We have a very different approach to Orlando dog boarding than most other boarding options.  First of all, let’s explore what the other options are:

1. Boarding at a Kennel:  I previously wrote an entire blog on the differences between in-home cage free boarding and boarding at a traditional kennel.  You can see that blog post here.
2. Boarding at the Vet’s Office:  Boarding at the vets office is probably the most difficult on your dog.  A vet’s office is not typically equipped to provide real boarding.  The dogs are definitely kept in crates most of the day and night.  Furthermore, there is not typically anyone onsite so once everyone leaves at 7p or so, your dogs are alone until 7a the next morning.  Not only are they alone, but they are in a crate or a run with no human interaction for approximately 12 hours.  For most dogs, this is very stressful since they are accustom to being with people at night.
3. Boarding Through a National Website:  Several national websites such as Dogvacay and Rover have popped over over the last few years.  While these are great sites at matching pet hosts to boarders, the issue I have with them is there is very little required of the pet host other than to signup on the site.  At Orlando Pet Connections, we have very strict guidelines that need to be followed before someone is approved to be a pet hosts.
   • A background check is run on all of our pet hosts to ensure that the person you are entrusting your pet with does not have a criminal background.
   • A home visit is done to ensure that the pet hosts have a home that is appropriate for boarding
   • A temperament test is done all all pet hosts dogs to eliminate any issues between dogs that might occur
   • All pet host pets, must be up to date on shots, on heartworm preventative, on flea / tick preventative and spay / neutered.  This will ensure your babies do not come home with an illness, fleas or ticks.
   • A requirement of being a pet hosts is that they are home all day long so that your pet gets round the clock care. Your dogs are welcome to sleep with us at night, if desired.
4. Having a Friend / Family Member Watch Your Pets: This is a good option for some folks, but what happens if your friend or relative is unable to come to your home because of illness or accident?  At Orlando Pet Connections, we always have a backup sitter available for each of our clients so we don’t have to worry if someone is sick or otherwise incapacitate.

As you can see, our in-home cage-free boarding is significantly different (we think better) than any other options available.

The post We Do Orlando Dog Boarding Differently appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

We typically arrive at your house between 7p – 8p in the evening and let your dogs out in the backyard or we take them for a walk, whatever you prefer.  Once they’ve had the opportunity to stretch their legs, we feed them their evening meal.  If you have cats, we feed the cats (when applicable) and scoop the litter box.  We bring in the mail, newspaper, trash bins and anything else that makes your house looked lived in.  We turn on lights and adjust the blinds.

Now, comes the best part of the evening.  We change into our pajamas and have I paw-jama party with your pets.  We play with them, watch TV with them, cuddle with them on the couch, give belly rubs or back rubs, throw a ball, play tug-of-war, play games or just hang out.  Whatever your pet feels like doing is what we do.

Between 10p – 11p, we let them out for their final potty break or take them on another short walk before we settle in for the night.  Once we settle in, any of the pets are more than welcome to sleep with us.  On one of our overnights, all four Weimaraners sleep in the bed with us!

We typically get up between 6a – 7a and let your dogs out to go potty or take them on a morning walk.  Then, we come back and feed your dog(s) and / or cat(s) and scoop the litter box again.  We are typically ready to leave by 7a – 8a, although we might stay a bit later to avoid rush hour traffic.  We say good-bye to your wonderful pets. We turn off all the lights, make sure everyone has fresh water and lock the house on our way out.

We offer completely customized overnight pet care so any of this schedule can be adjusted based on the needs of your pets and your needs.

The post What Do Orlando Pet Sitters Do During Overnight Pet Care appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

1. With kennel boarding your dog will stay in a crate at night.  All of our in-home Orlando dog boarding is cage-free which means your dog is never in a crate unless you request they are crated.  We even let them sleep with us, as long as you approve.
2. With kennel boarding, you have no idea who is looking after your dog.  As part of our in-home Orlando boarding service, we run a full background check and home check on your sitter.  We also do a temperament test of their dogs, and yours as well, to ensure there are no dog to dog issues while boarding.
3. With kennel boarding, the kennel might have 50 or more dogs boarding at any given time.  We only allow our hosts to board a maximum of 5 dogs at a time.  This ensures that each dog is given the care and attention they deserve and are not treated as ‘one of the herd’.
4. With kennel boarding, there are all these extra charges for play time, administration of medicine, treats, etc.  We don’t charge extra for any of our ‘extras’.  Everything is including in the overnight fee with the except of bath or groom service.
5. With kennel boarding, there is a risk of illness or flea / tick infestation.  With our in-home Orlando dog boarding we check to ensure our host pets are up to date on all vaccinations as well as flea / tick preventative.  We also check our boarding dogs to ensure they have had all vaccinations and flea / tick preventative.
6. With kennel boarding, your dog is left alone at night.  Most kennels close by 6p and reopen at 8a, leaving the dogs alone at night.  A few have overnight staff, but typically only have one person to handle emergencies.  With our in-home Orlando boarding, your dogs are never left alone at night.  There is someone there to handle emergencies, hugs, pets, kisses, overnight potty breaks, etc.  Whatever is needed.

