Category: Wags

Freaky Stuff

by suzannekjoy, posted in Wags

Recently I witnessed a scary situation with a young pup I was asked to feed and walk.  It was something that can happen to anyone.  Luckily it happened while I was there.  When I took him out of his crate he was already wearing a collar, so I attached his leash and off we went for a walk, he did all his business and ate his lunch so it was time to go back in his crate.  I opened the crate door and tossed in a treat for him to get.   As he entered the crate his collar caught the latch of the door and pulled the door closed behind him, collar still snagged on the latch.  He started to panic, pulling against the door.  Then he started to alligator roll, his collar getting tighter right in front of me.  I tried to reach through the crate to undo the collar since I couldn’t get the door open as he is a large dog pulling in the opposite direction.  That didn’t work so I braced myself with my foot against the bottom of the crate and  yanked it open bending it in the process but I was able to reach in and release his collar.  He came out of the crate and dropped into my lap trying to catch his breath.  He was fine and just needed some soothing and calming down.  I couldn’t believe how bent and distorted the crate door and latch were (I wish I had have taken a photo).  Imagine if that collar got caught after I had left and he panicked and rolled, tightening his collar….Needless to say, I put him back in his crate WITHOUT his collar on his neck.

There are a lot of things in my time as a dog owner/trainer/pet sitter/dog walker that I may have seen or heard of, freak accidents likely, that others have not, simply because of the amount of exposure I have to many, many pets and their families.  I have seen lots of freaky or out of the ordinary things that might seem far-fetched or unlikely to happen to the average person but they do.  One of my own dogs got a grasshopper stuck up her nose! And of course the more I tried to grab it’s legs to pull it out, it made it’s way further up her nose.  The poor thing went into a sneezing fit which eventually got the grasshopper out but who would have ever thought that could happen!  Working in veterinary hospitals I have also seen things that you wouldn’t even imagine can happen, but they do.

Because of this knowledge there are things I do not allow for my own dogs.  For example, my dogs are not allowed to play with sticks because I’ve seen too many freak stick accidents – punctures in the roof of the mouth, wedged sideways across the roof of the mouth, punctures through other body parts, and so on.  One of my dogs cannot have stuffy toys unsupervised because he chews off and eats any part that sticks out – ears, tails, arms, legs and I’ve seen too many dogs requiring foreign body surgeries for things they have ingested.  Call me paranoid, that’s ok, but if I see something that I think could be a potential threat or cause problems for your pet I will report it to you and maybe make a suggestion to change something.  I will let you know if your dog pulled in the blanket you have covering his crate – not to tattle tale on your dog but if he decided to chew it, then swallow it you could be looking at a number of problems.  You can take my suggestions or reports as you wish and they may not always be bad, I love to give good reports too!  Your pets are important to me so please know that anything I see that could potentially be a hazard, I will point out to you out of care and concern for your pet.

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Sticks are a no, no for my all of my dogs

plush-toys

Plush toys with ears, arms, legs, tails and so on are a no, no for Traffic.

No pets? No problem! Wags & Wiggles does house sitting also

by suzannekjoy, posted in services, Wags

As part of the services offered at Wags & Wiggles you can hire us to check on your home in your absence – whether it be an extended vacation, extended business trip, a second home or transition period between two homes – Wags & Wiggles can come in to check on things such as heating/cooling systems working, look for damage due to weather and/or burglary, bring in your mail/newspapers, alternate lights, water plants, etc.

Many people don’t realize if you are away from your home for any length of time it may be a requirement of your insurance company to have someone competent check on your home in order to maintain your policy.  Check with your individual policy to find out what the time frame is and what the requirements are.

Contact Wags & Wiggles to set up a meet and greet to go over things you want checked in your home.   A schedule of visits can be customized based on your absence and the requirements of your insurance company.

Sue can be reached by phone at 647-228-0273 or email at wagsnwiggles.sue@gmail.com

Newspaper

Caledon Day 2016

by suzannekjoy, posted in Wags

On Saturday June 18th I, along with my dog Party, attended Caledon Day 2016 in Caledon East and set up a vendor booth for Wags & Wiggles Dog Walking and Pet Sitting.

