Blog

Name: DogWatch of the Twin Cities
Address: Chaska, Minnesota
Telephone: 612-562-8608

Category: About Us

March 12, 2024

DogWatch of the Twin Cities: a husband and wife team

Jake and Afton Steigauf are the owners and operators of DogWatch of the Twin Cities. They took over the business from Afton’s dad Guy, who started taking care of local dogs in 1991. Afton grew up around the business and learned all about the benefits of having a DogWatch hidden fence. She has been a dog lover since birth. Jake came in with a love of working outdoors and the ability to accomplish any physical task. He can install a dog fence wire in the most impossible places, and make a yard look better than when he arrived. He has become the biggest dog person in the family.

Jake and Afton have two small children. Who knows, maybe one day they’ll run the business! They also have a big Black Lab named Moose, and a small black and white cat named Murph. Both pets love the freedom of running around their yard in Chaska, and Jake and Afton love that they can’t get in trouble in the creek or on the road.

When he’s not working, Jake is a typical Minnesotan who loves snowmobiling, boating and fishing at the cabin, and deer hunting. Afton joins in on the outdoor sports, and also loves traveling, cooking, and paint by number. The whole family enjoys E-biking together all around Chaska and beyond.

The Steigaufs would love to work with you and your family.

March 11, 2019

The DogWatch Crew Got a Cat

Afton and Jake with DogWatch of the Twin Cities got a cat. It’s not news at this point, they got the cat back in May 2018. But almost a year later, here’s the update: we love it! Neither of us has ever had a cat before, not even as children. They’re so different from dogs. Afton would say they’re a little unpredictable. Jake would say they’re the worst.

2018 was our first year in a new-to-us house in Chaska, and we had some issues with mice. They were collecting the dog food from the closet and stashing it in the washing machine and dryer. Good plan for them, but not ideal for our clothes.

The mouse problem combined with our son’s inexplicable love for cats caused us to start considering adding a cat to the family. We started telling our friends, and one day Afton got a text about free kittens at a garage sale. Jake was out of town, so the timing was perfect!

We all instantly fell in love with tiny baby Murph. She was brave, adventurous, affectionate and friendly. It took just two days or so before she and our dog Moose were getting along great. They cuddle on a very rare occasion, but they like to play. More accurately, Murph likes to play with Moose and then run away.

Within the first couple months, she started bringing us mouse presents too! She has solved our washer/dryer issues, and we’re very grateful for that. But she has brought SO MUCH more to our family. She is such a fun addition. We love how easy it is to take care of her. We can leave town for the weekend and leave her home? Amazing. And we love how she hops on our laps and purrs, whether we pet her or not.

February 4, 2019

BarkCollar Mini

The newest training product from DogWatch is our BarkCollar Mini. We’ve been selling a BarkCollar for years, but it can be a little bulky for our smallest DogWatch dogs. We’re excited to have a product made just for small dogs, or any dog who could use a more compact, lighter collar.

If you have an extra small canine companion, you might agree that they can be the most excessive barkers. Certain breeds, including Yorkies, Beagles and Chihuahuas, are known for their big mouths. But their small necks can get weighed down by typical bark collar solutions. That’s exactly why DogWatch has been working hard on a collar just for them (and their owners!).

The BarkCollar Mini has the same essential features as the larger version, such as a Progressive training level that increases the correction as your dog continues to bark. It has a Bark Counter so you can see how your dog behaves even when you’re not home. The Mini version uses a standard replaceable battery that can be purchased from DogWatch of the Twin Cities, or from a specialty battery store.

The BarkCollar Mini is available now! If you don’t see it on our online store, give us a call to order yours today 612-562-8608

February 19, 2018

DogWatch Dog Story: Kipper

Kipper is a wonderful French Brittany Spaniel with a cool story. His family consists of two parents and three adorable kids from Canada. He was born in Canada too, and then the whole family moved all the way to Poland. Kipper spent three years there and learned all about a dog’s life in Europe.

And then in 2016 the family moved to Chanhassen. Kipper instantly loved the rolling grassy yard with the occasional squirrel. But sometimes he also loved following his nose and romping around the neighborhood while his family wondered where he went.

Not long after arriving on American soil, Kipper got a DogWatch dog fence. He continued sprinting across his yard and sniffing after squirrels, but his family could trust that he was just a call away. He is one of the most obedient dogs we’ve ever worked with. Like many Brittany Spaniels, he’s a very smart guy with a little streak of independence and stubbornness. Because of that set of traits, Kipper learned the boundaries of his dog fence in just a couple days, but he needed a high correction level to keep the stubborn side at bay.

He got up to level 4 like most dogs do, and then a squirrel tempted him through the fence. So he needed to be bumped up to a level 7. That way the family would be sure he wouldn’t leave the yard, even for the most mischievous squirrel.