Canine Consultation – $50 – This is our initial meeting. This is the most important step of the mutt-match process. I have my finger on the pulse of the animal community, I need to know more about you. This consultation covers quite a range of information and is still tailored to the client. We can go over:

• What kind of dog suits your home
• Your homes activity level
• Dog breeds and shelters
• How to adopt a dog
• Basic obedience and care of dogs
• How to bring in a new dog
• or any other questions you have about this decision

After this point, I have three packages you can choose from.

This is what I call an email service. I take the information I have gathered from our initial consultation and I do most of my work over the phone and on line. This means I call or email the shelters, and get a good idea of any dogs they might have to fit your family. Once I narrow down the search I will email the bios and pictures to your email and in the end it is your final decision which dog you pick and your job to contact the shelter. If you need help with applications or have any questions then I can always be reached by phone or email.

This package is a little more involved. I will do a lot more driving and actually meet and test the dogs before bringing your family in. I also work more on the adoption end, convincing shelters to hold dogs that I think might be a potential match for my clients. I will also go with you when you meet the dog so we can analyze and see how the dog initially bonds with your family. The initial meeting between the clients and the dog is very important because it allows for you to get a feel of how the dog will interact with your family and I can see how the personalities of your family and the dog match up. If you already own a dog, this package includes you bringing your current dog to test compatibility. Once your papers are signed and you bring the sweet pup home that is when my services for this package are complete.

This is the complete package. I do all the steps above plus I will be looking at shelters farther away and dedicating much more of my time. This also allows you to choose from the following:

• A second home visit to help prep your home for the new dog. I will help you get the dog from the shelter and help them settle into the house. This is great when the dog comes home because there are what we call “House Manners” when a dog arrives, I will show you how to teach the house manners with you and the dog together. Things like, to sit and wait while you open the door (this is mostly for safety for the dog) also how to greet people when they come to the house, how to make sure your dog does not become a chewer. (see article on www.mutt-match.com. We can go over more obedience and schedule training at that time.
• I can help you at the store picking out the items you need for your new dog if you are a first time dog owner. This is a good place to go over dog nutrition, exercise and positive training toys. This also includes some basic training skills work with the dog in a public place with the family. This can be done after you bring the dog home. (Trips to the pet store are always fun with a new dog).

There are other additional things you can add to the packages if you feel you need them. These will be charged as training sessions and are $30 for each hour. These things include

• Extra house manners lessons
• Leash training
• Potty training
• Animal introductions (how to introduce your new pet to any current pets)
• Basic obedience skills
• Or anything else you feel you might need help with