How to Select a Puppy Trainer

Some people believe that they should wait until the pet is several months old before starting training. While every pet is different, it is never too early to teach an animal a few basic rules and continue to build its training as it gets older. There are some dog training, grooming, and boarding centers which can help new owners develop positive relationships with their dogs.

In these classes the dog learns a variety of commands, and also benefits from socialization opportunities as he will interact with other dogs. Usually when a dog is about 10-15 weeks old the owner can sign it up for classes, as by that time the dog has received all of its preliminary vaccinations.

Usually puppy classes are made up of about 5 - 10 dogs, so each dog and its owner will get sufficient attention from the trainer. Simpler commands will be taught first; such as sit and down. After the owners and dogs master these commands, additional skills will be introduced, such as asking the dog to stay in a sitting or down position for increasing periods of time. While the classes are the place where owners learn new skills along with their puppies, reinforcement at home and on daily walks can help both pet owner and dog retain the new information.

The process of setting the dog up for success and developing a solid bond with the pet owner as leader, allows the dog to assume its preferred role of follower. Most dogs, even those who act out, want to please their owners. Rules and commands need to be reinforced in the same way every time, so the animal is able to learn to provide the proper response. They can be taught to do so by the trainer and can continue to learn with patience, repetition, and consistency from the owner.

The owners not only have to train the dog to behave properly at home, but they need to teach it to behave correctly in public. A good dog trainer offers puppy classes and also private lessons to help owners build a solid training foundation. They also may provide dog grooming and boarding services at their training centers. While there are many dog trainers listed on the Internet and in the phone book, there are other good places to look for recommendations. Some of these are one's veterinarian, and also breed organizations that may be able to point people to trainers who understand characteristics of particular breeds.

Why Do You Need Pet Insurance

Having a pet can be very great but stressful sometimes. Pets like humans face some downsides like falling sick and being affected by illnesses and diseases. Research has proven that maintaining the health of a pet can be very cost effective sometimes even more than what you spend on medical bills yourself due to frequent visits that are needed to be made to the veterinary.

Pet insurance is therefore important for every pet owner in order to take of the stress of paying high veterinary bills whenever there is an accident. Pet insurance can be compared to any other type of insurance because they mostly have the same concepts the only difference is about this type of insurance covering your pet. When you insure your pet, there is always a sense of comfort and re- assurance that you have because you know your pet is safe even if an unexpected accident happens. Preparing yourself ahead for any accidents that might arise in the future is important because you might have enough money today not to bother yourself about pet insurance but you might not have it tomorrow.

Secondly you need to decide upon a policy carefully so that you get maximum coverage. Avoid purchasing an insurance policy that is more complex than required, as doing so will likely be a waste of your resources. For instance, if you carry your pet to the doctor only once in a year, opt for a suitable policy that serves your purpose in the best probable way.

 

For most people insurance is a fairly uninteresting topic and not something that we want to put our mind to when we are experiencing the excitement of owning a new pet. Rather than make a big deal of it, just do a bit of research or consult from an insurance company or your professional insurance agent/broker. Better to do it now than suffer the consequences later.

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Pet Services

It has been said that one of the keys to success in business is for entrepreneurs to work in a field they enjoy or are passionate about because doing so ensures that an entrepreneur would enjoy what he is doing, which would make putting in the necessary work to ensure the success of the business not seem like work at all. This is true for most people because of the fact that people tend to work more or work harder when they enjoy what they are doing. For people who have a passion for animals, there are business opportunities that they can take advantage of that center around pets and pet care.

Among the different business opportunities that are open for animal lovers, perhaps the most lucrative opportunities and utmost fulfillment are those that involve providing pet services. This is because apart from the huge demand for such services, the interaction between those running the business, the pet owners, and their pets can give animal lovers a chance to very close to some of the most lovable and charming animals. One of these opportunities include starting up a pet sitting or pet day care services, which can be very lucrative given that there is a huge demand for such services, especially in urban areas. Another example of such a business opportunity is starting up a pet grooming service, which can also be very lucrative because such a service provides pet owners a convenient way to care for their pets. Other business opportunities that involve providing pet services include putting up an online pet supply store that also offer helpful information with regard to taking care of pets, putting up an animal boutique, and putting up a pet bakery.

