Max the Pet Nanny works mainly in the Chelsea, Flatiron area (i think).  My friend received Max’s flyer and forwarded it over to me.  I loved the thoroughness and the details about his services from the website so I proceeded to email and call him for some additional references and for an initial meeting.  He promptly responded with references, all which had positive and excellent things to say about his services. Soon after we met in my apartment so he could meet Mr.Brown, learn where things are kept (leashes, collars, dog food, dog bowls etc) and basically become ‘un-strangers.’

Ultimately we decided to board Mr.Brown because we were able to get a discount from the dog boarding facility but I did have Max walk, feed and deliver Mr.Brown to his boarding facility.  I would definitely use Max again the next time we leave for a shorter trip.

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Traveling away from NYC for extended periods can be tricky with a large dog.  There is no dearth of options for dog owners in this city: dog day care, dog walkers, pet sitter, friends, door men etc.. But the quality of the options definitely vary.

During our last 10 day trip away, we decided to explore the possibility of leaving Mr.Brown at home and hiring a dog walker to come 3 times a day- expensive, but possibly less so than our usual dog boarding service, D is for Doggy (click on the link for the review).

Dog Walkers
Dog walkers are good for pets that require more personalized attention, and perhaps, don’t get along with other dogs!

In general, dog walker prices range per walk and per service:
- Dog Walks: A 30 minute walk where time starts the moment the dog walker enters your apartment and also includes the time it takes for him/her to put on the dog collar and dog leash.  Additional charges may apply if you require your dog to be fed and watered. ~$15 per walk
- Pet Sitting: This a la carte 45 minute service usually includes a short walk AND play time in your home.  Depending on the provider, its possible to arrange for the dog walker to sleep in your residence during your travels so your dog doesn’t feel lonely or scared. ~$45
- Pet Boarding: Depending on the provider and space in their home, you may have the option of boarding your pet with the dog walker for slightly less than an established dog boarding service. ~$55
- Misc: Traveling fees for the dog walker my apply if they are traveling outside their comfort radius.

Some questions to ask before you decide to use a dog walker for your pet:
- How much personalized attention does my dog need?
- What is included in the basic service, how much will things like feeding/watering include?
- REFERRALS!!
- How many years of experience does your dog walker have?
- Is this a full time job for your dog walker?
- Who will actually be walking my dog?
- How many dogs will be walked at a time? (Usually one household per walk is best!)
- Is my door tricky to open? Are my doormen strict?

Dog Boarding
Boarding your dog usually is a flat fee, with the exception of things like giving your dog medicine, extra walks etc..  We have only used D is for Doggy ($75/day; $60 for 5+ days)  but in general the costs include feeding and short bathroom walks.

Things to consider before boarding your dog:
- Does my dog get walks? Where does he/she go to the bathroom? ( I would avoid boarders that allow dogs to go inside the facility- this contributes to poor habits and is unsanitary)
- Where does my dog sleep? In a kennel or in a pack?
- Dogs my dog get a bed/cot to sleep on?
- Are dogs divided by size?
- Are feeding times individual or group?
- Is water free standing or only served at select times?
- Is someone with the dogs 24/7?
- REFERRALS!

Ultimately, we have decided that when we travel for more than 2-3 days, boarding gives us more peace of mind and is more affordable.

Here is a quick breakdown of pros for both options:

Hope this helps you with your decision!

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One of the saddest things about having a large, energetic dog in New York City is the lack of large, off leash areas for him to run.  Dog parks are great, but Mr.Brown just isn’t that into socializing with other dogs and chasing after balls in smallish, chain gated, cement cells is pretty depressing.  I know he has tons of energy which contributes to some occasional bad behavior.

One of my favorite parts of Cesar Milan’s show is in the opening credits where he is zooming by, semi-squatting on these bizarre looking rollerblades, attached to a pack of 10 dogs.

Exercise, Disclipline, then Affection.

Yesterday, I was determined to rollerblade with Mr.Brown down the West Side Highway. Like most of my sports equipment, my Rollerblades have been patiently sitting in the corner, but I had all these horrible images of embarrassing/injuring/killing myself so I’ve just ignored them.  Yesterday, feeling inspired, I packed up my stuff and walked a vERY excited Mr.Brown over to the West Side Hwy.

From the moment we took off, Mr.Brown was ecstatic, but surprisingly responsive to me. I began to trust him more and realized that I remember how to rollerblade and our 45 minutes passed by wonderfully. He has been tired ever since, and I feel joy knowing that I can deman discipline and give affection without feeling guilty that I’m short changing Mr. Brown.

Can’t wait for the weather to be better to go more often!

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D is for Doggy:

156 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011
(212) 633-0040

Dog boarding,  dog walking, and doggy day care is serious business in New York City.  In our neighborhood, there is literally one of each on each block catering to the plentiful amounts of 4 legged clientèle. I was referred to D is for Doggy from a friend, visited the website and their store, but was mainly sold by their doggy webcam, which is turned off during their bedtimes.

