Alicia Wells Pet Services

09/08/2022

I do have some availability over the next month for boarding clients as well as offering bath/groom/nail appointments.
I figure I will start getting requests for holiday trips soon so if you are hoping to use my services during those times please keep in mind that I only take one boarding client at a time unless it is a one day overlap due to my space limitations.

08/08/2022

Its just as important to give your dog mental stimulation as it is to give them physical excersise!
Training of any kind, even just cute tricks can help wear them out, improve their metal state and help your connection and relationship.

08/08/2022

Kylo & Isla here for the week!

07/26/2022

Very true!

Too often we have expectations that our dogs should be good friends with every dog they meet. When you think about it, as humans, we do not become not good friends with everyone we meet - and that is true of our dogs too. They majority of dogs are 'selective' just like us - having some very good friends - and not really enjoying the company of others. This is important to remember when introducing your dog to unfamiliar dogs - remember just like us - they may or may not like the other dog and that is okay!

07/21/2022

Dakota doesn't know why we can't play fetch all day in this heat!
Holly would rather be enjoying the ac!
Be careful to keep you and your pets cool out there!

07/18/2022

Holly and Kota are here for the week! We had a nice walk this evening in between the rain showers.

06/17/2022

Molly sure is happy that the temperatures have dropped some this evening!

06/17/2022

Molly is visiting for a few days!

06/14/2022

LET ME BE “NOSEY”
Imagine going on a long-anticipated walk, through beautiful scenery, after you have been cooped up in the same place all day, but you have been fitted with a blind fold and are being dragged along at a quick pace. I imagine that this is how dogs feel when we don’t allow them time to stop and sniff the environment. Dogs largely perceive their world through scent and it’s how they collect and process information and make sense of the world. Taking away an opportunity for sniffing on a walk is not in their best interests and as much as physical exercise is important, the mental stimulation that sniffing provides is equally, if not more important.
Studies have shown that allowing dogs to spend time sniffing provides so many benefits – promoting calmness, lowering stress and anxiety levels, lowering pulse rates, preventing cognitive decline and providing mental stimulation and enrichment are just some examples.
Make time for a slow “sniffing walk”, where your dog is allowed to decide which direction to go and allowed to simply be “nosey” and follow wherever their nose leads them. It may take far more time and patience as we wait for them to finish smelling that blade of grass, but the benefits are well worth it.

06/01/2022

Some cute boys enjoying some time outside today.

05/14/2022

Between my own events and people who have already booked, I am mostly booked through September for weekend stays or drop ins. If you are hoping to use me this year please contact me soon!

05/01/2022

Cute Mr. Scrappy is here for the week while his owners are on vacation.

04/30/2022

Some interesting thoughts of how emotions and your dogs mix ~ Rachel

04/21/2022

04/20/2022

Your dog doesn't need to say hi to every person or dog that it sees and the vast majority of dogs don't like strange dogs running up to them, it doesn't make them a bad dog.

04/12/2022

Learning to do nothing is such a valuable skill for dogs to learn. Sometimes it can take a good bit of work to teach them how to fit into our lives.

Today I spent two hours in a tire shop, waiting for my jeep to get new tires, alignment and an oil change. I had Branch, my young english shepherd, with me. As I sat in the lobby, reading through facebook posts, answering a handful of questions, and chatting with folks online Branch lay at my feet, doing nothing. He was relaxed, and patient. He spent the entire time just relaxed in his doing of nothing. And it occurs to me that too often we push activity as a form of management for dogs (especially certain types of dogs prone to high energy - like an english shepherd) and too little we stress the importance of teaching a dog to do nothing. I think sometimes we take the needs of high energy dogs too literally, and the focus is so much on their exercise or active training that we forget these dogs need time to relax and rest too. And many dogs who struggle with anxiety also struggle with being unable to relax. Teach the value of hanging out just relaxing in place for a period of time to your dog. It's useful for you, and beneficial for them to know how to just switch it off, power down for a bit and do nothing.

04/02/2022

I love being able to take dogs out for walking on the longlines! They get so much freedom to be able to explore and fulfill some of their need to sniff while still safely on leash. Dogs naturally travel faster than be do as well as having a larger range where they still feel they are "with" us which can cause many of the issues we run into with walking dogs on leash. Using a longline occasionally to allow them a bit more freedom when you can and it is safe to, can help fulfill them.
The longlines I typically use are ones that I made myself and sell through my business, Bar W Customs. They are made of Beta BioThane and even though they are thin and lightweight, they are VERY strong and I frequently use them even with big dogs