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Tag: dog walker

Looking for Success in Life? Get Yourself a Pet!

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Uncategorized.

Did you know there are potential links between pet ownership and success? Some of the most successful entrepreneurs today have pets and are making their office spaces pet friendly too! Even the greats of the past like Theodore Roosevelt knew the importance of pets! So, are you looking for another reason to get one? Maybe your future spouse is on the fence about Fido? Let us walk you through all the reasons your pet can make you a success!

How your pet can make you a success!

  • Beat that stress! – Being a success can be stressful! As your business and influence grows, so does your work load. Having a pet can help you manage the workload when you’re in that transition period before your successful enough to delegate some of your duties. Studies have shown that even people who say they don’t like animals experience reduced stress by petting one!
  • They build confidence!  – Everyone needs someone to believe in them, or someone to comfort them after a failure. Your pet will always be happy to see you! Pets often prove to be an emotional “safe-haven” for people. This allows for some recovery time after a blunder and helps people get back on their feet quicker and stronger! These are important skills for success!
  • They build connections! –  This applies more to dog owners than cat owners, but pet ownership has been proven to increase your social skills. Maybe this is because of all those trips to the dog park? Or maybe this is also related to that confidence boost? Either way, pet owners are often more social and better at networking.

Are you worried that the extra responsibility of pet ownership could cancel out these benefits? Consider hiring a pet nanny or dog walker to help keep up with pet duties. That way, you get all the great benefits of animal kinship without all the stress!

 

Photo by BRUNO CERVERA on Unsplash

Staying Healthy in the Heat – Summer Pet Edition

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Uncategorized.

the dirt and sniff new smells! We’re talking about your dog of course, not you! But as the season moves on the heat can start to be dangerous to you and your pet. No body is in the mood for another month or two of being shut up indoors. So how can you make sure that you and your pet are staying healthy and active? Here are our top tips!

Staying Healthy in the Heat

  • Stay Active, Safely – It’s important that your pet still gets their exercise, even as the temperature soar. There are several ways you can do this without too much threat of heat exhaustion. The first is to make sure that you or your dog walker time the walks to take place early in the morning or late in the evening when the heat is less intense. Another way is to spend your outdoor time next to bodies of water. This gives your pet the opportunity to cool off when they need to. Who doesn’t love a game of water fetch, anyways?
  • Lots of water – Make sure your pet is getting lots of water. A well hydrated pet can regulate their body temperature better than a dehydrated one. They will need more water than they do in the winter so be prepared for this. Get a larger water dish if you or a Pet Nanny won’t be available to keep an eye on and refill the water throughout the day. When you take your pet out, it’s also a good idea to bring a bowl and bottle of water with you as well.
  • Stop traveling with them – It might be no big deal to take your pup with you while you run errands in the cooler months. They likely benefit from the outings. In the summer though, it is NEVER okay to leave your pet in the car while you run in – even for a second, and even if you leave the window cracked. It can take less than 10 minutes for a parked car to reach deadly temperatures. Leave your pets at home unless you are exclusively going to a pet friendly destination where they can join you.

A happy and safe summer to all!

 

Photo by Robson Hatsukami Morgan on Unsplash

Sleep and Your Pet – How Much Is Just Right?

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Fun Articles, Health and Safety.

In case you didn’t notice, sleep plays a big role in your pets life! It may seem like your pet just sleeps all day. Do you really know how much your pet needs though? Or how much they are actually getting? It can be hard to tell when they doze in lots of short increments, taking “cat naps” throughout the day.

Just like with humans, sleep is an important time for pets to bodies to replenish themselves. It’s important they get plenty of undisturbed rest. Let’s find out how much and how to ensure it happens!

 

How much sleep does your pet need?

DOGS
Your average pooch will need about twelve to fourteen hours of sleep. Thats about four more hours than us! This amount will vary based on your dogs size, breed, and age too. New born pups will sleep A LOT more than a rambunctious puppy of a couple months old. They can clock in at about twenty hours in one day! Likewise, older dogs will tend to sleep more too. They tire more easily and need more time to replenish their bodies and energy levels.

Fun Fact – Wild dogs and wolves will sleep more than their domesticated counterparts. They expend more energy in the pursuit of food and need more time to rest – especially if food is scarce.

