Londoners are heartbroken at the sight of a lone fox curled up having had its home ‘destroyed’ by the council. The person posting the picture on Reddit said: “Was sleeping in the rain, they are neighbours of mine. Council cut the bush down probably because people are littering the place.”
Some forum users were keen to see the sad Fox play the guitar. They said: “I want to see them in a sand castle…….on a beach…with people sitting around it playing acoustic guitarz and bongos talking about, “cumbaya my lord. Cumbaya, cumbaya my lord, cumbaya…”
And it’s all to familiar for another Reddit user. One person said: “Similar happened to a family of foxes living in a garden that I could see from my flat. Developer came in an got rid of all the scrub, increasing the garden space by like 400%.
“Family of foxes still came by. I have videos of the three cubs and the mother (?) playing on the lawn and sleeping in the sun. Cutest little things I’ve ever seen. Hopefully they found a new suitable home.”
Unfortunately some people don’t take well to the furry creatures and instead choose the poison them. There are a few things to do if you suspect a fox of having been poisoned, according to the RSCPA.
Cutting out the bushes, home is gone now
The signs to look out for include dead animals like rabbits cut open and staked out as bait, and several dead animals close together, such as rabbits. Also keep an eye out for animals that have died suddenly for no obvious reason, and eggs in unusual places, possibly with an ink mark.
If you find an animal that you suspect has been poisoned, or find evidence of a pesticide that puts wildlife or pets at risk, contact the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme Hotline on 0800 321 600.
This article by Rafi Mauro-Benady was first published by My London News on 11 January 2023. Lead Image: People were devastated looking at the fox curled up all alone (Image: James Warwick).
What you can do
Support ‘Fighting for Wildlife’ by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute. Thank you.
Fighting for Wildlife supports approved wildlife conservation organizations, which spend at least 80 percent of the money they raise on actual fieldwork, rather than administration and fundraising. When making a donation you can designate for which type of initiative it should be used – wildlife, oceans, forests or climate.
As I drove through the gates of the Londolozi Game Reserve a few weeks ago, returning from vacation, I was overcome by a feeling. Feelings at the best of times are hard to describe and can change from day to day or minute to minute. But the feeling I get after winding down my windows and looking out into the open savanna of the southwestern plains of Londolozi is happiness. But what exactly is happiness and how can we steer ourselves towards a more consistent state of this magical feeling? Better yet how can we find places that will allow us to be happier people not only in that specific place but simply overall regardless of where we are?
The open savanna of the southwestern plains is the first view of Londolozi when driving through the gates.
We’re going to tackle this in three parts:
What is Happiness?
The Science of Happiness
How a Safari at Londolozi can help you be happier
What is Happiness?
Happiness is one of the most sought-after states of mind that people worldwide are constantly trying to obtain. There is no one size fits all description of happiness and it is difficult to calibrate from one day to the next, let alone from one person to the next. Researchers have been studying it for decades and there are a few findings that I would like to explore.
A familiar sight while on a safari of the beaming happy smiles of a ranger and tracker team.
Firstly, there is no measurement for happiness even if laboratories are measuring the neurochemicals present in different individuals at specific times. Generally speaking one needs to rely on the language used by a person to describe their feelings at any given moment. But as we all know, we can also get lost in translation. Luckily there are a few aspects of daily living that can generally be correlated with higher levels of happiness.
The Science of Happiness
In my opinion and experience, there are two fundamental aspects of my day-to-day schedule that have a direct impact on my overall happiness.
Sleep
Sleep is the first aspect of happiness that sets the foundation for everything else. Unlike giraffes who only need 20 minutes of sleep a day humans require a significant amount more. The amount may differ from person to person based on one’s stage of life, lifestyle, or individual needs but there is no escaping the fact that we need sleep in order to feel rested and rejuvenated. A good night’s rest sets in motion biological cascades throughout the day which have an impact on our mood and our general ability to feel good. But simply just sleeping is not necessarily enough, it needs to be great sleep. So how do we achieve this?
A young giraffe takes an opportunity to fully relax for a few moments by curling its neck over its back while the rest of the journey continued browsing nearby.
Our brains and bodies need cues and inputs during the course of the day that will set us up for great sleep. These cues and inputs are an essential part of an internal body clock that defines our circadian rhythm.
A circadian rhythm or circadian cycle, is a natural, internal process that regulates the sleep–wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours.
While talking about sleep we need to also look at the mirror image of sleep which is wakefulness. Both of these govern everything about our mental and physical health and therefore are critical in obtaining happiness. Sleep is critical for us to reset our ability to be focused and alert during our wakeful hours; inversely what we do during our wakeful hours impacts our sleep. As we are somewhat unconscious during our hours of sleep it is obvious that we can only focus on aspects of our wakeful day to improve the full 24-hour cycle.
Napping can be a beneficial way to top up your energy levels as long as they are not long enough to disrupt our ability to fall asleep at night.
There are two forces that govern our ability to fall asleep and the timing of the onset of sleep. The first is a chemical force called adenosine. Adenosine is a molecule in our nervous system and body that builds up the longer we are awake. The higher our levels of adenosine get the more sleepy we feel. The second is a circadian force which determines when we want to be asleep. There are several factors that determine this force but the most powerful factor of this force is light and in particular sunlight and the effect it has on important circadian hormones; cortisol, epinephrine and melatonin.
Most of us wake up around the time of sunrise. At this point, our adenosine levels are at their lowest and there is an internal trigger of the release of two hormones, cortisol and epinephrine, from our adrenal glands which makes us feel awake. This sets in motion an increase in our heart rates, a tensing of our muscles and that it’s time to start moving. The release of cortisol is important as it sets a timer in our nervous system that dictates when the hormone melatonin, which makes you sleepy (much like adenosine does), will be secreted about 12 to 14 hours later from your pineal gland. The pineal gland is a small gland in the brain that is the only source of melatonin in our bodies. So the signal to be awake is essentially triggering the timing of when we will start to feel sleepy later in the day.
Hormone – a chemical that is released by one organ in your body that goes and acts on other organs elsewhere in your body.
The takeaway from this is that it is critically important to get the timing of the release of cortisol and melatonin right in our bodies in order for us to feel awake and sleepy, respectively, at the right times of the day. The best way to set this internal clock that sits right above the roof of our mouths, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, is by exposure to light. We all have receptors in the retinas in our eyes that perceive a particular type of light which sends an electrical impulse to this internal circadian clock to properly set the correct timing of the release of these hormones.
The sweet spot of blue and yellow light at a low solar angle activates the cells in our retinas to properly set our circadian clock.
This particular type of light is sunlight but more specifically light from the sun at a low solar angle. When the sun is low in the sky around sunrise there is a particular contrast between yellows and blues that triggers the activation of these cells. We don’t necessarily need the sun beaming directly into our eyes but the quality of light that we get around sunrise hitting our retinas will optimally set our circadian rhythm for the day. Ideally, one should look to get exposure to sunlight for 5 to 10 minutes within an hour or two of sunrise to properly set your circadian rhythm.
If sunlight at a low solar angle has such a substantial impact on our circadian rhythm for the day then you might be asking yourself what impact similar light around sunset may have. Interestingly, exposing oneself to light around sunset can negate some of the negative impacts of viewing artificial light during the hours post-sunset. The negative effect of artificial light exposure after sunset is that the production of melatonin can be inhibited to a certain degree. This means that instead of feeling sleepy as the night wears thin, we keep ourselves more awake than we should by not having as much melatonin released into our bodies. But this effect can be combated simply by spending 5 to 10 minutes watching the sunset. So sunrise and sunset light essentially provides our circadian clock with morning and evening anchor points.
Simply spending time in the morning and evening sunlight, however, is not going to magically make us the happiest version of ourselves. There are certainly other influencing factors.
Most of us have heard of dopamine at some point but it was only fairly recently that I discovered its importance in how I am feeling as I go through my day. But what exactly is dopamine and how does it affect my well-being?
Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain that makes you feel good. Having the right amount of dopamine is important both for your body and your brain.
We all have a baseline level of dopamine that is circulating in our brains and bodies all the time. This baseline is important for how we are feeling all the time. During the course of the day, we can have peaks in this baseline level that are due to a number of different factors. When we experience something or crave something that is really exciting or desirable to us and we have a peak in our dopamine level this actually results in lowering our baseline level of dopamine. This may sound counter-intuitive but is an important aspect of understanding how we can best attain sustained levels of high dopamine.
Dopamine has everything to do with how we are feeling at any given point, our level of motivation, desire and our willingness to push through effort. Our levels of dopamine are the primary determinant of how motivated we are, how excited we are and how willing we are to lean into life and pursue things. It is responsible for pleasure, motivation, drive, craving, and time perception. It is important for us to be able to access increases in dopamine at different timescales which is necessary to sustain effort and be a happy person over long periods of time.
Tracker Ray Mabilane clearly has a high baseline level of dopamine as he exudes happiness on a daily basis with his infectious smile.
There is a critical aspect to understanding dopamine and its effects on our experience of life and our levels of motivation and drive. It relates to how much dopamine you have in your body at any given time relative to your recent experience. An example of this would be if you have just seen a mother leopard and her cub playing in a tree and interacting for half an hour and shortly after you find a leopard sleeping in the long grass. If you had first seen the leopard in the long grass your level of enjoyment of the sleeping leopard would be far greater than in the first scenario (This is not to say that viewing a leopard in any situation is not amazing in its own right). The same holds true, however, if only a few days later you find a sleeping leopard in the long grass after seeing the mother and cub days before you will have more enjoyment than viewing it directly after the first sighting. Our dopamine history matters.
The Three Rivers Female and her now sizeable cub playfully fought on the top of a fallen-over marula on a cloudy day.
Ok, so that is a lot of science related to the two aspects I find most crucial in setting me up to be the happiest version of myself. But bear with me as I show you how a safari can tackle them.
How a Safari at Londolozi can help you be happier
Sunrise
One of my favourite times of the day is a morning game drive. The sense of anticipation to explore the wilderness before the sun rises to find out what has transpired during the course of the night when most predators are more active is tangible. Typically about half an hour into the morning drive, you will see the sun peek over the horizon and the low solar rays of blues and yellows will hit the retinas of your eyes while you are eagerly scanning the landscape for animals.
Shortly after we set off one morning we found the Ximungwe Female huddled up on a termite mound with the sun rising directly behind her.
Search & Pursue
As any of you that have been on a game drive at Londolozi will know we are fortunate enough to work with some of the best trackers in the game. However, simply finding tracks of a leopard early in the morning does more than we realise for our ability to increase dopamine. The act of pursuing something that we really want will evoke the release of dopamine.
Finding fresh leopard tracks in the morning sets the scene for a dopamine-rich search.
Picture it this way; after finding fresh tracks of a leopard and then driving road after road in search of it. You still have not found it. Your ranger turns off the vehicle to watch a herd of elephants cross the road. You hear the distant rasping territorial call of a leopard before heading off in the direction of the call. Twenty minutes pass and you still haven’t found it. Your tracker then points in the direction of a squirrel making an alarm call. Your excitement increases again and you bound through the brush towards the squirrel. Right before you is a male leopard that walks right past the vehicle. Your excitement that has been building since finding the leopard tracks and being in pursuit of something you truly desired to see has now peaked with a surge of dopamine that fills your body. The “track and find” can be addictive leaving you craving to do it again and again!
There are few feelings more exhilarating than a male leopard walking past the vehicle.
Caffeine
A safari almost doesn’t feel like one without a mid-morning coffee break. Stopping in a beautiful tamboti grove or dry riverbed to stretch your legs and decompress after a memorable sighting is a must. It does however add something else to your day that perhaps isn’t apparent at first glance. Caffeine is an adenosine inhibitor, the molecule that builds up during our wakeful hours that causes us to feel sleepy by the end of the day. Caffeine also has the ability to make us more alert and focused. Combining this with the social interaction of reliving the morning’s sighting while sipping on a cup of coffee will leave you feeling more satiated than you could imagine.
A morning coffee break is an essential part of any safari.
Exercise
Regardless of the resource one uses to research the pursuit of happiness, exercise will always come up as a benefit. Exercise has the ability to double our baseline level of dopamine or put another way, make us double as happy as before. There are few places in the world where you can get the opportunity to run in the wild with the backdrop of a journey of giraffes or an implausibility of wildebeest. A bush run at Londolozi is a truly special experience where you not only get to work off a few extra calories but you get the invigorating feeling of being beyond the boundaries of the vehicle.
Exercise has incredible benefits for your health and wellness and a bush run provides one with the added possibility of seeing animals while being out of the confines of the vehicle.
Cold Plunge
Post bush run on a hot summer’s day there is no better way to cool down than a cold water plunge. Our plunge pool is kept at a chilling 9 degrees Celsius (48 Fahrenheit). Submerging oneself in very cold water will immediately give your body a release of dopamine up to 250% of what your baseline is at. Bear in mind that we have already increased our dopamine levels exercising and so you will now be soaring!
There are numerous benefits to cold plunging, one of which is a surge in one’s dopamine levels.
Seeking More
Dopamine is the universal currency for foraging and seeking in our species. It is forged into our lives as humans to allow us to seek more. When I am driving around the reserve seeking animals I am constantly thinking, “around the corner we’re going to find a pride of lions walking down the road towards us.” If I come around the corner and the lions are not there my mind immediately thinks of where next to look. This is all part of the excitement of never knowing but always hoping and looking. An afternoon drive is precisely the opportunity to seek more on top of what you have found in the morning. It also provides the opportunity to anchor our circadian clock by watching the sunset on what is almost always a magical day in the wilderness.
