GWCH DOG NANNY
A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER
They say "necessity is the mother of invention," and necessity was certainly the driving force behind GWCH Dog Nanny. I observed many shortcomings in the dog sitting industry when I first started in 2017 that desperately needed rectifying. The largest issue I faced as a sitter was the disconnect between clients' expectations of how much time their dog would spend with their sitter, versus what was actually feasible for a walker with a very full schedule. The unfortunate reality was that dogs I was staying with weren't given nearly as much face-to-face time as many of us would have liked, and a client who didn't want their dog left unattended a total of ten hours a day was deemed "unreasonable." As the years wore on, my daily walking route's service area decreased in size, as well as the number of dogs on my route, per my request to the company I worked for. The outcome worked in my favor tremendously: I was able to devote the bulk of my day to the dogs I was tending to while their parents were away, more time than any other sitter I knew! That was the most important aspect of my new company: to be with my clients as much as possible.
The other issue I faced was the inherent nature of group boarding: not all dogs want to be in a group setting. It is a very tall order to demand dogs to get along with every dog they meet–instantly. To play instantly, to share beds instantly, to share toys instantly. It is–quite literally–akin to asking you to share a bed with a complete stranger. Not all of us are up for that, and 90% of dogs are not, either. Moreover, many of us have dogs that adore the company of humans, but are not as comfortable around other dogs. In-home boarding has been reserved for dog social/tolerant dogs–exclusively–by almost every company in town, and that's not fair. Why should the dogs that just want to have their own space be relegated to a kennel? Why should owners who want to know their dog won't be bullied by other dogs be denied the peace of mind that should accompany in-home care? I came up with a very simple, effective, fool-proof solution: boarding would be cage-free, in a home environment, with no chance of fighting or illness transmission, because GWCH Dog Nanny would not offer group boarding. We would only service one family's pets at a time.
Lastly, companies were often so desperate to hire that anyone with two legs and a pulse fit the bill, and that often meant actual knowledge of dogs was cast aside. Prior to becoming a professional dog walker, I had fostered young dogs waiting for new homes all through high school, volunteered at a local animal shelter for a few years, became a hospice foster mom after graduating from college, all while owning my own pack of rescues–I was surprised to learn that most professional dog walkers did not possess a fraction of the experience I had under my belt. I pledged to only hire candidates that, in addition to genuinely loving dogs and sharing the GWCH Dog Nanny mission of exceptional care and customer service, really knew dogs and could ascertain the difference between a dog panting on a hot day versus pending heat stroke. None of the other companies in town required sitters to obtain Pet CPR/First Aid certifications, and we would be the first.
The greatest review any client can give a pet sitter is short, but speaks volumes: "I had peace of mind," and that is the GWCH Dog Nanny promise every time.
Love,
Annie