CATS
Cats can actually teach dogs a thing or two about some shut-eye. Your average cat will clock in about twelve to sixteen hours in one day! Now it’s just a shame they can’t get most of that in while we’re trying to sleep too… Just like puppies, new born kittens will spend around twenty hours sleeping.

Many people believe that cats are nocturnal, which isn’t entirely true. They are actually most active at dawn and dusk – when most prey animals are active too. Though, they are more prone to doze away more daytime hours than those during the night.

Make their sleep better

Both cats and dogs do better when they have private places, out the way of your daily life, to catch some zzzz’s. Even if your pet “sleeps” with you at night, make sure they have a place to go during the day too. Cats will also rest better after a feast, so if you’re wanting a quiet night, try feeding your cat at night. This will equate to a “dusk feeding” for them. Both pets will also benefit from lots of options for activity, exercise and playtime. Don’t skimp on it! Consider a dog walker or Pet Nanny if you can’t meet their needs.

For even more amazing helpful tips and fun information about your pets sleep habits check out Tuck!

 

Moving With Pets And Kids – A Step-By-Step Guide

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Pet tip of the Week.

A Step-By-Step Guide To Moving With Pets And Kids

Moving into a new home can be one of the most taxing circumstances of your life. You’re not just transferring all your belongings, you’re changing your life around. It’s no surprise that some people believe moving into a new home is more stressful than getting a divorce. As taxing as it can be, preparing pets and/or kids could make it even more taxing — as the emotional weight they carry throughout the process can be even greater.

For pets and young children, habits are very important. Children experience constant changes as they develop and grow, so the security of familiarity — such as bedrooms or backyards — provides some much-needed stability in their lives. For pets, any changes to their schedules and surroundings can be displeasing. In both cases, moving to a new house can throw their lives into upheaval. Unless you pay special attention to their needs before, during and after the move, children and pets could become withdrawn, scared or depressed.

Luckily, there are some steps you can take to make the process potentially less taxing for your pets and children. For example, you can help kids adjust to the idea of moving by letting them choose the color of their new bedrooms. With pets, you can help them adjust by taking them for long car rides (if you’re traveling a long-distance). Packing your children’s favorite toys in the same box can help them feel more comfortable by being aware of where they are, not to mention easily handy after move. Leaving pets with a sitter could help to keep them occupied. Once you arrive at the new house, you can help kids and pets settle in by arranging their belongings as similar as possible to the layout in the old house. You can also help your pets by ensuring they don’t get neglected during all the unpacking. Consider a dog walker to get them some exercise!

These and other tips for all stages of the relocation process can be found in the guide created by University Moving and Storage below.

Travel Season – How to Care For Your Pets!

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Pet tip of the Week.

The holiday season is fast approaching! Between the pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, and roast Christmas goose there are lots of opportunities for travel. Traveling with your family doesn’t always mean traveling with your pet. What do you do when you have to be away though? This separation can be hard on you, but even harder on your pet since they don’t understand. Here are some of our top options for pet care while your celebrating!

Pet Options For Holiday Travel

  • Find a friend! – If you can’t be with your pet and have to go away overnight, finding a good friend or family member who your pet is familiar with to check on them. Having someone your pet loves visit, care for their needs, and spend a little play time with them is ideal. Your friend can’t make it every day? See if your pet can stay with them!
  • Take them with you! – If you can travel easily with your pet, why not? They can love road trips too! Map out a route with lots of pet friendly stops. Just make sure that the family or friends your traveling to are okay hosting your furry friend too! Check out these tips from Meeow Cat on how to travel with your cat!
  • Get a Pet Sitter! – Pet Sitters are great in lieu of a family member or friend! They will visit your pet, make sure they have food & water, administer medication, take them for walks, and sometimes, so much more! Our Pet Sitting services also include House Sitting! We’ll clean out the litter box and pick-up your dry cleaning too!
  • Find a Pet Boarder – This should be your last option. Even great boarding services still place your pet in an unfamiliar atmosphere with strangers and other pets. They can be exposed to illnesses and develop anxiety. They are also frequently more expensive that a pet sitting service.

photo credit: Viv Lynch Falling Leaves via photopin (license)

Pet Tethering Rules Change in Pennsylvania

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Health and Safety, Pet Nanny news.