Sitting around a fire has been part of human behaviour for millennia. There is something that ignites our primal instinct when we sit around a fire and share stories of our day. Social interaction has been proven to increase our levels of happiness and furthermore a recent study has revealed that happiness is actually contagious. We’ve all been around someone that has an infectious smile and positive attitude and it truly does have an impact on our own well-being. Now imagine the heightened levels of happiness of a boma filled with guests and rangers that have all had a dopamine-rich day.
Sitting around the fire at night exchanging stories of the day ignites a primal instinct we’ve had as a species for millennia.
In summary, happiness is a feeling that in order to obtain we need to constantly be making the small decisions during our day that will set us up to be the best versions of ourselves. It is an ever-changing target and something we need to constantly be working on. However, even when not on safari these aspects of daily living can be incorporated into your life to hopefully make us all happier. Either way, Londolozi and the wilderness will always be here waiting to welcome you with open arms and a happy smile.
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The best dog beds for Rhodesian Ridgebacks provide a warm place so your Rhodesian Ridgeback doesn’t have to sleep on the floor. By investing in the right bed, you are protecting your furry friend’s spine and joint health.
A bed is a place where dogs can feel secure and comfortable. Rhodesian Ridgebacks need beds just like we do, which are beneficial for various reasons. Yet, the number of beds on the market makes finding the best beds for Rhodesian Ridgebacks difficult.
We selected the top ten best dog beds for Rhodesian Ridgebacks while considering all the important factors. Hopefully, by the end of this guide, you’ll be able to pick the perfect one for your Rhodesian Ridgeback.
The Casper dog bed is the most widely-used option that looks sleeker than most other models. This bed fits in well with most decor, making it a stylish option for your pup. If your Rhodesian Ridgeback needs firm support, this bed is a great choice. It comes in three clean and simple colors: blue, gray, and sand.
This bed’s cover has a canvas-style material around the outer edge and is suede-like on the top. The bed comes with thick foam which provides extreme comfort to your Rhodesian Ridgeback.
It features an inner sleep area of 25 x 17 x 2 inches and has excess material on the top for Rhodesian Ridgebacks that like to dig and scratch to make the perfect sleeping spot. It’s made of a microfiber blended material with supportive foam bolsters, creating a safe space for Rhodesian Ridgebacks to lay their heads.
In A Nutshell
This bed is a great option because its cover is removable and machine-washable. Also, it is highly durable and comfortable for your Rhodesian Ridgeback. The only downside is that it’s a bit pricey.
The majestic bagel bed is designed to be cuddly and looks like a fluffy and enveloping dumpling. With this bed, your Rhodesian Ridgeback will likely be eager to hop in and do a happy dance before spending hours sleeping in it.
This bed is highly comfortable and easy to assemble and disassemble for cleaning. It’s stuffed with a Premium High Loft Polyester fill and is machine-washable in an oversized washer on gentle. Yet, it should be air-dried.
The Majestic bed features a lofty built-in pillow, providing great comfort. It’s beneficial for your dog’s spine support because it contains a bolster on the top, which allows your Rhodesian Ridgeback to rest their head and straighten their spine.
It comes in various sizes that fit dogs up to 100 pounds. Its dimensions are 52″ L x 36″ W on the outside, 46″ L x 30″ W on the inside, 14″ H on the bolster, and 10″ H on the cushion.
In A Nutshell
Your Rhodesian Ridgeback will probably love curling up in this cuddly bed because of its pillowy raised sides and soft microsuede material. This bed is great for most dogs except those prone to chewing.
The Big Barker bed is an ideal choice for dogs that weigh 50 to 250 pounds. It’s highly reliable because it is clinically proven to provide less pain and more mobility. Each bed has a machine-washable microsuede cover from the brand’s proprietary foam.
This bed supports Rhodesian Ridgebacks suffering from joint pain, recovering from surgery, or living with conditions like arthritis, hip dysplasia, or other joint, bone, or muscle disorders. Big Barker beds are actively used inside Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.
The beds are made in the USA and feature a 7-inch thickness. Overall, this 3-layered foam mattress is durable, comfortable, and meets CertiPUR-US standards for content, emissions, and durability. The products have also been analyzed by independent, accredited testing laboratories.
In A Nutshell
Big Barker’s products are clinically proven to improve the quality of life for large dogs. According to most dog owners, this bed was beneficial in relieving their dog’s back pain. The only downside to this Big Barker product is that it is expensive and not comfortable for small dogs.
If your home has hard floors, your Rhodesian Ridgeback needs a bed with extra cushioning. This product from Tuft & Needle is perfect for making floors comfortable. It comes with a molded polyurethane foam base that provides a supportive and sturdy sleeping surface and a polyester fiber-fill pillow for cushioning.
The amazing thing about this product is that you can bring it with you and your Rhodesian Ridgeback on any adventure because the pad is detachable and rolls up. The toggles on the corners of the cushion connect to the base, which keeps everything in place as your Rhodesian Ridgeback readjusts. Also, this bed is easy on the eyes because its clean design and neutral color options can blend nicely with the rest of your furniture.
In the care department, you must remember that the foam base and pillow of this bed are not washable. So, you need to remove the base cover and pillow cover before washing. Furthermore, don’t use bleach, harsh chemicals, or detergents. It shouldn’t be dry-cleaned either.
In A Nutshell
Most Rhodesian Ridgeback owners found it comfortable for their dogs, even on hard floors. This is because of its extra cushions. The only thing that makes a few people hesitant is its price. So, if you have a tight budget, this might not be the best option for your pup.
This tufted bed is a plush upgrade to the hard floor of your Rhodesian Ridgeback‘s crate. It’s hefty, but it’s not leakproof. This bed is undoubtedly more comfortable than the flimsy pad that comes with dog crates. It’s so plush that your Rhodesian Ridgeback may choose their crate with the MidWest mat over the couch.
The bed has ultra-soft synthetic fur and it’s overstuffed for maximum comfort. It has a skid-resistant bottom that keeps the bed from sliding. Its tufted design ensures it won’t become a lumpy mess out of the wash.
This bed fits crates that are 30 inches long, but other sizes are available. It also works great as a “stand-alone” bed, and it’s ideal for medium breed dogs between 26 to 40 pounds. It won’t slide on hardwood or tile floors.
Additionally, this bed looks great in the home because of its neutral colors, which complement most home decor. It is machine-washable and dryer-friendly.
In A Nutshell
Most Rhodesian Ridgeback owners found this product useful and comfortable for their pups. The only drawback they mentioned is that it’s not leakproof. If that’s not a concern for you, then it’s a great bed to consider.
PetFusion’s Ultimate Dog Bed is a premium option in all aspects, including design, price, quality, and accessibility. This bed has a lower opening than the rest of the bolster. As a result, mobility-challenged Rhodesian Ridgebacks and older dogs can easily climb into these beds.
It comes with a smart design that features a large base and bolsters. These provide optimal comfort, support, and security to your Rhodesian Ridgeback. Also, it comes with a water- and tear-resistant cover that works simultaneously with the waterproof liner. It has a non-skid bottom that prevents it from slipping during dog movement.
Furthermore, its neutral color blends in well with home designs and is also proven to be a great orthopedic bed for medium and large dogs.
In A Nutshell
The bed has a lower entry point than most, so it is easier for seniors or dogs with mobility issues to climb into. However, a few people complained that the side bolsters didn’t retain their shape.
This is a perfect choice if you want a calming, donut-shaped bed for smaller dogs that sleep curled up in a ball. The Sheri Dog Bed provides extra support and warmth to your Rhodesian Ridgeback. Thus, it provides extra comfort for smaller dogs.
Its design features a raised rim that creates a sense of security and provides head and neck support. Then, the super-soft filling offers joint and muscle pain relief. This bed has deep crevices that allow your pet to burrow. Rhodesian Ridgebacks will have a full restful sleep in this bed, likely improving behavior and health.
Additionally, it is available in 15 different colors. So, the pet beds are a seamless addition to any room’s décor! Since the beds are made with water- and dirt-resistant bottoms, they prevent accidental messes from reaching your floors.
In A Nutshell
This is a great choice for those who want a donut-shaped bed that provides a warm place for your Rhodesian Ridgeback. The only aspect customers complained about is that it fell apart in the wash.
This sofa-style bed design has a 3-sided 3.5″ bolstered side pillow that adds extra support to your Rhodesian Ridgeback‘s neck and head for a more restful sleep. The 3″ high-density egg-crate foam bed evenly distributes your pet’s weight, which provides maximum support and comfort for pets of all ages.
The surface (28″ x 23″) is made of a flannel cover that provides a soft and comfortable sleeping area for dogs or cats. The non-slip, studded plastic bottom can fix the position of the bed, giving the pup a sense of security.
It comes with a removable cover with a zip closure for easy cleaning. The inner foam has a TPU cover, which protects it from dog pee and excrement.
In A Nutshell
The thing that most Rhodesian Ridgeback parents like is its egg crate foam and sofa-style design. Also, it is easy to remove the cover and wash it. The only thing customers disliked about this product is that its zipper is not high quality.
Kuranda’s elevated dog bed is a chew-proof bed with an elevated design. It was first created in Maryland in 1995. Its oversized rails (larger than all competitors) protect the fabric in the frame, and the orthopedic design provides long-lasting, even support to your dog’s joints.
This product is made from the best materials, including aircraft-grade aluminum and high-strength PVC that won’t rust. Also, its premium fabrics are abrasion-resistant, treated against UV, and easy to clean.
Air circulation beneath the bed keep Rhodesian Ridgebacks cool in summer and lifts them off cold floors in winter, according to the brand. There are six different sizes and eight colors to choose from. All are made with durable nylon fabric.
In A Nutshell
Most Rhodesian Ridgeback parents found this elevated dog bed beneficial in the summer. This is because of the air circulation underneath the bed. Also, it is perfect for the outdoors. The only downside is that it requires some assembly while the other beds don’t.
If your Rhodesian Ridgeback prefers to stretch out rather than curl up during naps, Furhaven Pet Orthopedic Ultra Plush Lounger is a great choice. It comes in several attractive colors and two plush textures. Its cover zips off easily and can be machine-washed.
This bed is also sold in six sizes, the largest of which is almost 5 feet long, for dogs up to 180 pounds. The main sleep surface of this bed is lined with thick, soft faux fur that is gentle on noses and paws for enhanced snuggling comfort.
The solid orthopedic foam is dense and thick for maximum comfort. Also, the contoured form provides enhanced orthopedic support for the neck, back, hips, and joints to help ease discomfort and encourage restful sleep.
In A Nutshell
Most Rhodesian Ridgeback parents found this bed beneficial for back and joint pain, especially in senior dogs. However, others said their dog didn’t like to sit on it. Also, the zipper broke for some customers.
Pros
Provides extreme comfort
Open mattress design
Thick sleep surface
Cuddly and soft
Easy on joints
Durable
Cons
Things To Consider Before Buying The Best Dog Beds for Your Rhodesian Ridgeback
All the products we reviewed are great choices, but to find the perfect one, you’ll want to consider these things:
1. Size
The size often has the biggest impact on how comfortable your Rhodesian Ridgeback is. Your pet should be able to lie down on the bed with its limbs fully extended.
For small dogs, it’s usually okay to use a larger breed bed as long as they can jump into it without any problem, but small beds aren’t suitable for large dogs.
2. Cushioning And Support
A Rhodesian Ridgeback‘s comfort level is generally determined by its size, mobility, and overall health. Yet, the amount of cushioning in their bed also plays a role.
A small puppy won’t require as much cushion as a large, arthritic Rhodesian Ridgeback. Typically, less mobile dogs need thicker, sturdier foam to support their bodies comfortably.
3. Insulation Level
Depending on your climate and your dog’s breed, the insulation level of your pet’s bed can be crucial. It shouldn’t make your Rhodesian Ridgeback feel too hot or too cold.
It’s important to provide warmth to a thin and small breed with no undercoat in cold northern climates. However, in a tropical climate, it is crucial to provide a cooling bed to fluffy breeds.
4. Durability And Design
Various materials can be used to make dog beds, ranging from soft polyester to durable and hard-wearing fabrics. If your Rhodesian Ridgeback likes to tear apart stuffed toys, a fluffy fleece bed won’t last very long, so you should spend your money on something sturdier.
FAQs
What Kind of Bed is Best for Rhodesian Ridgebacks?
A memory foam orthopedic bed is best for most Rhodesian Ridgebacks. It conforms to your dog’s shape while supporting their aching joints. You should look for a waterproof orthopedic bed or waterproof cover for your elderly dog if they are prone to bladder leakage due to aging.
Do Rhodesian Ridgebacks Prefer Bigger Beds?
The size of a dog’s bed is naturally dictated by their size. The space should allow your canine companion to stretch out and sleep comfortably. The bed can even be placed inside your dog’s crate if needed. Most dogs don’t need beds bigger than their size, but they may appreciate the extra resting space.
Do Rhodesian Ridgebacks Prefer Round Or Square Beds?
A longer, rectangular bed will be more comfortable for Rhodesian Ridgebacks that stretch out when they sleep, but a round, soft bed may be more comfortable for dogs that curl up when sleeping.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, the Casper Dog Bed and Majestic Pet Suede Bagel Dog Bed are the best dog beds for Rhodesian Ridgebacks because they’re the most versatile. Yet, you should also consider the buying guide mentioned above to get the perfect product for your Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Hopefully, you can now decide on a bed for your furry friend. This guide is based on deep research and experience, so hopefully, it will help you make a decision for your Rhodesian Ridgeback. After all, your pup can never have too many cozy sleeping spaces.
iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
The best dog beds for Rottweilers provide a warm place so your Rottweiler doesn’t have to sleep on the floor. By investing in the right bed, you are protecting your furry friend’s spine and joint health.
