All posts by Alicia

Puppies, potties and walkies – oh my!

Well-the holidays are over and you’re back at work.  If you’re like me, you’re happy to be back into a routine…unless, of course, you or your children or your wife or your husband or bIMG_5604oyfriend or significant other or roommate or, really, anybody you know got a puppy during the holidays.  If you’ve got a puppy, you’re mumbling to yourself in your sleep deprived, exhausted tone – “what routine?”

Puppies are cute – and it’s a good thing!  Puppies are a lot (and I mean a LOT) of work.  A new member of your family, much like an infant, needs constant attention, nurturing, guidance and potties.

We’ve been there and while we’re not formally educated in puppyhood,IMG_5591 we’ve learned much through our journeys.   Hopefully by sharing our stories(through pictures), we can help you navigate these super cute yet exhausting times.IMG_5584

Potty Time:  Puppies potty – a lot.  There’s a bit of a standard estimation that puppies can hold their potty for about 1 hour for every two months of age.  That would mean that a 2 month old puppy should potty about once per hour.  This, of course, is an estimate and your specific puppy may not adhere to this clock very closely.  Some things that may alter this standard are; breed, sex (of the puppy); weather (outside); access to training pads; furkid siblings and so much more.

All that said – what happens when you have to go to work for 8 hours?  That’s no less than 4 potty breaks for your new little furkid.  Are you sprinting home on your breaks and at lunch?  Have you gone out to dinner recently?  We can help – now and in the future!100_1097

Crate Training:  Not every furparent wants to crate train their puppy – we get that.  If you do, how’s it going? If you’re sailing through this process – congrats! What you are doing is working or your furkid is easy going or some combination of both.  If you are struggling, here are a few key things we’ve learned –

  • Is the crate open and close by when you’re just hanging out?
    • If your furkid is happy to hang out there (door opened and closed) while you’re cooking or watching TV or whatever, it will become a safe happy place for them.
  • Does the crate have a “home” in your home?
    • Furkids like routine.  If the crate is moving all the time the happy & safe place we’re hoping they view it as is harder to build – same smells, sights from inside the crate, etc.  Routine is good for doggies.
  • Does the crate fit the puppy?100_1326
    • If your puppy is tiny now but going to grow big and massive – did you buy the crate for later and not now?  Consider purchasing another crate for now (and later and later and later if your puppy is going to grow a LOT).  If your puppy can stand up, turn around in and lay comfortably down in the crate – it’s big enough.  If they can have a party in their crate it’s likely they’re not going to call it their “home” and use it as their potty and shred bin for when they get bored.  Cozy and comfortable worked for us!
  • How long is your puppy crated?
    • Remember, puppies have to potty….a lot. IMG_5597 And they need lots of love and even more guidance.  If you’re leaving your puppy in the crate for longer than they can hold their potty – nobody’s having a good time and nobody is going to learn to like their safe little spot.  It’s going to be the place where they cry and cry and cry because they have to potty and then….and then they have to cry while laying in their potty.  Who wants to do that?!   Here’s where we can help – we can help you manage your busy schedule and your puppy’s potty times!

We know puppies are a ton of work.  We also know how absolutely 1 million percent it’s worth it.  We are here to help you get through these first few months and then we’ll be a safe face when you want to take a vacation or need to travel for work.Picture 001

 

 

 

 

There is a first time for everything! Leaving your pet with a sitter….

bucket_03I was just reading this Facebook post in one of the Italian Greyhound groups I’m a member of and it inspired me to write about the same topic here.  You probably aren’t aware that both Seth and I are Italian Greyhound fanatics – we are, we would fit into the category of crazy pet parents – covering up the little dudes, hand feeding if necessary, shoveling a path through the snow to the iJill_01deal furkid potty spot so they don’t have to walk through the snow, all of the above and more.

One of the reasons, maybe the main reason we decided to start North Metro Pet Services is because we feel this way about pets.  We had such trouble finding quality, consistent care for our furkids and it was unbelievably stressful to take a vacation, go away for the weekend, travel for work or even go to a one day race event to watch one of our good friends race.   I don’t think we’ve told you this – we’re crazy pet parents – we understand how you build little blanket beds for your dogs or make special breakfasts for them on Thanksgiving or stress out over leaving them with a stranger.  We get it!  We want to help make the leaving them witbucket_jill_05h a stranger less stressful for you and for your furkids.

