Losing a beloved furpal

When one of my client’s dogs – Pebbles, a very cute Jack Russell  - died in January this year, it was a heartbreaking time as anyone who has lost an adored pet knows.

Pebbles had a number of neuroendocrine tumors, but well before discovering this and how ill Pebbles was, her owner had booked me to look after her for a month over Christmas/New Year. It was during the interim she found Pebbles had cancer and treatment began.

Her owner was naturally very worried about going away for such a long period as by then Pebbles was living on borrowed time. But it was not realistic to cancel a longstanding family trip – and as I had already lived-in and looked after Pebbles on a number of previous occasions, Pebbles’ owner knew I would give her every possible care.  In what was to be my final month with Pebbles I barely left her as she had severe anxiety seperataion and got stressed if alone even for a short time. But overall, other than the fact she got tired quickly, Pebbles soldiered on and seemed almost normal.

When her owners came back I was so happy to see Pebbles greet her family - it was joyous reuinion. Pebbles still seemed well too, especially when you knew she had already out lived, by many months,  the usual life expectancy once her type of cancer was diagnosed.

One afternoon, just three weeks after their return, Pebbles took a turn for the worse. She was rushed to her specialist vet – but sadly there was no way back.

Many people with terminal pets ask how they will know when it is time to stop fighting and accept the inevitable. The fact is you always know - as did Pebbles owner. It doesn’t stop the guilt of course, but in your heart you do know when it is time to let you beloved pal move on to find permanent peace. And as awful as it was, Pebbles' owner was able to have her wish granted which was to be with her special girl and hold her at the very end.

During the last few weeks of Pebbles’ life her owner wrote me a wonderful reference which, up to now, I have not had the heart to publish. But I do so many months on as a mark of thanks to her for taking to time to write it. It is also time for me to pay my respects to one smashing little dog.

RIP dear Pebbles – you might have been small, but you had a giant heart - and those that loved you think about you still.

  

Testimonial for Maralyn Nash of Perfect Pet Sitter

  

We have a 14 year old Jack Russell named Pebbles. Last year we realised that it wasn't fair to put Pebbles in a kennel while we were away, and we trawled the Net to find a live in Petsitter. We located Maralyn Nash of Perfect Petsitter, met her and immediately warmed to her, and she pet sat for us 3 times in 2014.

Shortly after the first sit in March 2014, Pebbles was diagnosed with cancer. We were of course devastated as she is like one of our children, and up until then had seemed a fit and healthy dog who loved walking long distances and had lots of energy. After investigating a few options for her treatment, she was put on Palladia, a new cancer medication for animals and has been on these tablets for 10 months. While her energy levels are quite low these days, and she is on other medications now to stabilize her general health, she is still enjoying life, eating everything in sight, loves a swim at the beach and a sniff at the park, and even picks up her toys and tries to get us to play a game.

Maralyn looked after Pebbles for 4 weeks from December 2014. I was very anxious to leave her as her health wasn't great when we left and she had various Vet visits scheduled, lots of medications to take, and we didn't really know how she would progress while we were away.

Every day while we were overseas, Maralyn emailed me with a detailed report of how Pebbles was, what she had eaten, her bowel movements (important given the meds she is on), what the Vets had said and any changes to medications, how she seemed generally, along with photos of her. This meant so much to me as she is such an important part of our family, and it made me much less anxious knowing she had such consistent, loving care in her own home. Pebbles sleeps on our bed at home and Maralyn allowed her to still do this so she felt totally comfortable with her carer.

I cannot recommend Maralyn highly enough not only for her wonderful, loving care of Pebbles, but also for keeping in touch so diligently and making sure we knew exactly what was going on. She also took Pebbles to the Vet whenever needed and looked after our house beautifully and took care of any suppliers who were scheduled.

Maralyn is a reliable, trustworthy, compassionate, loving lady who obviously adores animals, and I would have no hesitation recommending her service to anyone who requires the best petcare available.

Yours faithfully

Jane J

The 4 worst Dog Walker Scams – are you being duped?

At Perfect Pet Sitter we care for your pets as you would. For example, when living-in and minding our clients dogs we walk them daily. Exercise is included free because we know the importance of exercise to dogs - that means running, playing and above all, MOVING. So you never see Perfect Pet Sitter stand around when taking your dogs out.

NB  Three of us took out four dogs (not one walker to four). Me (taking pic) with Amber & Freya, Gail was responsible for Zara & Claire (not pictured) came for the fun with her own dog Elly.

We take  photos of your dog during their outing however, we’ve taken things much further by embracing  smartphone GPS technology. I use an App called STRAVA which records detailed data including:- 

• a GPS recorded Map showing every footstep
• the time of day your dog's exercise began
• where we were
• the start and finish points
• the distance covered
• Elapsed time (Elapsed is the total time your dog was out).

