PHC’s Great Pet Gifts for the Holidays

It’s the time of year when everyone is buying holiday gifts for all their friends and loved ones, including their furry family members! Whether you’re planning on buying a stocking stuffer or a more significant gift for your fur friend this year, Pet and Home Care has you covered with fun and innovative gift ideas from local businesses that will make your pet’s tail wag!

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Pet and Home Care Winter Weather Policies

Winter is coming! And while the cold weather gives you an opportunity to play in the snow or snuggle up next to the fireplace, it can also throw a bit of a wrench in your pet care plans. So before you break your skis out of the garage or stack up the firewood in your backyard, please take a quick moment to refresh yourself on Pet and Home Care’s winter weather policies and best practices:

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Four Reasons To Be Thankful for Your Pet

It’s that time of year again: time to reflect on all the things that you are thankful for in your life. The Thanksgiving holiday is all about spending time with the ones we love and appreciating what we have. For many of us, this appreciation extends to our family, health, friends, jobs, and four-legged family members! Many pet owners are also thankful for their fur-covered friends and family members who add much to daily life. As you reflect on what your pet means to you this holiday, we’ve compiled a list of 4 reasons we are incredibly thankful for our pets.

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Five Reasons Why You Should Treat Your Dog to a Mid-Day Walk Every Day

If you’re a busy pet parent, you may have found yourself wondering whether your pup is getting enough exercise. After all, dogs need to stay active! But if you’re like most people, you have a busy schedule that keeps you from getting your pup out and about as much as you’d like.

That’s why you may need daily mid-day walks from a professional pet sitter when you can’t do it yourself. Even a short, 15-minute walk can benefit your dog’s physical and emotional health. Here are the top reasons why booking regular dog walks is a smart investment.

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How to Walk Your Dog Like a Pro

Working as a dog walker is rewarding: you get to care for adorable pups and enjoy the outdoors while getting some steps in. But as with any profession, dog walkers need to have the right tools to do their jobs safely.

At Pet and Home Care, we provide Pet Care Team Training and Pet Pro Hero Training for our staff. In addition to these training protocols, our dog walkers use company-issued leash belts to ensure the pups are attached to them at all times.

But even if you don’t undergo formal pet sitting and safety training, there are a few basic steps you can take to make sure your dog walks are more fun, comfortable, and above all, safe!

  • Make sure all equipment fits snugly. This is to ensure that pets can’t wiggle out of their leashes or harnesses. But you don’t want to make it TOO tight. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you can comfortably slide your finger between the harness and your pet.
  • Ensure that ID tags are worn at all times. By law, when a dog is in a public place, it must wear a collar. But even if there wasn’t a law, tags are a common sense solution to help you reconnect with your dog if it ever goes missing.
  • Use a collar AND harness. Harnesses are a better choice for walking dogs because they don’t put pressure on the neck.
  • Stay connected with your pup. Use hands-free dog leashes or leash belts to make sure your dog can’t get away, even if you somehow drop the leash. These belts also offer the added benefit of relieving any strain off your hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders.
  • Avoid touching the dog’s collar and harness more than necessary. Some dogs are sensitive to their collars being touched and respond negatively while being touched in that area. Collars can also cause skin irritation even without excessive touching.
  • Make sure you have enough poop bags on hand to clean up waste. Plastic bags are one of the most common methods of cleaning up dog poop. You can reuse plastic grocery bags or buy a keychain attachment with biodegradable bags. This is the most convenient, hassle-free way to pick-up pet waste.

Keep Your Dog Happy, Even When You’re Away

Your life is busy, so of course, you can’t always be there 24/7 to care for your pup. Luckily at Pet and Home Care, your pets receive love and one-on-one attention while you’re away. We carefully select and train each of our team members to ensure they are genuinely dedicated and capable of providing you, your pets, and your home with the highest level of professional service.

As Pet and Home Care continue to grow, our team is hiring like crazy! If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the PHC team, please visit our Pet and Home Care careers page.

PHC Implements New Training Program!

One of the big differences between Pet and Home Care and other pet sitting businesses in our service area is that we are a collection of professionals trained to give your pets the best possible care. We’re not satisfied with a simple one-and-done training for our team. Pet care is just like any other skill where best practices evolve, and it’s always important to stay on top of our craft.

That’s why we are so excited to share that Pet and Home Care joined the Pet Care Team Training network! The Pet Care Team Training course consists of interactive modules with worksheets, quizzes, and user-friendly guides to prepare our team for any pet care situation. Along with the Pet Care Team Training certification course, all of our staff are required to take First Aid & CPR Training with ProPetHero. We are empowering our staff with pet training and practical knowledge for careers at Pet and Home Care and beyond with life-saving certifications!

