625: Pet First Aid Essentials Every Sitter Should Know with Arden Moore
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What should you do when a pet emergency happens on your watch? In this episode, Arden Moore returns to share practical, life-saving advice for pet sitters and dog walkers. From subtle signs of stress to new research on treating heatstroke, Arden emphasizes the importance of preparedness, adaptability, and calm communication. She also discusses the mental mindset needed to respond effectively and the benefits of her new self-paced CPR and first aid courses. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, this episode will help you handle emergencies with confidence.
Main topics:
Recognizing pet stress signals
Communicating concerns to clients
Staying calm in emergencies
Essential tools & MacGyver-style hacks
Pet first aid training options
Main takeaway: “You all have permission to freak out—later.”
When you’re in the middle of a pet emergency, it’s easy to panic. Arden Moore reminds us that staying calm in the moment is critical. You can cry or collapse later—right now, your focus is the pet in front of you. Ground yourself with deep breathing, take action using your training, and be fully present. Remember, you’re their first responder. Be their calm in the chaos.
About our guest: Arden Moore is a master certified pet first aid instructor, bestselling author of over two dozen pet books, and host of the long-running “Oh Behave Show” on Pet Life Radio. She’s trained thousands of pet professionals worldwide through in-person, interactive Zoom, and now self-paced courses. Arden also serves as editor of the NAPS member magazine and is passionate about helping pet professionals stay safe, smart, and ready for anything.
Links:
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest.
A VERY ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF THE EPISODE
Provided by otter.ai
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Pet sitting, emergency situations, communication, stress signs, pet first aid, CPR, client interaction, mental preparation, pet behavior, video documentation, stress management, pet safety, training, team collaboration, self-paced course
SPEAKERS
Collin, Arden Moore
Collin 00:00
Announcer, welcome to pet sitter confessional, an open and honest discussion about life as a pet sitter. Today, we're brought to you by our friends at time to pet and pet perennials. Communication in stressful and emergency situations is a massive part of what we do. It's what our clients actually pay us to do, in a lot of cases, is to be their eyes and ears when they can't be. And part of this is also not just communicating through emergency situations, but how do we handle them and keep the pets safe that are in our charge? And so to cover these two topics, there's no one better that we could have on the show than herself. Arden Moore is back on the show for the third time, and so super excited, Arden, to have you on the show and to be here sharing this with us. For those who aren't familiar with literally everything that you do, please tell us a little bit more about what you're involved
Arden Moore 00:53
in. Well, first of all, pause up, everyone. I love pet sitters. You are the front line for protecting our pets, and I'm very happy to be back on your show. Collin, my last name is Moore, I guess that says it all. I do a lot in the pet world. I am a master certified pet first aid instructor. I also have written more than two dozen dog and cat books. So I'm very strong typing fingers. I have the longest running pet podcast on the air. It's been on the air since 2006 when noone knew what a podcast was, and it's called the obha show on pet life radio. Um, my whole mission is to bring out the best in pets and their people. And so let's whenever you're ready to dive in. I hope that was short enough.
Collin 01:44
We've still, we've got so much more time. No, let
Arden Moore 01:48
me start reading page 12.
Collin 01:52
No, I wanted to have you on to talk about, you know, kind of emergency situations and how to communicate those with with our clients. But obviously, before we get into an emergency situation, we need to be aware of early warning signs of the pets that are in our care. So what are some signs of stress or discomfort that we need to be either more mindful of, or that maybe you see, that are overlooked by a lot of people?
Arden Moore 02:17
Well, one good thing about dogs and cats, they don't lie, but it is our role as the two Lakers to figure out, what are they telling us? They don't pretend. They don't bluff. So when you're at the meet and greet with a new client, pay attention to how that dog, that cat is interacting with you, interacting with their favorite humans. So take note of that, because then the first visit you come, where the people are not there and you're doing feeding and potty pottying them, you know they may show you a different dog, that the dog may exhibit different things, or the cat, they may hide. The lip licking. It isn't because they need chapstick. They're lip licking because there's a little stressed out. They may they may pace. They may look away, you know, they're they may do a little wine, not wine as in MERLOT, but whining as a sound. So now you know why I'm sort of a comedian. My show's called, oh, behave. But the point is this, don't dismiss some subtle things that don't seem right. Jot it down, let your manager know, and also address it with the pet parents, because you may be catching something early. And also, in fairness to pet parents, we all are, sometimes we don't see the obvious signs, and then a professional pet sitter comes in and does see it. So you really are the front line of defense. And we have something called this, I think it's called a phone whenever you catch a pet doing something a little different or a little odd. Get a quick video. Don't do a 17 hour documentary, but do a little clip under a minute, that you can use to share and present to the pet parent, and they can share and present to their veterinary team. Veterinarians love short videos. Don't say, Oh, my dog's just not acting like himself. Look what my dog's doing. He's kind of walking in circles, or he's hiding, or he's lifting up one paw, or he's he smells his favorite Chow, and he's like, No, thanks. I'm not hungry. The thing about is, it's stress, right? Collin stress attacks us, mentally, physically and physiologically. I just want to say a big word, but the point is this, if there's loose stools in the litter box, or when you take that dog for a walk, or they're not drinking water, they. Like that, there could be some underlining stress, and stress does impact all sentient beings. So cats living indoors, the live indoor cat, you think there's no stress, well, maybe there's a cat outside the window that's been going blah blah, blah, blah, blah blah to them all day long when you're not home and stressing that cat out, or, you know, maybe your dog is, you know, on a walk, and there's been a dog that's been giving him a little stink eye, and he sees him at the corner, and you're like, why is that dog hiding behind me now? So you really do need to be like a pet detective, gather clues, gather the time when you see these, take short videos. Just do things, just to do things. Dogs and cats do it with purpose.