Pros:
- Details: Original owner, Gina, based the boarding set-up on natural dog behavior; dogs sleep together in packs, not in individualized crates like most boarders.  There are scented nooks throughout the rooms so dogs stay stimulated and occupied. Dogs initially remain in a holding area so they are calm when introduced to the rest of the dogs.  Small details such as this led me to believe that Mr.Brown would be in good hands.

- Price: Their pricing structure was on par with other dog boarding areas plust 15% off for 5+ nights boarding. Yes, its still expensive but, seriously, so is all of NY. Furthermore, my dog is my child and god knows my parents wasted plenty of their money on useless things for me, why can’t I do the same for my dog? Lastly, I did consider the possibility of getting a dog walker but for the amount of attention, care, and peace of mind, dog boarding worked best.

Cons:
- Inconsistent: the first time we left Mr.Brown for 3 nights. After the first day, I received an email from D Is for Doggy with a few pictures of Mr.Brown’s stay.  Even though this was a minor detail, it was VERY appreciated considering how much we were paying for them to basically walk him 1x a day and feed him 1x.  It gave me peace of mind and led me to believe that he was in good hands.  The last 2 times we have boarded him over 5 days but I have received no email, no picture to let me know how he was doing.

Furthermore, whenver I have gone to pick him up, the girl at the counter has little to no clue how Mr.Brown has been. “So, how was he”…”Good.?”  I find her lack of compliments to be, almost, rude and offensive.  I probably won’t be bringing Mr.Brown back before we move back to California.

- Attention: The first 2x I brought Mr.Brown back home, he has been super thirsty and super hyper. This leads me to believe that he isn’t being given enough water and that he hasn’t been exercised enough.  When I brought this up with the attendant, she was slightly defensive and somewhat apathetic. This really shouldn’t surprise me, this is NY after all.

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Chuckit! Promise:

• Throw farther, faster, and never bend down to pick up a slimy ball
• Durable plastic wand firmly grasps an extra big tennis ball then releases it as you swing
• With a little practice, you can consistently throw the ball 100 to 140 feet
• Great for bigger dogs

Sniffing Snout Review:

My husband, Jason, was the person that introduced me to the Chuckit! Ball Launcher.  I’ve never been too grossed out by a soggy tennis ball, so it never occurred to me that a tool like this might come in handy. Jason found a saliva drenched, drool covered ball was too overwhelming so he picked up a Chuckit!  This is a great tool because 1) you never need to go near a slobbery tennis ball again, 2) unless you are part of MLB, your arm starts to hurt after the 30th throw, especially if you have a fanatical Labrador and 3) it gives tremendous extension so your dog can enjoy a longer ‘chase.’  Another useful aspect is that you can use it with any tennis ball so don’t spend your money buying expensive Chuckit!-brand balls…so not worth it!

The unfortunate part about living in NYC is that space is limited, especially at dog parks.  I have stopped using the Chuckit! in my local dog parks because balls end up flying too far.

Nonetheless, this is a great tool to have for dog owners with large breeds that love to chase tennis balls!

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Running outdoors has become much more enjoyable for me for a number of reasons. Some examples include, more consistent running (aka. practice), measurable improvement (aka. progress), and most importantly, running with Mr.Brown (aka. killing two birds with one stone).

In the famous words of Cesar Milan, “Exercise, Discipline, then Affection”  This pithy little mantra is more challenging than it seems, especially when the first thing Mr.Brown wants in the morning is food and lots and lots of affection. Personally, the first thing I want to do in the morning is settle my belly with a warm bowl of oatmeal or cereal, not exercise; inevitably, affection proceeds exercise and discipline.

But, I do strive on a daily basis to ensure that Mr.Brown gets some form of cardiovascular activity.  Usually, striving on a daily basis amounts to ~4 days of actuality.  Besides throwing the tennis ball at the dog park (Mr. Brown’s utopia), I really enjoy running outdoors with him.  Its taken some practice and a few adjustments for him to be a non-disruptive companion but I think we have our routine organized and things have been going pretty smoothly of late   As daunting and wearisome as the idea of going out for a run may be, its a great feeling of accomplishment for me to know that Mr.Brown is exercised and tired out from a long run.

