Rob Nager took the summer off in 2002, after 14 years of corporate sales and business development working with senior executives all over the country. During that time off, Rob started Decadent Dog, his successful pet-sitting service that now boasts a staff of 18. He’s never looked back.
“At first, the travel and expense accounts were fun; however, the glamour quickly vanished and left me with nightly feelings of stress and doom in anticipation of going to work the next day,” says Rob.
What started as a summer side venture turned into a long-term business and a passion for Rob.
“By August, there was no room in my schedule for new clients. I realized that it would be impossible to tell all of these families who trusted me that it was time for me to ‘go back to work’. A good friend quickly pointed out that what I was doing is, in fact, a real job. I decided to see where it led.”
In the six years since, Decadent Dog has grown into the most respected and admired pet-sitting service in the Needham area. Rob’s passion for pets helped him start his business, and now his passion for his business keeps him excited about work. These days the payback in job satisfaction is huge.
Patience and unwavering customer service sometimes become pure heroics with Rob and his Decadent Dogs crew. Rob relishes telling the story of how Sarah, Decadent Dog employee and the group’s 2007 Dog Walker of the Year, literally carried Moxa, a 45-plus pound 12-year-old chocolate Lab. Sarah was walking Moxa and the other family dog on icy streets, when the Lab collapsed partway into the walk.
“Sarah, who is about 5’3” carried this dog about a quarter-mile while still walking the other family dog all the way back to the house on an icy winter day. I don’t know how she had the strength. We quickly took Moxa to the vet, and they, in turn, sent us to the local veterinary emergency hospital because the dog was in shock. Moxa held on for a few weeks and the family had some more time to say goodbye to her, but if it hadn’t been for Sarah, Moxa would have died on the sidewalk that day.”
“Pycho Poodle” is a name Rob once gave to a fear-aggressive dog named Cleo that he was engaged to walk during the summer while the family’s children were off at camp. After two weeks of careful trust-building with Cleo, Rob was able to get a leash on her. From there, Rob worked tirelessly to help Cleo overcome the fears that were causing her to be just a bit anti-social.
“When we did start walking, the neighbors were obviously afraid of this dog and would routinely cross the street when they saw us coming,” recalls Rob. “I’m proud to say that after three-plus years Cleo no longer bears her teeth and growls at me. She now waits patiently on her back on the sofa and will not move until she gets belly rubs from Uncle Robbie! I have worked closely on building her confidence and reducing her fear so that now neighbors, other dogs, and even Paul the letter carrier all walk up to us to say hello to Cleo.”
“We’ve seen Rob and others like him enter pet sitting as a career with tremendous passion for pets, their owners and their new businesses,” notes Patti Moran, president of Pet Sitters International. “It excites us to be able to help them get started and to continue to grow. It makes our job worthwhile.”
PSI members are offered continuing education on subjects such as pet first aid, disaster planning and spotting potential dangers within a client’s home. The industry association, the world’s largest for professional pet sitters, also supports and promotes its Pet Sitter Locator on the Internet (www.petsit.com). Pet owners can search for pet sitters in their area by zip code. In April of this year the site received 43,282 visits.
Rob and Decadent Dog report that they’ve received many quality leads from PSI’s Pet Sitter Locator, then work hard to turn those owners and their pets into lifelong clients by going above and beyond the call of duty at every turn.
PSI has recognized Decadent Dog’s leadership in customer service and client relations. In fact, Rob was chosen to contribute to the group’s Accreditation Program by writing the chapter on customer service. He participates often in the group’s annual events and helps others get started in the pet-sitting business.
Gaining trust is the key to the business, whether it’s with the pet or with the pet owner. Another key, notes Rob, is to not take that responsibility lightly. He imparts that philosophy to all of his employees and carefully hires only the pet sitters who share his passion.
“I have two clients who have changed their wills to reflect their decisions to make me the legal guardians for their dogs in the event of their deaths. I was honored and touched by both requests.”
Now that he’s the “boss,” Rob feels a great deal of responsibility toward his employees as well, and hasn’t forgotten what it was like for him in the past working for a few “screamers, micromanagers and hypercritics.”
“I never had thought about the type of business owner I’d be, and have learned a great deal about myself in the process of managing others. I hope I have created an environment where people feel appreciated and respected for the work they do, and I firmly believe that this has translated directly to the way each of these people treats their clients,” says Rob.
Decadent Dogs has come a long way from a summer taken off from the corporate rat race. Rob and his staff of 18 continue to grow and continue to stay the course with regard to their passion-focused mission
