In this month’s spotlight, we’re super excited to introduce Desiree, the owner of Arlington Dog Nanny! A big-time dog lover, Desiree has always been an advocate for reactive or harder-to-handle pups and understands the extra love, attention, and patience that they need to succeed. After finding little success with someone who could work with her own pup, Desiree left her career in law to pursue a life in pet care.
While her company offers a variety of services for the dogs under their care in the form of walks, park visits, and playtime, her true passion lies in training. Desiree is a certified dog trainer, Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP), and an American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Evaluator whose training style focuses on positive reinforcement, reducing fear and anxiety, and bringing happiness, consistency, and confidence to each pup she and her team work with. To learn more about the services they offer and the great work they do, check out their website here!
What caused you to get into pet sitting and dog walking?
I was going through a difficult time with the passing of my father. Our dog walking company didn't understand how to work with our reactive dog, so I thought, "I can do better." We had spent so much time working with a trainer that they asked if I wanted to apprentice, so I left my law career, started apprenticing to become a dog trainer, and started a company that added training to walks.
What is the most fulfilling part of owning a pet care business?
I love helping dogs with behavioral sensitivities learn to thrive, being a support system for dog guardians who are struggling, and teaching our clients to become better canine citizens overall. I also love being able to employ talented people.
What is the most challenging part of owning a pet care business?
The most challenging part has been surviving government shutdowns (many of our clients are government employees), and this area generally suffers when it happens. Surviving the loss of clients who started working remotely after COVID-19 has been difficult, too. That, or the time a client abandoned her dog with the sitter and never paid our team.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
In five years, I would like to focus solely on training while my team handles the walking and pet sitting. Perhaps I’d even like to focus only on challenging dogs that other companies reject.
What has Time To Pet changed the most about how you run your business?
Time To Pet changed everything. The connection to QuickBooks has saved me an enormous amount of time, as has being able to do payroll with ease. The clients love the platform, and it’s great how Time To Pet has ideas for things we didn’t even know would be so helpful.
