I get the question alot… What breed is your dog? Well, I don't really know to tell you the truth! We fostered and adopted Ginger over a year ago from the SPCA of Texas and she was categorized in their files as a "Chocolate Lab Mix". That is just an educated guess given by the vet. While I don't care whether my dog is a purebred or a mutt made up of a million different breeds, I am beginning to wonder what her background is. People stop us all the time with their suggestions of what type of dog she is and the most popular has been Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I Googled the breed and sure enough she looks a whole lot like those dogs, but she is missing the "retrieving" chip in her. If you threw a ball or toy for her to fetch, she'd honestly expect you to go get it and bring it back.

I don't see a huge importance in knowing what breeds make up your mutt, other than potential health conditions that are specific to a particular breed. But again, it's not likely to be as much of a concern in a mixed-breed dog. If anything, testing your dog's DNA just fulfills your curiosity of what types of dogs make up your pet.

If you are interested in testing your dog's DNA, there are a ton of websites out there that provide the service. The most well-known and used testing is the Canine Heritage Breed Test. You order a DNA test, and they mail it to you within a few days. You swab your dog's cheek and send off the sample to be tested. It takes like 4-6 weeks to get the results, but they do test for over 100 breeds, so the results are usually pretty accurate. There are three levels of of analysis: primary, secondary, and in the mix. It's not likely a true mutt will show any results in the primary category unless one of its parents was a purebred though. The cost is usually around $80-$150 depending on how extensive you want the test to be (i.e. how many breeds to test for).

I'm thinking about doing the test with Ginger just so I have the knowledge, but I'm in no hurry. She's a pretty girl even if we don't know where she came from!

Here she is playing at the park!

Great news!!

Select Pet Care now has a second location in Plano TX!

This makes it easier for our Plano customers to find us and serve you better.  Select Pet Care will still be serving the Allen, Plano, Frisco, and McKinney TX areas and offering pet sitting, dog walking, pet taxi service and more. The Plano location has its own contact phone number (469) 441-7193, yet you can reach Select Pet Care by calling either number or by email, mary@selectpetcare.com.

Call us to receive your first pet sitting visit free! (469) 233-7335 or (469) 441-7193.

As I was coming home from walking my buddy Nash in the Plano TX area, I saw a couple dogs roaming around my neighborhood here in Allen TX. I was able to approach them safely and put them in my backyard. Fortunately, one of them had an i.d. tag with a phone number. I called the owner and she came to pick them up, not knowing that they had even escaped from her backyard. A few days later as I was leaving for a pet sitting job in Frisco TX, I noticed something roaming around my car in my garage. Turns out, there was another lost dog! She was a beautiful young yellow lab with a collar but no tags. My husband took her all over the neighborhood to see if she recognized anything, but we had no luck. Fortunately for her, she found the right place to go when she was lost. The home of Select Pet Care! She stayed with us overnight and I called the Allen Animal Shelter the next morning to report that I had found someone's dog. By the afternoon, the owner found me and was very happy to get their dog back. I stressed the importance of having i.d. tags on the dog in case it happens again. How funny is it that within a couple days several dogs somehow found their way to a local pet sitter's home when they lost their way?

If you are concerned about your dog escaping from your backyard, you can always count on Select Pet Care to help you take care of your dog. We offer a daily dog walking service for only $15 to give your dog exercise and prevent accidents in your home. This will allow you to trust your dog in your home while you are away.

It's starting to get cold out there! Even for your furry family members. And we know how unreliable Texas weather is.. You just never know when  that cold snap is going to hit. Be safe and keep your pets inside during the winter or at least provide a warm place that the animal can access while you are not home.

Select Pet Care can help keep your pets safe and cozy! We offer a midday dog walk service to relieve your pet or take it on a walk to get some exercise. This is a $15 flat rate per walk.  That way your pets can stay inside during this cold season and you won't have to worry about any accidents when you return home in the evening.

Don't forget! Select Pet Care still has openings for the upcoming Christmas holiday! Give us a call to set up your free consultation! (469) 233-7335 or you can email the owner directly at mary@selectpetcare.com.

Hello everyone! We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

As we all know, Christmas is sneaking up on us fast and it is time to make pet sitting arrangements for our furry families while we are away. Select Pet Care still has open appointments all this month and the week of Christmas. We are only charging a $5 holiday charge on Christmas Eve and Day. Our business is experienced and safe to put your mind at ease!

Call us today to set up a free consultation! (469) 233-7335 or you can email the owner at mary@selectpetcare.com