting period, so sign up now to begin saving!”

What other programs can make the same offer for your pet? If you are looking for an insurance type of product, you should check out and review Pet Assure.

Of course it’s important to check out all of the terms and conditions and other disclaimers that come with programs like this before deciding for yourself and your pet.

Home Buddies by Camp Bow Wow

Home Buddies by Camp Bow Wow® is the most comprehensive in-home pet service available. Now you only have to place one call to receive care for all of your pets, and they will enjoy this service from the comfort of home. Our Home Buddies pet sitters are the friendliest and best trained caregivers in the industry!

Vegas Dog Jog

Vegas Dog Jog is a mobile dog walking service, serving the west Las Vegas area.

INSURED BY PSA.

Specializing in personal dog walks and jogs.

Giving your dog the exercise they need when you can’t do it. Lowest prices in the city!

Check out our website for services and pricing.

Manhattan Paws Walkers-NYC Dog Walkers

NYC Dog Walkers And Pet Sitters
By Manhattan Paws Walkers

Pawalkers has quickly became one the most trusted and reliable NYC dog walkers and NYC pet sitting services because of our reliability and commitment in providing the utmost NYC dog walking services.

We love our job!
No Packed walks
Genuine love for dogs and cats
Highly trained in dog handling!
Our dog walkers are thoroughly background checked
Our NYC dog walkers references are verified
Fully Insured and Bonded dog walkers
Punctuality
Reliability
Weather Resilient dog walkers

Pawsitively Pet Care Services LLC

Welcome to Pawsitively Pet Care Services. I treat your pets like Family. I am located in west Pembroke Pines. My service area is south Broward County.

Have you ever worried about your pets while you are working long hours or away on vacation? Well no more, I can walk your pets while you work or pet sit your pets while you are on vacation. I also provide running with your pet if they need exercise. I am licensed, bonded, insured and Pet CPR/First Aid certified. I am honest, dependable and energetic. I have 3 pets of my own, so I understand how important pets are in our family. Just think your pets will be in their own home and not stressed out if they are in a kennel.

Please visit my website to see my services and fees. Contact me for weekly discounts.
References provided upon request.

Time To Go Pet Care LLC – Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in Red Bank, New Jersey

We offer caring and professional Dog Walking & Pet Taxi services in Red Bank, New Jersey and most of the neighboring towns, including Lincroft, Middletown, Rumson, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Shrewsbury, and Tinton Falls . At Time To Go Pet Care LLC we know your pets are important members of your family and when you can’t be there for them, you want the best possible care for them. That is where we come in.

As a Dog Walker Academy graduate, I have been trained in the undertanding of canine behavior, pack management techniques, leash handling skills, and fight prevention & protocols.

Our services include:
Pet Sitting
Dog Walking
Pet Transportation

Our Credentials:
Professionally Certified Dog Walker – Dog Walker Academy Graduate!
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters – Certified Pet Sitter
Member of Pet Sitters International
Member of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters
Registered, Bonded & Insured
Pet First Aid & CPR Certified
Trainer Recommended
Locally Owned and Operated

Marketing Tip for Dog Walkers: YouTube

While everyone loves “word of mouth” advertising where friends refer friends to their service providers, sometimes this isn’t possible for dog walkers.  There are a number of ways dog walkers are able to market their services to dog owners to supplement referrals or when referrals aren’t as robust as necessary to provide enough business for a person.

Creating YouTube videos is a great way for a dog walker or dog walking company to advertise. Videos allow dog owners to get a personal connection to the dog walker even before they meet, helping to establish a bond and trust before a connection is made.

In the video(s), I recommend that the dog walker either teach something helpful or just offer an introduction to give visitors an idea about who the dog walker is and what experience he or she has. While it’s smart to convey the same message on a website, it’s much more powerful to do it over video. Not only will dog owners appreciate the effort, but Google, Yahoo, and Bing will love it and move it to the video section, giving more exposure.

When a dog walker does create a video, he or she should use proper tags, with keywords that will benefit the dog walker. For example, a New York City dog walker should use tags like “new york city dog walker,” “nyc dog walking,” “manhattan dog walker,” “dog walker on the upper west side.”

DogPawSF

We are two professionally trained, licensed & insured dog walkers servicing the ENTIRE San Francisco city area! We love dogs, their owners and our beautiful city-just talk to us and you’ll see. We provide your dog with exercise, social interaction, love and standard obedience training. We provide you with peace of mind that your pup is having a great time in the hands of professionals.

Give us a call or shoot us an e-mail, we’d love to meet you and your amazing pupper!

River Run Pet Sitters LLC – Red Bank Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

Voted Best and one of the best in Monmouth County 2010 & 2011!
-APP.com reader’s choice

River Run Pet Sitters LLC is a professional in-home pet sitting and dog walking service, dedicated to giving your furry children the best care possible.

Using a professional pet sitter ensures that your pet will remain in a safe and secure environment while maintaining their regular diet and exercise routine. In-home pet sitting eliminates the trauma of travel and gives you the peace of mind and assurance that your pet is receiving loving, personalized attention while you are away.

Fully Insured and Bonded
Pet CPR and First Aid certified by the American Red Cross

A member of Pet Sitters International and National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, our staff will provide the best care available.

