Dog Blog

Spring Cleaning Without Harmful Chemicals

Posted by Michelle Allen on Wed, Mar 22, 2017 @ 09:24 PM

Thieves-Cleaning-Supply-300x210.jpg
Thieves essential oil blend has become our go-to cleaner here at Gemini Dogs, as well as in our home. As you look towards Spring, we all start thinking of Spring Cleaning. And if you're like me, you've started paying attention to the fact that so many of the cleaning products have harsh and damaging chemicals, which cause untold numbers of health problems and can cause numerous diseases in both humans and dogs.
 
The solution? Look to Young Living Essential Oils for an all-natural, holistic approach to cleaning. Just add some of the Thieves Household Cleaner in a glass spray bottle, fill with water, and use it to quickly spray and wipe your surfaces. The oils in the formula deodorize and protect your home.
 
We use Thieves exclusively now here at Gemini Dogs, for all of our cleaning needs. We use Thieves Household Cleaner to clean the crates after each use, to mop the floors, to sanitize the bowls and buckets, and more.
 
The amazing power of the Thieves will destroy mold, including air-borne mold, and is well-documented in Nature’s Mold Rx: The Non-Toxic Solution to Toxic Mold by Edward R. Close, Ph.D. Household cleaner can also be used as a bug repellant. In Essential Oils for Horse and Rider, you can see a demonstration of mixing the Thieves Household Cleaner with water and apple cider vinegar to keep flies away from horses.
 
Suggested Dilutions for Thieves Household Cleaner
  • Light degreasing 60:1
  • Medium degreasing 30:1
  • Heavy degreasing 15:1
  • Floors 100:1
  • Walls 30:1
  • Upholstery, fabrics and carpet spotting 40:1
  • Carpet 100:1
  • Glass 320:1
  • Pots and pans 100:1
  • Hand cleaner 1:1
This essential oil blend's name comes from its origin, during the Bubonic Plague.
 
Thieves were robbing those who had succumbed to the illness, but we're able to do so without becoming deathly ill themselves. Their defense was to wear a mask filled with a combination of herbs, spices, and essential oils. When they were finally caught and placed on trial for their crimes, they were granted leniency for revealing the recipe of this life-saving concoction. That recipe is the foundation for Young Living’s modern Thieves blend.
Thieves contains clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary. This blend has been found to reduce bacterial cultures by 99.96%.
Improve your health, and the health of your dog, by using Thieves for spring cleaning. We can assist you in setting up a wholesale account (For a 24% off retail cost), if you would like to purchase these products for your home!
 
"Thieves Essential Oil blend is a powerful combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary essential oils for an aromatic blend that fills any space with a rich, spicy aroma. Inspired by the legend of four 15th-century French thieves who formulated a special aromatic combination composed of clove, rosemary, and other botanicals used while robbing the dead and dying, Thieves is one of Young Living’s most popular products.  With the benefits of Thieves oil including cleaning power and an irresistibly spicy scent, Young Living offers it as an essential oil blend and as an important ingredient in a full range of home cleaning and personal care products, from dish soap to toothpaste. Looking to make your home smell as clean as it looks? Diffuse Thieves oil throughout the house for an aroma that makes every room smell more like fall baking than harsh cleaning formulas.”
Source: www.youngliving.com

Topics: dogs, gemini dogs, Spring Cleaning, essential oils, Natural, Holistic, home remedies

S is for Safety

Posted by Michelle Allen on Fri, Jan 13, 2017 @ 05:24 PM

As we near finalizing the details of our NEW FACILITY I thought this was the perfect time for us to share how one of our priorities has been focused on enhancing our safety systems.
 
Here are a few of the most important things for you to understand about how and why Gemini Dogs will keep your doggie safer than ever in our new home:
 
- At drop-off, you will notice that there are now two doors; an exit door and an entry door. This was a must for us. Gone are the days of happening upon a dog coming out the same door you are entering! The "in" door is on the right. You'll notice a lighted awning over the entrance, to assist with safety.
 
- You will see that we've installed a window in the entry/exit doors. This is the second stage of our new safety system. By providing you with the ability to see through the door, you can ensure that there is not a "traffic jam" on the other side. Once you can see that the entry vestibule is clear, you'll be able to enter the facility with the confidence that you won't be setting your dog up for an unplanned greeting.
 
- When you step inside, you and your dog(s) will be in a secondary enclosed space (think airlock). This space is equally important to safety. It provides a safe space between the outside world and the Gemini Dogs lobby, for those slippery pups that drag the leash from your hands running to greet us! ;-)
 
- We train our staff (and our family members) from day one: "Close every single gate, every single time; even if you are planning to come right back through it." You will step beyond that "airlock" gate, and close it behind you, as you step up to the check-in counter.
 
- Once you have scanned your card (if you do not already have a membership card, please ask us for one immediately), you will hand your dog to a staff member at the entry to the doggie area. These membership scanning cards are required to be scanned at our new facility. This is perhaps the most important safety measure we are implementing. Anyone who drops off or picks up a dog will scan their card to check in and out. If we would not recognize the person who is picking up your dog, they should have that card. That card lets us know that you approve of us releasing your dog to that person. (Don't worry though...we have a backup method that you can use; just tell us the person's name, and we will request a photo ID.)
 
- Once we take possession of your dog's leash, he/she will enter the doggie zone; the main entrance to which is a door which swings in; this ensures that if your industrious pup gets loose within the doggie zone, he/she cannot push open that door to get into the front lobby area.
 
- Inside the doggie zone, we have a multitude of doors, gates, and locks that provide a layer of backup security. When moving your dog from play areas to crates, all dogs are on leash, and our staff announces every move over a walkie talkie. This provides the added layer of security for those moments when two staff members are moving dogs who may not know each other, so that they do not meet around a blind corner or in a doorway. 
 
Additional Safety Features (inside and outside of the new facility)
 
- Out in the yard, we have installed a 6-foot fence with a 2-foot angled top, which foils even the most industrious climbers/jumpers. 
 
- Surveillance cameras record every area of the facility as well as display to a live monitor, so that we have eyes on your dog at all times.
 
- All dog-to-dog introductions, as always, will be done under the watchful eye of at least three staff members, and often more!
 
- Groups are monitored by a trained Kennel Tech, even if there are only two docile dogs just hanging out together. Your dog will never ever be left unsupervised, regardless of how well he/she behaves. It is simply that strict of a rule. The moment two dogs are in a play area together, we are physically in the same space (not just watching, but physically present), and actively monitoring their every move.
 
- One of the most interesting changes in the new facility is the level of security regarding medications. We have purchased a locked, password-protected medication cart, which only certain staff members will have access to...managers and senior staff. Even then, all meds and accompanying instructions will be visually verified by a second person before being administered to your dog.
 
These are just a handful of the policies, processes, and procedures that we use every day here at Gemini Dogs, to keep your dog safe, healthy, and happy. Learn more by asking for a tour!
 

Topics: safety, gemini dogs, Pet Safety