The Domestic Animal

The Domestic Animal Catering to you and your pets' needs. Welcome! I have been working professionally with animals since 2006.

I’m Shannon Bolt (they/she/he), and I’ve created The Domestic Animal page to connect my clients and the community at large to the work that I do with people’s pets. After working in dog day care and animal rescue including working as a feline adoption counselor, I started this private animal care and training business in 2011. I was inspired to specialize in working with animals with challenging b

ehaviors after owning a dog named Kai who had severe separation anxiety, dog reactivity, and human aggression. This experience highlighted for me the need for skilled handling and support for households that include animals with these kinds of difficult behaviors. Kai also taught me the true love and profound bond we can feel when we open our hearts to pets that have a difficult time fitting into our modern, domestic environments. Working with animals that require specialized care and their families fulfills my sense of purpose to foster harmony between people and their pets. When I help humans experience greater ease with and understanding of their animals, I feel joy knowing that I’ve helped expand the capacity for peace and love in the world, even if it is just in a small corner of it. With animals that would normally resist bonding with a new person, there’s a beautiful moment where they come to recognize me as a safe person so they can start to allow themselves to be vulnerable and tender with me. They feel that I see them and that I can respond to their needs, which in turn creates a feeling of trust and connection that I long for, as well. This drives me to support as many misunderstood animals as possible, and we facilitate healing for each other in the process. This is the experience I want for my human clients, too. Over the years, I have endeavored to develop my education and skills through training apprenticeships and attending numerous workshops with such renowned behavior experts as Susan Friedman, Bob Bailey, Parvene Farhoody, Steve Martin, and Sophia Yin, as well as many classes and conferences offered by organizations like IAABC and UC Davis. This education and experience has helped me further my mission to facilitate humans and animals living with equanimity. Primarily providing direct care services like private walking, training, and sitting for animal families in San Francisco, I also offer virtual training consultations and adoption counseling for clients around the world. My primary expertise is with cats and dogs with fear/anxiety, reactivity, and aggression. I have also worked with birds, reptiles, and other small animals, and I’m always eager to care for species that are new to me! Most of the animals in our homes may be domesticated, though that doesn’t mean that they adapt easily to the domestic life. I endeavor to find solutions for domestic animals, including humans. To schedule a consultation or inquire about other services, you can message me through this page or email me at [email protected]

This picture from 12 years ago just showed up in my Facebook memories. You might recognize Ezra the "tedoodle" (terrier ...
02/24/2025

This picture from 12 years ago just showed up in my Facebook memories. You might recognize Ezra the "tedoodle" (terrier X dachshund X poodle) from the banner on this page. He's also featured in my business cards and postcards. He was my very first client and his parents are the reason I opened my business after unexpectedly departing the animal shelter I last worked at.

About a month and a half ago, Ezra passed away. I hadn't seen him in many years since his parents moved back to NYC. He was a great city dog, and I bet he loved the Big Apple. It was a huge loss for me when he moved not only because I loved him so but because he was my best assistant. His name means "helper" in Hebrew, and he lived up to the moniker.

Ezra had some mild dog reactivity, but ironically that actually helped him help other reactive dogs learn to enjoy the company of other dogs. Over the years, he taught countless reactive dogs to be his friend and "protected" them from friendly off leash dogs at the park by offering to socialize with the interlopers who then ignored the less social dogs.

Ezra generally did not like big dogs, and his parents started a small dog meetup for him called RUFF (Rescues United For Fun). There was one way a big dog could charm him: if they were an unneutered male dog. I once saw him nearly die of flirtation with an unneutered great Dane.

Ezra was a phenomenal dog whom I could always trust. I will always be indebted to him for all he taught me, and I will continue to miss him forever. Here's to the best tedoodle there ever was!

Bud wishes you a Merry Christmas! He also wishes you a Happy Hanukkah, though he doesn't have access to the appropriate ...
12/25/2024

Bud wishes you a Merry Christmas! He also wishes you a Happy Hanukkah, though he doesn't have access to the appropriate decor for a cute picture for that.