Courses Details

The Pet Care Team Training certification courses include modules with topics such as Dog’s Body Language, Caring for Puppies, Caring for Cats, Dog Walking 101, Administering Medication, How to Clean Litter Boxes, All About Pet Crates, Common Issues with Clients & Pets, Safety, and Security, Do’s and Don’ts in a Client’s Home, Next Level Client Service and more!

First Aid & CPR Training with ProPetHero

  • Introduction to First Aid
  • Understanding Pet Vital Signs
  • Signs of Illness
  • Responding to Cardiovascular Emergencies
  • Cat and Dog CPR
  • Treating Common Injuries
  • Common Allergic Reactions and Treatment
  • Responding to Respiratory Emergencies

Pet Care Certifications

Pet Care Team Training Plus provides unmatched training for our professional team of pet sitters, pet resort staff, and our management team. By the end of the course, all of our staff will have continued learning credits towards Animal Behavior College, IAABC– International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, NADOI– National Association of Dog Obedience Instructions, National Association of Pet Sitters, PSI-International Pet Sitters, and PACCC– Professional Animal Care!

Commitment to Excellence

When your business involves taking care of someone’s furry baby, you can never be too safe! All of our team members are our bonded and insured employees who we hold to the highest standards. We strive to exceed your expectations every day and at each visit. As Pet and Home Care progresses to grow, the team is hiring like crazy! Anyone interested in joining the PHC team can learn more and apply at the Pet and Home Care careers page.

 

Featured Potomac Lifestyle Magazine: Tiffany and Millie’s Excellent Adventure!

We have exciting news! Pet and Home Care Founder and CEO, Tiffany Lewis and her adorable Shih Tzu, Millie are featured in the August edition of Potomac Lifestyle Magazine (Pages 30-31)! Click here to check out the article and learn about Tiffany and Millie’s Excellent Adventure with The Pleasant Pet Hemp Oil!

Article by Lauri Gross

Originally published in Potomac Lifestyle

What do you get when you combine a pandemic, a hemp farmer and one nervous Shih Tzu? If you’re entrepreneur Tiffany Lewis, you get a fabulous business idea.

A pet-sitting service that Tiffany launched in high school has grown into a large, successful business 25 years later called Pet and Home Care, which offers doggy daycare, boarding, dog walking, and plenty more.

When Tiffany was about to take her own dog, Millie the Shih Tzu on a long flight, her veterinarian advised medicine to calm Millie. Instead, the medication made Millie “violently ill,” recalls Tiffany, who vowed to find a better way. Around the same time, Pet and Home Care was dealing with a huge loss of business since clients were home with their dogs during the pandemic and didn’t need daycare or boarding for their pets.

“So, I talked to my mom, the hemp farmer,” Tiffany says, referring to Dawn Furman, who owns The Fingerboard Farm in Frederick County. “She reminded me she had made hemp pet treats at one point and then we came up with an idea,” Tiffany adds. “Prior to that, mom only made hemp products for humans. Scientists on her team worked with us to come up with a hemp oil product for pets called The Pleasant Pet. It makes me so proud and happy. It’s a true mother-daughter success story.”

The Pleasant Pet, available at PetAndHomeCare.com/shop, uses a broad-spectrum hemp oil that Tiffany says provides relief for many common pet ailments including pain, anxiety, arthritis, seizures, allergies, skin conditions, digestive issues, and sundowner syndrome; a cognitive degeneration disorder in senior dogs. The product is made from just four ingredients: organic cold-pressed hemp seed oil, organic broad-spectrum hemp oil, sunflower lecithin, and a blend of terpenes. It does not contain THC.

The Pleasant Pet is packaged with a dropper and the label recommends dosage according to the size of the dog.

“They can mix it on the dog’s food or put it on a treat,” Tiffany says. “It’s so safe, you don’t have to worry about an overdose and you can adjust the dosage when you see how it works for your dog,” she adds. It helps Millie handle the stress of fireworks, airplane rides and more.

At Tiffany’s Pet and Home Care pet resort in Clarksburg, clients come from across Montgomery and Frederick Counties.

Tiffany says, “Our approach is a free-range open plan. Dogs interact together so we are cautious and have tough restrictions on the dogs who come. We do have optional crates available. We are out in the in country and surrounded by tall trees and open land, with about a half-acre fenced in.” The boutique facility can handle up to about 40 dogs at once.