A bed is a place where dogs can feel secure and comfortable. Rottweilers need beds just like we do, which are beneficial for various reasons. Yet, the number of beds on the market makes finding the best beds for Rottweilers difficult.
We selected the top ten best dog beds for Rottweilers while considering all the important factors. Hopefully, by the end of this guide, you’ll be able to pick the perfect one for your Rottweiler.
The Casper dog bed is the most widely-used option that looks sleeker than most other models. This bed fits in well with most decor, making it a stylish option for your pup. If your Rottweiler needs firm support, this bed is a great choice. It comes in three clean and simple colors: blue, gray, and sand.
This bed’s cover has a canvas-style material around the outer edge and is suede-like on the top. The bed comes with thick foam which provides extreme comfort to your Rottweiler.
It features an inner sleep area of 25 x 17 x 2 inches and has excess material on the top for Rottweilers that like to dig and scratch to make the perfect sleeping spot. It’s made of a microfiber blended material with supportive foam bolsters, creating a safe space for Rottweilers to lay their heads.
In A Nutshell
This bed is a great option because its cover is removable and machine-washable. Also, it is highly durable and comfortable for your Rottweiler. The only downside is that it’s a bit pricey.
The majestic bagel bed is designed to be cuddly and looks like a fluffy and enveloping dumpling. With this bed, your Rottweiler will likely be eager to hop in and do a happy dance before spending hours sleeping in it.
This bed is highly comfortable and easy to assemble and disassemble for cleaning. It’s stuffed with a Premium High Loft Polyester fill and is machine-washable in an oversized washer on gentle. Yet, it should be air-dried.
The Majestic bed features a lofty built-in pillow, providing great comfort. It’s beneficial for your dog’s spine support because it contains a bolster on the top, which allows your Rottweiler to rest their head and straighten their spine.
It comes in various sizes that fit dogs up to 100 pounds. Its dimensions are 52″ L x 36″ W on the outside, 46″ L x 30″ W on the inside, 14″ H on the bolster, and 10″ H on the cushion.
In A Nutshell
Your Rottweiler will probably love curling up in this cuddly bed because of its pillowy raised sides and soft microsuede material. This bed is great for most dogs except those prone to chewing.
The Big Barker bed is an ideal choice for dogs that weigh 50 to 250 pounds. It’s highly reliable because it is clinically proven to provide less pain and more mobility. Each bed has a machine-washable microsuede cover from the brand’s proprietary foam.
This bed supports Rottweilers suffering from joint pain, recovering from surgery, or living with conditions like arthritis, hip dysplasia, or other joint, bone, or muscle disorders. Big Barker beds are actively used inside Ryan Veterinary Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.
The beds are made in the USA and feature a 7-inch thickness. Overall, this 3-layered foam mattress is durable, comfortable, and meets CertiPUR-US standards for content, emissions, and durability. The products have also been analyzed by independent, accredited testing laboratories.
In A Nutshell
Big Barker’s products are clinically proven to improve the quality of life for large dogs. According to most dog owners, this bed was beneficial in relieving their dog’s back pain. The only downside to this Big Barker product is that it is expensive and not comfortable for small dogs.
If your home has hard floors, your Rottweiler needs a bed with extra cushioning. This product from Tuft & Needle is perfect for making floors comfortable. It comes with a molded polyurethane foam base that provides a supportive and sturdy sleeping surface and a polyester fiber-fill pillow for cushioning.
The amazing thing about this product is that you can bring it with you and your Rottweiler on any adventure because the pad is detachable and rolls up. The toggles on the corners of the cushion connect to the base, which keeps everything in place as your Rottweiler readjusts. Also, this bed is easy on the eyes because its clean design and neutral color options can blend nicely with the rest of your furniture.
In the care department, you must remember that the foam base and pillow of this bed are not washable. So, you need to remove the base cover and pillow cover before washing. Furthermore, don’t use bleach, harsh chemicals, or detergents. It shouldn’t be dry-cleaned either.
In A Nutshell
Most Rottweiler owners found it comfortable for their dogs, even on hard floors. This is because of its extra cushions. The only thing that makes a few people hesitant is its price. So, if you have a tight budget, this might not be the best option for your pup.
This tufted bed is a plush upgrade to the hard floor of your Rottweiler‘s crate. It’s hefty, but it’s not leakproof. This bed is undoubtedly more comfortable than the flimsy pad that comes with dog crates. It’s so plush that your Rottweiler may choose their crate with the MidWest mat over the couch.
The bed has ultra-soft synthetic fur and it’s overstuffed for maximum comfort. It has a skid-resistant bottom that keeps the bed from sliding. Its tufted design ensures it won’t become a lumpy mess out of the wash.
This bed fits crates that are 30 inches long, but other sizes are available. It also works great as a “stand-alone” bed, and it’s ideal for medium breed dogs between 26 to 40 pounds. It won’t slide on hardwood or tile floors.
Additionally, this bed looks great in the home because of its neutral colors, which complement most home decor. It is machine-washable and dryer-friendly.
In A Nutshell
Most Rottweiler owners found this product useful and comfortable for their pups. The only drawback they mentioned is that it’s not leakproof. If that’s not a concern for you, then it’s a great bed to consider.
PetFusion’s Ultimate Dog Bed is a premium option in all aspects, including design, price, quality, and accessibility. This bed has a lower opening than the rest of the bolster. As a result, mobility-challenged Rottweilers and older dogs can easily climb into these beds.
It comes with a smart design that features a large base and bolsters. These provide optimal comfort, support, and security to your Rottweiler. Also, it comes with a water- and tear-resistant cover that works simultaneously with the waterproof liner. It has a non-skid bottom that prevents it from slipping during dog movement.
Furthermore, its neutral color blends in well with home designs and is also proven to be a great orthopedic bed for medium and large dogs.
In A Nutshell
The bed has a lower entry point than most, so it is easier for seniors or dogs with mobility issues to climb into. However, a few people complained that the side bolsters didn’t retain their shape.
This is a perfect choice if you want a calming, donut-shaped bed for smaller dogs that sleep curled up in a ball. The Sheri Dog Bed provides extra support and warmth to your Rottweiler. Thus, it provides extra comfort for smaller dogs.
Its design features a raised rim that creates a sense of security and provides head and neck support. Then, the super-soft filling offers joint and muscle pain relief. This bed has deep crevices that allow your pet to burrow. Rottweilers will have a full restful sleep in this bed, likely improving behavior and health.
Additionally, it is available in 15 different colors. So, the pet beds are a seamless addition to any room’s décor! Since the beds are made with water- and dirt-resistant bottoms, they prevent accidental messes from reaching your floors.
In A Nutshell
This is a great choice for those who want a donut-shaped bed that provides a warm place for your Rottweiler. The only aspect customers complained about is that it fell apart in the wash.
This sofa-style bed design has a 3-sided 3.5″ bolstered side pillow that adds extra support to your Rottweiler‘s neck and head for a more restful sleep. The 3″ high-density egg-crate foam bed evenly distributes your pet’s weight, which provides maximum support and comfort for pets of all ages.
The surface (28″ x 23″) is made of a flannel cover that provides a soft and comfortable sleeping area for dogs or cats. The non-slip, studded plastic bottom can fix the position of the bed, giving the pup a sense of security.
It comes with a removable cover with a zip closure for easy cleaning. The inner foam has a TPU cover, which protects it from dog pee and excrement.
In A Nutshell
The thing that most Rottweiler parents like is its egg crate foam and sofa-style design. Also, it is easy to remove the cover and wash it. The only thing customers disliked about this product is that its zipper is not high quality.
Kuranda’s elevated dog bed is a chew-proof bed with an elevated design. It was first created in Maryland in 1995. Its oversized rails (larger than all competitors) protect the fabric in the frame, and the orthopedic design provides long-lasting, even support to your dog’s joints.
This product is made from the best materials, including aircraft-grade aluminum and high-strength PVC that won’t rust. Also, its premium fabrics are abrasion-resistant, treated against UV, and easy to clean.
Air circulation beneath the bed keep Rottweilers cool in summer and lifts them off cold floors in winter, according to the brand. There are six different sizes and eight colors to choose from. All are made with durable nylon fabric.
In A Nutshell
Most Rottweiler parents found this elevated dog bed beneficial in the summer. This is because of the air circulation underneath the bed. Also, it is perfect for the outdoors. The only downside is that it requires some assembly while the other beds don’t.
If your Rottweiler prefers to stretch out rather than curl up during naps, Furhaven Pet Orthopedic Ultra Plush Lounger is a great choice. It comes in several attractive colors and two plush textures. Its cover zips off easily and can be machine-washed.
This bed is also sold in six sizes, the largest of which is almost 5 feet long, for dogs up to 180 pounds. The main sleep surface of this bed is lined with thick, soft faux fur that is gentle on noses and paws for enhanced snuggling comfort.
The solid orthopedic foam is dense and thick for maximum comfort. Also, the contoured form provides enhanced orthopedic support for the neck, back, hips, and joints to help ease discomfort and encourage restful sleep.
In A Nutshell
Most Rottweiler parents found this bed beneficial for back and joint pain, especially in senior dogs. However, others said their dog didn’t like to sit on it. Also, the zipper broke for some customers.
Pros
Provides extreme comfort
Open mattress design
Thick sleep surface
Cuddly and soft
Easy on joints
Durable
Cons
Things To Consider Before Buying The Best Dog Beds for Your Rottweiler
All the products we reviewed are great choices, but to find the perfect one, you’ll want to consider these things:
1. Size
The size often has the biggest impact on how comfortable your Rottweiler is. Your pet should be able to lie down on the bed with its limbs fully extended.
For small dogs, it’s usually okay to use a larger breed bed as long as they can jump into it without any problem, but small beds aren’t suitable for large dogs.
2. Cushioning And Support
A Rottweiler‘s comfort level is generally determined by its size, mobility, and overall health. Yet, the amount of cushioning in their bed also plays a role.
A small puppy won’t require as much cushion as a large, arthritic Rottweiler. Typically, less mobile dogs need thicker, sturdier foam to support their bodies comfortably.
3. Insulation Level
Depending on your climate and your dog’s breed, the insulation level of your pet’s bed can be crucial. It shouldn’t make your Rottweiler feel too hot or too cold.
It’s important to provide warmth to a thin and small breed with no undercoat in cold northern climates. However, in a tropical climate, it is crucial to provide a cooling bed to fluffy breeds.
4. Durability And Design
Various materials can be used to make dog beds, ranging from soft polyester to durable and hard-wearing fabrics. If your Rottweiler likes to tear apart stuffed toys, a fluffy fleece bed won’t last very long, so you should spend your money on something sturdier.
FAQs
What Kind of Bed is Best for Rottweilers?
A memory foam orthopedic bed is best for most Rottweilers. It conforms to your dog’s shape while supporting their aching joints. You should look for a waterproof orthopedic bed or waterproof cover for your elderly dog if they are prone to bladder leakage due to aging.
Do Rottweilers Prefer Bigger Beds?
The size of a dog’s bed is naturally dictated by their size. The space should allow your canine companion to stretch out and sleep comfortably. The bed can even be placed inside your dog’s crate if needed. Most dogs don’t need beds bigger than their size, but they may appreciate the extra resting space.
Do Rottweilers Prefer Round Or Square Beds?
A longer, rectangular bed will be more comfortable for Rottweilers that stretch out when they sleep, but a round, soft bed may be more comfortable for dogs that curl up when sleeping.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, the Casper Dog Bed and Majestic Pet Suede Bagel Dog Bed are the best dog beds for Rottweilers because they’re the most versatile. Yet, you should also consider the buying guide mentioned above to get the perfect product for your Rottweiler.
Hopefully, you can now decide on a bed for your furry friend. This guide is based on deep research and experience, so hopefully, it will help you make a decision for your Rottweiler. After all, your pup can never have too many cozy sleeping spaces.
iHeartDogs is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
The alarming study has just been published in Nature Communications. It finds, except for marine mammals, these coral sharks and rays are more likely to go extinct than any other group in the world.
The usual culprits have been found to be behind this tragic state of affairs; overfishing, habitat loss and climate change.
Bluespotted lagoon ray.
There is a glimmer of hope amid the findings. The ray (above) is the only coral reef shark or ray with an increasing population trend.
Lead photo: Bull sharks in Fiji. Photos by Colin Simpfendorfer. This widely-distributed species is among the most at risk of extinction.
What you can do
Support ‘Fighting for Wildlife’ by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute. Thank you.
Fighting for Wildlife supports approved wildlife conservation organizations, which spend at least 80 percent of the money they raise on actual fieldwork, rather than administration and fundraising. When making a donation you can designate for which type of initiative it should be used – wildlife, oceans, forests or climate.
I’m a veteran eco-journalist living in Shoal Lake, Manitoba, Canada. I have a life-long love of wildlife & natural places. After working for radio and TV stations for about 30 years, I”ve turned to science writing as a freelancer specializing in the Earth Sciences. I’m a member of the Science Writers & Communicators of Canada and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. I’m authorized to receive embargoed material through the Science Media Centre of Canada, the Royal Society, NatureResearch and the World Health Organization. This allows me advance access to important, peer-reviewed research often warning of habitat loss and the threat of extinction facing many wild species, usually thanks to human intrusion and intervention by the hand of man. They then often become “hot-off-the-press” stories which are ready to publish the moment the embargoes are lifted. I publish www.PlanetInPeril.ca (PinP) “Where Science Gets Respect.” I own professional photographic gear and am sometimes able to enhance my stories with my own images.
