preparing anxious dogs for dog-sitting

The vacation is planned, the tickets are booked and the bags are packed. Now, what to do with the puppy?

It can be difficult for any dog ​​owner to make arrangements for their pets during travel, work or other life demands. And for owners of dogs with behavioral issues, the task can prove impossible.

That’s where Susan Aceti, owner and operator of Challenging Dogs Pet Care comes in.

Aceti’s business, which started as a side project and soon morphed into a full-time job, offers walking, daycare and dog-sitting services for dogs with behavioral issues. behavior in Richmond and the greater Washington, DC area. Through conditioning and preparation, Aceti and her team work with clients to prepare and care for dogs when their owners are away.

“Our goal is to understand dog behavior and treat dogs with respect and compassion,” Aceti said. “Our common goal is to do the same thing with owners.”

Aceti, 58, who lives in the Washington-Baltimore area, knows firsthand how difficult it can be to deal with a dog with behavioral issues.

In the early 1990s, Aceti adopted her first dog — a lab mix named Molly — from a local animal shelter. The day after she brought Molly home, Aceti noticed that her new friend “reacts aggressively when she sees other people or dogs.”

“It was a horrible few weeks in the beginning,” Aceti said, noting that it was particularly difficult to find people to watch or spend time with Molly.

Frustrated with Molly’s behavior, Aceti sought advice from her veterinarian, who recommended the book “The Power of Positive Dog Training” by Pat Miller.

Miller’s guidance, which centered largely on positive reinforcement training, helped Aceti and Molly “get on the right track,” Aceti said.

Aceti would eventually apprentice under Miller at Miller’s company, Peaceable Paws — a dog and puppy training center in Maryland. That experience further strengthened his love for dogs and his ability to take on some of the more violent ones.

Molly died about five years ago, Aceti said. Aceti is grieving, and not ready to adopt again. So she signed up to become a Rover — a pet sitter available for hire through the app of the same name.

Aceti said he advertised his experience with “anxious and fearful dogs,” which immediately gave him a leg up on the competition. Pet owners started booking her to groom their dogs, and they were so impressed with her work that they became repeat customers.

“My client list has exploded,” he says.

In 2020, Aceti realized the need was strong enough to start her own business, and she did just that. To promote the venture, Aceti said he “reached out to local trainers and local behavioral veterinarians” to create a “referral pipeline.”

“They fall for themselves, like ‘yeah, finally, someone we can refer people to,'” Aceti said. “The … pipeline has not slowed down.”

Aceti now manages a staff of 10 employees: seven in the Greater Washington area and three in Richmond. Her team offers daycare and long-term dog-sitting services, but the work often begins before the animals leave their care.

The process begins with a Zoom interview, Aceti said, where a team member meets with the dog’s owners to discuss specific details about the dog. The team member asks a series of questions, such as, “What would happen if I walked into your house right now?”

From there, the team member will work with the dog’s owners to gradually “desensitize and counter-condition” the dog. The dog learns to be comfortable in the team member’s presence through activities such as parallel walks and meet-ups in “neutral” public areas.

Eventually, the group moves into the dog’s home, where the dog learns to accept and tolerate the team member in its space.

Aceti compared the work to exposure therapy. By spending more time closer and closer to the team member, the dog learns that the team member is a safe and friendly presence. And by rewarding the dog when it responds well, the team member can develop a relationship with the dog before daycare or dog-sitting is scheduled to take place.

Aceti emphasized the importance of positive reinforcement. Instead of responding to bad behavior with harsh punishment — an action that Aceti says can further traumatize a dog and exacerbate existing problems — the Challenging Dogs team incentivizes good behavior. behavior through “manipulation and management of the environment.”

The entire process can take anywhere from three to 20 or more visits, Aceti says — and that’s just the “run-up to the caretaking service.”

“This is not your typical dog grooming job,” Aceti said. “You have to have a certain resilience.”

Aceti describes the services he and his team offer as “valuable,” and his clients agree with him wholeheartedly.

Before getting Challenging Dogs, Ashley and David Calkins, both of Richmond, never traveled because they were afraid to leave their pitbull Rosie alone with anyone.

Rosie didn’t always respond well to strangers and other dogs and struggled with separation anxiety, Ashley said, which made it difficult to “pet sit and ride.”

“We didn’t get to travel,” Ashley said. “We haven’t found a solution that will work that will be safe for everyone.”

But the Calkins wanted to visit Ashley’s family for the holidays, so, at the recommendation of Rosie’s vet, they contacted Challenging Dogs for help.

David said they were looking for someone who could give Rosie “the extra care and attention she needs … understand her quirks and be willing to work with her.” They learned that there was someone in the Milo Triana Sox: one of Aceti’s Richmond-based employees.

Sox and Rosie “hit it off right away (and became) really good friends,” David said, freeing the Calkins to leave Rosie in Sox’s care while they went out of town during the holidays. For the Calkins, the relief and newfound freedom was “life-changing.”

“It opened up a whole new world for us,” says Ashley.

The appreciation is mutual. Sox described Rosie as a “best friend” and an example of how rewarding work can be.

“The moment a dog who is known for not wanting to be touched lets you hold their head for a second, or lean on your leg … it’s this moment of connection. The moment where they decide you are okay is worth everything,” said Sox.

“It’s amazing,” Sox added.