In addition to doggie daycare, boarding, bathing and walking, the company’s services include in-home pet visits and service for clients who are away from home, including bringing in the mail, checking for plumbing leaks, watering plants etc.

Earlier this year, Tiffany was accepted into a competitive Goldman Sachs program called 10,000 Small Businesses, that helps entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity.

Tiffany says, “I graduated from the four-month program in April with tons of new ideas and a business plan for The Pleasant Pet to ensure Pet and Home Care stays nimble and profitable in today’s economy, still recovering from the pandemic.”

Currently seeing a surge of new and old clients, Tiffany says. “We are excited for what the year is going to bring.”

Back to School: Tips for Helping Pets Cope

It’s that time of year again: back to school! While you and your kids may be looking forward to a new fall routine, your pet might be flustered by sudden changes to their schedule. This year’s back-to-school changes might be even more drastic as we come out of our pandemic bubbles.

When a family’s schedule changes and familiar faces suddenly disappear for hours, it can cause a great deal of distress in your pet. Here are some simple tips to help your pet ease into the new routine.

Plan Ahead and Practice the New Routine

Just like people, pets thrive on routine. By helping your furry companion anticipate the schedule throughout the day, you can eliminate unwanted stress and anxiety. Practice your new routine so your pet can get used to the changes when school actually starts. Feed your pet at the same time each day. Take your furry pal on a walk each morning or evening, and incorporate some playtime. Plan your new schedule before school begins and reserve your pet’s care in advance with our user-friendly online access, Care Central. If your dog will be attending Doggy Daycare at the Pet Resort, make sure you make arrangements ahead of time to ensure availability.

Exercise, and play!

A tired pet is a happy pet, and the way to accomplish that is exercise! Before you leave for the day, play a game of fetch with your pup or take her for a walk. Cats enjoy playtime, too, especially with a laser pointer. At Pet and Home Care, we provide a variety of services including in-home pet visits to ensure your furry pals are taken care of and get the exercise they need.

Set It and Forget It!

With your new schedule, you’ll want to make sure your pet’s care is covered well in advance. Our user-friendly Care Central helps you easily schedule your services, update instructions, and manage your billing. You can set up recurring services without the hassle of requesting daily just by contacting our office. This is a great feature for those who have the same schedule each week! It is the fastest and most reliable way to guarantee all of your Pet and Home Care needs. Visit us online or give us a call at (301) PET-CARE to learn more about our pawsome pet care services! For busy pet parents, we also offer walks and in-home visits as early as 7 am and as late as 9 pm, daily!

Stay Calm and Use Natural Aid

It can be unsettling leaving a pet behind when you are ready to head out for the day. This is especially true if your pet just joined your family over the pandemic. Talk to your family about the importance of remaining calm as they leave for the day; after all, your pet is likely to feel the same way and will be more likely to accept the change in routine. PHC’s Pleasant Pet hemp oil is the perfect natural remedy to help your pets feel their best during stressful changes and features just four ingredients—organic cold-pressed hemp seed oil, organic broad-spectrum hemp oil, sunflower lecithin, and a blend of terpenes. The Pleasant Pet is formulated and produced by Fingerboard Farm—one of Maryland’s first woman-owned hemp farms. We recommend using The Pleasant Pet hemp oil at least 30 minutes before a disruptive event occurs.

Distractions Can Work Wonders

If you are gone most of each school day, you may want to consider doggy daycare at the Pet Resort. This will give your pup a chance to socialize and play! Another great option is having one of our dedicated pet sitters stop by to take your pet on a long walk during the afternoons. Summer days are usually filled with activity and noise, and sudden quiet can leave your furry friend feeling anxious. Turning on some music or talk radio while you are gone can make your kitty or pup feel not so alone.

Critter Sitter Is Now Part Of The Pet and Home Care Family!

Pet and Home Care, is proud to announce that Frederick County’s top pet sitting service Critter Sitter is now part of the PHC family! The acquisition, which was completed in June 2021, expands access to a wider range of services for pet owners in Frederick, New Market, Linganore Ijamsville, Urbana, and surrounding areas.

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Pandemic Pet Adoption Surge: Pandemic Pooches Are Here to Stay!

Pandemic pets are here to stay! Pet adoptions soared over the coronavirus pandemic to new heights. People turned to furry friends to give them companionship during the difficult times of lockdown. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, one in five households, approximately 23 million, adopted a dog or cat during the pandemic

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