A little about me…

Hello my name is Karen Genene, I prefer to be called Gen.

I am a reliable pet sitter who takes pride in caring for your home and pets while you are away for work or holidays.

I live in Paddington and am willing to travel to Darlinghurst, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Vaucluse, Bondi Beach, Surry Hills and the CBD.

It is my goal to deliver the best possible experience for your pets.

I am a reliable pet sitter and will take care of your pets as if they were my own.

During home visits I will spend time with your pets, replace water and food when required and make sure they are comfortable and safe.

I am an animal lover, very tidy and respectful of others property, as well as a non smoker.

I love walking, so if you want your dog to get some exercise, you just found the right sitter!

I will walk all dogs twice daily if required, make sure they're well fed, play with them and give them TLC.

When walking your pets I like to walk them for at least one hour or however long you are comfortable with.

Before any walks I like to chat with you about where you would like your dogs walked and discuss details about their personality and behaviour around other dogs.

I am available to care for your fur babies mornings, afternoons and evenings.

During house visits I make sure your house kept tidy and secure, caring for it as if it were my own.

If required I can water plants, clean your pool and collect mail for you.

I hope you consider me for your pet sitting/walking needs!

I will send you daily photos to keep you updated so you can relax during your time away from your fur babies!

I have cared for many dogs, cats, fish, rabbits and guinea pigs and have experience with the following dog breeds:

- Poodles

- Labradoodles

- West Highland Terriers

- Dachshunds

- Maltese Terriers

- Cocker Spaniels

- Schnauzers

- Australian Terriers

- German Shepherds

- Alaskan Malamutes

- Beagles

- Labrador Retrievers

- Australian Shepherds

- Spoodles

Why your dog helps you relax more than your friends do.

Psychologists explain the reason why dogs, even though they can’t talk, can lower your anxiety and improve your mood better than a human can.

If you've ever noticed that you relax more around your beloved dog than you do around your partner or a friend when you're under pressure, you're not alone. 

An increasing body of research has shown that when dogs are present, people's bodies tend to respond to stressful situations less physiologically. In addition to the physiological effects, those who receive unconditional support from their pups also enjoy psychological effects. Recent studies have demonstrated the many ways that dogs can support people—that sometimes words are just not necessary—by providing comfort, relaxing their frazzled nerves, being wonderful listeners, and providing other forms of crucial support.

Evangeline Wheeler, a psychology professor at Towson University, continues, "We feel secure because our dogs are very dependable and predictable—their unconditional love makes us feel safe." Dogs don't think poorly of you or judge you. All they do is sit there and look tenderly at you. 

(However, do all animals actually make people happier and healthier?)

This calm form of canine assistance can occasionally put you more at ease than being with a friend or companion who is human when you're anxious or under strain.

Human versus canine support

When subjects were given mental math problems or had to endure a "cold pressor" test in which their hand was submerged in ice water, the persons with their dogs with them

When people were placed in situations where they were asked to perform mental arithmetic or endure a “cold pressor” test in which their hand is submerged in ice water, those who had their dog present had smaller increases in their blood pressure and heart rate than those who had a spouse or friend present, according to research in Psychosomatic Medicine.

In a more recent study, published in the journal Emotion in 2023, participants were given a stressful activity to complete on a computer screen that involved adding numbers. After that, they were asked to play with their beloved dog, colour in a colouring book, or wait silently for ten minutes. More people reported feeling happier and less anxious after interacting with their dogs than after waiting or attempting to decompress by colouring.

"You know your dog isn't judging you for stressing out or being a wimp," says research coauthor Hannah Raila, an assistant teaching professor of psychology at UC Santa Cruz and psychologist. "Your dog is providing nonjudgmental social support." "You might pick up good vibes from your dog if it's sitting there wagging its tail."

(Like people, some dogs are geniuses.)

"There's a raw honesty you can have with your dog that you can't always have with other people," says Lori Kogan, a counselling psychologist and professor in Colorado State University's clinical sciences department, about how dogs can provide their humans a level of comfort that other people can't match. "We embrace them exactly as they are, and they reciprocate by being consistent in the same way towards us."

The advantages of conversing with Fido

People frequently have conversations with their dogs all day long about what the other is up to, how cute, playful, or mischievous the dog is, and other things. It serves as a subdued reminder of what matters. Professor of psychiatry at Emory University and an authority on the neuroscience of social bonding Larry Young says, "When you talk to your dog, you get a sense of this is why you're here—no matter what happens at work or with your finances, your dog still loves you and needs you and that gives you a sense of purpose."

According to research, discussing emotionally charged topics with your dog might be especially helpful. 

Researchers discovered in a 2018 study published in Anthrozoös that people are more inclined to confide in their dogs than in their romantic partners or friends about challenging feelings like melancholy, jealousy, anxiety, apathy, and fear.

(Within the expanding trend to produce canines that are nicer and healthier.)

The specific causes of this are unknown, but one theory puts forth by study coauthor Daniel Mills—a professor of veterinary behavioural medicine at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom and an expert in human-animal interactions—is that pets make good, nonjudgmental listeners because they never interrupt or respond. "A dog isn't going to attempt to solve the issue the way some people do."

It is beneficial to just let feelings flow, even negative ones. According to research, verbalising negative emotions reduces their intensity on both a subjective and neurological level by reducing the amygdala's reaction, which is in charge of processing strong emotions like dread and anxiety.

Because your dog won't pass judgement on you or disagree with you, your relationship with your dog is a secure place. Humans need to communicate, and Mills asserts that finding a way to express your emotions is crucial to moving past them. Instead of letting everything jumble around in your thoughts, you can begin to make sense of it by putting it into words. It's easier to move on from the past and into the future when you express [those feelings]. There’s a liberation that comes with that.”

An other benefit that goes unnoticed is that your dog won't discuss your problems with you, which can cause you to dwell on them. They'll probably divert your attention more. According to Mills, "dogs use emotionally manipulative strategies." "You being subdued or angry is incompatible with their desire to play."

According to Young, when you're interacting with someone, you can both experience an increase in oxytocin, often known as the "cuddle hormone" or "love hormone," which temporarily reduces the stress reaction.

An additional study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2022 provides more evidence for this phenomenon. It discovered that when people engage in micro-breaks to pet their dogs while teleworking, it replenishes their self-regulatory resources, allowing them to relax and rejuvenate in ways that interacting with non-furry family members does not.

Dogs are possibly better at reading us than some people are, according to Kogan, since they are excellent at reading us and can tell when we're sad. Furthermore, "we regulate ourselves so as not to upset our dogs, which is helpful for us as well, because we intuit that they read us so well." A positive feedback loop exists.

Did you know, dogs get high when you rub their ears real good?

They have a branch of nerves in their ears that extend to their internal organs and release endorphins when you rub them, sending relaxing impulses through their bodies and giving them a natural high.

I give all the pets I care for a regular massage which they love as well.