Collin 05:53
Yeah, you mentioned the the neighbor given the stink eye for like, through a fence or whatever. We we had a we had a dog, a lot of
Arden Moore 06:00
community cats. You know, they go, oh
Collin 06:02
yeah, we had a dog that we were walking and, man, he was really anxious around the front door, getting out the front door into the front yard, like, really anxious. And it was only until we were taking him out for like, the third time where we realized directly across the street in line of sight was a neighborhood dog that was only out there sometimes, and those two would go at it right at the door. And sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't. And so it was, oh, okay, we're gonna now need to go out through the side door or go out through the backyard to avoid this anxious part. And you mentioned the cats too. We've found that sometimes the first day goes really well, but then a couple days later, after, you know, the cat can gradually increase stress over time, because, you know, we're bringing in smells, or this is a different routine. And so it's not just, I think it's important to know, it's not just that one time thing. It's a every time you're over, take it is Don't,
Arden Moore 07:02
don't take it. Don't just get into a groove, because they can throw us curveballs. You touched on something great. Collin, they can smell so much better than we can, and they can smell. Get a lot of facts when you walk in as a pet sitter in that door, you know you just, you just walked a drooling dog before you came into this fastidious cat's household. They may not like that. You know, keeping your hands washed things like that are very important, but realize that the nose knows and that the cat and the dog are downloading you. Are you a threat? Are you a friend? Is this smell? Oh, I don't like it. So we do have to pay attention from one visit to the other, what we're bringing into that new household. I don't want you to be changing 17 outfits in a day, but pay attention if you get poop on you puke on you, you might just want to have an extra shirt or pants that you can have to change, because that could make a difference between a pet being reactive, right?
Collin 08:10
And then all of a sudden we're sitting there going, like, what? What's going on? Like, I didn't do anything different today, but if the previous dog was stressed out and I stepped in its poop that was came from it was stressed out right now, or whatever, like, I'm like what I didn't do anything, but something else did. But you mentioned the video aspect of this, how, what are some ways that we can communicate to our clients without, you know, it's like being alarmist, or like ringing the clocks in while they're away on vacation. Well,
Arden Moore 08:41
because then they're like, this, this, this, this, this, but you, you need to use the we voice, you know, like we, oh man, we love pets, don't we rhetorical, and we here at pet sitter, 101, we're so glad that you trusted us to take care of your dog, Your cat. And I know we all want to bring out the best in them, and I just noticed these things. What do you think? And pause, don't latch. Don't say, what more than batshit. Why did you do this for your dog? I mean, don't be critical. I'm sorry I had to say that a good friend of mine lived to be 100 and that was her favorite line, dumber than batshit, fabulous flow from but the point is, we don't want to put them in a defensive posture. You know, be an ally to the pet and the pet parent. What be offer solutions and ask a question and give them the chance to process and be able to come up with some ideas. But if you go, this dog is doing this, and this dog is that, and you do your finger wagging, I'm not listening to you. Would you listen to somebody like that? Collin,
Collin 09:52
no, no, all of a sudden I'm on the defensive, or I'm trying to rack my brain for what's going on. And we often forget that. Well, they're away from the home. They were focused on something else. Their brain isn't primed for this. And so when we pop in and just hit them with a fire hose of information or panic, they're, of course, there me left on the floor. What just happened?
Arden Moore 10:16
And how do you learn? How do you remedy things when you're stressed out when you're on the defensive, you don't and so I know we have to be you all as pet sitters. You all have to be a little like a psychologist for two, three and four leggers, watch your words. Less is more, little pauses so that they get a chance to process what you're saying and have some good breathing, because it does help you. But again, eye on the prize, the eye on the prize for you, as a professional pet sitter, is to say, I've noticed these things. What can we do together? Is this something different and be collaborative and be supportive, but don't wag your finger and don't say, you know, bad things, because that is not going to make the relationship with you and the pet parents stronger. They're going to go get another pet sitter.