Did you set New Year’s Resolutions for 2023? If you did and you
happen to be a pet parent, you’re in luck! One of the benefits of being a pet
parent is that your pets can be a great source of motivation – and inspiration
– to stick to your goals. Let’s take a look at some common resolutions and how
our pets can directly impact them!
Resolution #1: Increase
the amount of fresh, healthy food in your diet
There’s a reason that every Freshpet recipe starts with fresh, whole ingredients. That’s because fruits, vegetables, and meat contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that are critical for maintaining good health. But fresh food isn’t just important for the health of your pet – it’s just as important for you! Research has shown that eating a diet that is abundant in fruits and veggies may actually reduce your risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases. One of the benefits of being a pet parent is that our pets can directly help us stick to this resolution. That’s because if one of your goals for 2023 is to make the switch to Freshpet () for your pet, every meal time will be a reminder for yourself to opt for fresh choices on your own plate!
Resolution #2: Mix up
your exercise routine
The start of the year is a great time to either get into – or mix up – a consistent exercise routine. Regardless of which category you fall into, one of the benefits of being a pet parent is that you have someone not only to motivate you but to join you as well! A fun way to motivate yourself to stick with this new routine is by getting into an activity that your pet can participate in as well.
Agility: Agility
training isn’t just a great way to increase your pet’s athletic ability – it
will help keep you in shape as well! You might not be navigating the obstacles,
but you’ll be running alongside your pet as they do.
Walking: Walking is a
great low-impact workout for two- and four-legged creatures of any age. It’s
also the perfect time to help your pup master loose-leash walking, which is a
critical skill they’ll need if you ever want to progress to running.
Running: If your dog has
mastered loose leash walking and has sign-off from your vet to begin running,
you’re ready to go! Just remember to build strength and endurance slowly,
adding small stretches of running into your walks and building up over time.
Swimming: If you have a
water-loving dog, swimming is a great sport you can enjoy together during the
summer months. With their leash securely attached, choose a quiet, shallow spot
that is designated for dogs to swim and start exploring the shoreline. You may
need to start by walking alongside your dog, but as they become more confident
you can swim alongside them.
Resolution #3: Try new
things
It can be easy to get stuck in the same old routine, but your
pet can help you break out of this cycle. Another one of the benefits of being
a pet parent is that your pets can be great motivation to try new things.
Cook new recipes: Challenge yourself to try a new recipe every week – bonus points if you can share it with your pet! Start by looking at our list of pet-safe human foods and see what tasty creations you can make using only ingredients from this list.
Try out a new
sport: If one of your New Year’s Resolutions was to mix up your
exercise routine, this is the perfect chance to try out a new sport that both
you and your pet can enjoy, such as agility. The great thing about agility is
that it’s not just a sport for dogs – cats can also enjoy navigating through
obstacles you set up in your house or out in your yard.
Visit new
restaurants, cafes, and bars: A growing number of hospitality establishments
are offering pet-friendly seating areas so that patrons can enjoy a bite or
drink with their four-legged friends. Make a list of all the pet-friendly
restaurants, cafes, and bars in your area and try working your way through them
during the next 12 months.
Resolution #4:
Prioritize your mental health
The past few years have been challenging, to say the least, so
it’s not surprising that many people are looking for ways to prioritize their
mental health every day. A great benefit of being a pet parent is that pets
naturally provide several mental health benefits.
Reduce stress: Research has
shown that pets have a natural ability to reduce stress in their pet parents
simply by being around them. One study found that after just three months of
being pet parents, there was a significant decrease in blood pressure and
reactivity to stress.
Look for new social connections: Having a strong social network can play a big role in your overall happiness. A huge benefit of being a pet parent is that your pets can help you make new connections in your community. Whether it’s by meeting new people at the dog park or trading cat-sitting services with neighbors, your pets make it easier to make the ice and meet new people.
Add structure
to your day: Having some form of structure to your day can help you feel more
grounded and give you a sense of purpose and achievement. Pets are creatures of
habit, so they will naturally help you stick to a daily routine – even if it
just revolves around their food, walks, and playtime!
Resolution #5: Start
volunteering regularly
Research has proven that regular participation in volunteer
activities has a wide range of benefits, such as increased sense of purpose and
meaning, as well as decreased stress and feelings of loneliness. Another one of
the benefits of being a pet parent is that your pet can open the doors to a
whole world of volunteer opportunities.
If your pet was adopted locally through a shelter or rescue,
inquire about volunteer positions with them. These could range from hands-on
work with the animals or even fundraising and administrative work if that’s
what you prefer.
Another great idea is to look for organizations in your
community that provide ongoing support to pet parents in need. For instance,
some organizations provide pet-sitting services during hospital stays,
transport to vet appointments, or even rehoming support if pet parents are no
longer able to care for their pets due to age or serious illness.
For more great ideas of volunteer opportunities, you can do with your pet, take a look at this list of ideas from National Random Act of Kindness Day.
We hope that we’ve given you some ideas of resolutions you and
your pet can work towards together in 2023!
Action, drama, and mystery — the Orphan X series has it all. I got sucked into the series with the very first book, and my husband is now hooked on the series, too. The first book, Orphan X, introduces you to retired off-the-books intelligence asset Evan Smoak. Evan has reinvented himself, using his skills and resources to help those in perilous situations. He starts the series all alone, a man almost incapable of making connections, yet through the series people tend to connect to him. And, in book 5, Into the Fire, enters a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Dog to the series. That pretty much sealed up my love for this series. Book 8, The Last Orphan, is being released on February 14, 2023 (yay!).
Now, I had to wonder — a Rhodesian Ridgeback, that’s a pretty specific dog breed, with pretty specific traits — how did he end up in the book? Turns out the best-selling author Gregg Hurwitz has a love for the breed, being that they are part of his family. DOGSTER got the chance to chat with Gregg about his latest release and his pups.
Author Gregg Hurwitz, creator of the Orphan X series, is such a fan of Rhodesian Ridgebacks that he put one named Dog in his series, starting with book 5, Into the Fire. Gregg has two Rhodesian Ridgebacks of his own.
DOGSTER: Tell us a little about your dogs …
Gregg: We just lost our big boy, Cairo. He was a 125-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback, the biggest we’d ever seen. Incredibly gentle animal. You could lie on him like a mattress and take a nap. For the last year, he was tri-pawed, having lost a front leg to cancer. Very stoic, never complained. He is missed every day.
Zuma, our middle pup, was from a litter named after my Orphan X thriller series. He’s very mischievous and smart. Loves cuddling. If I’m working and he wants my attention, he will climb into my lap. I work on a rolling chair and have a standing desk with wheels; I was on a Zoom conference once and he got his front paws on my shoulders and I grabbed the desk and the whole enterprise — author, dog, chair, desk — rolled across the room and hit the wall. He’s about 110 pounds, also black mask, and devastatingly handsome.
Nala, our baby pup, is ridiculous. She sleeps on her back with her paws sticking up and her head shoved across my neck and face. At 70 pounds, she’s what we call our “miniature Ridgeback.” Absurdly loving.
Orphan X was the first book in the Orphan X series written by best-selling author Gregg Hurwitz.
DOGSTER: In the very first book, Orphan X, when Evan’s neighbor Mia asked him what made him happy, he said, “Rhodesian Ridgebacks.” In what ways is your main character Evan’s likes or dislikes influenced by yours?
Gregg: Evan is a tougher, more taciturn version of me. He has a deep connection to Ridgebacks. After getting yanked out of a foster home at the age of 12 to be trained to be an off-the-books assassin for the DoD, he was raised in the farmhouse of his handler, a former CIA station agent named Jack Johns. Jack had a Ridgie named Strider, and Evan became very close with that dog.
Evan is a quiet, solo operator, essentially designed to be an expendable weapon. He has a hard time with personal relationships; I’ve noted a few times that he doesn’t understand the strange language of intimacy. But he found a strong connection to Strider (and eventually to Dog the dog) because dogs represent unconditional love with zero judgment. A favorite dog joke? If you lock your spouse and your dog in the trunk of your car for 24 hours and then open it, which one is happy to see you?
DOGSTER: I was excited to see Dog appear in Into the Fire. Why introduce him with a dog-fighting ring?
Gregg: Because I needed a good excuse for Evan to kill a whole bunch of people we would immediately forgive him for killing. And folks who run dog-fighting rings fit the bill. And also, Dog is a wounded warrior much like Evan. Evan was the smallest kid in his foster home and had to build himself up to what he is today: Orphan X. Dog the dog was a bait pup, injured and small, when Evan rescues him. They’re very much alike.
DOGSTER: Will Dog be making an appearance in The Last Orphan? What else can we expect from this latest Orphan X novel?
Gregg: Dog is part of the core team now, so he will certainly be making an appearance. The latest Orphan X novel finds Evan Smoak facing his most dangerous mission yet. While it’s a continuation of the series, it’s also a great jumping-in point for new readers. Dog will be happy to greet anyone.
Author of the Orphan X series, Gregg Hurwitz, calls Rhodesian Ridgebacks “the perfect animal.” He notes how very sweet and loving they are, which you can tell by this photo of Gregg napping with his pups.
DOGSTER: You portray Dog as very sweet, even though this is a breed that was bred to hunt and be a protector. What has your experience of Rhodesian Ridgebacks been and do you feel that writing about one in your series makes Dog a sort of ambassador to people who don’t know anything about Rhodesian Ridgebacks?
Gregg: They are the perfect animal. They are very sweet and loving. They’re beautiful and dignified, always posing as if waiting for someone to come along and paint their oil portrait. They’re very playful and love wrestling. They are serious chowhounds. And if someone is threatening to their owners, they are a dozen kinds of badass.
Cairo had a bark that would wobble the walls of the house. He used to sit in my lap when I was sitting in an armchair, and he was so big that all four of his paws were still on the floor.
I hope I’ve conveyed that with Dog the dog and that more readers decide to have Ridgebacks in their homes. They are an unimprovable breed.
DOGSTER: Do your dogs keep you company when writing?
Gregg: They are underfoot when I type or snoozing in my office. I love having them around. Except when they wrestle, it’s like Jurassic Park in my office. Folks unfamiliar with the breed think they are trying to kill each other.
When author Gregg Hurwitz is at work on books in his Orphan X series, his Rhodesian Ridgebacks are often there with him. “They are underfoot when I type or snoozing in my office. I love having them around,” he says.
DOGSTER: Do your dogs make appearances with you, like for book signings?
Gregg: I wish. They’re too big.
DOGSTER: Where can readers go to see more about you, your dogs and Dog?
Support ‘Fighting for Wildlife’ by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute. Thank you.
Fighting for Wildlife supports approved wildlife conservation organizations, which spend at least 80 percent of the money they raise on actual fieldwork, rather than administration and fundraising. When making a donation you can designate for which type of initiative it should be used – wildlife, oceans, forests or climate.
Dealing with your Cavalier’s food allergies can be beyond frustrating! We asked our 800,000 members of Cavalier community on facebook the following question: “Those of you with Cavaliers who have allergies…. what food do you use and why?”We received hundreds of replies, and summarized the top 20 responses here.
As always, be sure to consult your veterinarian before making any health changes to your Cavalier’s diet. iHeartDogs is reader supported, so some of the links below may be affiliate links where we receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
19 Best Dog Foods for Cavalierswith Allergies
If you’re referring to itchy skin allergies, please try a regular application of antifungal shampoo on your cav before using any type of steroid medication. Many times skin allergies are simply from an overgrowth of yeast on the skin. Also our vet had us try all kinds of different protein sources in kibble for possible food allergies (rabbit, duck, kangaroo, etc) and it was a waste of time and money.
Author: Sandy M.
👍 Likes: 1
I have tried more brands than I can count, and cooked for her for years then I finally found SMACK. It really has the least amount of inflammatory ingredients, and ingredients in general (which is what you want when dealing with allergies) and it has single source proteins. Ie: no protein meals. It is a dehydrated raw. So it comes in what looks like a kibble form. I feed the Salmon. I have taken my poor pup to both dermatologist vets and holistic vets in search of answers for her severe allergies. They both were excellent sources of information for me but on the end they could only partially help us. I learned so much about the dog digestive system when I was cooking for her as well. I did extensive food mapping and tracking and food elimination diets with her. Finally after everything I found SMACK and it aligned with everything from the specialists and from my research. It’s literally been a life saver. It’s not cheap!! $137 CAD for 25 cups. But I promise it will change your dogs life!!!!
Author: Stephanie W.
👍 Likes: 0
Pure pet food cleared my cavaliers skin and appears to be helping keep his ears clear. He was a rescue who came with a terrible ear infestation. Also found it has helped my collie cross lab with her reactivity as she was badly abused before we got her
Mine was on Fromm grain free no chicken. Once I took her off both her constant scratching stop
Author: Alayne C.
👍 Likes: 0
Burns sensitive potato and pork…. plus a bit of added ProFibre. This is pretty much the best we’ve found for our little girl. We’ve tried so many foods but dairy and most grains, including rice, seem to flare up her colitis something awful. She’s also VERY fat sensitive. This seems to do the trick. We’ve another dog who had an awful time with food too, the exact cause of her bad tummy was unknown as she doesn’t react to treats that contain grains or dairy, so we think it may be fat related…. so she too went onto Burns Puppy and is now really stable and happy on the Sensitive Potato & Pork version. It’s been a godsend for all 3 of our girls really as the third, while she has no allergies or issues, she’s a really crazy fussy eater but even she loves it. So glad I found it!
Author: Rachael H.
👍 Likes: 1
I used Hills Prescription ZD…almost fully digestible & worked after trying LOTS of others!