Pet tethering, or dog chaining has been a hot topic among pet owners for some time. This last August, the mayor of Pennsylvania made his feelings known, increasing rules and penalties concerning pet tethering within the state.

Tethering, or chaining refers to keeping your dog tied to a stationary object, this can include lung lines. Temporary pet tethering can be an acceptable manner of keeping your dog safe while you are away for a short period of time, or keeping your guests free from harassment. The practice is often abused though. Some dogs never get to leave the small area they are confined too, are often tangled and choked, get sores from the collar, and are left without adequate shelter. Here at Pet Nanny, we are happy to see some new laws enacted to help keep animals safe!

What Are The New Pet Tethering Laws?

  • You may not leave your dog tethered for more than nine hours within any 24-hour time frame.
  • You may not tether your pet in temperatures above 90 degrees or below 30 degrees, for more than 30 minutes.
  • The tether holding your animal must be longer than three times the length of your pet, or at least 10 feet.
  • They must have access to water and shade.
  • No tow or log chains, choke, pinch, or prong collars allowed anymore.
  • The animal may have no signs or wounds or sores.
  • The area the animal is in must be kept free from excessive waste.
Penalties for breaking any of these rules have been increased as well:
  • Neglect now can bring a sentence from 90 days in jail or a $300 fine all the way up to one year in jail or a $2,000 fine.
  • Cruelty, as a misdemeanor is up to two years in jail or a $5,000 fine. Felony charges are up to seven years in jail or a $15,000 fine.
  • Convicted persons forfeit their rights to their pets.
  • Vets and vet technicians who report animal cruelty in good faith will be shielded from lawsuits.

Long-term pet tethering isn’t an option for having an animal. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to help you keep your pet safe and happy!

photo credit: tubblesnap Still Bored via photopin (license)

Hot Car – A Year Round Threat to Your Pet

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Health and Safety.

Don’t let the changing trees and cool fall breeze fool you. With summer winding down, many pet owners may think it’s okay to leave their pet in the car for “just a few minutes”. Did you know that the temperature in your car rises the most in the first ten minutes of being parked in the sun? “Quick trips” in somewhere will have little effect on how hot your pet becomes. Here is a quick overview of how the temperature in your car changes after being parked:

How Hot Will Your Car Get?

  • The First 10 Minutes: The temperature increases between 10-20 degrees.
  • The First 30 Minutes: The temperature is increasing by an average of over one degree per minute. A car parked in the sun on a 75 degree day will heat up to approximately 105 degrees during a 30 minutes time frame.
  • The First Hour: The temperature inside is, on average, 43 degrees hotter than it is outside.

Sure, cracking a window can help, but only so much. Studies have shown on an 85 degree day, with the windows cracked, interior temperatures still reached 102 degrees in 10 minutes! That’s mighty toasty, especially if you’ve got a fur coat on!

We know it can be hard to leave your pet at home when they give you those eyes and look dejected… Trust us though, a sad pet at home is better than a heat stressed (or worse) pet along for the ride.

 

Thanks to Fred Beans of West Chester for the helpful infographic!

Rehoming Your Pet – Make It Easier Both of You

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Health and Safety.

Rehoming your pet can be a traumatic experience for you both. It’s something no pet owner ever wants to do. We often think that nothing could make us separate from our furbaby, yet dramatic life changes can push us to our limits. Maybe you need to move? Maybe you’re no longer able to physically keep up? Maybe you need to rehome a relative’s pet after their passing? Whatever the reason we’ve put together some helpful tips for how to make rehoming easier on you both.

Rehoming Made Easier

  • Contact your local shelter. Animal shelters don’t want to take animals. They are much happier if all pets have loving homes and never have to pass through their care. As a result, many shelters offer services to help you identify resources you may need. Do you need to consult with a specialist about behavior issues? Do you need a directory for rehoming services in your area? They can help!
  • Get you pets face out there. Take quality pictures and create a sincere write up about your pets personality, preferences, and medical history. Spread the word using social media and placing flyers in places frequented by pet lovers – dog parks, stores like Petco, nice neighborhoods, vet offices. Rehoming your pet yourself as opposed to leaving them at a shelter is easier on you and your pet!
  • Be discerning. It’s okay to be picky about who you let take your pet. Interview them, ask about other pets, experience, maybe even ask for a home visit. Make sure that the person showing interest is a true animal lover and not someone looking for free animals to sell or abuse. Feel free to ask a small fee too.
  • Look for someone close. If you can find a new home for your pet nearby and foster a good relationship with the new family you might be able to visit your pet or offer services like dog walking or trips to the park so you still get to have a relationship with your pet.

photo credit: Bennilover “It’s the Little Things, like having the Wild Things to play with at the park.” via photopin (license)

Wet Dog Smell Explained – Why & What You Can Do!