This was my first ever showing at this type of event representing my own business.  I saw it as a fabulous opportunity to be available to meet and talk to new clients so they could put a face to the name and I could answer, in person, any questions they might have.  I also loved seeing existing clients as I often only meet them once when they book a meet & greet and after that most correspondence is through notes, texts or emails.  It was also great to see friends, co-workers, teammates and neighbours.   I have lived in Caledon for over 12 years and still love the sense of community and small town.  I met so many new people, some who came with their dogs, others did not, some came to visit with Party and chat with me about my services, and some were familiar faces who just wanted to say hello.  I feel a great amount of support for my business and I appreciate it!  It was a really nice day to be out in my community.

I was also lucky to share my booth with the company of  The Village Chandler who was selling her Bug Balm, an insect repellent salve to target the nasty biters that we knew would join the event after the sun went down.  Her products are all natural and made with edible ingredients so they are safe to use on dogs and children.  I can personally vouch for her Village Salve and Paw Balm as well as the Bug Balm.

I hope you enjoyed visiting my booth, meeting myself and Party and I look forward to helping with your pet care needs in the future!

Life long commitment

by suzannekjoy, posted in Wags

Sharing your life with a pet is a wonderful, rewarding thing.  No matter what type of pet.  Ever since I was a kid my family had a pet, sometimes even more than one.  The first pet I ever recall having was a goldfish, then a hamster, a cat and finally, we graduated to getting a dog!  We knew little about having a dog but what my family did know was that we loved him!  I remember one winter morning he got out the door and was missing but I was told I had to go to school and thought about him all day, out in the cold of the winter.  Luckily a neighbor had found him and taken him in for the day.  I remember being so happy and relieved to have him safely back home!  Having a pet is great for a number of reasons; they provide companionship, in the case of a dog they get you outdoors for exercise, and they can help teach kids about responsibility.  

Having a pet is a big responsibility that you need to consider before getting one.  Are you prepared to care for them for the full length of their life, whatever that number may be?  If the kids who wanted the pet start slacking on their responsibilities of caring for the pet, are you prepared to take over and/or reinforce the responsibilities to the kids so the pet doesn’t suffer?  Are you prepared to give them the time required to train, groom, exercise and take them to the vet?  Are you prepared financially for all of those things as well as the unexpected, such as a serious illness or accident?  Pets should be vaccinated and visit a veterinarian on a regular basis to ensure they are healthy as they have limited ways of communicating to us if they feel unwell.  Regular grooming for certain pets is a requirement as well, especially long-haired dogs or cats.  All dogs and cats will need their nails trimmed, floppy-eared dogs may need regular ear cleanings.   Exercise is essential even for indoor cats, they should have a way to learn, play, explore and move.  Even more so for puppies and dogs, especially any high-energy breeds!  Bored, unexercised pets can become destructive as they will find ways to entertain themselves such as digging holes in your yard, chewing, scratching and destroying items/furniture in your house, demand barking or meowing incessantly.  Even if your pet is somehow limited physically, by an injury for example, there are things you can do to exercise their brains which can be just as exhausting and make for a tired but happy pet.  Teaching your pet basic tricks (yes, cats can learn tricks too!) can build a bond between you and your pet.  You can teach tricks that might be useful on a vet or groomer visit such as give a paw, lie down on your side, or stand still.  DSC_0378

Many people think the responsibility ends after the first couple of years or months and the pet has been vaccinated, has been to one series of basic dog training classes and gets out for a daily walk.   But the responsibility is for a lifetime, you made the choice to bring them into your life so it is up to you to make adjustments for them as they get older or slower, maybe need more attention, need a special diet or a slower, shorter walk.  If circumstances are so bad that you just cannot keep the pet for some reason and there is no other solution, it is your biggest responsibility to find them a sound and suitable home where they will be happy and healthy for the remainder of their life.  

Our pets are only with us for a very short time frame so we need to enjoy them while they’re here with us and keep that promise to provide for them for the entirety of their lives.