Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, House Sitting – Gold Coast

Posts Tagged ‘dog walkers’

Boredom and variety are always inter-connected in cases of dog misbehaving. Yes. This is true. Many times, boredom can be managed with variety of materials that will distract the animals to a greater extent.  Hence, the dog may not do the abnormal or unwanted activity arising out of the boredom experienced by it.

Bored dogs may have different types of behavioral patterns.  For example, some dogs will be seen barking continuously and some may be engaged always in some digging activities.

There are many ways to get your dog out of its boredom activities. Many toys can stimulate your dog and you do not have to spend a fortune usually.   Investing in a KONG and filling it with Vitamin Gel (and letting the Gel freeze) is a great boredom buster. If they don’t like the gel, put some of their favourite kibble (dry food) in the kong and “plug” up the ends with some peanut butter. To make it extra tricky, freeze the KONG so as the peanut butter is frozen too.

These may be kept inside the crate and in particular, puppies love these items.  A buster cube with multiple treats may be placed in the dog’s shelter and the animal soon understands on how to roll the buster cube to get the treats it prefers. A Buster Cube is an ingenious toy used for simulating and activating your dog during play and feed time.  Instead of placing the food monotonously in one place, change the place of feeding suddenly.

Dog love to work for their food so make a game of it thru the use of a buster cube or even other activities.

Such actions will be helpful for removing the boredom like activity in your dog. Activities pertaining to boredom need to be redefined well by the dog owners.  This will help them to a greater extent to drive away the unwanted behavior patterns in their pet dogs.

For example, some dogs may often have destructive biting characters and will be seen biting chair, cloth, mats, and everything they can see. After ruling out the teething problem if it is a puppy, provide  it with some large sized balls, mineral mixture based bone materials, etc. Such variety of materials help to reduce the boredom related activities.

One of the best ways to help alleviate boredom in your dog is to employ a dog walker.  Gold Coast Pet Sitting offers dog walks as well as doggie adventures or doggie daycare within your home. All Gold Coast Pet Sitting Dog Walkers try to provide physical as well as mental stimulation so as you have a tired (yet happy) dog !

What are some of the ways you help alleviate boredom in your dogs ?

Dog owners love to think of their dogs as children.  “That’s my baby,” they’ll say when referring to their dogs.  They’ll refer to themselves as “Mommy” or “Daddy” when talking to their dogs as well.  And, of course, they buy their dogs toys to play with.  Choosing the right dog toys can be tricky.  People like to get cute, squeaky toys for their dogs or give them stuffed animals to chew on and carry around (the stuffed toy becomes the dog’s “baby” quite often – “Get your baby, checkers!  Checkers, where’s your baby?”) because they think it’s “adorable.”  Dog toys don’t need to be “cute.”  They need to be practical, fun for the dog, durable, and safe.

Avoid Non-Toy “Toys”

For as lovable, loyal, friendly, and playful as they are, dogs are not the brightest creatures.  They are naturally attracted to things that can cause them the most harm.  It’s important to start early with your dog, providing save toys to chew and play with while teaching the animal to avoid household items it may wish to use as toys.  Dogs love to chew on pantyhose, for example, but these could easily be partially ingested, choking the dog.  Some dogs will chew on power cords, risking a harmful (or fatal) electric shock.  Teach your dog early on what things are for chewing and playing and what things are off limits.

The Best, Safest Dog Toys

The size of a toy is an important consideration.  Kongs, balls, and other typical toys must be small enough that the dog can chew them and carry them, but not so small that they can become lodged in the dog’s mouth or throat.

Durability is a factor, especially for a dog that loves to chew.  A toy that will break apart easily can become a hazard as the small, sharp parts can be swallowed, caught in the throat, or cut the mouth and gums.  Again, a hard rubber Kong (easily one of the best dog toys ever conceived) is an excellent choice.

Softer toys, like the popular “squeak” toys made of thin plastic and full of air are good for dogs that are a bit gentler.  They’re unlikely to chew through such items and are usually attracted by the squeaking sound.

Tennis balls are great for some dogs, but poor choices for others.  This is a question of size ratios.  If the dog is too small to fit a tennis ball all the way in its mouth, then it can be an excellent toy that the dog will love but costs very little.  If the ball can fit all the way in the dog’s maw, however, it becomes a choking hazard.

