This weekend in Atlanta…

There is an event this weekend in Atlanta that is for a very good cause.  It is not in Gwinnett, but you may want to venture into the city for this one.  This event is listed on the Gwinnett Pet Watchers events page.  It is the 3rd Annual Ahimsa House Walk, Wag, N’ Run 5K race and 1-mile Fun Run on Saturday, August 23, 2014 in Lenox Park in Brookhaven. The proceeds benefit Ahimsa House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the links between domestic violence and animal abuse. Anywhere in Georgia and at no charge, Ahimsa House provides emergency pet safe housing, veterinary care, pet-related safety planning, legal advocacy, a 24-hour crisis line, outreach programs, and other services to help the human and animal victims of domestic violence reach safety together. To date, Ahimsa House has provided over 37,000 nights of safe, confidential shelter for pets in need. In 2013, they took in 38% more animals than in 2012, and received 26% more crisis calls than the previous year. Ahimsa House relies on individual donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships. They are run almost entirely on volunteer labor and receive many in-kind donations of goods and services, making us highly cost-effective.  Join their efforts to help people and pets escape domestic violence by participating in Walk, Wag, N’ Run. All proceeds go directly to help Ahimsa House provide these critical services. You can register to run, form a team and help raise donations, become an event sponsor, or just learn more by visiting www.ahimsahouse.org

All about Poodles

Thinking about getting a new dog?  Maybe a poodle is right for you?  Poodles come in three different sizes: toy, miniature, and standard.  There is a size for everyone!  Poodles originated in Germany, contrary to popular belief that they are French.  The breed was designed for water retrieving and the original poodle clip was to enhance the dog’s efficiency for movement in the water.  Poodles are active, alert, and a highly responsive family dog.  They are very intelligent and easily trained and are good with other pets and children.  They do not accept strangers and bark when they see them, so they make excellent guard dogs.  Poodles are hypoallergenic and shed little to no hair.  Their coat requires daily maintenance of brushing and they do need regular grooming.  Poodles are generally a healthy breed and are long living with few health problems.  They are prone to epilepsy, hip dysplasia, thyroid issues, heart problems, and ear infections.  We pet sit for many poodles at Gwinnett Pet Watchers.  I, personally, love walking them.  They are very stoic and graceful when they walk.  They are very protective and will bark and act aloof when approached by someone they do not know.  They come in many different colors and look absolutely beautiful when they are groomed.

Rabbit Hunting

I just took care of some beagles last week that are used for rabbit hunting.  When Robin, Kim, and I were at the meet and greet, we were all very curious as to what rabbit hunting actually is defined as.  We asked many questions, and I did my own research when I had a chance at home.  It is more of a sport than actual hunting and killing rabbits.  It gives the dogs a chance to do what they are bred to do and get lots of exercise, making them a much calmer and well balanced pet.  The owner likes to run his beagles in field trials and runs the rabbits, but very rarely shoots them.  I think all of us at Gwinnett Pet Watchers were happy to hear that!  We are all animal lovers.  Beagle field trials are a performance event through the American Kennel Club.  There are many different categories in these trials.  It is always very interesting to learn about something that a dog breed was actually meant to do and what they were bred for.

A Trip to the Vet

Jake split one of his nails playing fetch over the weekend. I took it to the vet this morning to have the nail cut back and see if he needed any antibiotics. You know these crazy people with their pets who are so overprotective that they actually make the dog nervous and obnoxious, oh my God I am That pet owner!!
When the vet tech came in I explained that and Jake is very skittish and i was concerned that he might nip if he was frightened. I proceeded to put a box muzzle on him to protect him from himself. She then put a leash on him and was going to walk him to the back room to get weighed and get is now clipped. As she was leading him through the door he put on his brakes and looked at me with those big brown eyes. I told her he might not go with her and that I probably should walk with them. She looked at me with the same look I give my clients and said trust me as soon as that door is closed and he can’t see you I will have better control of him.
A few minutes later they came back in. She had the muzzle in her hand and Jake was wagging his tail. she said he had been perfect. He had let them cut his nails and got his rabies shot. She said he was a perfect gentleman not a whiner and did everything they asked him to.
It’s funny how I know all this stuff and put it into practice daily, but when it comes to my pets I turn into “That” pet owner.  I really could be one of my own clients.

Another Great WalMart Find

On the same day I found the Grandma’s Casserole, I decide to look up another dog food that had peaked my interest that is kept in a colder.  Freshpet Selects slice and serve.  Looking at the package makes one think this would be a very helpful dog food, but as we all know packaging can be very deceiving, otherwise I would be feeding my dogs Beneful  with all the pictures of vegetables and fresh meat on the package.

However when I did my research on Freshpet Select I was very pleasantly surprised as it gets a five star rating! And you can buy it in most grocery stores!!

This product comes in a roll, I take it and stuff my dogs Kong’s and that is how I now serve them there dinner.  Not only do the dogs love this new twist at dinner time, it takes them a while to eat it, so I get a few min to unwind or in most cases fix my two legged family their dinner.

We give Freshpet Selects Four Paws Up!   Let us know if your dog likes it as much as ours.

Your Puppy and their Pet Sitter

 

 

Well it is definitely that time of year where people have gotten puppies for Christmas presents. They are totally adorable bundles of fur and love.  You took the time to pick the perfect puppy that will fit in with your family. You have spent days coming up with unique name for this wonderful new arrival. Now the real work starts. While the puppy is young it is the perfect time to instill the rules of the house to ensure a lifelong loving happy relationship.

