Walking Nellie and dog behaviors/mannerisms
Updated: Apr 13, 2021
Growing up, my family had 3 dogs over the course of a decade. I barely remember my first dog, Jack, who was a Golden Poo (mix of a golden retriever and poodle). He was a big and sweet boy, around 90 pounds. The second dog, Brownie, was a cock-a-poo and he had a bit of an attitude. He loved to walk and play, but if he had a little rock in his lap, you better not approach him. The third dog, who is 10 now, is Nellie and she's a Golden Doodle (mix of a Golden Retriever and Golden Poo). You may have seen her in some photos (and below) - she's outstanding and a loving dog.
Right around when I started Simply Yours Concierge, I began to more intensely take notice of dog and cat mannerisms and tendencies. Previously, I had passing knowledge, but now it's taken on a more professional level of knowledge with pet behaviors.
Walking down the street with Nellie, I would notice certain actions and inclinations that she had. Dogs generally love to sniff everything under the sun that's outside such as grass, leaves, snow, mailboxes, and trash. Over thousands of years with breeding, dogs have become hardwired to pick up scents along with other traits, so this makes sense. I learned to pay attention to this, and now I train our staff to follow and notice these same tricks and rules while out with clients.
Nellie in particular doesn't really stop often to pick up scents unless there's something super strong that catches her attention. She loves to walk at a fast pace which suits my desire to exercise while outside, and sometimes she just sits to let the breeze run through her fur. Part of being a dog walker and dog sitter is not only to make sure our assigned tasks are completed, but to allow the pet to do their thing - just relax, enjoy themselves, and burn some energy.
Over the last 5 years with Simply Yours Concierge, I've walked many different dogs. Varying breeds, sizes, attitudes. They've all taught me one thing in particular - dogs love being outside...when the weather permits. As we're located in New Jersey and Philadelphia, we can have some wild weather patterns. Super hot and humid summers, frigid winters with massive snow storms, and sometimes the weather is just right (my preferred day is 55 degrees and cloudy). These crazy northeast weather patterns lead to flexibility being needed on our part as pet sitters - being able to read situations to provide maximum fun and satisfaction for our clients.
Dog walking with Nellie (and all of our clients) has taught me many things - about love, attention to detail, exercise, amongst other things. In the same vein, being a cat sitter has taught me about cat behaviors, actions, and tendencies.
All in all, pet sitting has taught me invaluable lessons that shape our company beliefs, morals, and methods of pet care. I'm grateful for our animals and clients and will always love them.
We're open daily - available for dog walking, dog sitting, pet sitting, and cat sitting services. Prepared with over 5 years of experience covering the New Jersey and Philadelphia areas, we're prepared with availability on our staff of a dog walker, dog sitter, pet sitter, and cat sitter. Servicing Middlesex County, Mercer County, Monmouth County, and Somerset County. Servicing Old City, Rittenhouse Square, and Center City in Philadelphia.
-Kyle
