To Leash or Not to Leash? It Depends ...

If you're reading this (if anyone is reading this!), chances are you're looking for a dog walker. Maybe you recently moved, and you're frantically Googling: Annex Dog Walker, Seaton Village Dog Walker, Bellwoods Dog Walker, new dog parent support group! 

In all likelihood, you've been bombarded with not only 100s of different Toronto dog walking companies, but 100s of different Toronto dog walking companies offering entirely different services.

So how do you choose? 

Importantly,  Toronto dog walkers generally fall into two categories: leashed or unleashed.  The right one is the one best meets YOUR DOG'S NEEDS! 

So let's do this. 

What are the benefits of offleash dog walking and what types of dogs get the most from this type of walk? 

Social dogs love offleash dog walks.  They thrive.  With offleash dog walking, your dog will wrestle and play with a consistent pack of friends.  However, dogs  who are a bit shy or apprehensive can fare very well too, as they are brought out of their shells, continuously building confidence through exposure. 

See Muddy, the pup featured in the picture above.  She was formerly on leashed dog walks.  She also used to be shy and generally uninterested in other dogs.  Since joining K9 Kate's Pet Services,  Muddy's mom, Barbara, and even their neighbours frequently report that Muddy is a changed woman.  Yah Muddy!!!!!!!!!

High energy dogs who like to kick up their paws and run do great with offleash too; a one hour, offleash run provides significantly more exercise than a one hour leashed walk.  

Retrievers, retrievers, retrievers.  There is a reason they've been given this name.  Retrievers want nothing more than to .... retrieve.  Tossing the ball is not only tiring and fun but true to this dog's core nature.

Offleash is also great for older and younger dogs who are more vulnerable to Toronto's extreme climate; with an offleash dog walker, your dog can run in the lake at Cherry Beach when it's hot or return to a warmer environment (ie a heated car) when it's ice cold.

So who's better suited to ye olde leashed leash?

Fundamentally, the dog who loves to laze about in open, outdoor dog parks but really needs the exercise ... well, sorry buddy, you need a leashed walk! 

Extreme resource guarder?   Sorry, buddy, no one wants you to get into an unavoidable brawl at the park.

If your dog is overstimulated when offleash, stick with leashed, at least until that stimulation level is brought down a (thousand) notches or two.

Fearful or anxious dogs absolutely belong on a leashed walk.

Hopefully, this posts helps you and your dog find the right dog walker (and type of dog walk) for you!

Picture of the Week

Sit, paw and say hello to Black Lab, Maggie, and Husky mix, Laila.  Both girls have run, walked, wrestled, pranced and played with K9 Kate's Pet Services' morning dog walk for the past 2 years.  

The bond that these two share is quite special; even in the car ride to the dog park, they are cuddling and wrestling.  

Laila (Ms. Thing/Laila Baila/Princess Lai-la) and Maggie (Captain Destuctor/Mags) Goldstein, I'm coming to get you NOW :)!!

Auction to Support K9 Advocates Manitoba: Update, Link, and How WE Can Help

Did you watch the preview of the CBC documentary? 

Did you see Jasmine? Really SEE what she's doing and how hard she's worked to save 1000s of dogs' lives?

Let's PLEASE help her and show her we are thinking of her and the thousands of dogs she has saved and the thousands of dogs she will continue to save. 

The auction began last night.  The page has been seen viewed close to 4000 times in less than 24 hours.  

What we can contribute is potentially so huge, it can't be measured.  

Services have begun to be posted for auction.  So, please click on the link below, and bid or contact me directly regarding donations to K9 Advocates Manitoba.

Thank you to:

Lisa Lonsdale and Dexter Lonsdale for pledging items for auction, Leanne, Robert and Gert Dunlap for donating funds directly to K9 Advocates Manitoba,  Julie Posluns for auctioning  her Cat School Fundamentals Course,  Christiana Simmons who is pounding the pavement speaking with local businesses,  Barbara and Muddy Dominic who pledged to bid on  auctioned walks, and to fellow walkers Gilleen Witkowski and Amanda Factor and their respective companies, Walk My Dog Toronto and Benevolent Beasts, for auctioning walks..

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JASMINE WHO IS CURRENTLY WORKING, IN THE FIELD.  We have been keeping in touch and she is so deeply grateful for our contributions . Jasmine, you are a freaking rock star!!!  .  

https://www.facebook.com/events/152625262193244/

Welcome Dan, Tom and Chester!

Chester had his first walk with K9 Kate's Pet Services yesterday and was a complete dog-rock star! 

Despite being relatively new to the dog park, he acted right at home; running offleash with his new packmates, wrestling them and being wrestled to the still snow-covered ground, having fun and letting loose. 

