Who is My Shadow Dog Walking & Pet Sitting?
My Shadow Dog Walking & Pet Sitting, LLC, incorporated in 2017, is a dog walking and pet sitting company servicing much of Plymouth, MN, and some of the surrounding area. We are insured and bonded, and we are certified in Pet First Aid and CPR. We can care for pets who might not be a good fit for other walkers and caregivers. We are experienced with high energy breeds such as German Shepherds, Dobermans, and Golden Retrievers, but also love the littles like Yorkies, Shih Tzus, and Chihuahuas. We can administer medications (including insulin shots) to cooperative pets. We have experience with leash reactive dogs, shy and fearful dogs, and medically fragile pets. We often get referrals from other sitters, veterinarians, and trainers for “challenging pets.” And…we have a very big soft spot for senior pets who need a little extra love.
Meet Linda: Your Pet’s New Best Friend
I’m Linda, the owner of My Shadow Dog Walking & Pet Sitting. I started working as a dog walker for another local company in 2014 after a layoff from a career in higher education. After a year, I tried going back to the corporate world in a marketing role, but I missed being out in the sun with my furry friends every day. I left that windowless office behind and set about creating my own company, taking on a couple clients to get started and I went to work for two more local pet sitting companies and the boarding kennel connected to my veterinarian’s office to fill my time.
While attending a networking event at my former university employer, they asked if I could return to my old job to cover another employee’s maternity leave – “just temporarily,” they said – and we worked out a schedule so I could still walk client dogs each day. The university job was indeed temporary, but it lasted 18 months instead of 12 weeks. All the while, I quietly took on a few clients here and there AND I got a puppy! We named him Shadow because he followed my older dog, Doc, around constantly. When the university closed and laid me off again, My Shadow Dog Walking & Pet Sitting was finally able to became a full-time endeavor.
I have always loved German Shepherds and currently share my home with two. Doc, a senior GSD/Chow mix, loves to do tricks, go for walks, and take naps. Shadow is an adult White German Shepherd who loves to play ball and go to classes. In 2021, we added a Japanese Akitainu puppy to the family. Izumi has been so much fun and is a great refresher on what it’s like to care for a puppy full-time again! So far Zumi enjoys learning and has completed classes in obedience, tricks, and nose work. I have fostered many German Shepherds and have a special fondness for the shy ones who need time to learn how to be a dog before adoption. Doc was one of my first foster dogs and it was through taking him and another foster dog to the park that I met the dog walker who suggested I call the company he was working for and apply for a job.
I am certified in Pet First Aid and CPR. I attend pet-focused continuing education when possible, and I teach obedience classes through Big Leap of Faith Dog Training and Services. Doc, Shadow, and Zumi are active in lots of classes including rally obedience, canine freestyle, tricks, and the sport of K9 Nose Work. Both Doc and Shadow have titles in Nose Work and all three dogs have passed the Canine Good Citizen Test. Doc also has a Trick Dog title that he earned at the ripe old age of 9. Shadow and I have performed dog training demonstrations at the Minnesota State Fair since 2017 and Doc joined us in 2019.
In my former life, I worked in human resources, marketing, retail, and restaurants. I have degrees in business management and marketing, a certificate in HR, and a graduate degree in psychology.
My Shadow Dog Walking & Pet Sitting 