The post In-Home Orlando Dog Boarding appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

The weather is supposed to be beautiful this weekend so why not take your four-legged best friend to one of these Orlando weekend dog events.   There are three dog-related events happening this weekend:

SPCA Hawaiian Luau Furball:  April 6

Come out to SeaWorld Orlando’s Port of Call on April 6 and support the SPCA at the Hawaiian Luau Furball.  We could all use an island escape. Especially when it’s for a good cause. Let’s grab our grass skirts and party Hawaiian style to raise money for the SPCA of Central Florida. We’ll have auctions, raffles, prizes, food, drinks and a private show at SeaWorld Orlando.

Pups on the Patio:  April 6

Pups on the Patio is a block party that’s gone to the dogs!  This event is happening April 6 on Ruby Street in Downtown Tavares Waterfront Entertainment District.  Come see live music, dog misting & wading pool tent, dog caricature artist, vendors and raffle prizes.  100% of the proceeds benefit local pet rescues.

Doggy Art Festival:  April 7

The Doggie Door in Winter Park is hosting the 10th Annual Doggie Art Festival.  Come out to North Park Ave., Winter Park, on April 7 from 10a – 4p to see pet related artists, vendors and adoption organizations.

The post Orlando Weekend Pet Events: April 6 – 7 appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

Using an Orlando pet sitter will give you piece of mind when you are traveling, away from your pets and home.  About a week ago, we had a terrible storm in the Conway area of Orlando on a Sunday afternoon.  We had several clients in the area who were away on vacation, but had heard about the storm.  As soon as we could, we went to their house to check on their pets and to make sure everything was okay at their home.  They didn’t even have to call and request this extra visit — it is just part of the service we provide when you hire Orlando Pet Connections.

In one circumstance, a huge tree had fallen in my client’s yard, but had luckily missed the house.  Once I saw where the tree had fallen, I wen in her house to check on the dog and cats, just to make sure they were okay.  Everyone was fine.  She was arriving home that night so I texted her a picture of the tree and reassured her that everything was okay at her home, but that she would not be able to get in her driveway when she arrived.  She was so grateful that I was was there to check on her pets as well as her house.

These visits made on Sunday afternoon were in addition to our regularly scheduled visits, but of course we did not charge the client for this time.  This is the type of service you can expect when hiring Orlando Pet Connections to pet sit, board or perform overnight services.

The post Orlando Pet Sitter Gives You Piece of Mind appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

We live in Central Florida where it frequently rains so we are asked this question all the time. What the heck do you do when it rains?

The short answer to this question is that we walk dogs in the rain unless it is thundering and lightening.  We all have rain coats and none us really mind getting wet to ensure our clients get their walk.  We might have to adjust the schedule slightly, depending on how hard it is raining, but we get all our walks in.  Some of our clients don’t mind the rain while others would rather not get wet.

In addition to walking the dogs, we also try to stimulate them other ways such as running through the list of known commands such as sit, stay, wait, down, etc.  This makes them think and also builds a bond between the pet sitter and dog.

We play indoors with our clients, either with toys or just by running around.  We have to do something to burn off all that energy so we play games with them.

No matter what the weather, we take good care of all our clients.

The post What Do Orlando Dog Walkers Do When It Rains? appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

There are a couple of great dog related events happening the weekend of March 8.  For more information on these events, go to Orlando Canine Connections.

March 8:  Rock Legend Bret Micaels at Waterford Lakes Petsmart

Rock legend and pet lover Bret Michaels will make a special one-time appearance at the Waterford Lakes PetSmart store on March 8 at 4p to autograph his Pets Rock collection of toys, beds, apparel, collars, leashes, and bowls available exclusively at PetSmart.

Waterford Lakes PetSmart is located at 731 N. Alafaya Trail, Orlando

March 9:  SCAC Pet Adopt-a-thon

Seminole County Animal Services is hosting its 10th Annual Pet Adopt-A-Thon on Saturday March 9, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The Adopt-A-Thon will be held in the parking lot of the Criminal Justice Center 101 Bush Blvd in Sanford. That is on the corner of Bush and 17-92 right across the street from Flea World. (Just look for all the tents) Please come and join fellow animal lovers for a day of fun.

March 9:  Doggy Derby

The 6th Annual Doggie Derby brings the community together to celebrate Man’s Best Friend while benefiting a worthy cause. Families enjoy a festive atmosphere with friends, furry and otherwise. Canines compete with dogs of similar size in a single-elimination, 25-yard sprint race. Champions are declared and trophies and prizes awarded in each of the four weight divisions and the overall winner receives the Grand Prize.