Nowadays, animal lovers can do a job that they love. This is especially true with regard to businesses that aim to provide different pet services. This is because apart from the huge demand for various pet services like grooming and pet day care services, these kinds of businesses also allow business owners to interact with other animal lovers and with the animals they are passionate about and love.

Here are more links

Pet Services and Pet Products  Pet Directory of pet services and pet products. Find pet professionals that provide pet services and pet websites that sell pet products on the internet. Pet Care Services Association  Pet Care Services Assocation (formerly American Boarding Kennels Association) is a non-profit trade association for the pet care services industry. Our web site has a list of ... Pet Services, Dog Walking, Pet-Girl, Peggie's Pet Care, Alexandria ...  Profile, pet care information, services and rates Pet Services  An very easy to use directory of pet services. Find pet stores and pet sitting businesses, dog trainers and dog groomers, cat or dog boarding kennels as well as veterinarians ... PETCO Pet Services help keep your pets healthy, happy and looking ...  A regular grooming schedule is important. The PETCO Grooming Salon can help keep your pet's skin healthy and coat shiny. Learn the good behaviors and healthy habits that last a ... Pet related services reviewed by pet lovers  Find pet related services rated and reviewed by real pet lovers like you on zootoo.com Caring Pet Service: Animal and pet cremation services in santa ...  The Caring Pet Service is located in the tranquil setting of the Santa Cruz Mountains and provides a pet cremation facility for the Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Valley regions. Diamond Pet Service  Diamond Pet Service offers dog walks, pet sitting services, and in-home dog boarding. Servicing the Northern Virginia area, we are fully licensed, bonded, and insured. Pet Pros Pet Services - Rehoming Pets - Pet Maids - Pet Home Boarding  Pet Pros is a company that takes great care of your loved pets. Offering a range of pet care services that will suit your needs. Welcome to Infinity Pet Services  Pet Services, Inc.

Ways to Start a Pet Sitting or Dog Walking Business

Are you thinking of starting your own pet sitting or dog walking business?

Here is a great starting point:

Step by step instructions to getting set up for success!

• Decide what sort of services you would like to offer. Many will start out offering pet sitting and dog walking then will branch out as suggestions from current clients roll in. Once you are secure with the pet sitting and dog walking end of it, start branching.
  
• If you have a lot of competition in your area, offer something to set yourself apart from others. One thing I offered in my business was a coming home service. I would charge a small fee to run to the grocery store and pick up some milk, bread and any other fresh item for my client so they do not need to bother with that. I did that because I know how much I hate coming home and having to stop at the supermarket.

 

• Once you know what you want to offer, it is time to set up the business.

 

• First, you need to set up a business name before you can get a license or go any further. Your name should be catchy. You want your potential clients to look over all the other "common" and "cutesy" names and go straight to yours. The trick to being at the top of the list is to start your name with the letter "A". Having a name that ties you to the community works best, in my opinion. For example, if you live in Westtown, you can call your business, "A+ Westtown Pet Care". Just make sure no one else took that name first. Try to get creative as well. There are tons of Pampered Pets and such. They have been played out enough. Move on to something else.

 

• Now that you have a name, you can get licensed. Here is a link to the SBA, to see if you need a business license in your state. Just find your state and click on it. Many will just need to register with the state and will not need a license, but it varies....http://www.sba.gov/hotlist/license.html . After you check with your state, try your local, township office. Sometimes, they want to know about your business as well and you may need approval. Just make sure all ground is covered so you don't run into any surprises. I actually went to a township meeting this month and they discussed another individual wanting to start a business selling cars on EBay. He said the cars would be in a garage and never seen by neighbors, but he still needed to get approval. This surprised me. I never thought about township approval.