It’s a busy time of year, maybe you’re traveling and taking the furs with you, maybe you’re lucky and get to stay home or maybe you’re wishing the holidays would just be over already and want to get back to regular life and work hours.  This time of year we’re feeling grateful that we’ve gotten to meet many of your furkids and super happy that we’ve been there for you when you’ve had emergency trips for family, unplanned long days at work, when you broke your leg and your lab was going crazy – we were super happy to come take him for a run every day.  We want to thank you for trusting us with our pets this year (wow, it’s really only been two months) and we can’t wait to meet more of them in 2016!!  bucket_08

From our home to yours, have a fabulous holiday and a happy new year!  We can’t wait to meet you and your furkid in 2016!

Turkey Day 5K and your furkid’s workout plan…

Everybody is planning for the holiday – the grocery store is a madhouse, you’re packing to travel to family across the country or you’re secretly looking forward to the most fun 5k of the year.  Any way you look at it – the holidays are here and we’re all doing something aRunning-with-Dogbout it!

Here at North Metro Pet Services, we are getting ready for a busy week pet sitting and dog walking for those of you who have trusted your furkids with us – we’re happy to spend our holiday with your furry friends while you’re out visiting family, traveling or getting in that first weekend at the slopes.  We’re grateful that you trust us with your furry family while you spend happy times with your human family!

One new thing for us this year is the Turkey Day 5k in Broomfield!  We can’t wait to get up in the dark, put on every layer we can and go spend the morning with a few thousand of our neighbors!  Ok – well maybe some of those things would be better if it was going to be 60 degrees instead of 25 but no complaints here, it’s going to be fun!  It’s our first Thanksgiving 5K and we promise it won’t be the last!routine

As we prepare for this week, we wanted to remind you that we offer dog jogging services.  Do you tend to run indoors during the cold weather?  Does your furkid need to get out a little more?  Would a 1 or 2 mile jog benefit both your pet’s daily life and your after work sanity?   Contact us today to schedule a run 1 or 3 or 5 times a week!  We’ll come by in the daylight hours and take your furkid out for some fresh air!

The first Snow of the Season! Who’s walking your furkid today?

20151111_112954We’ve been talking a bunch about holiday travel and maintaining your furkid’s routine during these busy times but your furkids have daily routines too!  Could they be more active?  More consistent?  With the cold weather fast approaching, are you less and less likely to go on that long walk your furkid loves?  Let us help!20151111_113016_010

We’re super excited for the first snow!  It’s such a beautiful thing if you step back, forget about traffic and cold and just look at the beauty of it all.  We are aware, however, that with the snow brings dark afternoons and evenings, cold weather and super busy schedules – basketball, volleyball, hockey, wrestling, gymnastics, dance, holiday parties, holiday shopping – you name it, it’s happening right now.  Let us take one very important task off your plate – once a week, once a day, twice a day – we’re here for you and your furkid all winter!

We can take your furkid on that long walk during the warmest part of the day while you’re at work so you don’t have to venture out for so long in the dark!  We’re also here for those long year end work days and exciting holiday events that take you away from home during unusual times.  Your furkids will thank you for the extra love – we know it!

 

 

 

Holiday Travel can be awesome for your furkids too!

Working hard!Hey everybody, we’re excited to be officially launching North Metro Pet Services, LLC today!  Seth has finished his responsibilities with this old career and has officially moved to full time Furkid caretaker!  We are enjoying our first few clients and meeting lots of new furkids along the way!

Now that we’re officially launched you will see us out and about more often – maybe even in your neighborhood!

Now that Halloween is behind us and we’ve experienced the time change, holiday planning is officially here!  Are you heading out of town to see family?   Do you have plans that span more than 8 hours away from home but will still be in town?  Let us help!  We’ll fill up fast so schedule early but we’re here for overnight or multi-day services and single potty break visits.  Let us help you make this holiday season a little lower stress for you and your furkids!

