Summer’s here and we have a new and shiny service we are trialing for just a month.

I am desperate to get back to spending time with dogs. I get to do so little of that now, with so much work remote and with students. I still love all that, but I need my fix only available in hanging out with cool dogs.

This is a private and fully individualised service and of course, I will be caring for your dog as I do my own. I will be able to bring my expertise, which is behaviour, to keeping your dog as comfortable as possible, and enriching their alone time.

Full details here.

What happens during in-home care visits?

To help maintain your dog’s comfort, I will establish a somewhat predictable routine for your dog with me. Your dog will always be handled, and interacted with, compassionately, according to their preferences and at their pace. 

When dogs are alone and a person visits, they can get quite excited. That’s normal and to be expected. By supporting your dog in working through their excitement, I will be able to help them to settle better. We do this with Rollercoasters; combinations of activating and pacifying activities and interactions.

It is expected that your dog’s behaviour may be different while you are away and there’s a different person caring for them. We keep a visit log and will share that with you at handover when you return home. It will take some time for your dog to settle back into your routine after you return home and we will discuss their behaviour at handover. 

Although there will be individual adjustments, and I will always do my best to accommodate your individual dog, the following provides a general overview:

Morning visit:

• this is usually the longer visit of the day to get your dog set up and ready
• we will go on a longer outing during this visit, if that’s appropriate to your dog, as it’s generally cooler in the mornings
• I will make sure that your dog has plenty of opportunities to toilet
• we will include lots of activities that exercise your dog physically and mentally so that they can relax until our next visit
• your dog will be fed most of their meal during the morning visit, or in a toy, when I leave, if that’s appropriate

Day-time visit:

• this is usually the shorter visit of the day to provide your dog with a break and ample opportunities to toilet
• we may go on short outings, but this may be limited by the heat of the day
• this visit will be about lots of sniffing games and training games and lots of fun!
• I will make sure your dog is comfortable and settled for the evening ahead
• the bulk of their food will be fed during the first two visits of the day so that they are not too full overnight

Night-time visit:

• for their last visit, we will go for a short outing as appropriate for your dog
• I will make sure that your dog has plenty of opportunities to toilet
• we will concentrate on winding down during this visit
• I will hang out with your dog to help them settle and relax for bedtime 

Check out our free program, 100 Days of Enrichment, for a glimpse of all the fun your dog and I will have!

I am so looking forward to helping dogs feel comfortable while their humans are away, and I can’t wait to get to know new dogs. If you or someone you know might enjoy this service, please do let me know.