Immediately the walk ends I send my Clients who are away or on holiday a link by email or text which takes them to my Strava account. With one click they see not only photos but also the map and the comprehensive data. - click HERE to see a live version but examples are also below:

It’s easy to do – so why don't those who walk dogs for a living do this? I’m afraid the truth is that with some ‘dog walkers’, the last thing they would want is for you to see exactly how little they actually do. 

Beware of Dog Walker Scams!

I know from what I see at my local Oval there are a significant number of walkers who are not worthy of the name. And these people would hate you to find out that although you're paying for an hour your dog is lucky if it gets 30 minutes - and a lot of that spent in one place. Could your walker be one of these? How do you know what they’re up to if they give you nothing but the bill?

THE TOP 4 SCAMS:
Here is what typically happens with some of these people who simply see your dog as $.

SCAM ONE: PILE 'EM HIGH

Professional Dog Walkers stick to the legal maximum – 4 dogs to one person. But the Scammer regularly exceeds the legal maximum number of dogs: it is common to see 5 dogs per person – but some bring 6 and even 7. With so many the ‘walker’ cannot possibly keep a proper watch on each one so your dog gets left to it’s own devices for long periods.

Walkers who don’t care about breaking the law by taking too many dogs are the self same ones who ‘accidentally miss’ or ‘happen not to see’ poos dogs in their group are doing. Stray excrement is left for other people to clear up -  not something I enjoy doing but it cannot be left.

SCAM TWO: HALF TIMERS
You booked and are paying for say, an hour, and believe your dog is going to get a full 60 mins exercise, right?  WRONG - with some of these jokers you’ll be lucky your dog gets 30  minutes. How do I know? Because during my hour walks my dogs and I move the whole time (as you will see by some of my maps attached).  But after I’ve been walking a time I frequently see the Scammer Walkers arriving (often with too many dogs). When I am still there walking to continue my hour, I see these same groups leaving. They arrive after me and leave when I am still there completing my hour -  their time there?  30-35mins on average.

SCAM THREE: TOO MUCH TALKING, NOT ENOUGH WALKING
This one infuriates me above all – even while having your dog out half the time they are supposed to  - your dog may not even benefit from that short time. Why? Because Scammer Walkers meet up with their mates – there might be two or three ‘walkers’ supposedly watching 5 to 7 dogs each. But I see them standing on the spot - not doing any WALKING - but doing plenty of TALKING.

Occasionally a ball is given a cursory throw. But some of the dogs are on leads and going nowhere. The others that are loose are not being watched and often get into scrapes, or even fights, because they are not doing what they want – which is to move with their pack.

SCAM FOUR: RISK TAKING
Not insured. Every dog walker should have professional indemnity – Scammer walkers rarely do.

Summary

I am not a dog walker but do know a few good dog walking professionals who I totally trust, respect and am happy to recommend. They carry out the exercise time they contract, stick to the legal number of dogs, and they do the ‘Walkie Talkie’ (that is, keep moving with their dogs and not simply stand around) and they genuinely care for their Clients' dogs.

HOW TO ELIMINATE THE SCAMMERS & FIND A GOOD WALKER
So, lets not mince words – not all dog walkers are the same. and some are downright bad. Not only are they unprofessional, but there are some real horror stories about  ‘walkers’ who are, in reality, nothing less than Frauds. Here's my guide to finding a good walker:

Zara, a regular, at Graham Res

DON’T haggle to get a ‘bargain’ walk.  If a walker is willing to discount alarm bells should ring! It is not cheap when your dog ends up getting half the time you’re paying for joining an illegal 5+ pack. They can be standing like a statue or left running around on their own and  not being monitored because the walker is too busy chatting to know, or care, where they are. 

DO get two or more recommendations - even walkers who do not discount will not necessarily be professional in everything they do. 
Most of all, do ask the following:-
1) What is the maximum number of dogs you take out to each walker?
2) Will my dog get 60 mins (or whatever you are paying for) exercise?
3) Where do you take my dog and do you meet with other walkers?
4) Do you have full business insurance covering you to walk dogs?

FINALLY    
Unless you ask, how do you know what your walker is up to? If you want your dog to be safe and exercised properly do your homework. Be careful about booking someone based on trust - until you know for sure you can. Your dog, their welfare and their safety, are too important.

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I am only able to attach to this blog a minute number of the hundreds of logged walks and photos we have on record from when we exercise the dogs we live in and look after. Example Hunter - a big and active Wire Haired Pointer - took her for a special outing to Centennial Park for a terrific run in the woods there. Also pictured Freya (Lab X Boxer) playing with Toffee (RR).  Jake and Benny Border Collies. Also pictures of Elly my daughter's Boxer playing with Hunter at Bay View. No wonder the dogs I care for round the clock miss me when I go!

Lilo, Amber, Leo & Indi - a Perfect Pet Sitter Perfect pack!

