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BILLERICA MINUTEMAN 10 Questions with... Pet-Sitting service owner Gail Pasquale Billerica woman says she's barking up the right career tree by: Chris Camire October 31, 2008 BILLERICA - When it comes to pampering pets, Gail Pasquale is a dog owner's best friend. Pasquale is the owner of TLC Pet Care in Billerica, a pet-sitting service she started 12 years ago. Most of the nearly 30 dogs she watches are owned by working professionals who don't want to leave their beloved pooch at home all day. Inside the business a large fenced-in area filled with Bischon Frises, Yorkies, Wheaten Terriers and German Shepherds playing freely with one another. We sat down and talked with Pasquale, a Billerica resident, to find out what it's like when your career has gone to the dogs. Many people consider their dog to be a member of the family. Before bringing their dog to your business, do people interview you like they would a baby-sitter? Yes, they're very serious about it. A lot of people who bring their dogs here don't have children. Some do, but I would say the majority of my clients don't have children. Their dogs are their children. They research places like this like they research their doctors or their vets. I feel humbled that they do come here. Most working people have to leave their dogs home alone all day. How long can a dog go without going to the bathroom? A lot of people who do that are asking their dogs to hold it for 10 hours. I know some dogs that can hold it that long. Is it fair? I don't think so. I wouldn't want to make a dog do that. I think a dog can hold it for six to seven hours. Which breed of dog is the easiest to deal with? The dogs I own, the Chinese Cresteds, are the easiest because they are mild-mannered, meek dogs. Some of the other nice breeds are the Labs and Golden Retrievers. They can be excitable, though. They have a lot of energy. It doesn't necessarily make them a bad dog. What is the biggest mistake we make with dogs? Not bringing them to a qualified positive training facility. I'm talking about trainers who only use positive reinforcement. There are other methods where they use choke collars, pinch or prong collars, and electronic collars. You may get results, but in my eyes you're getting results by scaring the dog or hurting the dog. In positive training, you reward the dog if it does something well. What can people learn from dogs? There's a quote I like, "A dog can show you more honest affection with a flick of his tail than a man can gather through a lifetime of handshakes." I think you can trust a dog more than some people you know. I just think a dog gives you that unconditional affection. Being around them is very comforting. It's fun. There is no drama around it. They don't care what you look like. They don't care if you had a bad night. They just want to be around you. Do you think dogs should wear boots in cold weather to protect their paws? If you can get a dog to wear the boots, that's great. A dog's paws can freeze just like if you walked around on ice with bare feet. Their pads are tougher, but they can still freeze up.

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