Collin 11:18
Well, then it seems like each time we reach out. It's just about the bad things, or to panic them, or to right?
Arden Moore 11:25
Yeah, we got to say good stuff. It's like getting a report card. When you have a pet sitter visit, you do want an A once in a while on the card? Right? The dog smiled at me today.
Collin 11:39
But having having that supporting evidence really helps too. And you know, whether it's a video or a photo, I we really enjoy doing that, because we're taking care of a client right now who we came over and man paw pads just bright red and bright red, and we're not sure what's going on, but it's not bothering him otherwise, and he's perfectly happy pup, but photos, photos, photos, photos,
Arden Moore 12:04
red paw pads could mean an allergic reaction to a medication. It could mean that they're too hot, or they even got third degree burns, and they're being very stoic. I mean, I'm a master pet First Aid CPR instructor. I work with er critical care veterinarians all the time, and our job is to give out good information and a good game plan. So this poor dog or cat, Casey, says, Hi, he is the hardest working I'm going to say it. I'm going to you tell me another cat in the world who has taught more people pet first aid, I don't know when I don't, and he is a therapy cat, and he looks like a feline George Clooney, and he lives to help. And in behind. I'm just going to do a quick intro that is pet safety dog, Kona, who's also a therapy pet. And here, just to say, support is little Emma, my Gemma, so I have a team. But getting back to your question before we were rudely interrupted by Casey, the point is, don't dismiss red paws. That is, that's a that needs veterinary attention,
Collin 13:15
right? Yeah, and, and it was a we don't know. Did they give a medication in the morning that they haven't updated us about, did they get a bee sting? Yeah, is we come in and we don't know. All we can do is document, assess and then communicate immediately to the client, and then have them, you know, reach back out to us to then work with them. And in this case, it was a, oh,
Arden Moore 13:37
being a pet sitter. You guys, you know. I know you guys. I love you, because what you're doing every day you get curveballs. Every day you get a curveball, and it's how you handle that. And I have been a long time advocate of professional pet sitters forever, and so keep going. I'm sorry.
Collin 13:56
Well, actually, actually, that ties right into, really, another aspect of this, of the curveballs of this requires a lot of us, and how do we or what kind of mental preparation or mindset do we need to make sure that we're bringing into each visit?
Arden Moore 14:13
Well, I think we have to go in there with a can do attitude. We can do this. We also have to give ourselves a little positive pep talk. We also need to give ourselves permission. This is really important. I do this in all my students, in all my classes and first aid and behavior. You all have permission to freak out later and and my sister was an ER nurse for 35 years. She taught me a lot. You need to go into a situation with really good breathing, not shallow breathing, because you don't your brain doesn't think when you're panting. But you need to go in with this that I am here and I need to act in the present. Moment, or, as Casey would say, my cat, you got to be in the me now, because you can't do anything about what happened. You don't have control of the future. But if you stay in that present lane, pet sitters, and you have a can do attitude, and you look, listen, smell and safely touch, gather clues, and you know that when you're done, your shift is done,
Collin 15:23
you can freak out.
Arden Moore 15:26
That's what a lot of first responders. That's how they're trained. I train paramedics, EMTs, vets, vet techs, all different kinds of people, and we all together recognize that you got to have an outlet when the situation has been stabilized, the pet is at the vet, go cry, have a shot of fireball. I don't care whatever it is you need to do, but you need to be in that moment with good breathing, good detect pet detection skills activated, and know that later you can freak out. I mean, if somebody told you, get to freak out later. Collin, how does that resonate
Collin 16:04
with you? It gives me, it gives me my ability to be here in the present and focus on what's at hand. And I go, Look, I'm going to get to that like that's on my to do list, right? The Cry is coming. But cry, yeah, right now. And you mentioned the breathing aspect. I think that's a very underappreciated part. Oh
Arden Moore 16:24
yeah. I mean, I am not built like a yoga teacher, but I will tell you this, since I really started focusing on my breathing, and this is what I've learned from my my first responders is I can see better, I can hear better, I can smell better. You know it you're you're breathing. Come the diaphragm gets the brain and the body in harmony, and you are now able to focus. But if you are just oh no, like this, you are not. You're a hot mess. And then the dog, the cat, or even the guinea pig, they smell your fear, your indecisiveness, and depending on the personality of that dog or cat or whatever, they may not be really delighted to have you come near them, but if you approach calmly and be able to have good breathing, it actually helps in all aspects of life you you will be more receptive to a pet need because they know that you're a human that knows what they're doing.