Related articles

• Why Does My Dog Love to Play with His Stuffed Toys? (brighthub.com)
• Fun With Kongs! (wlte.radio.com)
• Useful Dog Tricks Video (doggies.com)
• Humans baffled by dog toys (alphadogblogger.wordpress.com)

Initially inspired by Cesar Milan’s “Fun Fact Friday”  - As admin I made the decision to do the same so as we can learn more about the wonderful animals in our lives as well as in the world at large.   Unlike Tip Tuesday, these are “animal facts”.  Tip Tuesday is about helping provide the best type of care for Pet Parents !

Just search “tip tuesday” or “fun fact friday” in the search bar at the side to find all our blog posts.  ENJOY !

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Angela Love from http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hugalicious-Ragdolls/170819502928084 has the following fun facts to share with us !!

Fun Cat Fact - The largest cat breed is the Ragdoll. Males weigh twelve to twenty pounds, with females weighing ten to fifteen pounds. The smallest cat breed is the Singapura. Males weigh about six pounds while females weigh about four pounds.

Fun Cat Fact - If your cat is near you, and her tail is quivering, this is the greatest expression of love your cat can give you. If her tail starts thrashing, her mood has changed — Time to distance yourself from her.

Fun Cat Fact - The average age for an indoor cat is 15 years, while the average age for an outdoor cat is only 3 to 5 years.

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Have you any fun facts you can share with us ?

This information has been provided to you from Vanessa, the owner of Gold Coast Pet Sitting.
For more information please go to http://www.goldcoastpets.com.au  

From PetSitUSA’s blog:

If you’re looking for a pet sitter for the first time, you really need to get busy. You’ll need to  allow for enough time to meet with at least one pet sitter before you hire someone. Since you’re hiring someone to care for your pet and home, you don’t want feel rushed into making a decision that may not be a good fit. Planning early can help.

If you already have a relationship with a pet sitter, and need pet care between now and the end of the year, give him or her a call right away! If not, you’ll risk hearing, “I’m sorry, but I”m booked!”

{ read full article here }

If you are a current client of Gold Coast Pet Sitting, I’m already “book out” for Live In House Sitting and Overnights on select dates. If you are a new client, I would strongly advise you to get into action sooner rather than later:  we do offer two free meet n greets with every booking to help you.

As I am the Founder of the Network of Professional Pet Carers Gold Coast, if I cannot be of assistance I will be able to be of assistance to you by finding the appropriate available pet carer for your requirements.  At the same time, the majority of Network members are already quite busy for the last two weeks of December and first week of January.

I bought this book in late September. I love it.  I’m sharing some of it with you here.  You can also download a preview of the eBook [ here ] — xox Aunty Vanessa

101 Ways to Keep Your Dog Entertained

by Sarah McMullen

[ BUY NOW ]

In 101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained Sarah McMullen shows you how to enrich your dogs life & prevent and solve behaviour problems by starting at home. Sarah’s informative & light hearted style guides you step by step…..giving you the keys to help prevent serious problems like separation anxiety, and solving many destructive and unacceptable behaviour problems.

Full of practical, innovative suggestions that will benefit both you and your dog

Discover…

• Over 101 ways to keep your dog entertained
• Valuable information for home alone dogs
• Welfare and safety considerations
• Low cost ideas
• Ideas for interactive entertainment
• Training and health care ideas & instruction
• The best toys & items you can buy
• And much more!

101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained is a MUST HAVE for Every Dog Owner!

YOUR DOG WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT!

Here’s a sample:

LOW COST IDEAS

Treasure Hunt – Hide treats before going out.

Have you bought this eBook ?  What did you think of it ?

Have you tried the Treasure Hunt idea ?  What was your experience ?

Search 101 Ways in the search box to the right to find more ideas from this marvellous eBook !

I bought this book in late September. I love it.  I’m sharing some of it with you here.  You can also download a preview of the eBook [ here ] — xox Aunty Vanessa

101 Ways to Keep Your Dog Entertained

by Sarah McMullen [ BUY NOW ]

In 101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained Sarah McMullen shows you how to enrich your dogs life & prevent and solve behaviour problems by starting at home. Sarah’s informative & light hearted style guides you step by step…..giving you the keys to help prevent serious problems like separation anxiety, and solving many destructive and unacceptable behaviour problems.