My cavalier had skin allergies, so adjusting diet to tuna and vegetables for main meal. Fruits, yoghurt (sugarless made from scratch) and rice milk for treats and snacks. But it would really depend on what the Allergy is.
Author: Chrystal L.
👍 Likes: 0
Use Tylee, human grade. No chicken! He is good now. Fresh carrots, radish, broccoli as treats.
I was under the impression that pork was not good for dogs
Author: Terry S.
👍 Likes: 0
As always, be sure to consult your veterinarian before making any health changes to your Cavalier’s food. iHeartDogs is reader supported, so some of the links above may be affiliate links where we receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
An Illinois family has reunited with their dog that had been lost since a barn fire occurred on their property in early December.
Ollie, a German shepherd/golden retriever mix, was last seen 62 miles from his house in December after going missing following a barn fire.
Family members assumed they were being interviewed on January 5 to raise awareness about their dog being missing, but a reunion was actually the true purpose. With the help of Woodford County Animal Control, the family was able to pick up Ollie.
“He has a collar with a tag and it has Jim’s phone number on it. One identifying mark is he has a little cut on his nose,” owner Evelyn Zoss told NBC affiliate WEEK-TV in Peoria, Illinois.
On her Facebook post, Zoss said, “Thank you Jesus, Ollie has been found and is home!!!! You all, thank you for all your prayers and concerns. He was found up past Ottawa walking on I-80 near Marseilles. Basically 70 miles away! We can hardly believe this!”
The 8-year-old dog has not been seen by the family since a barn fire on their property on December 11. Ollie was found on January 4.
Zoss added, “They still haven’t cleaned up out there. We have the side thought that possibly they’ll find his remains out there, we don’t know.”
But by a miracle, Ollie turned up to be alive.
“Ollie spent the last month, I can only imagine his journey through the weather and the miles,” said Tim Abney, of Woodford County Animal Control.
A guide to help professional pet sitters and dog walkers with the process of getting insured and bonded.
Time To Pet is not an insurance agent and does not sell insurance products. This article is meant as a guide to help Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers understand Pet Sitting Insurance and to direct them to where they can find additional information. Time To Pet does not endorse any Pet Insurance company or product.
Starting a pet sitting or dog walking business is a risky venture. In fact — starting any type of business involves a level of risk. This is more than just the costs to start a pet sitting or dog walking business. You are risking your time, your energy, and other opportunities. While you may not be investing a million dollars — you are still making an investment. The goal of your business is to provide a return on that investment, but occasionally — the return is not what you expected — hence the risk!
Now Pet Sitting Insurance fits into this puzzle by mitigating your risk for particular actions and/or occurrences by transferring the risk to an Insurance Carrier who then charges you a fee. Your Insurance Carrier pools the risk of many clients to make the payments more affordable for their customers.
Time To Pet highly recommends that pet sitters and dog walkers carry some form of Pet Sitting Insurance to help mitigate their risk. Pet Sitting Insurance can give you financial protection if an accident occurs and having insurance can also provide you, your staff members, and your clients peace of mind. Think of it this way — if you were hiring a contractor to build your house and narrowed it down to two, but one had insurance and one didn’t — who would you pick?
While the actual items included in a Pet Sitting Insurance Policy can vary from Carrier to Carrier — it is important to look for two key items.
General Liability
General Liability protects your business from things like bodily injury, personal injury, or property damage caused by your business’ operations. While General Liability can be comprehensive — it does not protect your business from all liability. However, General Liability is the core of Pet Sitting Insurance. Some examples of what General Liability may cover you from could be if you were walking a dog and the dog in your care bit someone who happened to be walking past you. Another example could be if you forgot to put the dog in your care in the spare bedroom, and the dog ate the new leather couch in the living room after you had left. General Liability protects pet sitters and dog walkers against third party claims (the key is a third party — someone besides you) caused by you or your staff member’s negligence.
Bonding
You may have heard professionals mention that they are “Insured and Bonded.” The Insured part represents being covered by an Insurance Policy. The bonding part is quite different. While technically not insurance, being “Bonded” protects your business from theft or mysterious disappearance of your client’s personal property. While having a client’s watch going missing while their pets were under your care is a nightmare scenario — bonding can help protect your business from that situation.
Several providers offer Pet Sitting Insurance in the United States. Pet Sitters Associates tends to be the most popular pet business insurance provider among Time To Pet clients. Here are the four major providers:
Other Types of Insurance
There are many other types of insurance outside of the scope of Pet Sitting Software that you may want to consider. Those can include:
Worker’s Compensation — Can provide coverage for your staff members for injuries occurring on the job
Commercial Auto Insurance — Can protect you and your team when dealing with automobile incidents
Umbrella Policies — To help fill in any gaps in your insurance coverage
Binks Pet Sitters Insurance — Binks is a general insurance company offering policies and programs for many specific industries and commercial uses.
PROfur Insurance for Pet Care Professionals — PROfur is a specialty insurance policy for pet care professionals in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island.
Pet Care Insurance in the UK
Pet Business Insurance — Pet Business Insurance specializes in providing insurance coverage for all types of pet businesses.
Cliverton — Cliverton offers insurance coverage for most animal-related trades, including dog walking, pet sitting, pet taxi, mobile grooming, and much much more!
Time To Pet is not an insurance agent and does not sell insurance products. This article is meant as a guide to help Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers understand Pet Sitting Insurance and to direct them to where they can find additional information. Time To Pet does not endorse any Pet Insurance company or product.
A clear, well-constructed pet sitting contract is essential for any pet care business. Here is everything you should include.
One of the most common questions we get from new pet sitting or dog walking businesses is, “What should I include in my contract?” First off — this is an excellent question because having a clear, well-constructed pet sitting contract is very important for a pet care business. Second — whenever creating a legal document (like your pet sitting contract) — it is essential to get a legal professional to help you create and review the document. Each and every pet care business should have a contract tailored for them (based on the services you offer, the legal structure of your business, your location, and countless other factors).
To help get you started, here are the top items most pet care businesses need to include in their pet sitting contract.
Service Agreement
The service agreement is the main document in your pet sitting contract. This document outlines all of your terms and policies that customers must agree to before they can become a customer. These terms should all be very clear and should be strictly enforced. The main purpose of the service agreement is to protect you, your staff, and your business.
Some common policies in the service agreement include payment terms, late payment fees, cancellation fees, vaccination requirements, who is responsible for damage or medical costs, emergency policies, and many more. We’ve included a sample Pet Sitting Service Agreement you can review. Please keep in mind that this is used just as a sample; you should have your agreement reviewed by your attorney.
There we go!
Now we are working real hard!
Vet Release
The vet release form is designed to provide your business with the authorization to seek medical care for the pets in your care in case of an emergency. This document should include some terms (which may be similar to terms in your service agreement) that clearly outline your procedures in cases of emergency. You may also want to provide an option for your client to indicate a maximum dollar amount of treatments that can be provided to the pet.
Time To Pet has a sample Veterinary Release Form you can review. Again – this is just a sample agreement, and your attorney should review any legal documents you use for your business.
Having pet sitting insurance is an important part of starting a new pet care business too! Check out our Definitive Guide to Pet Sitting Insurance for more information!
Key Handling
If your pet sitting or dog walking businesses keeps keys on file – you should strongly consider including a key handling form in your pet sitting contract. Many pet care businesses are no longer maintaining keys on file. Instead, they are using lockboxes that are stored at the clients’ residence. If you choose to use lockboxes, you may want to replace your key handling form with a key lockbox form.
One of the most important aspects of the key handling form (or a key lockbox form) is specific instructions on what happens with a key when services are completed. Will you keep the key on file for future services? Will there be a fee to return the key to a client?
Time To Pet also has a sample Key Handling Form for you to review. Just like with the service agreement and vet release form – this is only for educational purposes, and your forms should all be reviewed by an attorney.
The last major piece of your pet sitting contract is the payment authorization form. In this form, you should provide clear instructions to your clients on how they can pay their invoices. If you require a credit card on file and if you will be charging that card for the client – you should be very clear in explaining this process to your client.
We have one final sample Payment Authorization Form for you to review. As with all of our sample agreements, this is just for educational purposes. Please have your attorney review all of your contracts and agreements before finalizing these documents
Executing the Contract
After having your attorney help you finalize your pet sitting contract, you now need to come up with a way for your customers to sign the agreement. Time To Pet provides a very simple, easy way for our customers to add their contracts and capture e-signature on these agreements. This is called the Portal Policy, and after enabling the policy and adding your agreement, you can require all new customers to review and e-sign the document. You can also require all existing clients to review and e-sign the document. If you make any changes to the agreement, you can choose whether or not you want your customers to re-sign the agreement too. If you ever need to print the agreement, you can also download a PDF for each customer that has signed the contract.
Alternatively, you can also simply print out your contract and bring it to Meet & Greets for clients to sign, or use an e-signature tool like DocuSign.
Regardless of how you capture signatures, it’s most important to ensure that all clients have agreed to your terms and signed your contract. As a reminder – the pet sitting contract is an incredibly important part of your pet sitting or dog walking business. It is designed to help protect you, your team, and your business in cases of emergencies or any issues that may come up in running your business. As with any legal document – get legal advice and have an attorney help you create and review your contract before having clients sign it.
We are incredibly excited to feature our next business in our Client Spotlight! Meet Clare Mix and Wings and Whiskers LLC! Clare is one of the best operators of a pet care business we’ve come across. With a background that includes substantial business and animal experience, Clare has been able to utilize her unique expertise and skillset in building a reliable, well-respected, and incredibly highly reviewed pet care business! Based in Windsor, CO, Wings and Whiskers have been serving the pets and pet parents of Windsor and the surrounding areas for over a decade.
Clare’s specialty includes caring for animals with behavior issues, including anxiety or fear. Wings and Whiskers deliver a service based on compassionate, fear-free, loving care for all the animals they care for. The pet parents also get exceptional service and are more than happy to share their positive experiences (check out all of the reviews on the Wings and Whiskers Website. Be sure also to check out their Facebook page and Instagram account!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
I took quite a circuitous route to become a business owner. First, I was a CPA (tax) working for one of the wealthiest people in the US. Then I went back to school, got a 2nd Master’s degree, and became a wildlife biologist studying endangered birds. My accounting background gave me the knowledge and technical skill to run a business. The wildlife biology background gave me the fortitude and stamina to work long, hard days in terrible weather. From the age of 18, I have been volunteering at the Humane Society and various shelters, working with really tough dogs and cats. I continued volunteering every weekend through my professional jobs. When home security cameras came out, we were stunned to find our pet sitter was walking our dog for 13 minutes instead of the hour we hired her for. She seemed to be scared of our rescue dog, and I knew I could do better for all the people who had scary dogs.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
For me, it’s helping those with behavior issues, such as anxiety, fear, or food aggression. It’s letting people who haven’t taken a vacation in 20 years finally have a vacation. It’s about giving people peace of mind knowing I can handle their tough dogs and that I’m not scared. I want to help people. I like people. It’s a different way of connecting with people. My other favorite part is art: I love to provide fabulous high-end photography pics to clients.
What is the most challenging?
The most challenging part of the business is charging what I’m worth and earning enough to stay with the business. When you work in pet care, you tend to be a “helpful” person who will give too freely their time. I believe most pet sitters cannot make enough to live on in retirement, which is a big concern unless you have another source of income you can look forward to.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
I have been in business for 11 years and have settled into the mature phase. I have been able to balance work and life this past year and have a great game plan that works for both myself and my customers.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
Time To Pet has streamlined my business by 90%. With my old software, I spent 3 hours a week on scheduling and invoicing, and on long days, I didn’t have the mental energy or time. Time To Pet is incredibly effective, easy to use, and better than any scheduling software I’ve seen for any business. It is fantastic!! It’s great for my clients as well. The ultimate part about Time To Pet is that there can’t be any scheduling mistakes. You can see your calendar. It takes away any anxiety, and I sleep very well!
A guide to help you decide if pet sitting and dog walking certifications are right for your business – Updated for 2022!
Here at Time To Pet, we often get asked about the various pet sitting certifications available to both pet sitters and dog walkers. Most commonly, pet care professionals ask, “Do I need to be certified to be a pet sitter?” This question is usually followed closely by, “How do I get certified?” This blog post will help you answer those questions and help you decide if becoming a certified pet sitter or dog walker is right for you. We’ll also go over the different types of certifications that are available to professional pet care providers.
Do Professional Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers Need to be Certified?
First off — the question of if a pet sitter or dog walker needs to be certified. This is a great question, but it actually should be asked a little differently. Pet sitters and dog walkers should be asking, “Do I need a license, a certification, both, or neither?”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (part of the U.S. Department of Labor), licenses and certifications can be a confusing concept for many people.
The key differences are that a license:
Is awarded by a governmental licensing agency
Gives legal authority to work in an occupation
Requires meeting predetermined criteria, such as having a degree or passing a state-administered exam
On the other hand, a certification:
Is awarded by a professional organization or other non-governmental body
Is not legally required in order to work in an occupation
Requires demonstrating competency to do a specific job, often through an examination process
Now that we know the differences between a license and a certification, the first question a pet sitter or dog walker should ask is, “Do I need a license to operate as a pet sitter or dog walker in my city and state?”
To answer this question, you should contact your Secretary of State and your city or town hall. If they don’t have the answer, they should be able to point you to the correct person who does. A simple Google search for “Secretary of State contact info” for your state should give you the right contact information.
Some states and cities do require a business license, so it’s important to do some research on your local regulations. Whether or not you need to be licensed, you’ll want to be insured and bonded. These items are essential for giving your pet parents that extra peace of mind. Take a look at our Definitive Guide to Pet Sitting Insurance for more information on getting insured and bonded.