Collin 17:28
Have you heard of time to pet? Dan from NYC, pooch has this to
Speaker 1 17:32
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Collin 17:52
improving. If you're looking for new pet sitting software, give time to pet a try. Listeners of our show will save 50% off your first three months by visiting time to bet.com/confessional we are able to focus on those little details. Like you said, when I'm and I'm not just here panic, starving my brain of oxygen, I am all the all that stuff. And I know for me, sometimes in those, in those stressful things, or where there's a lot going on, just, just intentionally stopping and focusing on, like, one thing, just one thing right now. And a lot of times for me, it's just, I'm going to stare at the pet that I'm here for, not, not make eye contact, because that may freak him out or whatever, or maybe slow blinking at the cat, but like, I'm just gonna to remind myself of, I'm here for you. I'm here for you, and just take a take a beat to just remind myself what, what the whole purpose of me being in this house is before I move forward, so I don't start tripping over myself or fumbling with what's going on or trying to get to the 10th thing without doing the first thing that I need to get done.
Arden Moore 18:55
You need to not be an auctioneer or a sprinter if you're successful professional pet sitter. Seriously, you're not trying to set a world record for how many visits you can do and how quickly you can get that dog out the potty and eat and get to the next visit, because there'll be ramifications. Yeah,
Collin 19:13
that that's a really interesting point you bring up because we, we have a team of employees that we bring on and train, and there are some that man, when they see that timer ticking down, it's like, game on. We are. We're doing this. And they're like, really proud. When they're like, Yeah, I finished that 30 minute visit in 20 minutes. And it's like, that's not the point. No, no, we need to go back like your
Arden Moore 19:35
client paid you for 30 and they got they got cameras everywhere. They know when you came, when you laughed, all that. I mean, you cannot hide as a professional pet sitter anywhere, anyhow.
Collin 19:47
No, no. And we did another step. We put on bright orange visibility vests on us that are reflective. So we're even more, just like these glowing orbs going throughout houses. So it's even worse.
19:58
I love it. I love it. Collin, so. You know, a
Collin 20:00
lot of us take PEP, first aid and CPR, you know, either every year or every two years, depending on what the program is. But there's a lot of in between time, right, where we're not doing skills. Any recommendations are for us, for, you know, drills or routines that we should be doing more to keep our skills sharp.
Arden Moore 20:19
I'm really happy you asked that, Collin, because repetition is the mother of all knowledge. I didn't say that. Some famous person said that, but in all the classes I teach, everybody's saying the skills out loud. They're not just listening to me saying the hand that does the pump is closest to the rump. That's an Arden original for doing CPR. But the point is, if you say it and you do it, you remember it better than if you read it or you hear it. And so I think when you're a pet sitter, it might not be a bad thing on on a ride from one client to another to go through the steps of CPR, do 30 chest compressions, open the airway, pull the tongue out, do a finger sweep to inspect the mouth, form an airtight seal. Breath, check, breath, check, repeat. And you're like, why people are going to think you're bananas, but you won't forget the order of it, or when we're talking about choking, how to do the kitty and doggy Heimlich. But I think one of the most underrated ways to learn is, is to say something out loud to your what do you think I mean? Does that make resonate with you? Do you feel like if you said it out loud and not heard Arden telling you you might remember it better?
Collin 21:42
Yeah, it's now. I'm being involved. I'm manifesting the next thing, right? I'm forcing a recall from my memory. And it does help, because then I don't know if we was like helping our kids learn their spelling words. Okay, here's when we do our spelling words in the exact same order every single time. Guess what? Our kids get really good at doing doing the entire spelling list by the end without me having me to say anything. Remind them of the next word
Arden Moore 22:10
because they have a workout. Yeah.
Collin 22:13
Oh, we always do. We did Bumblebee, we did thimble, oh, the next word must be x, and because it's this repetition little light bulb, right? They know that's the next word, and when we have it, because the problem is, is that in those stressful situation, our critical thinking brain kind of disappears for a little bit, right? We can kind of blank out. So we have to rely on deeper memory, deeper knowledge, those instincts that we're trying and that's what we're trying to
Arden Moore 22:40
build here through this process, yeah, like in a pet first aid class, it is not going to a mandate, mandatory HR talk. So I'm hoping that people will be actually animated and interested, because they're going to learn how to save a pet's life. But if you find a class and my style, as you all, can tell I had a little humor in it, and I have fun little sayings. Everything's been approved by My Anointed vet, veterinary advisors with all their Vanna White initials, but I want you to be engaged. I want you to kick in your brain, and I want you to have a little fun. We make it practical, but you know that is the best way to learn. And I've gotten feedback from a lot of people, and I keep always trying to be better. You should be a student and a teacher, not one or the other. And I'm telling you, there are a lot of pet sitters out there that have taken my classes, that have saved pet lives. So I may not be a rich person, but I am enriched because you all put the skills to use, and you save pets lives, and that's not a bad get thing to be remembered for.