 

The phones at Gwinnett Pet Watchers are ringing off the hook. New and existing clients are calling to get our help in raising their new puppy’s. This is one of our favorite times of the year. After all we get all the snuggles all the puppy breath without ever getting our shoes chewed on.

We have a special product called a potty break. We offer this service for all of Lawrenceville, Buford, Dacula ,Sugar Hill and Suwannee . We also offer this service to most of Loganville, Grayson and Snellville. We added the potty break to our line’s of  services when we realized there were a lot of people in Gwinnett County that are away from home for long periods of time Monday through Fridaybecause of their long commute to work . The potty break is ideal for the dog whose owner is at home in the morning, and in the evening to walk and give it plenty of attention. What we do is come in the middle of the day and get the pup to outside for a bathroom break.

People with new puppies use this service a little differently. Many will have us come in at 10 or 10:30 AM for the first break and then come back around 2 or 2:30 PM for the second break. With this schedule the puppy is only in its crate for 3 to 4 hours in between breaks. The client pays $10 per visit and in this example $20 per day. A price that is well worth the jumpstart to house training.

 

When the puppy gets to be about eight months old (like children each puppy develops at a different rate) we can usually move to one 30 minute walk. This gets the puppy out of its crate for a nice walk to get some exercise and to expel some energy. This  makes for a much happier experience for the owners when they come home from a long day at the office.

Call us today 404-819-3641 to  set up your free consultation. We can come up with the perfect plan for you and your new puppy.

Home Safty and Your Pet Sitter

With cold temps clients water pipe burst.

With cold temps clients water pipe burst.

 

Yesterday while the temperatures were in the single digits and wind chills were even lower our crew was out visiting our four legged clients.

Amelia was making her rounds in Sugar Hill Georgia, when she made a stop to give a couple dogs who are crated a potty break. When she walked into the house she found that a pipe had burst in the ceiling and that part of the ceiling had collapsed on one of the dog crates. The poor dog was sitting in a puddle of water with water pouring down from the ceiling.

Amelia went into action; she got the dog out of the crate into a safe area. While she was doing that I was contacting the homeowner to find out where the main shutoff for her water was located. I then relayed that information to Amelia and she was able to shut the water off and stop any more damage.

Just another good reason to have a pet sitter/dog walker coming by daily to take care of your pets. If Amelia had not come by the water would’ve continued until the home owner made it home around 6 o’clock. Because we were there to give the pups a potty break we caught the problem at 1:30 PM.

Kudos to Amelia for doing a great job . Amelia  did everything right, taking care of the dogs, making sure they were safe first. Contacting the office so we could contact the owner to gain the information we need to protect our clients home .

Saying goodbye

About two weeks ago I got a call from a client who has two dogs and two cats that I have taken care of for several years. One dog is an older Doberman with a large inoperable tumor on his chest.
When I answered the phone the owner told me she had some bad news. I thought that Rocko the Doberman had passed away. But then the owner said, “it wasn’t Rocko, it was Rusty.”
It has taken me two weeks to even be able to write about it. Rusty was a very special boy. He was a rescue so we don’t know his entire story. He was a very shy boy. When I first started taking care of him, I would put his dinner down then leave the room and go love on the kitties, because if I was anywhere around he would worry and not eat. I remember how happy I was the first time he let me pet him. And then there was the day he let me give him a belly rub, I think I liked that belly rub as much as he did.
Rusty was all ways a finicky eater, but over the last six months it had gotten worse. When the Vet diagnosed him with cancer he only lasted two weeks.
I love them all but some time there is the one who worms their way into your hart. I love you Rusty and will miss you. My hart and prayers go out to your family. It helps to know that we will all see each other again on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

Rabbit Hill Park

Gwinnett County Parks: Rabbit Hill Park

400 Rabbit Hill Road, Dacula 30019

Near downtown Dacula, you will find Rabbit Hill Park. The 107-acre park has a special fenced in area just for dogs, which is a relatively new addition. The Dacula Dog Park includes areas for small, medium and large dogs to play with their peers and enjoy a fun filled day outdoors.

Each area includes recreational equipment for the animals and dog water fountains. You will find that most of the animals here are social and well behaved. Dacula is a great community in Gwinnett County and parents here are friendly and respectful. Rabbit Hill Park is a great all-around family park for grownups, kids and pets alike.

Settles Bridge Park

Gwinnett County Parks: Settles Bridge Park
380 Johnson Road, Suwanee 30024
Settles Bridge Park is one of our favorite parks in Gwinnett County. Located in the city of Suwanee, this large park is more than 250 acres and boasts a great dog park with play areas for large and small animals. You will even find agility equipment for your doggie to jump around and have some real fun on. Convenient water fountains make getting a drink easy for your pup and is a nice convenience for owners who won’t have to worry about bringing water along.
If your dog is the social type, head over in the evenings or during the weekend when you’ll find a good crowd. Daytime on weekdays the park is the quietest, so if you have a new puppy or a timid canine, this may be a better time for you to test the water. Whenever you choose to go, you will find that Settles Bridge Park is a great destination for Gwinnett County residents and their pups to have some fun in the sun this summer.