Here are a few helpful tips for running with your dog:
- Keep the leash short for better control- running is challenging enough without having to chase after an energetic dog
- Expect that practice will make perfect- I found that the first few runs were more about getting Mr.Brown adjusted to the terrain/environment and figuring out his endurance level
- Bring an extra doggy bag with you!- Running and moving is equally stimulating to humans and dogs. Mr.Brown always has to pause and make a doody during the first part of our run
- Prepare appropriate hydration- So far, I have run up to ~7 miles with Mr.Brown without stopping to get him water.  I do thing that after ~5 miles he does need some fluid, but I’ve been pushing him with no side effects.  All dogs are different, so prepare some form of hydration (drinking fountain, water bottle) for your long runs
- Be consistent! Mr.Brown’s endurance has improved tons since our first run.  Whereas he used to burn out after ~3 miles, he can run up to ~5 miles before looking up at me with the ‘what the hell are we doing/when can we stop’ eyes of desperation.

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Advantix Promise:

• Kills 98-100% of the fleas on dogs within 12 hours and continues to prevent infestations for at least four weeks
• Repels and kills mosquitoes for up to four weeks
• Remains effective after bathing and swimming

Sniffing Snout Review:

I distinctly remember my first interaction with a tick.  My neighborhood friend and I had been doing some hiking in my parents’ backyard but was cut short because I had to go to math tutoring.  During my class, my scalp started to irritate me and I found myself running my fingers over this odd little bump on the back of my head.  The more I tried to ignore this hard little mound, the more I wanted to pop or push it out. Eventually my index finger and thumb won and upon scrutiny of the offensive intruder I realized it was animated. It had legs.  I felt nauseous and quickly stabbed my Sanrio lead pencil through its soft underbelly.

My dogs spent the majority of their time outdoors and soon after my own confrontation with these little pests, i realized that Hanna and Mr.Brown will plagued with the same problems.  I relished in tweezing the little bastards from my poor dogs’ epidermis and searing them in my mom’s cooktop, but knew that this was a temporary solution.  About the same time, I began working as a veterinary assistant for a doctor and she introduced me to Advantix.

Objectively, has Advantix worked successfully for prevention and treatment of fleas and ticks for both of my dogs.  I have read many tragic and unfortunate reviews of dogs that have had adverse reactions to this medication. One of the active ingredients, Permethrin, is a insecticide and is widely use to treat wheat, corn, alfalfa and other crops.  As a neurotoxin, possible side effects include tremors, incoordination, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior. Scary, I know.  The instructions of many topical ointments and lotions suggest that you apply a minor amount to the skin surface to test for allergies or sensitivity. I would highly suggest applying the same care when using this for the time on your pet.

Subjectively, I don’t like using chemicals on my dogs.  I try my best to buy high quality foods and treats, so it seems counter intuitive for me to apply insecticides on them.  However, I have justified my guilt by applying primarily during flea season (spring-fall), monitoring and frequent bathing during the off season. So far this has been effective in keeping my dogs flea and tick free.

I would suggest bathing your dog prior to application and making sure your dog is FULLY dry.  The solution is meant to be absorbed into the skin but this process can take some time and causes and oily mess if it rubs on your clothing.

Also, for some reason this medication was not available to me over the counter in NYC, which I find annoying. Most of the veterinary hospitals required my dog to be given a physical examination by their doctor before issuing me the medication- a marketing ploy, I am assuming.  I bypassed this by buying from 1800PetMeds.

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The Flexi Comfort Promise:

• The world’s #1 selling retractable leash
• A Consumer’s Digest Best Buy
• Soft grip and ergonomic design
• Durable construction
• Smooth, reliable retraction mechanism
• Tough braking system

Sniffing Snout Review:
I honestly wouldn’t recommend this dog leash for dog training purposes.  Cesar Milan encourages that owners and dogs walk side by side to enforce human leadership over the pet. The Flexi Comfort Retractable Leash (and all retractable leashes for that matter) allows the dog to charge ahead of the owner.  While I can see that this type of behavior is acceptable and safe with certain types of dogs/situations (ie. small toy dogs, geriatric dogs, open space environments), it is not in NYC with my 75lb beast of a dog.

The braking system on this brand is pretty exceptional. I can attest to this because I have had to apply it quickly when Mr.Brown went charging off in some random direction, so Kudos! for that However, if you are expecting to train a dog with this leash, I would look elsewhere.  Even when it is entirely coiled up, there is about 16” left dangling so achieving a quick training correction is delayed.

I do use this leash for my parents’ mild mannered, extremely obedient, and majorly geriatric labrador retriever, Hanna. So, again, with some does this could be an excellent walking device.

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Address:
West 15th St. and Union Square West

Pros:
- central location
- pebble/gravel “flooring”: gentler on dog paws, not as dusty as dirt
- uncrowded during the am

Cons:
- Maintenance could be improved since it constantly smells like urine
- Smaller than other nearby dog parks

In a bind, Union Square dog park gets the job done. Its especially convenient because of its location which is close to Petco, Barnes and Nobles, and Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays/Saturdays, we can pick up some produce from the farmers market while getting in some exercise.  From my experience the crowd is mixed, fairly reserved and generally not as social (humans) as other dog parks…these all being very good things, imo

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