Collin 23:48
I don't think so. No. Now I know I've seen a couple of your talks and stuff, and one thing that I do know is that you are really good at coming up with with with tools, with equipment, with stuff that we need to have. What's maybe one piece of equipment that you always carry or have on hand, or recommend people do that that may
Arden Moore 24:11
surprise them? Well, I have two registered trademarks, Collin pet first aid for you, circle R and four legged life. Circle R, I was about to get my third and this is I created a whole teaching program called How to be a mutt diver. What do you do when you don't have a pet first aid kit and the vet Cliff bar? What can you use grab to render a stabilize and get that pet to the vet. So in my car, I always keep a bath towel, always, I always keep a spare leash. That's nothing out of the ordinary, but I also keep a modified IKEA blue shopping bag. Um. And the reason is I cut the length off and I leave the handles, and you now have a $3 makeshift Bernie that folds up very nicely in your car to be able to transport a larger dog who's injured or has a limb injury. So let's say I well, I have some big news. We just adopted a third dog. Her name is Bella. She's 55 pounds. She's a gray adore. I didn't know what that was, Greyhound, Labrador. She's a mud she's black with a little white, and she's about five or six years old, had a has had leg injuries in the past, and I think I'm strong, but now, if some happens to Bella, I have something that I can use, a makeshift Gurney to get her into the car. And I'm also I have some science background genetically, because my dad was an engineer, and so I have that engineer brain. Sometimes this is better than wrapping an injured big dog in a towel or a blanket, because if you have to scoot across carpet or rugs, those cause friction. This is slickery. This does not cause friction, and it's cheap. It's lightweight and easy to keep in your pet sitter vehicle. So of all my MacGyver tips, my little my blue bag, what do you think
Collin 26:34
I love it? And slickery is that very technical engineering term. So I'm glad you. I'm glad you were using those today, but it's actually this was this? This is weird, but I'm really glad that you used that example, because we had a client who reached out to us who said, my 90 pound dog can't get up and I need help. I don't know what to do. And we've taken care of the dogs off and on. We weren't on duty to, you know, be caring for them. And I, I said, Do you have an Ikea bag? Oh, good. So. And she said, I actually do. And so I and so she was able, she, we didn't even go over and help with this, and she was able to use this to get help her get her dog in. And it's, it's things like that that just being aware of our surroundings, because we might not have an Ikea bag, but we need to know, what can we go look for that is something
Arden Moore 27:29
you might have a big, we got those big plastic shopping bag. Everybody gets the totes and all that. Just modify it, and you got handled no and just keep it in your car. And trust me, it you make. I've used it in my neighborhood when I've seen a dog get hit by a car, and I'm able to render aid to that dog. So to me, it's a it's a very MacGyver way of helping a pet.
Collin 27:56
Yeah, no, I love that a lot. And I think it's just, it reminds you just how adaptable we have to be to every situation, because every situation is is different and unique, and there are some standardized skills. And I think that that's often where, where we get really comfortable is we get in the lane. We know the number of compressions, we know what we're supposed to do next. And these steps, it's when we don't have those things all of a sudden. Now it's the Oh, but I don't it's not perfect. It's not like the situation. It's not like, how do we get better? How do we get better, right? How do we get into that mindset to handle more curveballs of we've done the training, we've doing the route, but this one's different. Or my I left my emergency kit at the at the, you know, in my other car, or whatever that is.
Arden Moore 28:37
Well, that's why, in my pet first day for you classes, we teach you not only the skills and how to do it, but we also give you tips on how to react and act and think on your feet, because the mental game is so much crucial in helping a pet who's injured. And you know, I just I'm always learning new things, and I'm always sharing new things. And I think if you as a pet sitter, can say to yourself, yeah, I know 30 compressions, two breasts. 30 compressions, two breasts, I'm done. How are you going to deal with a little cat versus a Great Dane, who you suspect their heart has stopped? So you gotta open up to new ways. The people that the veterinarians from the Recover initiative, led by Dr Dan Fletcher from Cornell University, he's my personal hero, set the standards on how to teach CPR. They got new standards now for cats, one and two handed CPR, we're teaching that now, so as pet sitters, don't get in the comfort zone. Please don't think, well, I know this skill, it's never going to change. Well, look what's happened to TVs. Do you remember I'm so old. You used to have antennas. Shut up Collin, and now you can see every. They on your phone. Well, same with pet and pet care. Don't be comfortable thinking this is the way it's always going to be, because there's going to be a curve ball. That's the theme of my talk, curveball. And you got to adapt. So I don't know, did I answer your question, or
Collin 30:18
you did? You did, and I just continue to get education. And so I think that's like,
Arden Moore 30:22
because there's always new things, like, we're introducing the new one and two handed CPR on cats to my students now that a year ago, wasn't available. Yeah, we just found a new technique from the University of Pennsylvania's vet school that's published in the AKC Canine Health Foundation. You can tell I'm a former newspaper reporter because attribute, attribute, attribute on, what do you do? What is the most effective way to cool down a hot dog on a walk? And people I want to share, if I could, do you put an ice pack on their neck? Do you put a wet towel around their neck? Do you put some dabbing under their armpits, on their flanks? Or do you do a voluntary head dunk?
