Crockett's Critter Care

Crockett's Critter Care Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Reactive Dog Training, ACE Free Work Trainer - Fear Free methods for your pet's well-being.

Crockett's Critter Care is located in New Bern, North Carolina and has been providing dog walking and pet sitting services for local pet owners for more than 15 years. Since 2020, they have also added dog training services including Reactive Dog Training and Walk & Train. Visit our website to learn more about us and the services we provide for you and your pets: https://crockettscrittercare.com. J

eanne Crockett is the founder of Crockett's Critter Care. She and her employees specialize in Fear Free methods to ensure a pleasant experience on every visit. Jeanne has taken her passion and earned the designations to ensure your confidence:
- Pet Sitter of the Year 2020 by Pet Sitters International,
- Pet Sitters International Certified Professional Pet Sitter
- Fear Free Certified Professional
- Pet First Aid and CPR Trained
- Bonded & Insured
- Continuing Education - Canine Coaching, Feline Behavior Management, Senior Pet Care

This morning, I talked about dogs who have never really had a choice.Here is what I watch for when that changes.It usual...
06/04/2026

This morning, I talked about dogs who have never really had a choice.

Here is what I watch for when that changes.

It usually does not happen all at once. In the first session, many dogs are cautious. They explore a little, check back in with me, and explore a little more. They are not yet sure whether the freedom is real.

By the second or third session, something is different. They walk in and go straight to something. They do not check in as much. They start making actual decisions instead of waiting to see what I want.

That shift, from hesitation to confidence, doesn't stay inside the session. It shows up on walks. At the door. In situations that used to send them over the edge.

Dogs who experience real choice in a structured, calm environment start to generalize that feeling. They are a little steadier. A little less reactive to things that used to put them on edge.

That is what ACE Free Work is building. Not just a calm hour, but rather something that travels with them.

To learn more about ACE Free Work and Reactive Dog Training, visit crockettscrittercare.com

Some dogs have never really been given a choice.Not because their owners did not care. Just because most of what dogs do...
06/04/2026

Some dogs have never really been given a choice.

Not because their owners did not care. Just because most of what dogs do in a day is directed by us. Where to go. When to eat. What to do. When to stop.

That is not wrong. But it does mean that many dogs have never had the experience of moving through a space entirely on their own terms. No commands. No direction. No one waiting to see if they do it right.

The first time some dogs walk into an ACE Free Work session, they do not know what to do with that. They look around. They look at me. They wait for an instruction that never comes.

And then, eventually, something clicks.

Have you ever noticed that your dog seems unsure of what to do when no one is telling them what to do?

That is exactly what ACE Free Work is designed for.

I offer 5-session packages in New Bern and would love to talk through whether it is a good fit for your dog. Call (252) 635-2655 or visit crockettscrittercare.com

This morning, I talked about dogs who seem fine all day and then fall apart.Here is what that pattern is actually tellin...
06/02/2026

This morning, I talked about dogs who seem fine all day and then fall apart.

Here is what that pattern is actually telling you.

Your dog's nervous system has a capacity. Not just for that one trigger in front of them, but for everything they have processed all day. Sound. Movement. Smells. Changes in routine. A visitor. A noise outside.

All of it counts.

When dogs are carrying a full load and then hit one more thing, the response looks disproportionate. That is because you are only seeing the last straw. Not the whole stack.

Knowing this changes how you respond. Instead of wondering why your dog reacted so badly to something small, you start asking what their day actually looked like before that moment.

That is a different question. And it leads to a much more useful answer. We are here to help bridge the gap in that understanding.
crockettscrittercare.com

Some dogs fall apart at 5 PM.Not because anything happened at 5 PM. Because of everything that happened before it.The ma...
06/02/2026

Some dogs fall apart at 5 PM.

Not because anything happened at 5 PM. Because of everything that happened before it.

The mail truck at 9:00 AM. The dog barking three houses down at noon. The kid on a bike at 3:00 PM. None of those moments looked like a big deal on their own. But each one added something to the pile.

By the time you clip on the leash for an evening walk, your dog is already full. They were not waiting for a trigger. They were waiting to tip.

This is what we mean when we talk about threshold. It is not a single moment. It is a whole day.

If this sounds familiar, it is worth talking through. Understanding what your dog is carrying through the day is one of the first things we work on in reactive dog training. Call me at (252) 635-2655 or visit crockettscrittercare.com to learn more.

This morning, I talked about ACE Free Work for dogs who don't have a diagnosis, a label, or a problem to solve.Here is w...
05/28/2026

This morning, I talked about ACE Free Work for dogs who don't have a diagnosis, a label, or a problem to solve.

Here is why it still matters.