After you determine if you do or do not need a license, the question becomes, “Should I get a pet sitting or dog walking certification?” Remember from the Bureau of Labor Statistics — certification is not legally required in order to work in an occupation; however, it still may be a good idea.
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Benefits of Becoming a Certified Pet Sitter
While certifications might not be required to run your pet care business, it still might be the right choice for you to pursue getting certified. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of pet sitting and dog walking certification.
Having an industry certification (not just those for the pet sitting and dog walking industry) can often demonstrate that the individual is committed to their craft and committed to upholding specific professional standards. Obtaining a certification can help you learn relevant skills and training that you may not have achieved otherwise. Depending on what certification you pursue, there may be additional benefits like access to other pet sitters, ongoing education, access to discounted services, and more. A certification might also help you market yourself and your business to new customers. Upon completion of most certifications, they will provide you with a badge to post on your website.
A few benefits of being certified:
It shows your customers that you take your profession and the welfare of their pets seriously.
Some certifications allow you access to resources and communities that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to access.
Certifications like First Aid and CPR can be critical and even help you save a pet’s life. For more information, please take a look at our blog post on Pet First Aid for Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters
Being certified can help you stand out from your competitors.
Continually learning about your industry is a great way to stay on top of new trends and grow your business.
If you have decided that getting certified is right for you, the next thing you’ll need to decide is which certification to earn. For pet sitters and dog walkers, there are two main certification options — Pet Sitters International (PSI) and the National Association of Pet Sitters (NAPPS). If you also offer dog training, grooming, and professional kennel services, there are other certifications that you might want to look into pursuing. PSI and NAPPS mainly focus on dog walking and pet sitting.
Pet Sitters International (PSI)
Pet Sitters International is an extremely well-known education association for professional pet sitters. Their CPPS (Certified Professional Pet Sitter) certification is knowledge-assessed. It tests professional pet sitters on a general body of knowledge that they would gain through educational and professional experiences as a pet sitter. That means that there are no classes or coursework, but PSI will provide you with a study guide to prepare for the CPPS Exam.
To obtain and maintain the CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter® designation, pet sitters must:
Be a member of Pet Sitters International
Successfully pass the CPPS Exam with a score of 80% or above
Agree to adhere to PSI’s Recommended Quality Standards and Member Code of Conduct and Ethics, as noted in the PSI member and renewal applications
Obtain a minimum of thirty (30) continuing education hours (CEUs) every three years and apply for the certification renewal
The application fee for the CPPS Exam is currently $275 at the time this blog was written. If you fail the test, there is a $79 retesting fee that must be submitted within thirty days of receiving a failing score.
The other primary certification option is with the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. The NAPPS Certification is a broad-range, self-paced course covering a variety of relevant topics for pet sitters and dog walkers. The certification takes about four to six weeks to complete.
To obtain and maintain the NAPPS Certification, pet sitters must:
Complete the NAPPS Certification Course within six months of enrollment
Coursework and exam completion with an overall passing score of 75% or better
The NAPPS Certification is good for three years. To re-certify after three years, you will need to complete 30 hours of continuing education or retake the exam at a discounted rate
The NAPPS Certification Course is available to members and non-members of NAPPS. The course and certification cost is currently $245 for NAPPS members and $395 for non-members.
NAPPS also offers a variety of other Pet Care Certificate Courses, such as: Caring for Parrots, Caring for Senior Dogs, Complete Horse Care, Feline Behavior Issues, and more.
Additional Certifications
Besides NAPPS and PSI, there are numerous other online classes and certification programs that you can explore to further your knowledge and expand your business. Here are a few additional certification programs that might be relevant to pet sitters and dog walkers offering other services:
Should I become a Certified Pet Sitter?
As you can see above, there are a variety of certifications available to professional pet sitters and dog walkers. Each offers its own unique benefits and commitments — time and money. After doing some research, you might decide that one or more of the certifications mentioned in this blog post is right for you. A pet sitting certification can be a great way to add extra credibility to your business and stand out from your competitors.
So, to answer the question of if a pet sitter or dog walker should be certified — it depends. It depends on you, the type of business you are running, the type of information you are looking for, and how much time, energy, and money you are willing to commit.
“How much should I charge for dog sitting, cat sitting, pet sitting, dog walking, and pet care?”
This question is, by far, one of the most common we see from new pet care businesses — and for a good reason. Setting a fair rate for your customers and yourself is essential for a successful pet care company. You could have thousands of happy clients, but if you are unable to cover your expenses and create profit, your business will struggle.
Ensuring you are charging the correct amount has become even more important over the past 12 months. The global economy, inflation, the threat of recession, and various other factors have significantly impacted pet care professionals. The cost to provide pet care services is substantially hire in 2023 than it was in previous years. Whether it is a tough labor market, increased gas prices, or other reasons – you need to make sure that the prices you charge for pet care services are increasing at the same rate of your expenses.
Price is still often a deciding factor when clients are looking to hire a pet sitter or dog walker. It is also likely to be one of the first things that a potential client will look at when visiting your website. That is why you need an easy to understand, fair pricing structure.
Time To Pet has created several free calculators to help you calculate your rates based on where you live and what services you offer. Use this blog post and our calculator tools to come up with the rates that are right for you and your business!
There are several vital ingredients when deciding what to charge for pet sitting and pet care.
What services will you offer?
Where are you located?
What is your competition charging?
What are your expenses? This one is critical in 2023
How much do you want/need to make to sustain your workers and business?
Deciding on Services
Determining what services you will provide is a huge, and sometimes overlooked, part of the planning process for your pet sitting business. There are a lot of different strategies you can take here, but the most important thing is to keep in mind the type of business you are creating. What kinds of animals will you service? Will you offer overnight stays in clients’ homes?
Don’t stretch yourself too thin. You can always add more services later. It’s better to master a smaller set of skills than try to do too much. It’s important to provide the absolute best service possible for your clients. That is always the best way to set yourself apart from the pack!
Keeping It Simple
We strongly recommend keeping services as simple as possible. It can be easy to go overboard and offer dozens of types of services like cat sitting, dog walking, pet sitting, evening sitting, early morning walks, etc.
In reality, most of these services are probably very similar and have the same price point as well. Instead of offering tons of separate services, it’s easier to offer just a handful of services based on the duration of the event. There are just way too many inconsistencies when charging per task instead of by a certain amount of time.
For example—you may have a 15-minute visit, a 30-minute visit, and a 60-minute visit. Each visit can be the same for cats, dogs, walks, birds, morning, night, etc. Even though you may be doing different things at each event, you are still spending the same amount of your time. This makes the process much simpler when customers are requesting services–and simpler for you as well.
Keep your rates consistent and straightforward. In many cases, there is no need to add an extra dollar for giving oral medications, changing litter boxes, watering plants, or bringing in the mail. These additional services can all fall under the designated time of the visit. If a pet needs extra attention (or the visit requires more time for additional services), then the visit should be for a longer duration.
One of the first things most people do when searching for a new pet sitter or dog walker is look at their prices. Make sure your prices are clearly stated on your website and are easy to understand. You will be more reliable, and clients will know what to expect, which leads to fewer misunderstandings about rates.
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Location and Competition
Where you live is a very significant factor in deciding what to charge for your pet care services. Using our calculator tool, you can see what the average cost for services are in your area. You most likely do not want to be the cheapest service around, but you want to remain competitive.
Do your research. Look at your competition and see what others across the country in similar-sized cities are charging. Check out our free rate calculators for help coming up with rates for different services.
It’s also a good idea to decide how you will position yourself compared to your competitors. Will you be a luxury service? Do you have special medical qualifications? Do you offer extra value with a software like Time To Pet?
Having the Time To Pet App to share with your clients can be a massive plus for them. Being able to conveniently schedule and pay for service makes their life easier. Clients also love being able to receive pet report cards and see GPS tracking for dog walks. If you are providing more value to your customers, you can and should charge more for it.
To determine your rates based on the standard rates in your area, review what your competitors are charging. This may be in your city or in places similar to where you live and work. Also, keep in mind that the kid down the street is not your direct competition. You are delivering a professional service so you will always be more expensive than them.
Time To Pet Averages:
We used our Free Rate Calculator Tools to pull the national averages for dog walking, dog sitting, cat sitting, and pet sitting services across the country. Overnight rates for pet sitting will vary greatly based on location.
Dog Walking – 30 Minutes: $25.55
Dog Walking – 60 Minutes: $40.97
Dog Sitting – 30 Minutes: $33.33
Dog Sitting – 60 Minutes: $45.93
Cat Sitting – 30 Minutes: $27.47
Cat Sitting – 60 Minutes: $42.94
Pet Sitting – 30 Minutes: $32.25
Pet Sitting – 60 Minutes: $42.08
Expenses
The cost to run a pet care company has dramatically changed in the past 12 months. It has become more challenging (and more expensive) to hire and retain great pet care pros. Inflation has also dramatically impacted the cost of gas, insurance, and other common expenses a pet care business has. It is vital to make sure that the prices you charge for pet care services cover your expenses and leave something extra for profit. We’ve got more information on this below.
If you have any employees or workers other than yourself, you will need to account for their pay. Factor in labor, insurance, gas, marketing, materials, and any other miscellaneous expenses. Your profit is not what you make from each event, but rather your revenue minus your expenses. Make sure your rates cover your business expenses with something left over for profit.
Also, remember that even though a visit might be short, you still need to include travel time and resources that take you away from other clients.
Setting Your Rates
One really simply way to set rates is to identify how much money you want to make per hour (let’s say $40/hour). Then work backward on how much you need to charge for events.
For example, if you have a 30-minute event, the cost isn’t just $20. You have to also factor in travel time and overhead. If your typical travel time is 15 minutes and your overhead per event is $3, the actual cost of this 30-minute event should be $33. This is $30 for 45 minutes of your time (30 minutes at the visit, 15 minutes traveling) and $3 for overhead.
When setting your rates, it is most likely going to be a combination of what you want to make per hour and what the typical rates are for your area. You can’t price yourself out of the market but also need to be sure you are compensated appropriately.
Frequency Discounts and Special Rates
Frequency discounts are a great way to “lock-in” your best customers as regulars while making sure you have plenty of work. We recommend frequency discounts because it encourages more use and loyalty from clients.
A new concept that has gained a lot of popularity in 2022 is the “subscription” idea. Instead of charging per event, charge $400 per month, which entitles a client to one dog walk per weekday. Of course, some months (like February) – there will be fewer walks, and other months (like January), there will be more. However, your income (and your clients’ expenses) will be very predictable.
Additional pets.
More pets can often require more time and work. You may want to simply set your costs based on the time you spend but charging for extra pets is a very common (and accepted) fee in the pet care industry.
Holidays.
It is common for pet care companies to charge extra rates for holidays. Think of it this way. How much would your customer expect to be compensated for working on Christmas? Be sure you value your time on holidays appropriately.
To help you set holiday fees for your business, we’ve created a Holiday Fee Calculator Tool that provides the national averages for flat rate and percentage-based fees for the most common US holidays. We also have a detailed Guide to Setting Holiday Fees for Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers. We’ve also got a great post on Pet Holidays! You shouldn’t charge extra for all of these but it’s always nice to have something to celebrate.
It’s Okay to Say No
No matter how fair your price is, there will always be potential clients that try to haggle on price. There will also likely be people outside your desired service area that would like to be customers. This is where you must decide if taking on a particular customer is in your best interest. If they are not willing to pay full price for your services, or if they live an hour away from your other clients, you need to decide if it’s worthwhile for you to take them on. It can be hard to turn down business, especially when you are first getting started and are eager to grow but it is okay to say no. You are running the show and need to decide what’s best for your business.
When most people think of “pet care,” they think of dog walking or cat sitting. There is a whole world of exotic pets that require the same high level of care that our more common pets do. That is where fantastic pet care pros like Michelle Mtchona and Fur and Feather Pet Care come in!
Michelle has an incredibly unique and professional background with nearly 30 years of experience in the veterinary field, including zoo and wildlife experience. As a Registered Veterinary Technician, Michelle has training in properly caring for all types of animals, including exotics. Her business is based on providing specialized care to these extraordinary pets.
Michelle is based in the Oakland, CA, area and services Oakland, Alameda, and San Leandro. If you have an exotic pet (like a parrot, a reptile, or even a tarantula), be sure to give Michelle a call! You can learn more on the Fur and Feather Pet Care website, their Facebook page, or their Instagram!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
I grew up with all sorts of birds, reptiles, and small animals. My fascination with them led me to later become a Registered Veterinary Technician. I’ve been a vet tech for about 30 years and have been informally pet sitting for hospital clients throughout that time. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I was working as a vet tech at the Oakland Zoo. Of course, since we were providing medical care to animals, we never stopped working, even when everyone else was sheltering in place. My son was doing distance learning at home, but I still had all my responsibilities at the Zoo. It was hard, and I felt like I wasn’t being a good parent or a good employee. It was clear that I needed to have more flexibility in my schedule. In 2021, I left Oakland Zoo to become my own boss and formalize my business, Fur and Feather Pet Care, which focuses exclusively on pet sitting for exotic pets.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
Even though I still do occasional relief tech shifts at the Oakland Zoo, I really miss the animals. By focusing solely on pet sitting for exotics, I still have the opportunity to work with uncommon animals. I enjoy the challenges of working with exotics, and I love giving my clients peace of mind that I’ll know how to handle their unique pet and that I’ll be able to notice any subtle signs of illness. I take care of a wide range of species – from birds and cute fuzzy pets all the way to snakes, lizards, and invertebrates like tarantulas and vinegaroons. My clients appreciate my background in caring for these creatures, that I have no fear in handling them (or their food!), and that I can easily administer any medications if needed.
