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How to Choose a Dog Walker

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How do you choose a dog walker?  What a great question.  Well, like any business, not all dog walkers are the same.  Everyone does business differently and some are more qualified and more experienced than others.  You and your dog may have a better connection with one more than others.  Before signing on the dotted line, here are some steps to follow for finding the right person.  The best way to start is by word of mouth and referral.  Talk to your friends, coworkers, people at the dog park, and other animal lovers.  Look up their suggestions on Kudzu and Yelp and see what their ratings and reviews look like.  Also, talk to people you trust in the animal field, your groomer, your vet, or pet food store employees.  If you still can’t decide or you want to check out some of your referrals, you can always go to the local parks to observe dog walkers.  If you are really dedicated to finding the best dog walker, you can head out on rainy days to see which dog walkers actually walk the dogs and which ones sit in their car smoking giving the dogs not a walk, but a good dose of secondary smoke inhalation.  Luckily, just by reading this blog, you have taken the right step in finding a great pet sitter for your beloved animals, Gwinnett Pet Watchers!  We fit the bill in all of these categories and have the ratings to prove it!

The Best Pet Sitter in Gwinnett County!

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Last Friday one of my sitters was having car trouble so I had to fill in. This was not a planned vacation so it gives me an excellent opportunity to check in and see how my sitters are treating our clients.
At one home I found a note thanking Amelia taking the time to pick up a little as she was washing the pets bowls. At another house the client came home while I was still walking their dogs so I had a chance to visit the owners. They could not say enough about how wonderful Amelia is. The praises range from her wonderful text messages, neighbors seeing how happy the pets are when being walked , and the fact the owner know the pets love her!
I am not saying that it is easy to find good people, but it sure is easy to recognize good people when you find them. A very special that a girl to Amelia, obviously you are going above and beyond to take care of our clients. Thank you for all you do every day!

amelia and her jack

If you live in the Lawrenceville, Buford, Sugar Hill, or Suwannee area and would like to have Amelia take care your pet(s) give me a call 404-819-3641 and we will set up a free consultation.

Another reason I love my dogs!

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Miss Jennifer is back from vacation this morning and has taken over her accounts. That means I only have one kitty cat sit today and one meeting with a new client.
The house is a wreck as you can imagine after a week of 14 and 16 hour days. My office looks like a hurricane has gone through, with files stacked here and there, and the inbox, well we won’t even talk about that. But as I look around trying to come up with a game plan to dig out, I see five beautiful faces, saying “Mom, please we have missed spending time with you, we have missed our nice long walks, and when was the last time we went to the dog park together. The dirt will be here when we get back and really we don’t care, we just care about being with you and having some fun!”
Just another reason I love my dogs, they help keep me grounded, they remind me of what is really important and today that is spending time with my pets and visiting my mother, everything else is just noise. So with that said we are off to the park …

Gas Prices Poll

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When Gwinnett Pet Watchers was started, gas prices were on average $2.64/gallon. We have tried to keep the prices of our services down, but if prices keep rising and reach the $4.00 mark, we’ll be forced to increase prices. So, since this decision affects our clients, we want to hear from YOU on how we should charge for gas. We’d like for you to tell us whether you would rather us put in a gas surcharge per visit, or just give ourselves a cost of living raise? Take the poll below to give us your preference!

[poll id=”2″]

December Newsletter

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IN THIS ISSUE
Holiday Donations to Pet Orgs
Last minute holiday sitting
Dirty Muttini Recipe
Pet Sitting with Latrece

FEATURED ARTICLE

We encourage you to make a donation to your favorite rescue group or animal non-profit organization this holiday!

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RECENTLY ON THE GPW BLOG

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LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY SITTERS

Forgot to book your sitter for the holidays? Though limited, we still have availability this season.

