Experienced Reactive Dog Walker/Sitter
Hello BPN!
We are in the Richmond Annex and have a lovely yet complicated medium shepherd mix. Since we've had a baby, we've been searching for a dog walker / house sitter to supplement her weekly exercise and watch our place when we go on trips with no luck. Our dog is nervous around strangers and very reactive on walks (other dogs, skateboards, young kids, motorcycles, etc). We need someone with great situational awareness, who can read dogs well and has worked with anxious, fearful, territorial, reactive dogs before. We are hoping to find someone who can come for weekly walks and form a bond with her, so we can go on a trip once and awhile and know she is in great hands.
If you have any referrals please let me know. We've worked with trainers, behaviorists, vets etc and know this is just who our gal is so want to meet her where she's at and find someone who can build a bond with her and start a longterm doggy care relationship. We don't use a prong collar, e collar, or choke collar and would want someone aligned with that approach.
Thanks for any leads you can provide :)
Parent Replies
Cannot recommend Maribel at The Dogista (http://www.thedogista.com/) enough! We have a highly reactive border collie mix who goes nutso every time a moving vehicle goes by, which is tough when we have a bus stop across the street from our house. We've had Maribel take our doggie out once a week for the past six years. Our dog is much more relaxed and chill after having the chance to roam off-leash for three hours in a safe, car free environment like the Tilden Park. We've trusted Maribel to board our dog when we were in the hospital for our kiddo's birth, when he had to go the hospital for a few days a couple of years later, and any time we travel. She cares deeply about animals and a couple of times even spotted health concerns for us to pay attention to that we didn't notice.
Not sure if he goes as far as the annex but Gian Ciulla on Rover has been great with our two reactive, slow to warm dogs. https://www.rover.com/members/gianluca-c-i-love-all-the-critters/?utm_s…