I've been taking Rudy out for evening walks this week. On Wednesday night, he decided he wanted to chew on his toy rathe...
12/21/2024

I've been taking Rudy out for evening walks this week. On Wednesday night, he decided he wanted to chew on his toy rather than walk. I told him he could carry it with us. At first he thought that was a great idea. But then he decided settling in the building lobby to keep chewing his toy was the best idea. 🤦 So I traded his treasure for some treats and set it up high. He immediately forgot about it and off we went. How he felt when we returned and I gave it back to him? Psyched, bro!

I like my holiday season with a little Salt. Salt likes her holiday season with a polar plunge under the sink tap. ...
12/20/2024

I like my holiday season with a little Salt. Salt likes her holiday season with a polar plunge under the sink tap.

Winter is here!!! Our first walk together and he was a dream.
12/19/2024

Winter is here!!! Our first walk together and he was a dream.

Y'all, meet my newest friends! Oswald, Donatella, and Inez. They live near the Snorty Crew, and this crew is also very s...
12/17/2024

Y'all, meet my newest friends! Oswald, Donatella, and Inez. They live near the Snorty Crew, and this crew is also very snorty! Though instead of a cat sibling, they have a lizard sibling. I'll be walking Donatella regularly and watching the whole bunch during trips. What do you think their band name should be since Snorty Crew is already trademarked? I have an idea but I want to hear your thoughts first.

12/12/2024

Saw my friend Ares yesterday. We had a long walk followed by a nail care session. I decided to work on her nails in the backyard because the housekeepers were working in the house. We had never done this outside before, and she was pretty amped up from all of the activity. You'll hear and see her express her emotions and desires in this video. She doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to do. Outside of this video, we had to take several breaks to get all of her nails done, and we paused when she got distracted by her mom coming through the yard a couple of times.

I train dogs to accept nail care in this position because it minimizes the amount of restraint necessary, allows them to get up and down easily, and it's *usually* pretty easy to train them how to get into this position. If you want to train your dog how to cooperate with this kind of nail care (either with a grinder or clippers), send me a message here or via email. This is a skill that I can teach you how to train your dog remotely, so you don't have to be local to the Bay Area for me to help you. Nail care can be so stressful and aversive for dogs and owners. Spoiler: it doesn't have to be! So do something to make a change today.

PS I have a smooth cat nail trim method, too, if you need guidance for your kitty's daggers.

First solo walk with Hazel! We're reconnecting before we have our first slumber party next month. And a party it will be...
12/09/2024

First solo walk with Hazel! We're reconnecting before we have our first slumber party next month. And a party it will be because this gorgeous girl is a blast!

Spent my first night with this couch hippo named Selena. What a sweetie!
12/07/2024

Spent my first night with this couch hippo named Selena. What a sweetie!

I said goodbye to this sweetie today before his big move to San Diego. I've been working with Cooper since the summer. W...
12/07/2024

I said goodbye to this sweetie today before his big move to San Diego. I've been working with Cooper since the summer. While Cooper was easy to handle on walks, he was one of my more difficult training cases. I'm sorry to say that we didn't accomplish our goals before his departure, though I was so happy to see him smiling on our last day together.

Working with anxious animals doesn't always produce a "win," for lack of a better term. It can, in fact, be very humbling to get stuck without being able to make progress. If you're feeling stuck with your pet's behavioral or training progress, I recommend trying to have compassion for yourself and your beloved animal. Life is hard. So is training and helping sentient, sensitive beings.

Hobbes got a special gift under the Christmas tree....a western conifer seed bug. So exciting! Though for a phenomenally...
12/06/2024

Hobbes got a special gift under the Christmas tree....a western conifer seed bug. So exciting! Though for a phenomenally fierce haus tiger, his reaction was surprisingly more, "WTF do you expect me to do with this ish?"

Y'all, look at the sweetness of this face. Meet Luna. She's a German shepherd who can take some time to warm up to new p...
12/06/2024

Y'all, look at the sweetness of this face. Meet Luna. She's a German shepherd who can take some time to warm up to new people. So we've been meeting every day to make sure she's ready for our staycation together next week. Today was our first day driving solo without fatherly support. And this was the face she greeted me with. When I sent him this pic, her dad said this is her "I love you" face. And let me tell you, I could feel the look of love piercing right through to my heart.

I got to see itty bitty kitty Rocío over the holiday. She was grateful for the laps as usual.
12/02/2024

I got to see itty bitty kitty Rocío over the holiday. She was grateful for the laps as usual.

