Miguel and his team at Highland Hounds are extraordinary. We have used countless dog walkers, dog…read moretrainers and doggie day care facilities since adopting our dog Reggie 3 years ago, and Miguel is head and shoulders above the rest. I trust him completely with my sweet Reggie, and I am regularly awed by how he goes above and beyond for our family.
First, a bit about Reggie: he is a great dog, a hound rescue who is perfect with our almost-2 year old but loves his family entirely too much. His protective instincts have given rise to aggression more than a few times, and I am reticent to trust him in certain (many) situations. Miguel handles Reggie's... let's politely call it "complex emotions"... absolutely beautifully. Even in the beginning when Reggie was still having a little "stranger danger," Miguel showed no fear and quickly earned Reggie's trust.
I first met Miguel when we still lived in Fort Hill. My previous dog walker moved on to other pursuits when my son was born, and when I was preparing to return to work, I contacted Miguel. He handled Reggie beautifully, and I couldn't have been more thrilled with the onboarding process. I loved that PetCheck would give me updates as to when Reggie was picked up and dropped off, and that I could see photos of their adventures. Reggie is always tuckered out, especially after a full "doggie day," which we now do on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Miguel displayed his penchant for going above and beyond the call of duty from the very beginning. One week after I returned to work and Miguel had started working with Reggie, my father suddenly passed away. I immediately called Miguel and left a desperate message asking him to take Reggie that night, and indefinitely, so that we could go sort things out at my family home in PA. Miguel barely knew us, and yet within the hour he was at our door, ready to lift the burden. I can never express in words how grateful I am for that incredible kindness during my darkest hour.
Since we moved from Fort Hill to Arlington, Miguel has gone out of his way to work with us so that Reggie can remain a part of the pack. I have observed Reggie in the pack and at Miguel's home multiple times, and I am a little embarrassed to say that he behaves far better in Miguel's care than he does in mine. I trust Miguel completely, and I can't imagine leaving my furbaby with anyone else. He's also saved my bacon more times than I can count, including when I had a dead car battery and he drove me, Reggie, and my infant son to the location of the car and waited with us until AAA arrived.
On another occasion when my dopey husband took all the car keys to work and left baby, dog and I stranded at home, Miguel picked the keys up from my husband and delivered them to me at my house where he also picked up Reggie. We are Miguel's client and, I hope, his friend; but I have a sneaking suspicion that he would and does do these good deeds for just about anybody.
There are no words to express how strongly I recommend Highland Hounds (but hopefully these words have made a dent). Finding someone you can trust with your fur-family is no small task, and I am so grateful to have found Miguel, Seth, Raheem, Emma and the rest of the team.