 

• Once you are licensed, it is time to set up the paperwork part of your business. You will need a service contract for your clients to sign. You will need a report card to record what you did during visits. You will need a way to track medications you may need to administer, you will need instruction sheets on how to take care of the pets and the home. Those are the most important and "necessary" forms you will need. Sound overwhelming? Do you have the time and skill to develop these forms? Don't fret. Go to http://www.businessformsstore.com/ . All these forms are there for you as well as more you may need. The kick with these forms is that they come personalized. They will come with your business name and logo if you have one. They also have many flyers to choose from which will also have your business name and phone number on it. When you are ready to hire employees or independent contractors, you can get those forms there as well. When I developed my forms, it took me, literally, months of research and design and I am pretty creative. It was tough. That is why they are now offered to you all!

Alright, now you have a business name, license and the paperwork. You are getting closer...

• Next you need insurance. Insurance is a MUST. There are so many things you can run into and you should be protected. You may think you can get away with it, but, Murphy's Law, something will happen when you are not prepared. Insurance is pretty cheap, running less than $200/year. You can get insurance from your local carrier if offered or you can get from a specialist. Most pet sitters will go through organizations to get their insurance, like PSI or NAPPS. I used Pet Sitters Associates, LLC. It skipped over all the bureaucratic nonsense I didn't want. It is strictly insurance. They say it is a membership, but I never got hassled with anything, so I liked it. PSI and NAPPS require you to be a member of their organization, which runs around $200/year. Then you have to pay for the insurance policy which runs around $200. Pet Sitters Associates, LLC is just a flat rate of $164 which includes membership and insurance. PSI and others have an accreditation test to take and more. I never signed up for any of those, so can't really tell you much. You should definitely check it out ALL insurance carriers to see the benefits of each and decide on your own.

Here are the websites:

Pet Sitters Associates, LLC: http://www.petsitllc.com/

PSI: http://www.petsit.com/

NAPPS: http://www.petsitters.org/Insurance/insurance_index.htm

Napps and PSI use Insurers of the Carolinas. You can check them out directly at http://www.petsitterinsurance.com/ .

 

• Next is bonding. Now, bonding is not necessary if you are working alone. If you have employees, you would want it. Bonding is there to protect your company against employee theft. Some bonding companies, however, will include the owner as an employee and, therefore, you will be covered. Make sure you check on this. The way bonding works is if your client accuses you or an employee of theft, the police are involved. If you or an employee are convicted of the crime, the bond pays out and you then repay the bond. Some clients want you to be covered and people will get it as a marketing tool. It is up to you if you want to purchase it. Pet Sitters Associates, LLC offers a special additional coverage which will cover theft and accidents. It is around $95/year. The special part of that is it is like bonding, only you don't have to pay it back and don't have to get convicted. Check out http://www.petsitllc.com/ for more information.

Okay, you are bonded, licensed, insured and physically ready to start. Now you need to get clients...

 

Marketing is the trickiest, most frustrating and time-consuming part of this business. Once you get some clients, the ball will start rolling more by word-of-mouth, but for now, you need to advertise...

• Flyers are the cheapest and are best for getting just your immediate area. Go get your personal flyer at http://www.businessformsstore.com/ and start distributing. You can't put them in people's mailboxes without going through the post office...it is illegal. But, you can put them on people's doors and cars. The best places I have found are the pet food stores...not only PetSmart or Petco but local smaller stores. Pet Stores also work good. Post office bulletin boards are great and so are supermarkets. Basically, anywhere you go which has a bulletin board, put your flyer there. The best would be a Vet offices. If they offer boarding, you may want to get on their good side so they will refer their clients to you especially when they are booked.
• Another good advertising technique is the community newspaper. It is cheap, about $10/week and everyone gets one for free.
• After that we go up in price. Getting in the yellow pages is expensive and you can only get in at the right time of the year when they are publishing their new book. Call for rates.
• A website has been proven to be the best marketing tool.  Website design can range from free to $500.  As long as you are on the web, that is what matters most.  How you would like to appear would make the cost go up.  That is a personal choice. 
• Not only having your own website, but getting listed on the internet on places such as Google Maps and Yahoo Local will help tremendously with your marketing.
• Home Business Forms has compiled a list of places where you can do Internet advertising for free. Click here. You can also get a directory listing in the Pet Care Directory with a purchase.

