Operational Update: November 2020

Dear Customers and Potential Customers,

This update is a follow-up to our June announcement of operational changes and precautionary measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of our precautionary measures announced in June remain in place, and we are grateful that none of our staff or their immediate families have been directly affected by the pandemic. The business operation and service offerings are continuing to evolve as follows:

Dog Walking November Update

We will continue to offer our professional mid-day dog walking services Monday-Friday 10:30am-3:30pm, with optional “pinch hit” late afternoon weekday services. DC is currently partially re-opened in “Phase 2.” We will not be offering weekend dog walking services again until DC re-opens at “Phase 3,” a definitive date for which has not been announced yet. When it is announced it will be done here.

Dog walking services will not be offered this year on the following dates:

• Thanksgiving Day, November 26
• Black Friday, November 27
• Christmas Day, December 25
• New Years Day, January 1

In the spring we are planning to offer “enrichment walks” and “sniffaris” to compliment our usual potty breaks and exercise walks. So in addition to providing an outlet for your dog’s energy, we’ll also provide an opportunity to use your dog’s mind and reinforce basic training during our visits.

Notify me when this is available!

Pet Sitting November Update

We are not accepting any new pet sitting customers. We will not be offering weekend visits or visits on federal holidays until DC enters phase 3 of its pandemic reopening plan. Existing/returning pet sitting customers needing services for the week surrounding Thanksgiving must request services by November 1, 2020, and customers needing services for the week surrounding Christmas or New Years must request services by December 1, 2020. If you need pet sitting visits on any weekend or on any federal holiday in the near future, we would have to refer you elsewhere and would be happy to make your key available for pick up on weekdays with 24 hours notice at our Columbia Heights location. Existing customers can request a key pick up in their Time to Pet account. In addition, all pet sitting packages with unused visits will expire on October 15th of next year (2021).

Request key pick up

Dog Boarding November Update

We have dramatically scaled back our overnight dog boarding operation for the remainder of this year. The only dates we’ll be offering dog boarding for the remainder of the year are:

• November 25-29, 2020 (Thanksgiving)
• December 23-January 3rd (Christmas/New Years

Customers needing overnight slumber party boarding arrangements must request Thanksgiving holiday boarding by November 1, and Christmas/New Years boarding by December 1, 2020.

Overnight boarding reservations are restricted to existing day care and Montessori customers, current dog walking customers, and returning boarding customers only. 

Returning Customer Holiday Dog Boarding Reservation

If you need dog boarding outside of the holidays when we offer it, we’d refer to you to Dogwood Acres

Dog Montessori School November Update

In response to the pandemic, we’ve begun three new programs: Dog Montessori School, Dog Day Care 101 and Puppy Head Start. 

• What is Dog Montessori School? Dog Montessori School is a totally new way to do dog day care that focuses on a dog’s unique physical, mental, and emotional needs. Read about it here.
  
  
• What is Day Care 101? The program focuses on the fundamentals necessary to thrive in a day care setting or in our Dog Montessori School. Once the fundamentals are mastered, the sky’s the limit! Read about it here.
  
  
• What is Puppy Head Start? Puppyhood does not last long, and it’s the most important development period in a dog’s life. Puppy Head Start is designed to proactively take advantage of the critical time that young dogs experience between the age of approximately 8 weeks and sexual maturity. Read about it here.

Holiday Closures:

• Columbia Heights will be closed for the holidays:
  • November 26 & 27
  • December 21-25, December 31, January 1

Transportation November Update

• Transportation services remain suspended.
• We’ve heard your interest in restarting our transportation services. We plan to do so on the other side of the second wave of the pandemic as soon as DC enters Phase 3.
• When we do, it will be re-organized with a bus stop style option to eliminate the need to go into customer homes to the greatest extent possible. If we can re-launch it sooner, we will.

Fear Free Certified Dog Grooming November Update

Our fear free certified dog groomers, Jerniece, Andrew, and Rebeca continue to offer flat rate dog grooming services by appointment at the Brookland location on Tuesdays and Thursdays and in Columbia Heights on Fridays. Information about grooming services can be found here

• This winter we’ll begin a “Puppy First Groom” and Fear Free Dog Husbandry program to help new puppies and dogs who are afraid of the groomer learn that grooming can be fun and is nothing to be afraid of.

Force Free Dog Training November Update

Our force free certified dog trainers have been busy doing virtual dog training. Details and rates of that service can be found here. You can book a free 30-minute virtual consultation directly with our trainers via the website. 

•  Common issues we’ve been helping clients with during the pandemic include:
  • Bonding with new Family Members – Communication
  • Loose Leash Walking – Stop the Pulling!
  • Leash Reactivity – Greeting Other Dogs Calmly
  • Crate Training & Separation Anxiety – Stop the whining!
  • Tricks – Tools and games to have fun with your dog
  • Basic Manners: Sit, Stay, Down, Come, Off, Etc

Group Training Classes November Update

• Beginning in the spring, when DC enters Phase 3 of re-opening, we plan to begin offering small group dog training classes. We’re gathering feedback now about what kind of classes you’d like to see offered.

Complete training class interest survey: Notify me when this is available!

We greatly appreciate your patience, kindness, and support during this period. We’re grateful to still be here, knowing that many small businesses around our city will never come back. We love our work. If you’d like to share what we do with a friend or loved one, consider buying a gift card for the holiday season.

If you have any questions about the information here, please call us as 202-630-7387 or get in touch. 

Sincerely,

Patrick Flynn, Owner

Patrick’s Pet Care