I was surprised when I looked outside the other day and saw Star and Ari both lying on the ground stretched out in the sun, napping. Horses are prey animals, and you will usually see at least one in the group standing watch, or dozing upright. Then he can sound the alarm and do what horses do best: run. So I figure my guys must feel pretty secure out back if they both lie down at the same time. So does this mean I am the alpha horse, standing watch over them?I must admit, when I see them down... Read Full Story

Box turtle I must say I’ve had some interesting clients. This week I cared for a newborn box turtle. Gregory, as the neighbor kids have named him, is about the size of a quarter. His owners found him wandering around in their outdoor box turtle enclosure, obviously very recently hatched. They brought him indoors so a bird or other predator won’t eat him.Gregory gets one little tiny waxworm every day, set on a rosebush leaf. The worm is barely ¼ inch long. Each day when I arrived, I put a litt... Read Full Story

I am part of several national pet sitting discussion groups on the Internet, and have discovered a nice blog and newsletter that will help my fellow pet sitters. Valerie Pegg of Best Fit Pet Services sends out a monthly newsletter full of great advice for pet sitters and pet owners. Her blog also offers lots of great information, so I offer it to you:http://www.bestfitpetsit.com/pet-talkThanks Valerie for this great resource! You can subscribe to her newsletter from her website also. Read Full Story

Put a Boxer, a Giant Schnauzer and an Australian Shepherd in a room together with a couch. Then you, the leader of the pack, try to cover it with a slipcover. Let the dance begin…Boxer comes over and noses the cover as I am trying to arrange it. One paw comes up on the couch. “No!” I command in my pack leader voice, praising him when he removes the offending paw.Schnauzer comes over and stands between Boxer and me, guarding “his” couch. I continue my work, while Schnauzer tries to put himsel... Read Full Story

This is one of the sweetest videos I've ever watched. It is so gentle and loving. I just had to share it with everyone I know. Whether or not you are a religious person, this is a very touching song. I hope you enjoy it.By Wendy Francisco ©2009 Crack O' Noon Music ASCAP Download "God and DoG" wmv file at http://www.GoDandDoG.org. T-Shirts, Mugs and Gifts are there, too. Read Full Story

It doesn’t seem fair. As soon as I posted a story about Teddy, a former foster dog, I heard from my friend Ilona, who adopted Oscar from me years ago. It was one of the saddest phone calls I’ve received. She was inconsolable. She came home from babysitting her granddaughter to find Oscar had died with no warning. The only sign was that he seemed tired and wouldn’t eat that morning. Even though Oscar was adopted through Southern California Lab Rescue, I confess he wasn’t even close to a L... Read Full Story

Fun time! Haley the Bearded Collie, Rex the Lab and Porter the Lab cavort in the yard. These are the two biggest labs I've ever seen, except maybe Nate, who also spends a lot of time here. They are each about 100 pounds and never sit still. As for Haley, well they don't call them Bouncing Beardies for nothing. She loves all the action, but whoa, what a grooming project!© 2009 Terry Albert. All rights reserved. Read Full Story

Are you temperamentally suited to be a pet sitter? Here’s something to think about.I am not a morning personI remember in college, lying in bed on a cold dark winter morning, swearing I would someday have a job where I could sleep until at least 7 am. Getting up when it was still dark left me tired and grouchy all day. It didn’t help that those were the party-hardy years, when I’d sleep until 11 am on a Saturday morning, when Grandma Johnson pounded me out of bed so I could eat lunch. Being M... Read Full Story

Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season. The stores are already full of Christmas decorations; Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The weather has cooled (thank goodness!) and days are shorter.Pet sitters are gearing up for their busiest months: November and December. Many of you are already filling up with holiday bookings. What steps should you take right now to make the holidays easier on YOU?Contact clients: Find out who is planning to book you for the holidays and hasn’t... Read Full Story

While looking for something else in my files this morning, I came across a photo that shows Red Ted's spot on his head! So in the interest of full disclosure, here it is :)I still think he looks a little like an Ibizan Hound.© 2009 Terry Albert. All rights reserved. Read Full Story