Alright, now you are advertised and you should be getting that first call any day now...but what are you going to get asked and are you ready to answer questions?

 

• They are going to first ask what your rates are. Do you know what you want to charge? Keep it simple. I see people charging flat rates to all these extras. Don't confuse your potential clients and don't make it seem more difficult. This will turn them away. Be straight to the point. This is what I did... I charged $1o for a 15 minute visit, $15 for a 30 minute visit and $20 for an hour. Now, keep in mind this was 5 years ago and gas certainly wasn't even close to this expensive. I did this to make things easy. If a client just has a cat, you want a simple, cheap alternative for them. If they have 5 cats, 4 dogs and 2 rabbits, you know it will take some time for you to clean litter, cages, feed, water and then give them attention, so you know the $10 and even $15 rate doesn't apply. If you are going to service a larger area, you may want to do a mileage surcharge, but that is up to you. Even though gas prices are up, your really are not spending too much more per day. Maybe a dollar or too. Work it out. You will see. If you want to offer extra services as optional to try to make more money, that would work just fine. For example, pooper scooper. You may want to charge $5 per day or per trip, it depends on how many and how big the dogs are. If you want to charge extra for watering their garden for them, you can do that. Have all you want to offer and rates written out and ready for their call.

 

• They will ask you what is included in the pet sit. Make sure you have a list of that also. For example, you may offer free mail and newspaper pick up, free light alteration, free trash to curb, etc. Be prepared to talk about your services. You should also tell them what you will be doing with the pet, which is what they do everyday to keep the pet in it's same routine. This is the purpose of having a pet sitter over boarding. Home Business Forms has a great pet sitting package which includes all you will need. In this package is a telephone reservation form and pet and client instruction sheet. You will use these to document all they will be requesting.

 

• They will ask you if you have insurance and bonding. They may ask some specific coverage questions. I have a Q&A on the yahoo group PetProabout this. Go to http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/PetPro/ to sign up and read about these coverage questions. This is also a good support group for those just starting out and those already pet sitting.

 

• Lastly, hopefully, they will ask if you are available and will book you!

 

It may seem overwhelming reading this, but it will become second nature once you get started.

For more information on this business and other aspects of pet care, go to http://www.businessformsstore.com/. This website covers areas such as pet sitting, dog walking, boarding/kenneling, in-home boarding, aquarium maintenance, pet taxi, house sitting and so much more. When you visit the website be sure to go to each category and click on the FAQs and also read the newsletter archives. All of this information is discussed in more detail over there. You can also email Stacy with any questions.

Good luck with your business endeavors!

Here are some more links

Starting a Pet Sitting Business from Home : Frugal Mom  Starting a Pet Sitting Business from Home. Starting a pet sitting business is a growing work from home business that ... well i wanna make some money n i love animals so just ...

How to Start a Pet Sitting Business | eHow.com  How to Start a Pet Sitting Business. Would you like to work with animals, be your own boss, and make great money? Pet sitting might be the answer. I did this for 12 years and ...

Start a Professional Pet Sitting Business  Now that you have your business set up, it is time to get clients. In this installment we will discuss your many options and what options have been proven most valuable.

Start A Pet-Sitting Service  Pregnant women should use extreme caution when disposing of cat feces or else wait until after the baby is born to start a pet-sitting business.

Start A Dog Walking/Pet Sitting Business | Pet Sitter Directory by ...  Pet Sitting Dog Walking Business Directory by Professional United Pet Sitters Association. How To Start A Professional Pet Sitter Business and Contracts Forms Kit | Dog Walkers

Amazon.com: Start Your Own Pet-Sitting Business (The Startup ...  Amazon.com: Start Your Own Pet-Sitting Business (The Startup Series) (9781932531060): Cheryl Kimball: Books

How to Start A Pet Sitting Business | eHow.com  How to Start A Pet Sitting Business. Getting started as a pet sitter takes very little effort to get started. To be responsible and as a business owner and as an animal lover ...

Start Your Pet Sitting Business - Forms, Contract, Complete ...  Start your pet sitting business with our editable pet business forms, press release, contract, vet form, sales tools, detailed step-by-step manual. Instant download to start ...

How to start a profitable pet sitting business  How to start a profitable pet sitting business This article describes how to get started in the pet sitting business. Tips on how to develop a contract, advertising, and ...

Tips on Starting a Pet Sitting Business  Tips on Starting a Pet Sitting Business. By August Wyssman . Starting a Pet Sitting Business ... Featured Pet Sitter, granmoo For United States Illinois,Indiana,Kentucky ...

Types of Dogs for Seniors

Dogs are company and good companions for seniors who live alone or even senior couples. A dog gives them someone to love and lavish attention on. 
You should consider size and temperament of the dog breed when choosing a dog for yourself or someone else. Also, remember that each dog or puppy will have his own personality and traits. Visit a breeder that has the dog breed you want and check out the puppies or dogs and play with them.
Smaller toy dogs are usually a good choice. Most of them are lap dogs and don't require a lot of exercise, can live in an apartment or even a RV quite comfortably. 
So here are some dogs good with seniors to consider: 

Miniature Schnauzer

There are two sizes: miniature and standard. They enjoy being around people and are very affectionate. They like companionship and are eager to please. They do require a brief walk and regular grooming. 

Shih Tzu

There are two sizes: miniature and standard. They enjoy being around people and are very affectionate. They like companionship and are eager to please. They do require a brief walk and regular grooming. 

Chihuahua

This toy breed is well suited for seniors. They bond with their owner and are very protective of them. They were bred to be a companion. They require lots of attention but they are quick intelligent and loyal. They do make a good guard dog.
Yorkshire Terrier

This cute toy dog is a lovable and lively companion. He is highly energetic, clever, fearless and a lap dog. They get along quite well with the exercise they get indoors. They do need daily brushing, however. 

Poodle

This dog loves to be pampered and loves the company of people. They are happy, highly intelligent and very trainable. A good choice for seniors. 

BOSTON TERRIER
This small and friendly dog is mellow and protective. This would make seniors feel secure and safe. They are playful and affectionate which makes them also a good choice for families as they like to be part of the family. 

Pomeranians

The Pom is considered a toy dog but he is fearless. He makes a courageous companion just right for seniors. They are intelligent, happy, even-tempered and have acute hearing. They do enjoy being pampered and are highly trainable. 

SCOTTISH TERRIER
He is a small short-legged dog with a jaunty attitude. He is loving and gentle with people. They are alert, loyal, curious and a sensitive dog. He does need daily exercise.

Here are some more articles.

Senior Dogs 4 Seniors  Bringing senior dogs and people together. We have done some wonderful adoptions. Please view our smiling faces below...

Top Dog Breeds for Seniors  Pomeranian. If you are looking for a spunky, perky little dog, look no further. Believed to originate in Pomerania, Germany, the Pomeranian is an alert, docile but lively companion

About.com Dogs - Dogs For Seniors  Choosing a dog for a senior's companion. What steps to take and how to pick the right dog.

The Best Dogs for Seniors | eHow.com  The Best Dogs for Seniors. There are good reasons for seniors to own a dog. Pets can bring much-needed companionship for those who may be lonely, but they are also good for our ...

Best Dog Breeds for Seniors , Elderly  Many dog breeds make good pets for senior citizens. Small or toy breeds are often preferable because they tend to be...

The Senior Dogs Project  The Senior Dogs Project..... "Looking Out for Older Dogs" ..... "Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog."-Sydney Jeanne Seward

The Most Popular Dog Breeds For Seniors  Read the dog article - The Most Popular Dog Breeds For Seniors, and other useful Dog Miscellaneous articles for the care of, and well being of your canines.

The Senior Dogs Project  Posts information and pictures of senior dogs needing homes in the United States and Canada, tips on finding a home for an older dog, lists advantages of adopting a senior pet ...

Dogs And Seniors -- Made For Each Other  Dogs and seniors make a great team. The dog needs time and love, the senior citizen has time and love to offer. Perfect match!.

Please Adopt Us!  Special Note: All Sanctuary dogs are spayed or neutered before being adopted. All dogs in the potential adopters' home must also be spayed or neutered.