What is the most challenging?
As of now, I am a solo pet sitter, and I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the number of requests I receive. It’s hard for me to say ‘no’, and I must constantly remind myself why I chose to leave the veterinary field. Self-care and sustainability needs remain a priority. I hope to hire at some point, but I’m anticipating that finding someone with an extensive exotics background may be challenging.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
My business is steadily growing as more people hear about my services, and I expect that to continue. I’ve also started boarding certain pets recently, and that’s become a very popular service. I currently only have space for 1-2 boarders at a time, so I dream of having a small boarding facility dedicated to exotic pets as those services are limited in my area.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
I’m a ‘paper person,’ and I wasn’t sure that software would be right for me and my business. Now, I can’t imagine life without it! I absolutely love that my clients can request service dates without the constant back and forth of emails. It’s so nice to send clients updates, messages, and photos in one place and not have it all in my text messages. Invoicing is a breeze now. Time To Pet is now incorporated into my website, and it’s much easier to onboard new clients. Overall, Time to Pet has been great in helping me to stay organized and save time, which is super important to me as a busy solo sitter!
We are very excited about our next Client Spotlight! Up next is Brigid Wasson and the fantastic team at Good Dogs Pet Sitting LLC! Brigid owns an award-winning pet care company that proudly serves the human and animal residents of Cloverdale, CA. Providing an array of services, including pet sitting, dog walking, day care, and grooming, Brigid’s business is based on providing a loving, experienced, and professional experience to their customers.
With tons of 5-star reviews and being the recipient of the 2022 Nextdoor Best Pet Care Provider for Cloverdale, you can be sure that your pets are in great hands with Brigid and her team. To learn more about Good Dogs Pet Sitting, be sure to visit the Good Dogs Website and check out their Facebook and Instagram pages as well!
What caused you to get into pet sitting/dog walking?
I started my pet sitting career in 1994. I responded to an ad in the paper (!) for pet care in San Francisco. I had never heard of pet sitting and had no idea what it was. I had always loved animals and wanted to work with them, but I thought the only jobs were as a veterinarian or in a pet store.
I worked for that company, Complete Pet Service, for a year, then decided to move to San Mateo County and start my own business, Morrigan’s Dog Walking & Pet Sitting. I remained friends with the CPS owner, and she sent me referrals that were out of her area. I ran Morrigan’s for ten successful years, peaking during the Dot-Com Boom when many young professionals had little free time and a lot of disposable income. I sold that business in 2005 and moved out of the area.
In 2014 I started the current iteration of my business, Good Dogs Pet Sitting LLC, in Sonoma County.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet sitting/dog walking business?
I am both driven and creative, so a business gives me an outlet for both. I enjoy learning from other company owners, doing research, and making adjustments as I grow my business. I love marketing, learning what gets people’s attention and earns their trust, and designing materials accordingly, like mailers and the website. I enjoy networking and sharing ideas with other pet sitters.
Over the years I have enjoyed mentoring other pet business owners. I have a blog and YouTube channel that includes free content on starting and running a successful pet sitting business. I also do individualized coaching and consulting on a limited basis.
What is the most challenging?
The most challenging is growing a business in today’s environment. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, there were few pet sitters and a lot of clients to go around. While some folks had friends or neighbors sit for them, there were no app-based sitters or individuals posting on social media looking for quick cash pet sitting and dog walking. I waste a lot of time talking to potential clients who expect to book the same day and pay very low prices because that’s what they are used to.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
In 5 years, I would like my business to be profitable enough to support me (I currently have a day job) and my staff at a comfortable level. I would like to expand to my neighboring cities and have staff there. With time and gas prices, it isn’t worth it for sitters here to drive to other cities. Most importantly, I want my company to be known as the “Premier pet care provider” for my area.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
Since I started in the 90s, I was used to using an old-school day planner. When I opened my current business, I was using paper forms for clients and Google calendar for my schedule. I asked a pet sitter friend if there was some way to scan all the info into my phone or tablet to take with me, and she laughed and said, “There’s an app for that!” Once I went paperless, there was no going back. Time To Pet makes everything easier, from onboarding to scheduling to billing. I’m very busy, so I don’t have much time to talk to clients on the phone, fill out paperwork, or take checks to the bank. I think, most importantly, it helps prevent mistakes like missed visits. Back in the day, I would tell clients to give a reminder call before departing. Some thought this was weird, but there were times when either I made a mistake, or the client gave me the wrong dates or forgot to schedule all together! With Time To Pet, this doesn’t happen. Both the clients and I (and my staff) can check in at any time to confirm visits days and times and send messages if there are any questions.
Here at Time To Pet, it feels like every day is a pet holiday! We get pretty excited about celebrating our pets (and the pets our customers are taking care of) whenever we can. A lot of people are familiar with the major pet holidays like the aforementioned National Dog Day, PSI’s Take Your Dog to Work Day, National Pet Day, and Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, but there are many more pet holidays to celebrate. We’ve made a big list (over 150) of pretty much every pet holiday there is!
But pet holidays aren’t only about dancing around the house with your cat that happens to be dressed like a pirate—National Meow Like Pirate Day, September 19th. They are also an excellent opportunity for pet care businesses to make some great content for their blogs, emails, and social media channels. If you are ever running out of cute pet pictures to post on your Instagram or Facebook (highly unlikely, we know), you can always share a pet holiday! You might want to bookmark this calendar and check it out every month. For more great info on boosting your online presence, check out our blog post on Local SEO For Your Dog Walking and Pet Sitting Business.
Here is our list of over 150 pet holidays to celebrate in 2023!
February might be best known for Valentine’s Day, but there are some other great opportunities to show your pets some love with all these great holidays!
March
Did you that Saint Gertrude of Nivelles is the patron saint of cats? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if pets had thumbs? Check out all these great pet holidays in March!
April
April is action packed with over 20 pet holidays! If you live across the pond, it’s National Pet Month!
May
It’s National Pet Month in the US! But don’t worry if you’re not in the US, you can celebrate World Turtle Day® and International Chihuahua Appreciation Day!
June
June is all about the cats! It’s Adopt-a-Cat Month, with other special cat days like National Garfield the Cat Day and Cat World Domination Day!
Adding cat sitting to the services you offer is great way to attract new business! If you’re looking to increase your cat sitting skills during Adopt-a-Cat Month, check out our blog post on Cat Sitting Tips for Pet Sitters!
July
The 4th of July might be your pet’s least favorite holiday with all the fireworks, but the rest of the month is all about celebrating them!
September 28th – Remember Me Thursday® is an international social media awareness day that brings attention to the millions of adoptable pets waiting in shelters and remembers those pets who never got a second chance. Share your rescue pet using #RememberMeThursday
There is plenty to celebrate in October! You can party with your pets all month and then dress up like them on Halloween! What kind of dog does Dracula have? A bloodhound!
Have you thought about volunteering at a local shelter or rescue? Volunteering is a great way to give back and spread the word about your pet care business! Check out our blog post on Volunteering 101 for Pet Sitters!
November
There are some great November pet holidays to celebrate while you’re getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday!
With Thanksgiving and the December holidays coming up, it’s a great time to review your holiday rates and policies. Take a look at our Academy lesson on Creating Your Holiday Fee Policy for some helpful info!
December
There are a lot of human holidays to celebrate in December, but don’t forget about the pets! Check out these great pet holidays!
Celebrating your pet doesn’t have to be reserved for a holiday. Here at Time To Pet we believe that any day is a good day to celebrate them!
A complete guide with all the resources you need to start your own dog walking business – Updated for 2022!
Starting a new dog walking business can be very exciting and a little overwhelming. There is no denying the appeal of running your own business, being your own boss, and spending your days enjoying the company of dogs and pets. Deciding to start your dog walking business is a big step all in itself, but the followthrough is crucial when starting your new pet care company.
There are lots of iterations of dog walkers in the industry today. They range from large online companies using gig workers via a mobile application to deliver on-demand services, companies with large teams operating across several states, local pet sitting and dog walking companies that specialize in a single city, and even the teenager down the street that walks dogs after school.
This guide is for anyone interested in starting their own dog walking or pet sitting business. It includes all the resources you’ll need to get up and running. The guide consists of practical knowledge that we have collected from years of working in the pet care industry, and with thousands of dog walking and pet sitting businesses. This is the most comprehensive guide to starting a dog walking business that you will find online, so feel free to jump around and discover the articles and lessons that are most useful to you. Also, remember to check back, because just like the dog walking and pet care industry, this guide will always be evolving.
Starting Your Dog Walking Business
Understanding how a professional dog walker operates and runs a business will be incredibly valuable when planning your company. Here is a list of several key ideas that you should familiarize yourself with as you plan how to start your dog walking business.
You might think that taking care of pets for a living is a dream job, and it absolutely is, but there can also be a lot of challenges that come with starting a dog walking business. As a dog walker, you will always have a changing schedule and be working in different locations. On any given day, you might be out on multiple long walks, visiting different homes across town, and handling phone calls and bookings from clients. Every day will look different and present new and exciting challenges.
No matter what you are doing on any given day, it’s important to stay professional. That means always showing up on time and professionally completing the agreed-upon services. You’ll be like a mail-carrier, rain or shine; the job must get done! Having a pet care company will also involve working irregular hours and often holidays. Holidays are usually the busiest times of the year for pet sitters and dog walkers.
There is definitely a reason why people prefer having a local, reliable dog walker over using a novelty cellphone app. After all, pet parents trust you with their most beloved family members and expect professional and responsible pet care.
Resources:
2. What Services Will You Offer, Where Will You Offer Them, and How Much Will You Charge?
What pet care services you offer, where you offer them, and how much you will charge are the core components of how your business will operate and make money.
We recommend keeping services as simple as possible. It can be easy to get overexcited and offer all kinds of services like cat sitting, dog running, dog walking, pet sitting, evening sitting, early morning walks, night walks, etc. You can always add more services later. Focus on being the best you can at what you offer.
While it’s always better to keep it simple, you should still offer the services that suit your business and your goals the best. Here are some ideas for services to offer:
Dog walking
Dog running
Dog hiking
Dog park visits
Training
Pet sitting for any animal type or time duration
Overnight stays
Emergency visits
Medications and/or vitamins administered as needed
Cat litter cleaned
Plants watered (indoor and outdoor)
Mail and newspaper collected
Pet waste clean up
House and home security checks
Individualized, customized dog (and cat) exercise programs
Pet food pick up and delivery
Pet taxi
Pet wedding attendant
And much more
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Where You’ll Offer Your Services
Deciding where you will offer your services is a vital ingredient when starting your dog walking business. Where you live will be a significant part of deciding where to provide your dog walking services. If you live in a big city like Los Angeles or New York, it won’t make sense to try and services the whole city. You want to spend your time taking care of pets, not driving across town all day. A lot of dog walking companies will take any client who wants to hire them when just starting their business. Overextending yourself will only leave you exhausted and stretched too thin. The best way to grow your service area is organically. Start small and grow with your clients’ needs and your own capabilities. You might quickly realize that it’s time to hire additional walkers.
If you live in a more rural location or small town, it might make sense to service several areas and zip codes. Always make sure you are calculating travel time and additional expenses when taking on new clients. It might seem like a good idea to accept any job you can get when starting, but as we mentioned above, it might stretch you too thin and impact your ability to provide exceptional service to clients you already have.
You’ll also want to consider your competition and where they are offering services. Market research will be beneficial in deciding on your service area. If you live in a densely populated area with lots of demand (and little competition) for pet sitting or dog walking — you might service a smaller area like your neighborhood. If you see demand decrease and the supply (the competition) increases, you may need to start expanding your service area. Please do your research to see what the competition is like and what areas they are servicing. Maybe there is an underserved area nearby that has a high demand for pet care services. Understanding what other companies are providing can also help you decide what services to offer.
How Much You’ll Charge for Your Services
How much should you charge for dog walking and pet sitting? Price is often a deciding factor when clients are looking to hire a pet sitter or dog walker. It is also likely to be one of the first things that a potential client will look at when visiting your website. That is why you need an easy to understand pricing structure. Make sure your prices are clearly stated on your website and are easy to understand. You will be more reliable, and clients will know what to expect, which leads to fewer misunderstandings about rates.
What services will you offer? Remember to try and keep it simple. It could be as straightforward as offering 30-minute, 45-minute, and 60-minute walks. Then you could also provide home visits for the same amount of time and the same rate. If you see another type of service gets requested often, then you can easily add it to your list of offerings.
Where are you located? Where you live is a very significant factor in deciding what to charge for your pet care services. Using our calculator tool, you can see what the average cost for services are in your area. You most likely do not want to be the cheapest service around, but you want to remain competitive.
What is your competition charging? Do your research. Look at your competition and see what others across the country in similar-sized cities are charging. Check out our free rate calculators for help coming up with rates for different services. It’s also a good idea to decide how you will position yourself compared to your competitors. Will you be a luxury service? Do you have special medical qualifications? Do you offer extra value with a software like Time To Pet?
What are your expenses? If you have any employees or workers other than yourself, you will need to account for their pay. You should factor in labor, insurance, gas, marketing, materials, and any other miscellaneous expenses. Your profit is not what you make from each event, but rather your revenue minus your expenses. Make sure your rates cover your business expenses with something left over for profit.
How much do you want/need to make to sustain your workers and business? This can be one of the most overlooked aspects of setting your rates. You need to make sure that at the end of the day, your business is generating enough profit for you to have a sustainable business.