Hunter & Elly at Bay View

Freya & Amber at Bantry Bay

Freya at Graham Reserve

Freya playing with Toffee 

Hunter at Centennial Park

My 'mates' when I'm at home, Jake & Benny

If you wish to be put in touch with a good dog walker feel free to call me and I will be happy to recommend. For info call me on  0422 359 278

Unique 3 step check to finding the best breed for you

‘What breed will fit with our lifestyle?’ Perfect Pet Sitter believes this is a key question everyone should ask themselves before taking on the responsibility of a dog. Here are some really helpful pointers to answer this vital question.

A good place to find out more is to understand why breeds are categorised into 7 dog Groups:

Gun dog group

Hound

Pastoral

Terrier

Toy

Utility

Working group

Extensive information is available on line about each of the 7 Groups where you will find descriptions of look, size, personality and traits of every breed.  As well as being highly informative, you discover surprising facts. For example, wouldn’t you think Border Collies would be classified as working dogs? In fact they are in the Pastoral dog Group where you find many cattle/herding dogs – but also, and looking out of place, Corgis. However, they were herding dogs centuries ago.

Once you’ve looked at the Groups, a key next step is to take an honest and objective look at your circumstances. Doing this can make the difference between making a great match – or doggie disaster.

PERFECT PET SITTER'S 3 STEP CHECK:

Physical match:

Size is a very obvious first factor to keep in mind as we are often drawn by the size of a dog. Some large breeds are ‘all show and no go’ such as Great Danes who, whilst big, don’t need masses of exercise. But others are big AND strong AND active (such as Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Weimaraners and Pointers.) Keep in mind big dogs (especially when pups) can be clumsy. As such they might not ideal for a family with small children who can get bowled over.

As a potential owner it's helpful to keep in mind your age and physical limits when taking on a big dog. As we age and so does our big dog, will we be able to lift them to help them in and out of the car if needed? 

Zara one of our regulars finding another RR to play with

Example, someone I know had a Rhodesian Ridgeback who had been quiet & sedate for years before he eventually died at 12.  Missing him she bought a beautiful RR puppy. This puppy is only 10 months but is already big and very powerful. Also, like every other puppy, she’s living up to her job description of playing, jumping, lunging and pulling. This challenging puppy phase can last two years. I can't help thinking that for this petite lady, now in her 70’s, a doggie down size might have been a better option as she will be in her 80's when her dog is 10.

Nice little dogs, Chilli & Jack Russell cheeky Sie

When we realise a large dog is no longer practical, it could be time to ‘doggie down size’. For a small dog with a great personality, check out Jack Russells. JRs - big dogs that happen to be in little bodies – active, feisty and full of doggitude. I’ve got to know many of them as Perfect Pet Sitter and the more I meet, the more I like them. But some can be inclined to nip unless the have an experienced dog owner. 

I've looked after Cavoodles and Shitzu crosses and all have their own endearing ways. Ideal is to chat to someone who already owns a breed you are thinking about and ask them some questions (although keep in mind, most people will favour their choice and tell you their breed is best!)

Molly aka the Moppet: -
cute little Shitzu!

Energy match: 

Most dogs need to be taken out daily – ideally for an hour. In some cases some breeds would be happier with more than that. (In my previous blog I compared two highly active dogs – one from the Gun Dog Group (a Pointer) with a dog from the Pastoral Group [a Border Collie]  *You can view that blog here). Be honest - do you have not just the energy, but the willingness to devote the time needed to exercise if it's an active breed you’re considering? Will you take them out every day?  If that's not realistic then fine, but look for a breed that will not be stressed if it misses a walk occasionally and/or doesn’t need long walks.
Here are just a few examples:
British Bulldog; Greyhound; Pug.

Fabulous Freya - Lab X Boxer

Environmental match:
Your dog’s environment is vital. A home with small children means you need a dog that can cope with rough and tumble and never retaliate. So a very small dog could get hurt by children who sometimes don’t realise their strength. Equally, as mentioned earlier, big dogs are sometimes clumsy and can unintentionally knock children off their feet.

And what about your home? Dogs need somewhere sheltered from heat, sun, rain and cold – and they need to be safe. If you have to work, where will your dog be housed during the day? If indoors will it have access to the outside? If outside is it going to bother your neighbours barking because it’s bored? Most of all, can you truly give a dog the life it deserves?

On the left is a cracking cross - Freya. She is half boxer and half Labrador and her nature is a wonderful mixture of both breeds. She lives with a two year old boy and is bomb proof. He can climb on her, pull her ears - the lot - she simply walks away if she's had enough!

          

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There are so many wonderful dogs it really is worth the time to do a little homework to find the right one for you.

Taking the time to do that research and answer the above questions could help match you with the right breed so you can look forward to many years of pleasure with your chosen furpal.

TOP TIP

Every dog needs a place in the home where it can retreat and know it will be left in peace. It’s own bed in, ideally in a corner, where it can be quiet and relax and know it will not be disturbed. This is a key factor in a dog’s mental welfare. If children are new to dogs they need to know when the family puppy (or adult dog) goes to their bed, they should not be disturbed.