What to do with a NEW Cat

When you get a new cat, there are a few key items to help the transition go smoothly.

The big thing is to know that cats do not like to travel. Never attempt to bring your cat home without a cat carrier.

If they are loose in the car, it is very possible they will freak out and cause an accident or scurry out the door or window at the first opportunity.

Once you arrive home, avoid letting the cat have free reign of the house. This can be overwhelming.

Instead, bring them into a bedroom and close the door. You should have all of their stuff in there as well...toys, litter box, scratch pad, etc.

Once they get settled in the room for a few days, you can introduce them to the rest of the home, including other pets.

Remember that just because you are super excited about your new furry friend, your cat is going to be anxious and scared. Ease their anxiety and raise their comfort level by introducing the new environment slowly.

Home Doggz is a pet sitting service that services Carrollton, Allen, Frisco, Lewisville, Irving and surrounding cities. We are a fun, creative, successful and happy bunch that are driven by our servant hearts. Curt Fletcher founded Home Doggz after a very successful career in Real Estate where he helped over 500 families find homes...and he cannot wait to help you too!!

Teach Your Dog to Come When Called

If you are one of those people that is envious of pet parents that can let their dogs loose without a leash and have them obey on command...be envious no more.

The first trick to allowing your dog to run free is teaching obedience. This starts with name recognition.

If you are going to have a dog that can run without a leash, they must come back to you on name command.

This can be accomplished by a few simple training techniques:

Practice calling your dogs name. When they come to you provide them with hugs, smiles, or a treat. This gives your pet positive reinforcement for coming to you.

When at a park or field, let them go without a leash. When you call their name, begin jogging in the opposite direction. Dogs have a difficult time resisting the chase.

While you are taking your dog on a walk, resist the desire to speak to them the whole time. Dogs will tune you out if they hear your voice constantly. Attempt to have a quiet walk, only speaking to them when you want them to take an action.

The key to training is making progressions. Just because you dog comes to you from the other room in the house, does not mean they will come to you in a busy park.

Take steps based on progression. Practice in the home, backyard, front yard or empty park BEFORE attempting to let them run free in a hectic environment.

As you see progress, advance to a larger, slightly more distracting arena. Before you know it, you will be the envy of someone else desiring to have a well behaved dog like yours.

Home Doggz is a pet sitting service that services Carrollton, Allen, Frisco, Lewisville, Irving and surrounding cities. We are a fun, creative, successful and happy bunch that are driven by our servant hearts. Curt Fletcher founded Home Doggz after a very successful career in Real Estate where he helped over 500 families find homes...and he cannot wait to help you too!!

The key to a Happy Pet.....

EXERCISE!!

According to the ASPCA, Healthy adult dogs NEED at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity twice per day.

How can this be accomplished?

Dog Parks, Walking, Running, Swimming, Fetch...there are tons and tons of ways to get aerobic activity.

Animals are not all that dissimilar to humans as far as basic needs.

We both need food, water, love and exercise to live full enriched happy and healthy lives.

Cats are the same way. They need exercise as well. Throw the ball to them, watch some birds together.

The key is to get involved.

Exercise is also the key component in training your animals. It burns off energy allowing their mind and bodies to focus on what you are teaching.

Home Doggz is a pet sitting service that services Carrollton, Allen, Frisco, Lewisville and surrounding cities. We are a fun, creative, successful and happy bunch that are driven by our servant hearts. Curt Fletcher founded Home Doggz after a very successful career in Real Estate where he helped over 500 families find homes...and he cannot wait to help you too!!

Dog Walking and Training

One of the most important yet commonly overlooked aspects of dog training is as simple as a dog walk.

For maximum training benefits, it is important that your dog does not have a high abundance of extra energy.

Think of it as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) in kids.

The more energy they have, the less they can focus on the task at hand.

Dogs often get bored if they have too much energy. This boredom can lead to being mischievous or wreaking havoc inside your house.

A tired dog, one that is routinely walked, has far less energy to be destructive. Routine walks will help your dog release both mental and physical energy.

Most people think only about the physical aspects of a dog walk, but the mental release is just as valuable. Without a proper mental release, dogs can become mentally unstable leading to anxiety, hyper activity, and neurotic or obsessive habits.

This is not a good scenario.

It means they will become less likely to have the capacity to grasp the lessons you are trying to teach them which can lead to an increase of bad behaviors.

Start taking your dog on routine dog walks and you will see an improved opportunity to train them.

Home Doggz is a pet sitting service that services Carrollton, Allen, Frisco, Lewisville and surrounding cities. We are a fun, creative, successful and happy bunch that are driven by our servant hearts. Curt Fletcher founded Home Doggz after a very successful career in Real Estate where he helped over 500 families find homes...and he cannot wait to help you too!!