Resources:
3. Startup Costs for Starting Your Dog Walking Business
How much will it cost to start your dog walking business? Luckily, starting a dog walking business is relatively inexpensive compared to starting other businesses like opening a restaurant. It’s possible to get started for less than $500 if you are really operating on a shoestring budget.
Costs of starting a dog walking business:
Registering Your Business as an LLC or DBA— $10 to $500+
When starting out, you’ll need to decide which type of legal structure your dog walking business will be. The two most regularly used structures are LLC (Limited Liability Company) and DBA (“Doing Business As”). Both structures allow you to operate your business under a name other than your legal given name. You can also open a bank account under the name of your business. Legalzoom has more info on both types of business structures–after a little research, you’ll be able to decide which is right for you. The cost will vary depending on the type of business structure you choose and where you live. An LLC will be more expensive, but it will also provide more liability protection.
Opening a Business Bank Account — $0 to varies
It’s probably a good idea to have a separate bank account for your dog walking business. It will help you keep track of expenses and account for taxes at the end of the year. NerdWallet has some helpful info on choosing the right bank account. The Small Business Administration also has a lot of useful information on the subject.
Obtaining a Business License — $0 to $400+
Depending on where you live, you may or may not need a business license. The Small Business Administration has helpful resources for what you might need in your state. You’ll also need an Employer Identification Number (EIN). It’s free to register for an EIN on the IRS Website.
Having dog walking insurance is an absolute must. It will protect both you and your clients. It can also be a deal-breaker for pet parents when booking your services if you don’t have it.
There are a few different options for dog walking insurance, but the four primary providers in the United States are:
Pet Sitters Associates — Offering a variety of different coverages for pet businesses. The basic coverage starts at $190, with all sorts of add-on policy options for different specialties like pet grooming, dog training, and boarding.
Business Insurers of the Carolinas — An insurance provider for PSI and NAPPS members—you must belong to one of the organizations to be eligible for their coverage. Business Insurers of the Carolinas offers General Liability and Bonding specifically for pet care businesses.
Kennel Pro — Offering comprehensive dog walking insurance and various other types of insurance for pet care professionals.
Pet Care Insurance — Offers several types of insurance for dog walkers, pet sitters, and groomers. The dog walking insurance starts at an annual cost of $129.
Building a Website— $15 to $50+
A website is essential for your dog walking business. Most clients will search for local dog walking services online. Think of your website as your digital storefront and local listing page. Your website is often the first thing that clients will see and what they will base their first impressions on.
If you have some experience building a website, it can be relatively inexpensive to create a site using WordPress. There are also some very user-friendly website building tools like Wix and Squarespace. They cost a little more but will allow you to quickly build a professional-looking site. We have a great post on what information to include on your website if you need help getting started.
Creating Marketing Materials — $10+
Sometimes old school is the best school when it comes to marketing. Creating business cards and flyers is a relatively economical way to advertise in your area. One of the biggest companies that can make marketing materials for you is Vistaprint. They offer lots of templates and can create flyers, business cards, magnets, and much more. Also, make sure to create your free listing on Local Pet Care, a new resource created by Time To Pet to connect pet parents with local pet care pros!
Taking a Pet First Aid Class — $50 to $200+
Becoming knowledgeable about pet first aid is definitely a good idea. Pet First Aid and CPR skills can prove incredibly useful in emergencies. Pet parents will also appreciate knowing their pups are with trained professionals. Pet Tech offers a lot of classes and resources for pet first aid. You can visit their site to find local classes near you. If you are interested in taking an online pet first aid class, PetProHero has lots of options. Time To Pet also has a great blog post with more information on Pet First Aid for Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters.
Dog Walking Supplies — $5+
It’s best to start with just the basics like a leash, collapsible water bowl, dog treats, and some poop bags. After some time working in the field and going on dog walks, you’ll quickly learn what supplies you need. The is no need to pack a whole pet store into your trunk when just starting out.
Dog Walking Software — Time To Pet Free Trial
When you start with just a few clients, it might not seem like you need dog walking software. However, if you plan to grow and are looking for an efficient way to manage your business and keep track of client information, dog walking software will be essential. It’s also an added bonus for pet parents if you have an easy-to-use app that allows them to book services, make payments, and receive visit repots from their phones or computers. Check out Time To Pet on a 45-day free trial to see how it can help your business.
Resources:
4. Creating Your Business: Name, Logo, and Website
Your name, logo, and website are how customers identify you. They’ll be a representation of the personality of your business. This is your chance to get creative! Feel free to get silly (we’ve seen a lot of pet-related puns, trust us), or keep it cool, calm, and collected—anything goes, it’s your company. Just make sure that your name, logo, and website are all incredibly user friendly and easy to remember. We have a helpful Academy Lesson with some practical tips and resources for creating your dog walking logo and website.
Like your name, your logo will be on your website and marketing collateral, so make sure it represents your business. If you don’t have someone on your team that can make a logo, there are tons of great resources online like Fiverr and 99designs, where you can get affordable graphic designs made.
Website:
There are endless numbers of companies and freelancers that can create a website for you, but if you are a little tech-savvy and feeling adventurous, there are a few very easy to use website builders available. Sites like Wix and Squarespace use drag and drop style website building tools that make it easy to build a professional-looking website for your dog walking business. Here is all the information that you should have on your website:
Homepage
About Us Page
Services Page
Service Area Page
FAQ Page
Reviews or Testimonials Page
Blog
Policies Page
Job Page
Contact Page
These don’t each need to be separate pages, but you’ll definitely want all this information available on your website, along with lots of opportunities for pet parents to contact you and book services.
Resources:
5. Creating Your Business: Contracts, Procedures, and Policies
Your contracts, procedure, and policies will help define the type of dog walking business you are. Having very clearly stated policies and agreements will help you avoid potential confusion and make your dog walking company more professional. Having well-defined policies and procedures will also make your life easier in what can be an often hectic industry.
A Service Agreement will describe all the services that you will provide to a client. You will clearly outline everything that you will offer for each dog walking client. For example, this could be a simple visit, a 30-minute walk, a hike, a run, or an overnight stay if that is a service you plan to offer. The Service Agreement will clearly define what a customer can expect from your dog walking business. It will also detail your terms and policies. Every client will need to agree to your terms and policies before you provide them with any services. Here is a sample service agreement.
A Vet Release Form is designed to provide your business with the authorization to seek medical care for the pets in your care in case of an emergency. This document should include some terms (which may be similar to terms in your service agreement) that clearly outline your procedures in emergency cases. Time To Pet has a sample Veterinary Release Form you can review.
A Key Handling Form is essential when you are dealing with lots of clients with lots of keys. You are responsible for making sure that their homes are locked and that their keys are taken care of. We have a great post on key management for ideas on how to efficiently take care of your pet parents’ keys. We also have a sample key handling form.
A Payment Authorization Form is definitely important for when it’s time to take payments. After all, getting paid is a pretty essential part of running a business. The payment authorization form should provide clear instructions to your clients on how they can pay their invoices. If you require a credit card on file and will be charging that card for the client, you should be very clear in explaining it. We have a sample Payment Authorization Form for you to review. As with all of our sample agreements, this is just for educational purposes. Please have your attorney review all of your contracts and agreements before finalizing these documents.
Cancellation Policy
With all the different moving parts of life, you have to be adaptable. There will always be the occasional cancellation for your dog walking services—sometimes at the last minute. While not a big deal, you need to make sure that you have a policy in place, so there are no questions or confusion about what should happen if a customer needs to cancel. It’s important that you are still compensated for your time and expenses if they cancel at the very last minute.
The meet and greet for dog walking services give new clients the opportunity to get to know you and your company. They are often the first, and sometimes only, time a pet sitter or dog walker meets their clients in-person, so making a good first impression is especially important.
The meet and greet is the perfect time to go over all of your company’s policies and have new clients sign your contract. You’ll often have at least one phone call before the meet and greet to set expectations for a visit.
Certifications
Becoming a certified dog walker is not a requirement for starting a dog walking business, but it could definitely be something you want to pursue. Having an accredited industry certification can demonstrate that you are committed to your craft and to upholding specific professional standards. Obtaining a certification can help you learn relevant skills and training that you may not have achieved otherwise. It can also be a great marketing tool.
A few benefits of being certified:
It shows your customers that you take your profession and the welfare of their pets seriously
Some certifications allow you access to resources and communities that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to access
Certifications like First Aid and CPR can be critical and even help you save a pet’s life. For more information, please take a look at our blog post on Pet First Aid for Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters
Being certified can help you stand out from your competitors
Continually learning about your industry is a great way to stay on top of new trends and grow your business
Resources:
6. Software and Tools for Your Business
Sure, you’re going to need a leash and some poop bags to start your dog walking business, but what other tools do you need? We’re so glad you asked! Dog walking software just so happens to be one of our favorite things to talk about.
Time To Pet was created by former dog walkers and pet care pros that wanted to develop better tools that did everything they needed while working in the field, taking care of lovable pups. Dog walking software will not only save you time, but it will help you to manage and grow your business as well.
Dog Walking Software
Having the right dog walking software will make your life easier, provide a better experience for your pet parents, and help you grow your business.
What is Dog Walking Software?
In it’s simplest form, dog walking software is a field management tool that allows you to perform Scheduling, Invoicing, Client Management, and Staff Management, all while out taking care of your four-legged clients. These are just a few of the basic features that dog walking software might offer. Time To Pet has the most advanced version of these features and many more!
Why Do I Need It?
We have a great post with 5 ways dog walking software improves your business. In brief, it helps build customer relationships, saves you time, helps get you paid on time, prevents more mistakes, and increases productivity. Time To Pet also offers a client app that helps even the playing field between your new dog walking business and the big tech, Uber of dog walking companies.
Yes, you definitely are! Hopefully, this guide has inspired you to take the first step in starting your own dog walking business. Having all the information from this guide at your fingertips should take a lot of the stress out of the planning process.
Once you hit the ground running, make sure to check back on this guide every so often. We will be continuously updating it with new and relevant information. And as far as resources from Time To Pet go, this is just the tip of the iceberg! We are always improving and adding to our Blog, Time To Pet Academy, and Email Courses. Our goal is to provide the very best resources to help dog walkers and pet sitters start, manage, and grow their pet care businesses.
Winter can be harsh, and it can also make a morning walk difficult for both dogs and their owners. The early mornings are too dark, and taking a long walk with the dogs isn’t that feasible. However, one can’t compromise on a dog’s physical exercise requirements as the lack of it affects their physicality and overall immunity as well.
Lack of exercise in dogs can also create boredom in dogs and also encourage destructive behaviour in them. So it is important to keep them active and healthy in spite of the weather conditions outside.
In this blog, you will see 6 wonderful indoor games you can play with your dogs this winter to fulfil their complete exercise needs. The games are simple and can be played anytime you and your dogs want to. So, here are they,
1) Find It
One of the best ways you can keep your dog’s mentally stimulated is through a play called “Find it”. In this game, your dog uses his smelling power and tracking instinct to find his favourite “object’. Dog experts suggest that even 10 minutes of “Find it’ game is as mentally tiring as a short walk.
This game is extremely simple to play, and yet it gives hours of entertainment to the dogs. All you need to do is show your dog a highly engaging dog toy, then give him the “wait command” while you hide the toy in another room. Once your dog finds it, give him praise and then a treat.
2) Treat Box
Another simple game, all you need to do in this is to hide some good dog treats in a cardboard box and let your dogs find them. Some dogs might rip apart the boxes although most will likely take a more calculated approach. In short, this game is all about forcing your dog to think and come up with its own strategy to find the treat.
If you think this game is too easy for your dog, consider buying them a good interactive dog toy that can physically and mentally exercise him.
3) Tricks & Commands
One of the best ways to enjoy leisure time inside your house in winters, teaching tricks & commands to dogs is highly underrated. Almost all dogs can learn tricks and it goes a long way in keeping them well-behaved as well. Commands like sit, fetch, shake hands etc, not only makes life easier for dog owners, but also amuses the visitors in the house as well. Above all, trick training is one of the best ways to boost your overall friendship with your dogs as well.
4) Name the Toys
Did you know that dogs have an incredible ability to learn a lot of words? Well, it’s true and dog owners can use this skill of dogs to make new games for them. One of the best ways to get your brain working is to teach him names of the specific dog toys. This might take a bit of your time and effort but it is all worth it once your dog learns about the names.
Once your dog learns the name of the toy, you can hide it among other objects and get them to bring the toy to you. This is a fun game which you will absolutely love once you start playing it.
5) Tug of War
Arguably, the easiest of games to play with your dogs, Tug of War is hot-favourite for almost all dog breeds. When played rightly and safely, you can tire your dog pretty fast without having him to take outside during the chilly winters. It’s better to teach them the “give command” before you play tug of war, so that they can drop the once you tell them to stop.
This is important especially for aggressive breeds like Rottweilers and German Shepherd who can get over-aroused when playing the Tug of War too rough with them.
6) Choose the Cup
You might know the children’s game where an adult hides an object under one of the four cups and then moves all of them around. Well, you can play the same games with dogs too. All you need to do is start by lining up, say 3 cups and then putting a dog treat under one. Let your dog sniff one cup and then let him touch one. Once he picks it correctly, praise him and give him a treat.
After doing this 2-3 times, you can start shuffling the cups to make the game more challenging and interesting to the dogs.
In Brief,
You have just seen 6 wonderful games you can play with your dogs inside your house, while beating the winter chills outside. If you find your dogs are taking time to learn it, be patient and they will eventually grasp what you are trying to teach. Lastly, it is important that you give regular exercise to dogs so that they stay healthy and showcase their sense of humour for a very long time.
