Jessica Fox gives dog an adventure

VERNON — Have you ever felt guilty leaving your dog alone in the house, for eight hours or more? No more! Jessica “Fox's Walking Dogs” is a new resource to give dogs an adventure, while owners work into the wee hours of the night.
Fox is a certified professional through Dog Tech Dog Walking Academy and has been trained to handle many different scenarios. As she says, “It's not just a walk, it's an adventure.”
What makes her different from typical dog walkers, she explained, is the adventure, where she “takes it to another level.”
Fox said she throws her backpack and hiking boots on, and, “We go!” It is not just walking on a sidewalk, Fox said the dogs get extra and varied exercise; plus, “they're getting their nature, too; and they get to go with their buddies.”
Typically, Fox explores for an hour- or more- with dogs through: the Appalachian Trail, Wawayanda Trails, waterfalls near Monroe, N.Y., parks around Warwick, N.Y., and hiking trails throughout the Highland Lakes area.
Fox said many different combinations are available for the dogs, from splashing around on a hot day in a watering hole, to romping around in the snow.
She is trained to read “dog” body language and certified in pet first aid by the Red Cross, which she explained must be done “very carefully.” Fox also is certified to walk eight dogs at a time, but prefers limiting the adventures to five. Her goal is to keep it enjoyable through her ability to: spot aggression, put groups of dogs together, break up a fight — if there is one — and avoid fights from happening in the first place.
Medium-to-large size dogs, around 40-to-80 pounds, must first go through a screening process. Also, she is mindful of size and age when putting groups of dogs together. First and foremost, she said, she looks for dogs without aggression toward other dogs.
Fox also explained some dogs are low energy and do not need much exercise. However, sporting dogs, like labs, require adventure and love interaction, as do working dogs, like shepherds. She said, if these dogs do not get the right amount of exercise and mental stimulation, it can lead to behavioral issues. Sometimes behavioral issues can be corrected, she added, by getting the right amount of exercise.
For peace of mind, she charges $25-per-hour, with a three-day-minimum per week. Currently, her coverage area is Vernon and Warwick, N.Y. Fox only dog sits clients' dogs on evenings and weekends, who use the three-day-minimum per week adventure.
On a personal note, she has seen great improvement in her own dog, Waffles, who is known and loved throughout her neighborhood. She said she has always loved her dog, and “He is her inspiration.”
In addition, she loves the outdoors and being active.
Fox said she knows what it is like to come home late at night, especially when it is dark out in fall and winter. She said, one has to get kids to activities, dinner on the table, and sometimes the dog comes last, not getting what he needs. She added, nobody wants that for their dog, but only the best.
After she started at least an hour-a-day adventures with Waffles and implemented leash manner techniques, she said, his behavior changed dramatically. Previously, he became “crazy, snarly, and snappy,” when he saw another dog. Recently, however, she said, he was a “real trooper” with a six-month-old puppy, which really tested his patience; the interaction would have been impossible before the daily adventures.
In the end, adventure dogs will also be more fit and have their longevity increased, instead of being cooped up, barking at noises outside their houses. As her slogan says, “A well exercised dog is a happy dog.”
For more information, see: foxswalkingdogs.com.