March 9:  Arts for Carts

Arts for Carts is a silent art auction fundraiser benefiting the rescues of LoveyLoaves and the Sanctuary project. The majority of art available at this event was created by artists nationwide especially for LoveyLoaves and inspired by “specially-abled” pets

Saturday March 9th, 2013
5pm – 7pm at Rocky’s Retreat Canine Health & Fitness Center
2826 Shader Rd.
Orlando, FL 32808

The post Dog Events: Weekend of March 8 appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

According to the 2011-2012 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 62% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 72.9 millions homes and it is anticipated over $50 Billion will be spent on pet related businesses and services in 2013.  It is no wonder that so many people are jumping on the pet services bandwagon.  Here are some reasons why you should hire a professional pet sitter rather than a hobby sitter, and how you can tell them apart.

1. Professional Pet Sitters Have a Backup Plan:  Profession pet sitters are business owners so they have processes and procedures in  place to accommodate any issues that might arise such as a lost key, a sick sitter, or a number of other issues.  They have a backup plan in place
2. Professional Pet Sitters Have Insurance:  This is one of the first questions you should ask a potential pet sitter.  All professional pet sitters have insurance.
3. Professional Pet Sitters Form a Corporation:  Doesn’t really matter if they are a LLC or a S-Corp, but professional sitters have taken the steps necessary to be recognized as a business in their state.
4. Professional Pet Sitters Have a Website and Social Media Presence:  If your potential pet sitter doesn’t have a website, you should run in the other direction.  As mentioned above, professional pet sitters consider themselves business owners and as such they have a website in place that outlines their services, contact information, service areas, etc.  They also have a social media presences in their business name (personal ones don’t count).  You should be able to Google the company and find them.
5. Professional Pet Sitters have Online Scheduling:  Professional pet sitters have invested business tools for their business, such as online scheduling.  This allows you to login and schedule your pet sit without the need to call anyone.
6. Professional Pet Sitters Accept Credit Cards:  Professional pet sitters accept credit cards and do not charge a service fee.  The fee should be absorbed by the sitter as a ‘cost of doing business’.
7. Professionals Pet Sitters Recognize Their Value:  It’s tough to make a living in this business, and many pet-sitters start out not charging enough to cover their expenses and make a profit. The cost of running the business often can run a great pet-sitter out of business if they are not charging enough for the value they provide.  For this reason, professional pet sitters are generally not the least expensive.
8. Professional Pet Sitters use a contract.  Professional Pet Sitters utilized a contract In order to protect you as well as the business.  This contract explains what the pet sitter will and won’t do.  They also collect information about your and your pet so that they are able to provide the best care possible.  They should have a vet authorization and a document outlines their policies.

The post What’s the Difference Between a Professional Pet Sitter and a Hobby Pet Sitter? appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

On the fourth day, your pet sitter text you that she has twisted her ankle or had an car accident or has the flu or has a medical emergency or is in the hospital or a number of other issues that can cause her not to be able to walk / feed / love your pets.

What are you going to do?  You could call your nextdoor neighbor, but it is Spring Break and they are gone to the beach for the week.  You could call your parents, but they live all the way across town and are older so driving to your house several times a day could be difficult and can they really handle your big dog?  You could call another pet sitter, but that means someone would be in your house that you have never met and that have never met your pets.  Your only option is to cut your vacation short and head home.

This is one of the many problems with hiring a hobby sitter.  If you had hired Orlando Pet Connections you would have been covered.  We have a primary and backup pet sitter for ever account.  We require two keys for this exact reason.  The primary pet sitter keeps one key and the other is kept in a lock box so if there is ever an issue, we can easily deploy the backup sitter.

This is one of the many reasons why you should hire a professional pet sitter and not a hobby sitter.  A hobby sitter typically works alone and does not backup in case of emergency so you are left to figure your pet sitting out for yourselves should something happen.

Don’t risk it and don’t put yourself in that position.  Only hire a professional pet sitter.

The post Who Will Care for Your Pet if Your Pet Sitter Has An Emergency? appeared first on Orlando Pet Connections.

Everyone needs a vacation and your pets are no exception.  Are you going somewhere amazing for Spring Break?  Maybe you’re taking the whole family to the Caribbean or Europe or Hawaii or one of our beautiful beaches in Florida.

If so, why not give you pets a vacation too?  Hire one of our pet sitters or dog walkers to spend the night at your house or come by for daily dog walks or let them experience our Dogs in Dreamland custom cage-free boarding with us.

Don’t shove your babies in a traditional boarding facility or take them to the vet’s office where they’ll spend their days and nights in a crate surrounding by other barking dogs, let us provide TLC and some fun in the sun.  You’ll be glad you did!

We’ll take special care of your babies, give them walks, show them attention, feed and water them, hang out with them, throw the ball or whatever they want to do.  They will have an absolute blast with our pet sitters.

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