Collin 31:13
Well, yeah, it's, you know, and I think what some of it's situational. But I know a lot of people, they have found, yeah, a lot of people would go to the, well, I was gonna say a lot of people would go to the armpits, like, that's very common.
Arden Moore 31:26
And we were teaching all that stuff, and we don't want to put ice on a dog. All right, here comes an ardent saying, because ice, ice, not nice, baby. So you can cause shock in an overheated dog by applying ice packs on them, but they have found that that dunking in a 70 degree or water and a quick dunk actually drops the body core temperature because the dogs are panting, and when they're panting, that raises heat into the head because of the increased blood flow. So a head dunk drops the body core temperature. What do you think of that? I love brand new, sharing it here on for the first time, first time.
Collin 32:16
And it's one, it's that kind of stuff where, again, like, if we take the same maybe again. There's a lot of options for learning and getting this education, but if we're always going to the same source, or if we're always doing the same thing on it's just this, and I'm just, I did it once. I've
Arden Moore 32:30
never, you don't never need it again. Baloney,
Collin 32:32
we miss out on that stuff, and if we just kind of focus back, and it's interesting how a lot of us will do that in our business of, okay, well, I've got to learn the new marketing skills, or I have to keep up to date with what AI is doing, or I have to do because I gotta stay ahead, but we let these other things kind of atrophy because, well, how it's interesting, how we place different priorities on these aspects of our business. As pet sitters, we're there for the joyful moments and the heartbreaking ones too. When a client loses a pet, finding the right gift can be hard. That's where pet perennials comes in. They make it easy to send thoughtful, sympathy and milestone gifts with a handwritten card, colorful gift wrap and shipping included in the US and Canada. You choose the gift they handle the rest. Sign up for a free gift perks business account and get discounted pricing with
Speaker 2 33:21
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Arden Moore 33:26
right? And I agree my my promise to everyone in my behavior and my safety classes is I will not be stagnant. I will always learn from the best, reputable sources, not AI or a one. But from, you know, board certified veterinary veterinarians and I will always document, attribute and share, because we all need to keep going. We all need to learn more new things. And I'm, I'm just jazz about the head dunk. That's new, yeah,
Collin 33:58
that's really exciting. And to know that it is that effective and so quick, right?
Arden Moore 34:02
Explain the why? Always say the so what they're like, why are you ducking the dog's head in well, when they're panting, their heat gets up and in the blood, and it gets hot in the brain. Thank you. Yeah, that's the SEC that's the technical way of doing it.
Collin 34:19
Blue. Okay, look, you're the expert. I'm just taking notes. But what about so what about some tools that maybe you see, that people misuse or just misunderstand the purpose of when they're in their kits or to have
Arden Moore 34:33
on hand? Yeah, well, I hope this is probably something already y'all know, but I am not a fan of retractable leashes. That is not walking your dog, walking your client's dog, the dog is way out there, and you or that dog, theatch, you're this, the pooper, picker upper, you have lost all connection, all respect from the dog. Also those long wires. There's a jogger that. Just ran in front of you because they didn't know you have a dog on that lead, and they just sliced their calf muscle. I've also had somebody because they're always clunky and it they couldn't get the grip right because the dog jumped and they lost the front tooth. Oh, you know, I love six foot leashes. Kota has a leash that has two handles. Have you seen those? So you if you need to, it's three foot and six foot, but it's a nylon leash, and you're able to control and bring her closer to you when you see something coming on in a calmness, so that they don't get jacked up. But you know, so you're controlling the pet. The other thing that I really am a I feel that people don't understand or use our restraint muzzles because our dogs, there's 201 recognized dog breeds by the American Kennel Club, and then you got all the myth, the mutts, the canine cocktails. One muzzle does not fit all, so my recommendation is, one of my MacGyver tips is always keep a bath towel and a six foot nylon leash in your car, because you can use that as a restraint when a pet is injured, you need to keep from getting bit. So I show in my classes how to put the muzzle on for a regular muzzle dog, and then the pushed in brachial cephalics, the French bulldog and all that. So we actually show two different methods, because muzzle size are different. And we also show how to the quickest towel wrap on the planet for a cat who's very hissed off so protecting thyself and having some things like that, and knowing how to quickly adapt, I think would be another misunderstood that could be understood
Collin 36:56
many times we try and standardize what's in our kit, what's in Our car? I'm going to go buy one harness or one muzzle, or I'm going to buy one thing, and it is, like you said, it's impossible to have, because what are we going to do go out and buy 84 different muzzle types, just in case with off chance, instead finding ways to be much more adaptable with a towel in a leash, right? Like
Arden Moore 37:17
if you roll a towel up in a leash, and you've got a big dog that has an injury, and you can have the leash inside the towel. I'm just going to quickly do this now. Look, I now have two handles. I can put it under their armpits, and the handle of the leash can help me guide that dog into the car or whatever. And they don't have to put a lot of stress on their legs, but it looks like a pool noodle. So it's just, you know, just you guys are good think on your feet. You got a sweatshirt. Roll that up, you know. So there's a lot of things we actually have within reach we don't think about that can be good to render aid when a pet is injured, needs to get to the vet. I
Collin 38:12
know a lot of businesses have employees that they're growing, they're expanding, and they the owner may have this safety mindset, this focus on this. How do we help perpetuate that throughout our team as it grows and expands?
