I agree and disagree with this post.
I think dogs can get plenty of exercise in a large yard if the owner plays fetch with them and they are running back and forth for a good period of time.
I agree that if a dog is stressed out by walking (I have one like that), that you would be working on the issue not ignoring it.
I had to leave my dog at the “spa” once. They made it sound as nice as a cruise ship. When I picked him up, I had to go back and get him. He wouldn’t come out of the corner of his cage. The other dogs appeared happy, but not Bentley.
Design a dog kennel without those small cages. Some place a dog is safe and not so confined.
We have a great one here in Sacramento. Grateful Dog offers cage free boarding where the dogs are sorted into playgroups. They play during the day, and sleep with the same dogs at night, with a human sleeping in the room with them.
- Did you have trouble finding a dog in the first place? Was the experiencing of obtaining your pet easy?
No trouble at all. There’s a great rescue website for my state that I used to narrow down the dogs I was interested in
- Do you have issues relating to dog walking? Do you use a professional service? Are you happy with it?
I take the dogs out for mental stimulation (sniffing, etc) not for exercise. I would never pay someone to do this, unless all family members were physically incapable of doing so.
**- Do you have any grooming-related problems? **
No. One of the reasons I chose short-haired dogs was to avoid grooming issues
- What do you do with your pooch when you go on vacation?
They stay at my parents house
- Aside form the above, do you have any dog problems that you would consider paying for tomorrow if they could be fixed?
I’d pay for dog training for specific targeted issues for safety & fun / interest (i.e, snake avoidance, agility, working/herding stuff)
Did you have trouble finding a dog in the first place? Was the experiencing of obtaining your pet easy?
Finding a dog is easy. There’s lots just begging for homes. Adjusting to the high maintenance breed I selected was a bit more work.
Do you have issues relating to dog walking? Do you use a professional service? Are you happy with it?
Nope, I run my dogs every day. I wouldn’t trust someone who is not experienced with working dogs to walk my dogs.
Do you have any grooming-related problems? No. Easy care coats, aside from the shedding.
What do you do with your pooch when you go on vacation? Can’t afford to vacation, cost of board would be almost as much as the holiday.
Aside form the above, do you have any dog problems that you would consider paying for tomorrow if they could be fixed?
I’m a dog guy - but don’t have one now.
I had more people ask me about problems they’ve had than I’ve had myself.
In no particular order:
A LOT of people need to be taught how to work with their dog(s)
Refresher grooming; a trim vs a whole haircut, trim nails, brush teeth
A lot of dogs would benefit (in multiple ways) from more regular brushing
Many owners don’t know where to go to for specific behavior problems
I second your post, HipGnosis! (Except for the teeth brushing - raw food diet and bones, bones, bones. And a bit of charcoal.)
Which brings me to one point - educating dog owners on canine nutrition. It doesn’t come in a bag or a can. Healthier for the dog, and fewer reasons to visit the vet.
I’ve never had an issue getting a dog – they seem to find me wherever I hide. The only serious problem I’ve had with a dog ended badly, and I wish I could have found a solution. A pit I adopted from the Humane Society (and I’m used to pits) was an angel for the first two days I had her, then out of the blue snapped, broke away from me and mauled one of our sheep so badly we had to put him down. Dog was put down, too. Not my decision, but killing livestock is not really tolerated around here.
I can see a money making opportunity in the local production of gourmet dog treats/foods. I’m lucky to have a turkey farm nearby that sells their “Pet Pâté”, a pet treat made from ground turkey liver, bone, etc.
There is so much you could do. Using a food dehydrator to dehydrate small cubes of beef liver, for example.
My idea would be placing the product in pet stores and pet related business, selling it to them with a suggested mark up for retail. If you use my idea, I’m available as a consultant.
Mine wandered into my life, he was a drop off stray puppy and I took him in.
**Yes actually- I keep a weird schedule between being at my boyfriends and being at home. My roommate walks him but I feel bad when she does because she works long hours too- she offers to do it and doesn’t seem upset but I feel bad sometimes. He doesn’t really like sleeping over at my bfs house because it’s a strange environment.
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**Yes, he will NOT (and has not since I got him) let me give him a bath or trim his nails. I take him to the vet once in a while for his nails and I wash him down with unscented baby wipes to clean him.
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I hire an actual house sitter/friend to stay here if my roomie and I are both gone or she watches him if I’m on vacation alone.
**Not that I can think of really- those are my main issues.
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For anyone curious: we really plan to build a service based on your feedback so if you can help us identify a doggy service you need, We Will Build It!
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**I would like a daytime doggy walk service- I know they exist but not where I am anyway that I’ve seen advertised. Pay say $10/day and someone comes over for half an hour and walks/plays with pup to break up the work day a bit. I only work a few days a week now and I should be able to come home for lunches soon, so it’s not too bad for me but it would be nice to be readily available.
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There’s a lot of online retailers who are in the gourmet/raw pet food business. I buy raw food from “Honey’s Real Dog Food” which makes your food to order and delivers it in frozen portions.