Full of practical, innovative suggestions that will benefit both you and your dog

Discover…

• Over 101 ways to keep your dog entertained
• Valuable information for home alone dogs
• Welfare and safety considerations
• Low cost ideas
• Ideas for interactive entertainment
• Training and health care ideas & instruction
• The best toys & items you can buy
• And much more!

101 Ways to Keep your Dog Entertained is a MUST HAVE for Every Dog Owner!

YOUR DOG WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT!

Here’s a sample:

LOW COST IDEAS

Empty Ice-cream Containers

You may wish to hide a treat underneath.  You can also use them with a lid and treats inside. Place some treats inside and attach the lid. See how long it takes them to work it out!

Have you bought this eBook ?  What did you think of it ?

Have you tried the Empty Ice Cream Container idea ?  What was your experience ?

Search 101 Ways in the search box to the right to find more ideas from this marvellous eBook !

Tess (Left) + Kimba (Right) | Photo by Vanessa | © Gold Coast Pet Sitting - All rights reserved

From Vanessa (The Owner):

1 – My clients (the dogs) always have a positive attitude !

2 – Plenty of the pet parents have commented on my slender frame – this is because my “job” keeps me fit !  At the same time, do not underestimate my strength.

3 – I love making Marnie jealous !

4 – I’m a forever student amongst the animals.  Animals are the best teachers and listeners in the world.

5 – My love for all the animals in my care and life is endless and it is returned ten-fold.

Connor (Left) + Tosh (Right) | Photo by Francy | © Gold Coast Pet Sitting - All rights reserved

From Francy:

1 – It’s not work, it’s going out for a play with my four-legged friends

2 – A dog’s tail wag is not fake and wider than any human’s smile !

3 – Your “customers” are always happy to see you

4 – Because walking, running, playing and laughing keeps you very healthy

5 – As a professional pet sitter I get to “hang out” with a great variety of all kinds of animals and also discover some great hidden walks, lakes and forests on the Gold Coast !

As a founding member of the Gold Coast Network of Professional Pet Carers, I’ve noticed the business of dog sitting has grown considerably! Dog sitters make sure that your beloved pet is walked and fed properly while you are away or at work.  Dog sitters are also known as pet carers, pet sitting, dog minders or dog walkers.

If you’re trying to figure out what to look for in a professional dog sitter, consider the following:

• What is your budget ?

Whilst using a friend, family member, neighbourhood kid and so forth is the obvious affordable option as they will do it for free I can assure you as a professional pet carer who has “job shared” with family friends or relatives or neighbours, the saying “you get what you pay for” (or in this case do not pay) is true.  These people have their own lives and usually their own animals thus may not put the needs of your animal(s) at the top of their list or even miss visits because they know you have employed the services of a professional dog sitter.

At the same time, using someone who is obviously doing this for some extra side cash or a paying hobby (thus not charging the same price as professional services like us at Gold Coast Pet Sitting) isn’t always the next best option.  No doubt they have a passion/love for animals (and may have plenty of their own) or else they would not have opted to do this for some extra cash or a paying hobby!  Please be very aware that these people are doing this around their current life and jobs.  They will most likely be doing it all by themselves without a support network behind them or even procedures/systems in place for all the situations that can arise or just not have the same professionalism. Since they are not a full time business (only a paying hobby or extra side income), their own lives will come first.  Even the vet nurse working at your vet who is offering dog walking or pet sitting isn’t the best option.  This vet nurse has to be available for any last minute emergencies at her current workplace first and foremost thus may work long hours.  If you work long hours that are emotionally and physically draining (“on your feet”), you know you are not always going to be operating at your best at the end of the day.

• Does your dog sitter have an Australian Business Number, Company Number and/or Registered Business Name ?

This along with the next point below is the huge point of difference between someone doing this as a hobby or extra income versus a professional dog sitter.  Leaving the care of your beloved animals should be approached just like you would if you were to hire any contractor such as a plumber or electrician.  This shows that the person has determined they want to be different and more professional than the “kid next door”.