When a dog moves through an ACE Free Work setup, sniffing things, investigating textures, choosing what to engage with, and for how long, their brain is working in a specific way. It is the same kind of focused, self-directed activity that we know supports emotional regulation in humans as well.

It is not about burning energy. It is about the quality of the engagement.

A dog who spends twenty minutes in purposeful exploration comes out of that experience differently than a dog who spends twenty minutes running in the backyard. The physical output might look similar. The neurological experience is not.

That is what ACE Free Work is. Not an activity. A state of mind.

Sessions are available in New Bern for dogs of all ages, backgrounds, and temperaments. Call (252) 635-2655 or visit crockettscrittercare.com to book your discovery call.

I want to say something I do not say often enough.ACE Free Work is not just for dogs with problems.I know that is how it...
05/28/2026

I want to say something I do not say often enough.

ACE Free Work is not just for dogs with problems.

I know that is how it often gets introduced. Anxious dog. Reactive dog. Dog who needs something different. And yes, ACE Free Work is genuinely transformative for those dogs.

But I have done sessions with dogs who are, by every measure, perfectly well-adjusted. Happy, social, easy-going dogs. Dogs that their owners describe as having no issues whatsoever.

And those dogs benefit too.

Because even a happy dog lives most of their day responding to our schedule, our needs, our agenda. ACE Free Work gives them something that belongs entirely to them. A few minutes of being in charge of their own experience.

That matters. For every dog.

Does your dog seem like they would enjoy having more control over their environment?

05/26/2026

This morning, I talked about the 8-session reactive training package and what those sessions are actually building.

Here is what I most often hear from owners around session four or five.

Not that their dog stopped reacting completely. That is rarely the first thing that shifts.

What they usually say is that they feel different on walks. They are not bracing before they leave the house. They are not scanning ahead for every possible trigger. Their shoulders are down for the first time in months.

That is not nothing. That is a significant change in quality of life. For the owner, just as much as the dog.

The dog's changes follow. But that shift in the owner, that moment when the walk stops feeling like something to survive, that is often what I hear about first.

Ready to start? Call (252) 635-2655 or visit: https://www.crockettscrittercare.com to schedule your discovery call.

05/26/2026

Eight sessions might sound like a lot until you understand what those eight sessions are actually doing.

Reactive dog training is not a quick fix. That is not a caveat. That is just the truth of how nervous systems work.

In eight sessions, we are not just teaching your dog new responses to triggers. We are working on the layers underneath. The history of bad experiences. The patterns that have become automatic. The threshold level that determines how much your dog can handle before they hit their limit.

Each session builds on the last. What we do in session three is only possible because of what we did in sessions one and two.

By session eight, most owners are not just seeing a dog who reacts less. They are seeing a dog that actually looks different. Moves differently. Recovers faster when something does happen.

That is what eight sessions are for.

Curious about the process? Call me at (252) 635-2655 and let's talk through what your dog needs.

This morning, I talked about the dog who hesitates before a walk even starts.Here is the thing about letting a dog set t...
05/21/2026

This morning, I talked about the dog who hesitates before a walk even starts.

Here is the thing about letting a dog set the pace.

It is not permissiveness. It is information gathering.

A dog who needs five minutes at the end of the driveway before they are ready to move is telling us their nervous system needs a minute to calibrate. Pushing them before that happens does not get you a better walk. It gets you a dog who is already behind before you have gone a block.

When we wait, when we let them stand there and take in the environment at their own speed, what usually happens is they eventually shake it off, drop their head, and start sniffing. That is the signal. They are ready.

That is not a small thing. That is the whole walk working the way it is supposed to.

This is exactly the kind of thing we cover in our May blog. Read it at crockettscrittercare.com/blog

Our dog walking services are available in New Bern. Give us a call (252) 635-2655

05/21/2026

Some dogs hit the door ready to go.

Some dogs stop at the end of the driveway and just... stand there.

People usually interpret that second dog as stubborn. Or badly behaved. Or just being difficult.

We interpret it differently.

A dog who hesitates at the start of a walk is giving us information. Maybe the environment feels overwhelming today. Maybe something doesn't smell right. Maybe they are not feeling great physically. Sometimes it is nothing. Sometimes it is worth paying attention to.

We do not drag dogs on walks. We do not make them push through discomfort as a matter of routine. We give them a moment. And then we let the walk be what the dog actually needs that day, not what we had planned.

Has your dog ever refused a walk for no obvious reason? Tell me what happened in the comments.

Address

New Bern, NC
28562

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 9pm
Tuesday 7am - 9pm
Wednesday 7am - 9pm
Thursday 7am - 9pm
Friday 7am - 9pm
Saturday 7am - 9pm
Sunday 7am - 9pm

Telephone

+12526352655

Website

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