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Winter 2011

First and foremost we want to express our gratitude to all of you for a wonderful 2011. Working with you and your pets has made this past year  so wonderful for us! It is hard to believe that the year is almost over. Everyone at Gwinnett Pet Watchers is incredibly grateful that we are able to do what we love while working with such great people (and animals!)

 

Although 2011 has been a successful year for Gwinnett Pet Watchers, we want to acknowledge that there are many who are not so fortunate and have had a rough year, which also means a rough year for their pets. Donations to shelters and non-profit animal organizations have decreased and they are not getting the help they need. Because of this, Gwinnett Pet Watchers will be making donations to two of our favorite animal organizations, Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen and Mostly Mutts, in lieu of giving gifts this year. We want to encourage you to do the same by donating to your favorite pet charity; instead of giving your sitter a gift, consider making a small donation in their name. Together we can make a difference!

 

Not sure what organization to donate to? Visit our Links Page for a list of our favorite Rescue Groups and Pet Charities!

 

Happy Holidays!

Dirty Muttini Recipe
 At the end of a rough day, Vinny likes to unwind with a little something for the discerning dog. A Dirty Muttini will do the trick.Ingredients:

  • 1/2 water
  • 1/2 chicken broth with NO onions (onions are toxic to dogs)
  • Chicken jerky strip

Directions:

  1. Be sure to use chicken broth with no additives, especially no onions.
  2. Mix with broth and water. Serve in your mutt’s favorite dish.
  3. Garnish with a chicken jerky strip.
  4. NEVER give alcohol to your pet!
 Do you ever make a special drink for your pooch? Maybe something warm on a cold day or a cool treat in the summer. If so,email it to us with a picture of your pal (preferably enjoying his libation) and we’ll feature it on Facebook and in our next newsletter!

Pet Sitting with Latrece
   Latrece Barcik, one of Gwinnett Pet Watchers newest sitters, has really wowed us all with her love of animals and the bond that she shares with them. We wanted to highlight her this month by letting her share some heartwarming stories from her pet sitting!     Each pet I have sat for throughout the years has given me a very special and unique experience. Not that we don’t have favorites, but I consider it a privilege that I am able to be a part of an animal’s life for any length of time, whether it is for a few days, a week, or longer. Here are a couple of fun, extra-special moments I’ve experienced in the recent months…A Springer Spaniel I sit for loves to take me to the stream behind her house. She always wades in for just a minute or two, but one day she seemed like she wanted to stay longer. I waded in with her and we ended up walking further down the stream. She was so happy, how could I say no? Obviously, it was warmer then!There was a Chihuahua that was such a bundle of energy that I thought he needed more exercise. Apparently that wasn’t the case because he didn’t go for any of it. He just kept jumping up and nipping at my hands and shirt – I couldn’t make him stop! Finally, I sat down (since walking and playing wasn’t his thing) and he jumped up in my lap, leaned against me and laid his little head on my chest, looking at me like I was the best thing since sliced bread. All he really needed were some extra snuggles! We sat that way for 20 minutes and he was calm and happy as a clam after that.

 

I try to figure out what a pet needs and deliver it. Does a dog seem a little bored? I’ll introduce them to the wonders of a peanut butter-filled Kong. Extra snuggles? Always welcome. An elderly kitty that is content to stay on her heating pad? No problem. I’ll try to be as quiet as possible to not disturb her. I’m almost always at a visit longer than I’m scheduled to be and 9 times out of 10, it’s purely by choice. I don’t set a timer; pets aren’t a meatloaf where it’s Ding!and they’re done. I just want to make sure a pet’s time away from their family is as comfortable and stress-free as possible.-LatreceSee below for details on discounted pet sitting from Latrece! 
Thank you for using Gwinnett Pet Watchers for your pet sitting needs and happy holidays!

 

Sincerely,
Robin Taylor
Gwinnett Pet Watchers
Save on pet sitting!  
For the month of January, we are offering a 10% discount on pet sitting when you mention the

“Welcome Latrece Special!”