River Run Pet Sitters LLC: providing personalized, loving pet care to the Monmouth County, NJ area since 1996

Handing Out DogWalker.com Magnets at Unleashed by PETCO on the Upper West Side of New York City

A couple of weeks ago while walking Lucy, we walked by Unleashed by PETCO, a brand new store on New York City’s Upper West Side. Unleashed is owned and operated by the larger PETCO, and it offers tons of dog food, dog supplies, treats, and other pet supplies. On this first trip to Unleashed, Lucy was most interested in eating apple and cheddar frozen yogurt (for dogs) and socializing with the other dogs in the store.

On our way out of the store, we asked the manager if we could leave DogWalker.com magnets by the register so dog owners and dog walkers would be able to learn more about our service. Instead of doing this, the manager suggested we come back that weekend and hand out magnets outside of the store during their grand opening celebration! Of course we said yes!!

The following Saturday, we set up a table with a huge DogWalker.com sign in front of Unleashed, and we handed out several dozen (maybe more) magnets for people to put on their refrigerators. We let them know that DogWalker.com has listings of dog walkers in New York as well as dog walkers from across the entire country. It was fun promoting DogWalker.com to people in person rather than just online (which is VERY important).

We are always handing out magnets to people when we walk our dog, and we’re not shy about letting people know that DogWalker.com can be helpful to them when they need to find a dog walker. We really appreciate the opportunity that Unleashed by Petco gave us, and we encourage you to visit stores like this that help small businesses succeed.  THANK YOU!

Pawsitively Marvelous

Don’t let those sad puppy-dog eyes get you down when you leave for work in the morning. Let us take care of your dog when you can’t!

Let’s face it; a bored dog will most likely lead to a destructive dog. Destruction can mean many things. It could mean your dog has “accidents,” or your houseplants are being trimmed by your dog’s teeth instead of pruning shears, or your favorite pillow has just seen its last pillow fight. The behaviors that you, as a dog owner, consider destructive and bad are just signs that your dog is bored. Dogs need to have their brains teased and their muscles exercised, just like their human counterparts.

A daily exercise routine is very important for a dog. A dog that is left inside all day without any exercise and stimulation will become irritable and less likely to follow your commands. Not only is it important that a dog receive at least 30 minutes of play time a day to exert all of his/her stress and excess energy, but exercise is essential in maintaining a dog’s health. Daily exercise leads to joint health, heart health, and increased lung function. Don’t think of dog walking as just playtime for your dog, but as a maintenance program to keep your dog healthy and strong!

This is where Pawsitively Marvelous steps in. Pawsitively Marvelous was created to give dogs an opportunity to grow, exercise, and socialize during the day while you are away. With the dog walking Pawsitively Marvelous provides, your dog will get plenty of fresh air, off-leash exercise, and socialization. All of these activities will provide your dog with an outlet for his/her abundant energy, creating a healthy, happy dog, most likely diminishing the chances of destructive behavior and loneliness during the day.

It is Pawsitively Marvelous’s mission to give our human clients the peace of mind that their dog is in capable hands during the day, getting the needed exercise to be a happy healthy dog! Pawsitively Marvelous recognizes that all dogs need exercise to be strong and healthy, emotionally and physically. You can be assured that your dog has had a great day playing with his/her friends and getting the necessary exercise needed to maintain his/her health. Remember that a tired dog equals a stress-free, happy owner! We want your “end of the day” experience at home to be greeted with a tail wag and kisses.

Woof

$20/hour for dog walking. $30/night for pet sitting. $15/visit for drop-in care. Bathing, toothbrushing, brush-out and chauffeur services provided at reasonable rates. References available upon request.

Pet Visiting

Hello ! We are Kay and Bob. Our goal is to alleviate the stress and anxiety you and your pets feel when you have to be apart. We will give you peace of mind in knowing that your pets are receiving the most professional and loving care available to keep them happy, healthy and safe in the comfort of their own environment.

DOG WALKING

Does your best friend get the exercise he or she needs?
If you work long hours or just don’t have the energy to keep up with your pets needs, let us give them the exercise they need. We will come to your house while you are at work or when you are at home to give your dog(s) a potty break and slow or fast walk (at their speed). No group walks – your dog(s) get all our love and attention !

DOG WALKING RATES

Initial Interview: No Charge:

15 min. visit $13.00
30 min. visit $15.00
60 min. visit $20.00

BECAUSE THEY’RE HOME ALONE !

We offer pet sitting service for dogs, cats, birds, fish and small animals. Pet care includes walking, playing, watering, feeding, brushing, medication, potty breaks, clean up pet waste, patrol for accidents & clean the pet areas of your home. Your pet will be taken care of the same way they are used to per your instructions giving them alot of love and attention.

Home care is included: watering plants, bring in mail / newspaper, adjust lights, window treatments, or any other crime deterrent requested.

We will text, e-mail or call (whichever way is best for you) after each visit to let you know how your pet is. We want to give you peace of mind while you are apart, after all they are part of the family and very important to us!

PET SITTING RATES:

Initial Interview: No Charge

30 min visit – $18.00 ea
60 min visit – $25.00 ea

*If more than 2 visits a day – call for pricing

RELAX ! Your pets and home are in good care while you
are away !

Serving the Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point and surrounding areas.

Insured & Bonded, Red Cross pet first aide certified, member of National Association of Professional Pet Sitters

References are available

NOT JUST PET CARE . . . PEACE OF MIND!

The Metro Pet

The Metro Pet Offers one on one mid day dog walks, in your home pet sitting for all pets large and small, overnight house sitting, kitty care and more. I am licensed, bonded and insured by Pet Sitters Associates LLC.