The post-adventure exhaustion. He was too tired to finish his breakfast until I brought it to him a couple of hours late...
12/01/2024

The post-adventure exhaustion. He was too tired to finish his breakfast until I brought it to him a couple of hours later for elevensies.

Rudy had an adventure day yesterday! If all goes well, we'll do it again tomorrow.
11/30/2024

Rudy had an adventure day yesterday! If all goes well, we'll do it again tomorrow.

I got to see my sister's dog on Thanksgiving today. She got Sugar as a puppy shortly after Thanksgiving last year. In ad...
11/29/2024

I got to see my sister's dog on Thanksgiving today. She got Sugar as a puppy shortly after Thanksgiving last year. In addition to pre-adoption counseling, I helped to remind her of some of the puppy training basics until she found an awesome trainer more local to her. Finding and raising a dog to fit into a busy household with 3 young kids and 2 cats can be a challenge, so it's such a pleasure when I get messages from my sister saying what a great family dog Sugar has become. Investing in adoption counseling and early training can be such a game changer for setting the foundation for a happy animal household (we also did this before she got the perfect cats, too). If you're interested in adoption counseling before getting your next pet, don't hesitate to reach out to me!

Phoebe is less turkey and more ham. Have you ever seen a cuter English springer spaniel puppy? She's a bit afraid of the...
11/28/2024

Phoebe is less turkey and more ham. Have you ever seen a cuter English springer spaniel puppy? She's a bit afraid of the world right now, though today we played our way to confidently hanging out in the previously scary doorway and stairwell. Next week, we're hoping to play our way downstairs and learn that the world isn't so scary after all! Go, Phoebe, go!

I'm having a "spa" weekend with this elder beauty Mallory, as her mom called it. Her young whippersnapper of a brother i...
11/16/2024

I'm having a "spa" weekend with this elder beauty Mallory, as her mom called it. Her young whippersnapper of a brother is off at flyball tournament, so she's finally getting all of my attention and long sniff walks with no interruptions from little bro.

At the extraordinary age of 14, she's still doing remarkably well, though the complications of aging make it hard to get up and down the stairs unassisted. She doesn't like the assistance, though! She reminds me of my younger self learning how to ride a bike. I yelled at my dad to keep his hands off the bike while I pedaled my first few feet and promptly fell over.

Part of her wants the security, though. And as we just stood at the top of the stairs waiting for her to brave that first step, she looked up at me as if to say, "You got me?" I did. When she saw that I was holding her harness without hoisting her, she stepped down tenderly, and out we went.

It's so special to get to help dogs navigate their golden years, helping them know that they're understood even when their waning cognition causes them to struggle to understand themselves. Whatever time I get to spend with them is a blessing.

I'd love to have more spa days with your critters! I still have overnight sitting availability in November and December, and I'm now booking 2025. Tell your friends and neighbors in San Francisco who are looking for skilled care for their dogs, cats, birds, and whatever else they have at their zoo. ❤️🦜😽🐾🪶🐹🐇

Address

San Francisco, CA
94110

Telephone

+19173182341

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Domestic Animal posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to The Domestic Animal:

Videos

Walking in a Winter wonderland

Saw my friend Ares yesterday. We had a long walk followed by a nail care session. I decided to work on her nails in the backyard because the housekeepers were working in the house. We had never done this outside before, and she was pretty amped up from all of the activity. You'll hear and see her express her emotions and desires in this video. She doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to do. Outside of this video, we had to take several breaks to get all of her nails done, and we paused when she got distracted by her mom coming through the yard a couple of times. I train dogs to accept nail care in this position because it minimizes the amount of restraint necessary, allows them to get up and down easily, and it's *usually* pretty easy to train them how to get into this position. If you want to train your dog how to cooperate with this kind of nail care (either with a grinder or clippers), send me a message here or via email. This is a skill that I can teach you how to train your dog remotely, so you don't have to be local to the Bay Area for me to help you. Nail care can be so stressful and aversive for dogs and owners. Spoiler: it doesn't have to be! So do something to make a change today. PS I have a smooth cat nail trim method, too, if you need guidance for your kitty's daggers.

Shortcuts

Share

Category