Arden Moore 38:26
Well, have many get togethers with your staff. Don't make them these long two hour sessions or something. Maybe, depending on how big of an area you service, it's an interactive zoom call or whatever. But I think you need to stay in touch with your team. And hey, on Mondays or Wednesdays, we're going to have a quick tip Wednesday and and get them there for 15 minutes and age them so they get to answer, but don't do big, long, hairy, forever talks. What do you think?
Collin 39:01
Yeah, I spent a little brief time in kind of a corporate world and and, man, those meetings were like, there were hours and the first half was with her. First half was always, Hey, what did we do last time? Does anyone have those notes? What is going on? And then there was about 11 minutes of actual content, and then they had to set up and plan the next meeting. As we do. We do weekly team meetings. And my my goal is always to be 20 minutes or less perfect. We
Arden Moore 39:29
and people love people like you get to the point and say goodbye, yeah, and and so do one tip. This is the tip of the week. And you know what your team and ask and have a fun thing. Hey, suggest some ideas for the next our topic next week is this, you know, whoever comes up with a great idea, give them two minutes to share it.
Collin 39:52
Yeah, yeah. And we, you know, we so we do, like art meetings. We do, like a week, a quick review of what happened in the previous week. Okay, good. A review of what's coming up for the coming week. Of like, making sure we're on the same page, and then we do that tip of like, here's something that we need to focus on, and kind of leaving it really open ended. I know something we do. Of like, I may give like, Hey, here's my perspective on what to do if you know something, if a cat's found unresponsive, but I'll, you know, I'll only give one example, and then be like, hey, what other examples can you guys think of? Or, you know, what's something that we encounter, or use a teaching moment from the previous week of something we encountered to reinforce stuff that we know people should already be doing. And then that becomes this, like you mentioned earlier, Arden, this repetition of, we're just going to be talking this is just, we're always talking about that. So that culture of safety comes from. We're talking about it. We're we. Did you hear the word we?
Arden Moore 40:45
We are talking about it. Team owner. We gotta be,
Collin 40:50
yeah, yeah. Giving them agency to talk about things that they're seeing, what's worked for them, like having those open discussions we've seen is really beneficial to people as they become more engaged, too. So, yeah,
41:01
okay, that's awesome.
Collin 41:05
Just turn it turns out, when you involve people and communicate with them, yeah, things, a lot of things go better.
41:12
It's pretty fun.
Collin 41:15
Now, from your I was curious art, because you you know, again, you're in, you're in the pet world. You do a lot with, with safety, you do communication, you do a lot of writing. My daughter also, by the way, loves your cat book, and she's constantly looking in it to identify
Arden Moore 41:29
Thank you. Kona just got a seven year old girl named Helen from New York who is now her pen pal. Oh, because she got my kid's guide to dogs. Yeah, and, I mean, her dad wrote me and said she's gonna send a letter to Kona. Is that okay? Yeah, so now Kona writes back, oh,
Collin 41:48
but you're, you're, you know, you're an educator at heart and everything that you do, what tips can you give us as dog walkers and pet sitters? Because we also should be educating our clients about best practices, about things that we're seeing. How can we educate better without coming across as demeaning or condescending, or, you know, talking down to people about things that we know,
Arden Moore 42:13
things like questions open ended, like, Hey, did you know that there's a new way to cool down a dog? We just learned that, and here's where we found it. What do you think about that? And let the owner process it and give their answers. Or, you know, there's some new things out about, you know, the benefits of bone broth. Here is a reputable source, and we're giving this to all our clients. Maybe this might be something good for as a topper for your dog or your cat. It's it's not ordering, it's not demanding, it's suggesting, it's suggesting, and it's asking for their feedback. And then you will become more than a pet sitter that they pay or whatever you're you became a human being. You became part of their extended family. You're an aunt, you're an uncle now to their pets, and to me, that's the that's the dream, that's the goal for really successful professional pet sitters, is you are part of that extended family.
Collin 43:14
It's that position that we're coming here. It's this, this attitude of of help, right? I'm here, I'm, I'm here to help. Not finger, not a know it all right, yeah, yep, it's, it's, I'm learning stuff all the time too, and I think that's part of where a lot of humility can come from. If we're constantly learning, right? If I'm learning, I recognize I don't know everything. So I can share what I can with you, so that you're living a better life with your pet.