Chester, we are over the moon that we get to adventure walk with you daily!!

Auction and Donation Drive in Support of K9 Advocates Manitoba

Starting immediately, K9 Kate's is accepting goods and services that can be auctioned to raise much needed funds for K9 Advocates Manitoba.

Please click on the link below, a preview of a soon to be aired CBC documentary about their story and the current situation in our country. 

Please message through FB or email katefink375@gmail a picture of items to be auctioned. However you can help ... offer a free service, share those company tickets, donate leashes anything. Trainers and walkers, if you are able to, auction a walk that's limited to your area or pledge donations that will be deposited directly to this NGO as soon as the auction ends.

Please share with as many people as possible and let's get Jasmine some help. 

https://www.facebook.com/wearefrankca/videos/1609068829135894/?hc_ref=ARSmMLlngoffB-eZgLjJOcKl6OzC3qpANdMqJBDQPuGNoq8TjfVGMp3QVoyC5j071sI&fref=nf

Welcome Courtland, Alleben, and Fischer aka Cow-Cow !!

Timing ... it really is everything. A difference of minutes can lead to a great outcome or it can lead to, well, a fairly disastrous one. 

On Sunday, timing was definitely on our side: the boarders and I leashed walked to Seaton Village's local dog park, Bickford where they promptly said goodbye to their leashes and hello to Fischer, a 4 month old Lab/Collie mix in need of a Toronto, offleash dog walker.

Now, this little man, will be joining  K9 Kate's Pet Services as we venture to Toronto's best dog parks and dog-friendly ravines, such as Coronation Park, Stanley Park and Trinity Bellwoods - all are great offleash dog parks but beware, Bellwoods is not enclosed.

Fischer is an ideal candidate for K9 Kate's adventure dog walks and dog park plays!  He's A Lab-Collie mix so it's not too surprising that he's a social mutt-erfly with energy to spare.

Fischer, welcome! We promise to love you for many, many years to come.

Local Adoption and Rescue Opportunities

While not particularly "hip" myself- what the heck is athleisure, anyway?!? - pet adoption and rescue is one trend I can certainly get behind.

First off, hats off to anyone who adopts or rescues animals- local AND global.  Regarding the latter, there are many rescues in Toronto importing dogs from the Southern US and various far away countries and continents. 

However, there is a dire situation currently taking place, right now, in our own country.

Dogs in Northern Manitoba are starving and freezing to death by the dozens. Their remote location makes rescue efforts more difficult, but an effort is under way to help those people and those dogs need all the help they can get right now. If any one is able to assist, please get in touch with K9 Advocates Manitoba or CAARE Companion Animal Advocacy & Rescue Effort.

This is a preview of their documentary:

https://www.facebook.com/wearefrankca/videos/1609068829135894/?hc_ref=ARSmMLlngoffB-eZgLjJOcKl6OzC3qpANdMqJBDQPuGNoq8TjfVGMp3QVoyC5j071sI&fref=nf

Please note, the above pictures feature 4 incredible and incredibly loved rescue dogs who participate in K9 Kate's offleash walks.  From left to right, meet: Bean, Princess, Sadie and Oakley!

Welcome Lori and Abby, the American Eskimo!

Abby joined K9 Kate's Pet Services this weekend, and had her first group walk this morning at Seaton Village's local dog park, Bickford.

Transitioning a new dog to the pack can be easy as pie and it can be, well, a lot of darned work!

I am proud and pleased to say that Abby was a star: she took immediately to her new friends and they to her.  Even in the car, en route to Bickford, she let loose (and let her freak flag fly!) as she perched her furry body against the window and took in the fresh air.  At the park, she sniffed, explored, and cozied up to her new friends. 

Abby, we love you already and are so happy we get to walk with YOU.

Hello Hunter! Puppy Visits and Dog Walks for a Truly Golden (doodle) Puppy!

It may be cold outside as Toronto faces one more round of bitter cold, but hearts are melting for this adorable puppy.  Hunter will soon be joining his new family, and both they and all of us at K9 Kate's Pet Services eagerly await his arrival; immediately after receiving Hunter's picture from proud, dog mama Brooke, I promptly forwarded it to a number of K9 Kate's parents.  Hunter, fellow Goldendoodle puppy, Phoebe, can't wait to have you as a little brother! 

We promise to love you and take great care of you for many years to come!  

Knowing Breed Needs: It's the Bees Knees

This picture was taken during our morning dog walk at Bickford Dog Park,  located right in Seaton Village at Grace and Harbord. 

