– Wann kann ich meinen Hund bringen und wann abholen?
I try to be as flexible as possible about the bringing and picking up appointment times. Please let me know the times at least 24 hours in advance. If you will be late, please let me know via whatsapp or SMS as soon as possible. Because of so many calls and messages, I have to mute my phone, and it is possible that I do not receive your messages immediately. mindestens 24 Stunden im Voraus mit. Falls Sie sich verspäten, informieren Sie mich bitte so früh wie möglich per SMS oder WhatsApp. Aufgrund der vielen Nachrichten und Anrufe, auch oft nachts, muss ich mein Telefon stummschalten, sodass ich Nachrichten nicht sofort empfange.
– Gibt es etwas Wichtiges, das man beim Futter beachten sollte?
Please bring the usual dog food with you for your dog. If you feed BARF, please separate the portions before hand. In the case of dry food, ideally bring a marked cup, so that the correct amount will be given.
Falls Ihr Hund sein Futter nicht gut frisst, bitte ich Sie, die Umstellung rechtzeitig vor Beginn der Betreuung vorzunehmen. Es ist in der Regel nicht möglich, das Futter dauerhaft stehen zu lassen, da andere Hunde es sonst fressen würden. Daher ist es wichtig, dass Ihr Hund ein Futter bekommt, das er direkt frisst.
– What should we bring?
🍽️ Food:
Bring only food your dog actually eats—such as pre-portioned BARF, canned food, or their regular meals.
🎁 Treats:
Bring treats for training and rewards ("Leckerlies") as well as small chew treats like pig ears—anything that can be consumed within a few minutes.
🚫 Please don’t bring large chew bones that take days to finish, unless your dog has special needs and will be in private care.
🐾 Leash & Harness:
Bring one leash and harness for walking and for pickup.
🚫 Please do not bring long fabric drag leashes (Schleppleinen)—they get tangled and dirty easily. A rubber drag leash is acceptable if needed.
For special situations:
If your dog has issues with house training – such as incontinence, allergies, or a tendency to vomit grass indoors – please bring appropriate cleaning supplies.
I spend a lot of money on cleaning up messes and truly appreciate any support. Always welcome: disinfectant spray (e.g., bleach-based) and paper towels.
– What should we not bring?
Please don't bring things that your dog doesn't use, eat or need.
We understand you love your dog, but please don’t bring large bags of unnecessary items. If your dog doesn't regularly use or enjoy something at home, they likely won’t need it here.
👉 Even with just a few dogs, if every owner brings three large bags of unused things, there simply isn’t enough space in my home to store it all.
Toys
Unless your dog has a specific need (e.g., stress chewing), please do not bring toys. Toys can lead to conflicts between dogs, may get lost or destroyed, and are often unnecessary—many dogs don’t play with them even at home.
🚫 Bowls
Unless your dog requires a special bowl, please leave theirs at home. Bowls are often forgotten at pickup, and I already have plenty available and clean for use.
🚫 Beds, pillows, blankets:
Unless your dog has separation anxiety or a specific attachment to their own bed, please don’t bring these items. I provide clean beds and blankets that I can wash regularly. Personal bedding may not be cleaned and dried in time for pickup.
🚫 Dry food meant to be left out all day:
If your dog is staying in a shared space, we cannot leave food sitting out. Free feeding only works in private room settings and must be arranged in advance.
– What makes your dog care unique?
The dog care here is very individual and attentive to the dogs needs. It is very importand that the dogs are not alone and they keep each other company, in order to avoid boredom and loniness. At my place, I arrange the dogs so that they always have close contact to me.
– How do you handle stressful situations with the dogs?
Dogs in my care often experience a certain level of stress, especially if it's their first time with me and they are unfamiliar with the spaces and routines. If dogs are used to sleeping with their owner in bed at night, I can't always offer this to all dogs at the same time. This is because dogs sometimes get agitated when they hear or see other dogs, or when one dog is playing in the garden while another is indoors. I pay close attention to these behaviors and organize the rooms so that all dogs remain as calm and relaxed as possible. This is a flexible challenge, but thanks to the thick old building walls and several garden access points at my place, I’m usually able to provide a calm and stress-free environment for the dogs.
– How do you handle dog walks?
I really enjoy going for walks, but only with dogs that do not pull on the leash. For dog owners whose dogs tend to pull, I highly recommend using a head halter, such as the „Haltie“ . These help control the dog and make the walk more enjoyable for both sides.
Many dog owners in Brandenburg allow their dogs to run freely without a leash or with a dragging leash in the forest. This I do not do, for security reasons. When we go for walks with dogs in my care, they are always leashed, also in the forest.
– Why can’t the dogs always be outside?
This question often comes from dog owners who live in more rural areas, where dogs typically have free access to the garden. However, for dogs from cities like Potsdam or Berlin, who aren't used to being outside all the time, it's important to consider their needs and the well-being of the neighbors. Dogs that bark continuously can be stressed in such situations, which often leads to dissatisfaction. In my care, the dogs are inside, but we go outside together regularly. If your dog is accustomed to constant access to the garden, I can, of course, accommodate this, as long as it aligns with the peace and well-being of the surrounding area.
– What are the challenges for you as a dog-sitter?
One of the biggest challenges for me is that dogs often behave differently in new environments compared to how they act with their owners or in familiar situations. Dog owners are usually very honest and do their best to describe their dog’s behavior. However, it can still happen that a dog behaves differently in a new environment, like mine, than they do at home. For example, a dog that gets along well with others at a dog park might not necessarily get along with those same dogs in a shared sleeping area. The dynamic in an open outdoor space is very different from a confined indoor space. Or dogs who are otherwise 100% house trained, may mark Indoors if they smell other dogs.
Also, the interactions between dogs are important: dogs influence each other, and if two dogs are together and a third is introduced, the third dog might not be accepted as well as in a one-on-one meeting. Observing and managing these social dynamics is one of the more challenging aspects of my work as a dog-sitter.
– My dog has never been in dog boarding and is a "problem dog". He needs uninterrupted human nearness, needs to sleep in bed, doesn't like other dogs or human stangers. Is that possible at your place?
It is important that your dog can be alone for 1-2 hours. To have continual 24/7 care is not possible.
Problem dogs who continously bark without human companionship, bark continuously at other dogs in the house, or destroy items in the home, need to first have some training from their owners before they can be accepted into the dog care. According to training norms, dogs which do not sleep in the bed with their owners behave better, also towards other dogs.
Dogs who are suspicious of new humans, and require alot of time to become adjusted, should in the best case scenario take part in test hours and test nights to be sure that they adjust.
If you have a "problem dog", it is very important, if possible not to book during the school holidays. Regardless of if it is here at my place or some other dog boarding facility - in the school holiday times the demand is very high and we quickly reach our full capacity.