43:40
I agree, but there
Collin 43:42
is a line there. Sometimes of I mean, we get really invested in our clients, right? We get really invested in them. So how do we or any recommendation of walking that line between being helpful and, you know, over involved. Let's say, in our clients lives,
Arden Moore 43:56
you're not showing up at their daughter's seventh birthday party unannounced. Don't do that, please. Pet sitters, please don't. But you know, make sure whatever you share with them has been validated by a reputable source. We live in an era, an era of too much information, misinformation. Joe Bob Billy's veterinary website means nothing. Go to things like the American Association of feline practitioners fear free American Veterinary Medical Association, all these groups, and if you have something to share with your clients, give it to them and cite the source and let them have time to process it. But be careful what you share. AI is crazy out there. You think it's your you know? It could be a mock up video that really isn't true dogs don't do you know, ballerina dancing, you know? So just get the tutu out of your mind of the Bulldog. But I'm just saying, just be in the mindset like you say, of wanting to help but receive. Just respect that this is a family unit, and you've been invited to provide some care to some of their members of their family. It doesn't mean that you're invited to their high school reunion. So you got to know your boundaries. You know there are pet sitters out there that are best friends with some of their clients, and there are pet sitters out there that have had a business relationship with the client for years, and they don't even know the client's birthday, right? And that's okay, because if you are providing the services that you have been asked to do, everyone's happy.
Collin 45:35
Arden, it's always a pleasure and joy to have you on the show, and I'm so thankful for your time today, again, your last name says it all. You're very you've got a lot going on. So for those who, those who want to learn more, you know, either with classes or just get connected with really good, solid information and follow along with you. How best can they do that?
Arden Moore 45:56
Well, I did have some news I wanted to share. For years, I've taught in person and interactive zoom, and just about 10 days ago, we launched two courses for all you. It is a self guided dog, cat First Aid CPR course, or we have now a cat only First Aid CPR self paced course online, and you can learn anywhere, anytime, in your pajamas, and you will earn a two year certificate. There's little quizzes at the end to make sure you weren't sleeping. And it it's all available at Pet first aid, the number four, the letter U, pet first aid for you. And then just go to ardenmore.com but I'm really excited about that for the pet sitters, because we train a lot of pet sitting staffs, and now you you pet sitter owners, you have three options in person, interactive zoom for your team, and maybe for the high turnover group. They can go to the self paced course, and it's fun, it's practical, and my cat even is a comedian in class, so Casey and Kona are on the screen with me. This isn't demo demo dogs. This is a real dog, a real cat. We're teaching you what to do so and of course, follow my old behave show on pet life radio. And the last thing is, people may not know this, but for last 12 years, I've been the editor of the NAPS pet sitting. Quarterly magazine. I love psi. I love naps. I have a lot of friends in all the realms, but I am always trying to spotlight good things and trends for you, pet sitter. So there you go. Is that enough? And, oh, my YouTube, I finally got over almost 1.5 million views. They're not all my relatives and I have over 900 views, 900 videos. So go to Arden Moore on YouTube and check us out.
Collin 47:50
Yeah, well, I'm just glad that Casey and Kona let you in the class that they teach. They put up with so much there. It's good to know
Arden Moore 48:00
what is like? Sleepy.
Collin 48:02
I'll have, I'll have links to all of that, Arden in the show notes and on the website. So people can get connected. Look at those three options. I'm really excited to see that self paced course come out, because I learned
Arden Moore 48:12
a lot about platforms and well, but everything's been tested, and we're, we're geared up and ready to go.
Collin 48:19
Awesome. Well, I'll have that so people can get connected and start, start start learning today. Arden, again, always an immense pleasure. Thank you so much for your time today.
Arden Moore 48:26
And thank you, Collin, for everything you're doing. Appreciate it paws up.
Collin 48:30
You have permission to freak out later. One of the most important factors in handling any emergency is the control and discipline that we have over ourselves by training, by practicing, by rehearsing, by making sure that we're in the right mindset, we can put off our initial reaction and instead respond the way we need to, to handle that situation in the moment. What I love about this statement from Arden is that it also still gives us permission to handle and deal with our emotions, but at a more appropriate time, one where we actually have space to process, to deal with them, as opposed to doing the actions and handle our responsibilities of taking care of the pet and dealing With the emergency. Being prepared means practicing, rehearsing, being certified, going to all the classes, working through these scenarios, having all the things with you, but that's to handle in the moment. Are we prepared to deal with the emotions and the fallout of those situations later, as you look to prepare yourself or your team, if you have them, make sure that that is also part of your emergency preparedness, walking through the emotions that come with this, to make sure that you have an outlet for that and have a place to go. We want to thank today's sponsors, Tyne to pet and pet perennials for making. Today's show possible, and we really want to thank you so much for listening. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week, and we'll be back again soon. You.