It features two delicious doggies, Dexter the Golden Retriever and Maggie the Labrador Retriever.  True to their names, these dogs love and need - you guessed it- to RETRIEVE!!!! 

As a dog walker, it is important to familiarize one's self with breed needs.  Still, knowing breed needs is the bees knees for dog owners too!

What kind of dog do you have or are you curious about?  What do you know about his or her breed?  Was your dog bred to guard, pull, herd, hunt? 

Knowing this can help you understand and honour your dog's behaviours in ways that hugely benefit both of you. 

To find out more about the history of your dog, feel free to check out the following link. And remember, deep breaths when your Schnauzer remains frozen at your front door, barking her head off at strangers; this girl was born (and bred) to guard and protect you!

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/dog-showing/breed-standards/

We're Back with Our Packs (and warm after the deep freeze!!!)

Last week was was not easy.  Safety is always paramount to professional dog walking yet it is truly front and center when coping with extreme temperatures.  The doggies and I were able to get our walks in last week and it was incredibly special to see the dogs reunited with their friends; it makes me happy and proud to see the bond these guys and gals share.  Still, the glory was saved for today when we could muck about comfortably and freely.  No more checking paws constantly and eyes wide in search of hypothermia indicators (always look for the elevation of paws!!). I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ms. Thing, Bean, Mags, Dex, Phoebes, Penny, Bimmer, Calle, Sadie, Oakley, Winston, Homer, Princess, Muddy, and Gert ... I ADORE YOU!!

Heartfelt NYT Article on Pet Rescue and Adoption

Welcoming a dog into your home is forever life changing and enriching, no matter the pup's origin.  Still, there is something so incredibly beautiful about the rescue and adoption process; an animal in need is helped in an inevitably reciprocal way. 

There are so many incredible dogs needing a home (just look at K9 Kate's recent additions Penny, Sadie, and Oakley ... all wonderful, all rescued).  

A recent NYT article, penned by a dog rescuer, conveys the heart and meaning behind this gift (to people and pup).

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/27/opinion/rescue-animals-dogs-adopt.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

Have a happy and healthy! Back in 2018!

Alright doggies, time to retire the keys and grab the dive mask. K9 Kate's is closed for the holidays but will be back in fighting form January 2nd. Everyone have a happy and healthy new year. THANK YOU every single client I'm lucky enough to get to work with ... you and your dogs have made this journey a complete dream (sincerely!!!).

Welcome, Robert, Leanne and Gert!

Gert is a sassy cockapoo who calls Ms. Calle her very best friend- the ladies are neighbours and can often be found causing trouble together- digging, sniffing things they ought not to be, riling up other pups.  I've been lucky enough to walk Gert in the past, but it is a great paw-nour to officially welcome her to K9 Kate's Pet Services.  Gert, you're a rock star!

Welcome Oakley and Sadie

Brother and sister duo.  Thank you to dog mama Kim for adopting these two and welcoming them into your family with open arms and open hearts.  The pups are thriving on their walks- independent yet social, exploring exciting new spaces, and stealing hearts.  Oakley from the word go was in heaven when introduced to the ravine, and lakeshore parks.  Sadie needed a bit more time to feel comfortable but has rapidly become Queen of the Dog Park.  She absolutely walks around like she owns the place, while her Retriever brother searches high and low for a ball and  a good belly rub.  Paw-some work Oakley, Sadie, and Kim!

Lakeside Picnic with Penny! A Balmy -12 Degrees

I love this picture of Ms. Penny gazing at the "glazing" on the lake while claiming the picnic table as her resting spot.  Penny has been such a wonderful addition to the K9 Kate's family.  She is exactly the type of pup an adventure walk is made for- she loves to run, sniff, play, and explore. In fact, her nickname is "The Tink" because she has a little tinkle whenever I arrive for her walk ... the ultimate compliment :) 

Staying Cozy For the Paw-lidays

People celebrate in many ways over the holidays; by spending time with family, resting, dancing, reading, drinking "a bit" too much.  One thing we as Canadians share: the need to stay WARM! A second thing we at K9 Kate's share: a love for our dogs! With this in mind, I decided to say thank you and happy paw-lidays to the K9 family with mugs featuring their doggy's photo.  Remember doggy parents: it's cold out, but you don't have to be!

Remember and Thank You from K9 Kate's

Phoebe is sporting her poppy to honour those who have given their lives while serving in the armed forces.  We do remember.

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween from Dexter and the rest of us at K9 Kate's Pet Services!!

Welcome Penny!

Bienvenue Penny.  You and your mama are wonderful additions to the pack.  Any guesses as to Penny's background?  Is she part Beagle?  A wee bit Husky?  What matters is she is 100% wonderful, loved, and lovely.