Just a note in regards to registered business names: after the first year of having the business name it costs the owner of the name to acquire a current certificate from the Office of Fair Trading. Not all business owners will opt to purchase this certificate + instead will give you their current business name number instead. If you really want to do your research, you’ll have to invest up to $50 to get a “business name extract” from the Office of Fair Trading to receive further details (such as when the business name is due for renewal, if it is a current business name, and so forth.

You can check to see if a business name is currently registered by clicking here and you can check if someone’s ABN is in fact their own ABN by clicking here.  It is illegal for someone to use an ABN that is NOT in their own name.

• Does the dog sitter have their own public liability insurance ?  Can they show you a copy of the certificate of insurance ?

Do not just take their word that they are insured.  Organisations such as Australian and New Zealand Pet Sitting Organisation will only list businesses who have shown proof of insurance – ask for the same proof when you meet them!  It is easy for anyone to “say” they are insured.  This insurance will also help with your peace of mind.  This person is taking the responsibility of the care of your home and property (which includes your animals as they are legally considered property) seriously. This point alone can separate a lot of people because insurance is costly and some people are not planning to do this for that long.

• Trust Google versus the Yellow Pages

If the business fails to show within the first or second page of your organic (not paid) search results on Google please do not bother with them as a business.  Anyone can be listed in the Yellow Pages – it doesn’t take any skill, effort or investment to have a basic listing.  Not just anyone can be listed and show up on the first or second page of organic (not paid – ignore the yellow paid listings) search results on Google.  This takes an investment by a person whether their own time, effort and/or skill or hiring someone else to do so.  This also reflects on the quality of the business too.

When searching for professional pet carers to join the Gold Coast Network of Professional Pet Carers, I did use the Yellow Pages online to contact people. The difference between the quality of professionalism with the people I found via Google and the people listed within the Yellow Page astounded me !  It still does to this day.

Along the same lines, check that the website you are visiting is up-to-date!

• Find an independent website to search for reviews and check references

I encourage this even with my own business.  Anyone can create a testimonials page!

Gold Coast Pet Sitting purposefully became a member of the Ask Erni directory of businesses because it is independent.  The team behind Ask Erni will interview businesses (as they did me) to ensure they are a good fit for the directory.  This ensures you, as the consumer, are only given quality business listing within this resource.

Do not trust reviews you see on Google Maps as these can be created by anyone with an email account. There is no real verification in these reviews.

I hope the above has been of assistance in helping you to find the best dog sitter for you.

By Ebrown

Many people feel that they are limited in their choices for the pets they can own when it comes to apartment living. The pet shouldn’t be too large, noisy, smelly, annoying, etc. However, people with this idea are not thinking outside of the box. Come on people! Expand that mind and just think about all of the small furry (and not-so-furry) creatures that could bring fun and joy to your life.

First, one of my favorite animals for apartment living is the classic kitty cat. I am partial to cats because I like my independence, which is something they cherish also. That’s not to say dogs aren’t wonderful – they are super fun to cuddle with and make you feel happier when you’re sad. However, cats have an advantage on dogs for apartment living as they are generally smaller, make less noise, and don’t have to be let out to do their business. Another plus for cats: you can leave for a whole day and not worry that they’re going to starve or pee all over your carpet.

Now bear with me on this one: I love rats. I know, it sounds nasty, but from every rat owner I’ve ever listened to, they are amazing pets! Despite the reputation of being dirty animals, rats are actually quite clean and affectionate pets. They are social animals, so having two of them (preferably the same sex) will keep them happy and provide you with entertainment! Rats are a little larger than mice, so they are easier to hold and with human interaction, they are sure to be a friendly critter.

On the flip side, a few pets I am NOT fond of (although I hear they make good apartment pets):

• Snakes (not because they’re “scary”, but because they eat my friend mouse and just lie there for the most part)

• Fish (they do not provide me with enough entertainment)

• Birds (so loud and messy, way too annoying for me)

• Ferrets (although they can be quite funny to watch, I’ve had personal bad experiences with one evil ferret…and they smell disgusting!)

So there you have it. My suggestions for some fun critters to liven up your life. Let us know what type of animals you have found to make awesome pets, send pictures of your sweet cuddle bugs in, or disagree and argue me with the animals I have chosen!

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