Above & Beyond Care — Theo Came Home Happier, Calmer & With Better Habits!
I can’t recommend Sandra enough. She cared for my dog, Theo, for 10 days while I was away in Italy, and the entire experience exceeded my expectations.
From the beginning, Sandra was incredibly flexible and dependable. My travel plans changed unexpectedly — I initially cancelled my trip and then reinstated it on fairly short notice — and she handled everything calmly and without making an already stressful situation more stressful. I tend to have a lot of anxiety leaving Theo with someone, especially for an extended period of time, and Sandra’s calm, easygoing nature genuinely helped put me at ease. She was always responsive to my texts and regularly sent me pictures, videos and updates so I knew how Theo was doing. She really became a rock for me while I was away.
What impressed me most was the level of care she gave Theo beyond simply looking after him. She took the time to heat and prepare his food, cut it into small pieces for him, and even diligently brushed his teeth. She also paid close attention to his diet and gave me some really helpful advice about his food and caloric intake. I hadn’t realized that I actually wasn’t feeding him enough calories for his needs, and since following Sandra’s recommendations, I’ve been able to adjust his portions appropriately and he is now starting to gain some much-needed weight. I really appreciated that she noticed something I had overlooked and took the time to help me understand what he needed.
When I brushed his teeth myself the night he came home, I could actually see the difference — his gums looked healthy, with none of the redness or bleeding I normally notice when his brushing hasn’t been consistent. It was obvious to me that she had genuinely kept up with his routine.
More importantly, Theo came home happy, relaxed and completely himself. He is normally a fairly anxious and reactive dog and has struggled when I’ve left him with caregivers in the past, so I was expecting at least some anxiety after being away from me for 10 days. Instead, he was in great spirits and showed no indication that the separation had been particularly stressful for him.
I was also pleasantly surprised to notice actual behavioural improvements. Since coming home, Theo has stopped barking at other dogs on our walks, which has historically been one of his biggest reactive behaviours. He also normally wants to take over my bed at night rather than sleep in his own, but since staying with Sandra, he walks straight into his own bed at bedtime, goes to sleep and stays there all night. He’s now been home for two nights and has done this consistently both nights. Safe to say, I’m getting better sleep thanks to Sandra too!
Even the way she returned Theo’s belongings reflected the level of care she puts into what she does. His dishes had been cleaned, his things were organized, and everything was returned thoughtfully.
Leaving your dog with someone for 10 days requires a huge amount of trust, particularly when you have an anxious and reactive dog. Seeing Theo’s demeanour when he came home told me as much about his experience with Sandra as anything else could. He was happy, settled and, if anything, came home with some better habits than when I left!
I would absolutely recommend Sandra’s dog-sitting services and would feel comfortable trusting her with Theo again. Based on the positive changes I’ve seen in his behaviour and disposition, I’m also planning to explore Sandra’s dog-training services. She was reliable, attentive, patient and genuinely caring, and I’m very grateful for the care she gave Theo while I was away.