 

Furs need to socialize too! Exciting news!

Casey here – if you haven’t guessed, I’m the North 10605571_0_600_400Metro blogger – apparently I just have more to say!  I know what you’re thinking…and it’s probably true, I’m the…..verbal…..one of this group.

Anyway, we’ve got some exciting stuff coming up.  Launch day is right around the corner and the holidays are fast approaching.  We’re running the Broomfield Turkey Day 5K (here’s to hoping it’s not zero degrees that day!) and we’re hosting a Yappy Hour for the Arbour Commons community.  If you live in Arbour Commons and you’re reading this – please come and eat some food!

Yappy HourWhat’s a Yappy Hour?  It’s a fun event where you get to bring your furkid and socialize with other furkids and furparents.   Generally there are treats for the furs and humans, drinks of some sort, prizes and lots of doggy kisses!

We can’t wait to host this event and meet all the furkids we haven’t already met in our community!  Want us to host a Yappy Hour in your community?  We’d LOVE to!  Call, text or stalk us in the grocery store – we can’t wait to meet you!

Record Temps & Winning Football Teams!

 

Gobroncos pet Broncos!  What a weird weekend for football!  We’re happy to cheer on the Orange & Blue alongside each of you but did you go to the game?  Next time schedule a potty walk and enjoy tailgating and post-gaming with all your friends before you head home!

Today we set a record high in the Denver area; I don’t know about you but I’m super happy to be wearing a tshirt in the middle of October and secretly ready for hoodie weather.   All that aside, the cold is coming.  We’re happy to bundle up and play fetch with your furkid or take them on a walk or a jog!  We’re geared up and ready for snow, rain, leaves, ice and that 4pm darkness.  Need somebody to take care of one of your afternoon/evening winter walks?  Call us today and get on our afternoon schedule!

Planning your holiday travel arrangements & don’t want to board your furkids?  Call us for pricing anpet sitting menud availability! Let us help you keep your pet’s routine!  We have pet sitting (both overnight and non-overnight), dog walking and house sitting slots available.

We’re counting down the days to our official launch, planning events and referral programs – we cannot wait to meet you and your furkids!

 

Furkid report cards, services menu & frozen custard…

My name is Casey (yep, I’m the other half of this show!) and I’m a hipster kitty cat wanna be!  See, I found this cute picture just for your viewing pleasure.

nerdy cat working on paperwork

Why am I a hipster kitty cat wanna be you ask?  Well, I’ve been spending all this time getting our documentation and paperwork ready for you so I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if I looked like I was a hipster writer doing her thing at Starbucks?  Ok, so hipsters maybe avoid Starbucks but I’m not a hipster, I’m just a regular joe(ette) getting things done!

We’re super excited for our launch day but, as you can imagine, there’s much to get ready so that you and your furkids can experience first rate service from North Metro Pet Services.  This week we’re focused on our service documentation – keeping it short and sweet – and our Furparent contact mission.  We’ve decided that we want to offer many levels of contact so that you, the Furparent, can be super low stress while we’re caring for your furkids.

Our Furkid Report Card is coming along nicely and we’ve outlined several levels of other contact that you’ll choose from so that you receive your ideal touch points from North Metro Pet Services during the service visits.  We’ll be offering text updates, photo updates via text, email updates and even Skype or Facetime for the vacation and overnight services.  Our Furkid Report Card will be a standard souvenir from every single visit.

Well, gotta run – more writing to do and a service menu to finalize!  Oh..I bet you’re wondering about the frozen custard.  Well, I don’t eat much sugar but it sounds good – maybe you should have some for me?

Until next time…

Hello world!

Well, perhacropped-cropped-Border_121.jpgps not the whole world but we’re so excited to be launching the new premier pet services group in North Metro Denver we just can’t hold it in! We can’t wait to meet you and your furkids!

Soon we’ll be writing about who we are, what our mission is, why you’re going to love us!

Until then, we just wanted to say Hi!  We will update this post as we get closer to our launch date.  Then – then hopefully we’ll have something new to say at least once a week.