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Pet tip of the Week.

The term “wet dog smell” is so universally relatable it’s used to describe things other than a wet dog! No grooming, bath, conditioner or scented oils are powerful enough to make it go away entirely. Where does it come from? What can you do about it?

The Source of Wet Dog Smell

Dogs may be furry but their skin is very similar to ours. Underneath all that fluffiness their skin excretes oils (called sebum) that help to moisturize and protect it. When this oil builds up around the hair follicles of your dog’s fur bacteria can start to grow. This growth is spurred by the addition of water. The bacteria create the smell that we (not so fondly) refer to as “wet dog smell”.

Treatment & Prevention

That sounds a little dramatic. This isn’t a dangerous or life-threatening situation, but it is mighty unpleasant. Here are some ways you can deal with and prevent a return!

  • Humans have to wash regularly to keep sebum from building up and wash away dead skin cells. Your pup needs this service too! Regularly removing build up can be a big help! Don’t go overboard though – remember that oil serves a purpose. How often should “regular” washing occur? Try a couple times a month. You may reduce this down to once a month in the winter when skin tends to get drier.
  • Regular deep (but gentle) brushing can be helpful in between baths to loosen and remove buildup from the hair follicles. This may be more effective on short-coated pets than long ones.
  • Wash all their things regularly! Imagine if you never washed your bed sheets or clothes? You’d be pretty smelly too, no matter how many baths you took. Toss all things washable through a wash cycle every time you bathe your pet. If something’s not washable, spray it down with some white vinegar, wipe it down, and air it out in the sunshine regularly.

photo credit: carterse Dusty Loves the Water via photopin (license)

Earth Day 2017 – Green Pet Tips for Wallet & Planet!

Written by Colleen Sedgwick. Posted in Fun Articles.

Happy April! Stuck inside due to April showers? Take some time to evaluate you and your pets carbon footprint. April 22nd is Earth Day – a great reminder to keep the planet in good shape for all the fuzzy (and not so fuzzy…) critters, including you! So what steps can you take in preparation for Earth Day? Find out below!

 Green Pet Tips in Honor of Earth Day

  • Spay & Neuter – Every new critter your critter produces is four more little carbon footprints! Prevent accidental litters by making sure your pet is spayed or neutered. Got that taken care of? Consider donating to a local animal shelter or charity that offers free or discounted spay & neuter clinics for shelter animals.
  • Buy Reusable – Often times it can be a bigger upfront investment, but over time reusable pet items not only help the environment, but they save you money too! Here are some often overlooked reusable options for pets:
    Replace cat litter with a Cat Genie!
    Instead of use-once puppy pads, consider switching to a washable version
    Get a pet bed with a removable cover that can be washed, or replaced
  • DIY Toys – While the toy aisle may be tempting, don’t waste your money! Most pets are happy with bags, boxes, or other household items! This awesome list from Barkpost will help you recycle your old clothes and water bottles into eco-friendly toys your pets will love! Make up several and gift them to friends for Earth Day!

Avoid Clay-based Litters – Clay-based cat litters are created by strip mining sodium bentonite out of the ground. Its acquisition leaves long-term damage to the environment. Grist.com has a great list of reviews for some of the top non-clay based cat litters out there. Find one that suits your needs and try it out!

  • Avoid Vinyl, Phthalates, and BPA – These are all potentially toxic and/or petroleum based products. Most plastics (food/water bowls) and leashes are made out of these materials. Consider investing in metal dishes and buy collars and leashes made from cotton or hemp!
  • Be A Minimalist – Every year we’re informed about the booming pet industry – 62 billion dollars in 2016. Our pets are frequently a lot lower maintenance than we make them out to be. Instead of doling out money on things they don’t need – be a minimalist. Take that money and invest it in services, training, a savings account, or pet charity!

photopin (license)photo credit: N’Grid Snif Snif via