When I first saw these keys I thought they were really cool, and might be great for pet sitters. They’re keys with a surface that allows you to write on it with a permanent marker. It’s supposed to stand up to just about anything, and not rub or chip off. So, since I was getting keys for my pet sitter, I decided to get one for myself too, so I could try it out.

As you can see from the images, these keys aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. I drew the smiley face on the key a few days ago then got distracted and the darn thing never made it to my key chain. Instead, it’s been lying here on my desk. Earlier today I picked it up while I was on the phone and twirled it between my thumb and forefinger. I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing – I was just fiddling with it while I talked. Then, when I got off the phone I decided to put it on my key chain. That’s when I saw that the smiley face had been rubbed off. Not good!

Once I saw that most of the marker was rubbed off, I tried to rub the rest of it off. Most of it did come off but the good thing is that there was still a slight shadow still on the key. So, if you did decide to use them and the marker rubbed off, you’d be able to identify the key and go over it with a marker again. For busy pet sitter though, that’s not a great option.

I’m not sure if there are any other keys out there like this, but it’s a great idea. The writable surface of the key is quite smooth though, which might be part of the problem. If it was a little on the rough side, I’m thinking the marker may stay on better. Regardless of what the problem is though, I have to say I’m disappointed. I was really hoping it would hold up as well. If the marker wouldn’t rub off this type of key could be an easy way to label client keys.

Price: $2.49
Available from: Home Depot
Rating: (it gets one paw for the idea)

In his book, The Dog Walker & Pet Sitter Bible, Josh Schermer outlines ways to set up a pet care business in a way that a newcomer can easily follow. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s even thinking about starting up a dog walking or pet sitting business. One thing that you’ll get out of reading this book, is that in addition to being very rewarding, there’s a lot of work involved in operating a pet care business. Josh presents a very real picture of what goes into the start up phase, but also how to shape it into a successful, ethical business as well.

He covers a lot of ground – everything from deciding on what type of business to start all the way to letting employees and/or clients go. Here are just a few of the things he covers:

• Goal setting
• Start up costs & commitment
• Websites
• Marketing & advertising
• Choosing a business name
• Email etiquette
• Customer service
• How to screen potential clients
• How to handle complaints
• Screening and hiring employees
• Training dog walkers
• How to manage employees
• Tips and tools for effective dog walking
• Setting up an efficient dog walking route

Josh give prospective business owners quite a bit of advice, but I have to point out how much I like this piece:

Don’t fall in love with your clients.

What Josh means by it is to remember that you’re running a business, and your clients are your clients. Pet sitting is a very personal service and pet sitters, in general, are caring people. This combination can make for a very unhappy, and overworked, pet sitter if emotions are allowed to take over. Ignoring this bit of advice can lead pet sitters to do things they really don’t want to do which in turn can create resentment, an unpleasant working relationship with the client, and even loss of revenue. (Believe me – I’ve talked to many pet sitters who have had to deal with this issue.) It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be friendly with your clients, but what it does mean is that where business is concerned, it should be just that – business.

The pet sitting and dog walking industry is growing at a fast pace. And, like any industry, there are all levels of businesses out there – good, bad, and everything in between. The pet care businesses that offer stellar service, are professional, and ethical are the ones that are going to stand out and be successful. The Dog Walker and Pet Sitter Bible is packed with information to help you and your business become one of the success stories.

Josh Schermer is the owner of Downtown Pets in New York City (established in 2002), which is one of the largest dog walking and pet sitting businesses in the city.

The Dog Walker and Pet Sitter Bible can be ordered from Lulu.com.

(This is a reprint of a blog post I did at PetsitUSA in the spring of 2010. )

I got a PediPaws Pet Nail Trimmer a while back to try on my dogs Archie & Lydia. Because it was something new, I wanted them to get used to the sound before I ever touched it to their nails. So, the first few times I turned it on I didn’t touch them with it. Instead, they got a couple treats and plenty of praise. Once they were OK with the noise I moved on to trying it on their nails.

Since my dogs aren’t all that crazy about having their nails trimmed, I had high hopes for the PediPaws. They both did pretty good with it but unfortunately I wasn’t all that happy with the results. The thing is clunky and cheap feeling and the sandpaper wears out way too quickly. If I tried doing the nails on all for feet, I imagine I’d go through a few of the sand paper rolls. And, although I didn’t use it long enough to find out, I’ve read other reviews that say the batteries wear out way too quickly.

My dogs are both about 40 pounds and they both have pretty substantial nails. Neither of them want to sit still long enough for the PediPaws to grind their nails down to the right length. And I’m not willing to change the sandpaper out as often as is necessary. The PediPaws may work fine on much smaller dogs, but I certainly can’t recommend it for dogs like mine, that are 40 lbs or more.

Price: $7.77

Available from: Amazon

Rating:

Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life, by Dr. Nancy Kay, is an excellent book! You should buy it!

Let me repeat that last part…

You should buy Speaking for Spot!

That’s how much I like this book. It’s truly an empowering book and I think everyone who cares about the well-being of their dog (or cat) should have it. It gives pet owners very specific and clear ideas on how to talk to veterinarians about our pets’ health. Whether you have questions about giving medication or trying to decide which way to go with treatment for a particular health issue, Speaking for Spot can help. The book won’t tell you what to do, but it will give you the tools to help you make an informed decision on your pet’s behalf.

Suddenly being hit with a health problem can send a person scrambling. I know! I had never been faced with canine cancer until my dog was diagnosed with it in 2008. I went through cancer with my Mom just a few years earlier, so I knew from a human perspective some of the questions to ask, but it was still really daunting. I read everything I could find about canine cancer. I just wish I’d had this book from the beginning to help me through it. But even now, two and a half years later, it’s been extremely helpful. It’s helped me feel better about the way I’ve handled her care but it’s also given me information that will help me in the future.

Speaking for Spot will help you learn how to communicate better with your veterinarian and become a better advocate for your dog – and for your client’s pets! As a pet sitter, clients undoubtedly ask you questions about their pets’ health. Speaking for Spot will help you help them, but it’s also a book you might suggest to your clients.

Price: Less than $15

Available from: Amazon.com

Rating:

The FURminator folks say their deshedding tool removes the loose fur and dead undercoat better than regular brushes. They also say it decreases shedding by 90 percent. I haven’t done any scientific calculations on the amount of hair on the floor since I started using the FURmintor, but I can tell you I’m picking up fewer hairy tumbleweeds.

One thing I really like about the FURminator is how sturdy these things are. Unlike a lot of dog and cat brushes, these things are built to last. You’re going to pay a little more than you might for a traditional dog or cat brush, but you’ll probably have it for years to come. There’s nothing wimpy about the FURminator.

The FURminator comes in various sizes. The compact one, the one I have, is designed for small pets such as rabbits, cats, and small dogs under 20 pounds. My dogs are both about 40 lbs. though and it works just fine on them. They also have a medium tool for pets 25-50 lbs, a large one for dogs over 50 lbs, and a tool specifically for cats.

This is an excellent tool for any pet owner to have as well as those of us who work with dogs and cats. Even if you don’t offer grooming as part of your pet care services, it can come in handy if you’re caring for a pet that is in desperate need of some coat care.

Price: $29.99 and up

Available from: SitStay, Amazon.com and other retailers

Our Rating: