Mesa Pet Sitter Now Hiring

Play Time Pet Care is looking for animal lovers to help with dog walking and pet sitting. The perfect candidate will possess the following characteristics:

• Unconditional love for all animals furry, feathered and scaled.
• Must live in the East Valley, preferably within 5 miles of Power and Baseline
• Available between 6am-9am, 11am - 2pm and 4pm-7pm and provide overnight care between the hours of 7pm and 7am.
• Organized
• Able to pass a background check
• Possess moderate athletic abilities

At Play Time Pet Care we love to have fun with our clients.  Each day brings new experiences and different pet personalities.  

If you are an animal lover and have always wanted to work with pets give us a call 480-292-9735, or email your resume to jenna@playtimepetcareaz.com.

Not sure if this would be the job for you?  Check out what a day in the life of a pet sitter is all about...
and What It's Like to Work as a Pet Sitter.

Tips for Hiring a Pet Sitter

So your planning your summer vacation and researching all the cool stuff to do where ever you're going, then Fido starts starring at you with that cute little twisted head, ears perked wondering what you're doing...of course, not paying attention to Fido, he is certainly interested in what could possibly be more fun than playing with him.  Your next thought, "What about Fido?  What do we do with him while we are gone?  The kids down the street are on vacation, the last time we asked a relative to help they forgot to give Fido his hip and joint medication.  He hated going to the kennel.  How do I find someone I can trust to watch my furry kids?"

As a pet sitter, I of course have the answer!  Below are some tips on how to find that perfect pet sitter to care, love and cuddle with your furry kids while you are off enjoying and relaxing your well deserved vacation.

1. Start your search early!  Allow yourself enough time to interview pet sitters and find the one you feel the most comfortable with.  If you aren't "feeling" it during the initial meet and greet, don't give them your keys.  Let them know you are interviewing several sitters and will get back to them.  Also, pet sitters get pretty busy during the spring and summer months, so you'll want start checking availability early.
2. Make sure the pet sitter you hire is bonded and insured.  If anything were to happen while you are away you'll want the piece of mind of knowing you'll be covered.
3. Check for accreditation and CPR & First Aid Certification.  If your pet sitter is professional, they will have taken extra time to get accredited through a national organization and have gone through Pet CPR & First Aid classes.  A pet sitter should be able and willing to perform snout to tail assessments and recognize when something is wrong. 
4. Check references.  New to town and don't know anyone who can give you a reference?  Ask your vet.  If they have a good relationship with any pet sitters, they should be more than willing to offer a good reference. 
5. Ask lots of questions. I have compiled the most frequently asked questions from pet parents during my initial meet and greet consultations.  Print out the questions and grill your potential pet sitter.  If they don't answer the questions to your liking...move on to the next.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of people out there that claim to be pet sitters, but don't do it on a full time basis.  Is it ok to hire someone who only does it part time, in between their full time job?  Sure, but know that  their full time job takes precedence over your pet sitting job.  If you find a pet sitter that sounds good over the phone and then doesn't live up to your expectations during the meet and greet don't freak out.  There are more out there.  

If you have any other questions about how to hire the perfect pet sitter don't hesitate to call me.  480-292-9735.

Help Your Pooch Shed Those Extra Pounds!

      

We all know that a little exercise goes a long way while trying to keep fit, not only for humans but for our pets also.  As a dog walker, I know that not all pet parents have the time to exercise daily with their pets, and there is nothing wrong with that.  I have pet parents who are busy with careers and new born babies.  They love me because I allow them the flexibility to enjoy their pets without having to take an hour out of their already busy day to exercise their pet.

A dog walker is a great way to offer your pet the well deserved exercise they need.  There is also something you can do for your pet that doesn't require additional time.  I have tested and proved that cutting back on your pets daily dry food intake and supplementing with carrots and green beans as a filler also helps your pooch shed those extra pounds.  The carrots and green beans help your dog feel full without adding extra calories to their diet.

My golden retriever weighed 72 pounds on January 31, 2011 and as of today, February 22, 2011 she has already lost 6 pounds!  All this weight lose is due to adding a small amount of extra play/exercise time into her day and cutting her dry food back and supplementing with carrots and green beans.

I buy fresh veggies and prepare them for the week so I don't add extra time to her daily feeding.  But you could purchase frozen veggies that are already clean and cut up and add that to your pooches food.  No extra time for you, and your doggie gets the filler they are looking for to feel full.

Ask your vet!  They will agree...

Ready to finally get your pooch in shape?  Play Time Pet Care offers Pudgy Pooch Boot Camp where we work with your vet on improving your pets health one meal at a time.  Visit our website at http://www.playtimepetcareaz.com or give us a call at 480-292-9735 for your no obligation consultation!

We look forward to meeting you soon!

Does Your Dog Know How Long You've Been Gone?

As a pet sitter I occasionally have dog owners that only want one visit per day or request that I come every other day while they are away.


I always encourage pet parents to allow me to come at least twice a day and I NEVER accept a client who only wants me to come every other day, there is just too much liability on my company.  My argument is that dogs are pack animals.  They are at their happiest when surrounded by others.  Besides, if they are left alone for too long, they can get in to lots of trouble due to boredom. 


I recently read a study about whether dogs are affected by the amount of time we are away.   Thanks to a recent research study from Therese Rehn and Linda J. Keeling, "The effect of time left alone at home on dog welfare," we now have new insight. The study investigated the effect of time left alone on dog behavior and cardiac activity. To conduct the research, twelve dogs were videotaped when left alone in their homes for periods of 30 minutes, 2 hours and 4 hours. The dogs in the study were privately owned and none had a history of separation related behavior problems.

Results from the study showed the key differences in behavior were observed when the dogs were reunited with their owners after being left alone for the 2- and 4-hour time periods. In these instances, dogs displayed more intense greeting behavior toward their owners compared with the 30-minute separation, and they also showed more tail wagging, increased interaction with their owners, and higher frequencies of lip licking and body shaking. In addition, the dogs displayed a tendency for a higher heart rate during the first and second minute after the reunion in the two-hour separation compared to the 30-minute separation.

The researchers explain the study “cannot distinguish between whether dogs were aware of the length of time they were alone or whether they were unaware until reminded of it by the return of their owner,” but they add it does confirm dogs are affected by the duration of time they are left home alone.


The bottom line is....when leaving home for extended periods, have your pet sitter come multiple times a day or stay overnight so your dogs are less affected by you being gone.


Play Time Pet Care offers multiple visits and overnight stays.   Call us today for your no obligation consultation!  480-292-9735.