About

Who We Are

Leaps N’ Hounds is a family owned and operated company powered by three fierce puppy hugging women, one very patient man, and their collective furry support group of six dogs and six cats. You know those people that can’t pass you on the street without asking to pet your dog? Or that person in the grocery store who clearly missed lint rolling the fur off of the back of their shirt? Yep, that’s probably us.

Leaps N’ Hounds prides itself on being the best in-home pet care and training available – plain and simple. Our services are vast, complete, and customizable. We are reliable, accountable, insured, knowledgeable, certified, detail oriented, and in business for all of the right reasons. Our prices are reasonable and affordable, and our training techniques and care are always kind and ethical.

You can count on us to be there when you need us and to exceed expectations by Leaps n’ Hounds!

Our History

Crystal Dunn started Leaps N’ Hounds as a small one-woman in-home training operation in Houston, TX. After two very successful years in Houston the business had grown, but we realized we had a problem: Our bodies and business were in Houston, but our hearts were in Austin. It is dangerous to be that far from your heart, so we moved and restarted our business in expanding East Austin in early 2009. Now we service all of Austin and surrounding areas for training and pet sitting, and we are constantly adding new services and expertise to our growing team to accommodate our clients’ unique needs.

Our Mission

To teach kind training techniques and deepen the bonds between our clients and their pets.
To give our client’s peace of mind knowing that their pets will receive the best care – whether it be for a day, week or month.
To get that dog some exercise.
And to simply make life easier and better for our furry, feathered, and human clients!

Bios

Crystal Dunn ~ Trainer & Owner

Specialties: Canine Behavior, Feline Behavior, Canine Exercise Programs, Canine/Feline Diet, Senior Dog Care

Crystal began training dogs while volunteering at a shelter and quickly realized animals and studying their behavior had been one of the most important parts of her life.  A two year mentorship under some of Houston’s best trainers and a rigorous study program followed. Eventually Crystal was teaching upwards of 14 full training classes per week, becoming a highly sought after trainer recommended by local veterinarians and working with literally thousands of people and their dogs all over Houston. In 2008 she started Leaps N’ Hounds so that she could spend more one-on-one time with her students and develop a more holistic training approach that would address the root causes of behavior problems, teaching useful obedience tailored to the dog and family. Crystal has also served as lead advisor to the city of Conroe, working with the chief of police and animal control on improving the humane treatment of shelter animals; and she is an instructor for The Healing Species of Tx.

Lyla, Mo, & JackCrystal’s approach is influenced by greats like vet and behaviorist Dr. Ian Dunbar. She notes her biggest training asset as instinct and constant ongoing study.

Crystal’s furry posse of rescues include:

Lyla: Breed: Rot/Aus. Shepherd mix. Favorite Hobby: Sunbathing on the patio. Job: Assists in socializing client’s dogs and manners lessons.

MoHawk (“Mo”) Breed: Ridgeback/Lab mix. Favorite Hobby: Hiking and mooching attention from strangers. Job: Demo dog  and Classroom assistant.

Jack Jack: Breed: Border Collie mix. Favorite Hobby: Fetching, swimming, and licking faces. Job: Taste Testing our Treats and Keeping us young.

Ripley, Olive, Titus, & Beito: A feline powerhouse of purrs, cuddles, and lovable snobbery.

For Leaps N’ Hounds Crystal does it all:  From managing back end operations, writing for the website’s blog, and conducting all training; to pet sitting and making dog biscuits and toys.  Some call her a workaholic, but she prefers to call it doing what you love. Either way, chances are good that when you call, she’ll be the one who answers.


Audrey Weir ~ Pet Care Specialist

Specialties: Canine Exercise Programs, Small Animal Care, Feline Care

Animal magnetism? Audrey has it -literally. All creatures big and small seem to gravitate to her. She has a calming effect and her unassuming

Audrey with her boyfriend, Jonathan, and fur kids Cody & DeeDee

nature has helped her gain a reputation for bonding with even the toughest and most anti-social animals. Audrey recalls a Prairie Dog named Princess that was given to her family by an uncaring neighbor when she was 14: “Princess was pretty anti social, as prairie dogs are wild at heart and she was no exception. But Princess adopted me, and would get noticeably excited if I walked by, so I started handling her. Before long I could turn her over on her back, scratch her tummy, and rub her nose. She wouldn’t let anyone hold her but me – it was very flattering.” But her expertise is not limited to prairie dog whispering – Audrey has a long history of volunteer work with the Humane Society, Conroe Animal Shelter, and takes her tiny dog, DeeDee, to Assisted Living Centers. Audrey has also instructed for Healing Species, an anti-violence and character outreach program that teaches compassion to children in the classroom with the assistance of rescued dogs. Her dog, Cody, happily assists her in this endeavor.

Audrey is the proud parent of Dee Dee, a 2 year old Chihuahua, and Cody, a 1 year old Husky/Cattle Dog mix – both rescues, and both completely perfect in every way (as she will tell you). Her favorite restaurants and Austin spots begin and end with a list of places she can hang out with her dogs. Why is Audrey in pet care? There’s nothing else she would rather do, of course!

For Leaps N’ Hounds Audrey often looks after our more exotic small, scaly, &/or feathered clients.  She can also be found taking some of our more energetic dog friends on hikes near Mount Bonnell and on long runs to burn some of that fun energy.

Marilee Weir ~ Pet Care Specialist

Specialties: Senior Dog Care, Farm Animals/Horses, Overnight Care

After growing up in the Pacific Northwest with a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, donkeys, goats, and a variety of other small woodland creatures that adopted her family farm as their own, working with animals is a natural fit for Marilee. Animals continued to be a common and important part of her life even while working a full time desk job and raising her two daughters.

She stayed involved through volunteer work at shelters and personal rescue efforts which often entailed rounding up mud covered dogs and cats in the middle of traffic. She has even been a dedicated “Cat Mom” assisting in weaning kittens brought to local shelters during the busy Spring months – a full time job well suited for those who thrive under sleep deprived conditions. Working in Pet Care is a life long goal for Marilee, and it shows.

Marilee’s furry family consists of:

Heidi: a 13 year-old Welsh Corgi/Shepherd mix with a kind gray face and a slight touch of Napoleon Syndrome.

Usagi: a 1 year-old long haired Chihuahua who snorts like a pig, romps like a big dog, and has never met a stranger.
2 pillow weights, errr…cats, named Grimmy and Kacey. They mostly like to lay and eat and will do this simultaneously whenever possible.

For Leaps N’ Hounds Marilee cares for a lot of our senior clients who may requires regular meds or shots.  Also if you’re a horse, pig, cow, goat, or chicken – you can count on her to be your pet sitter and friend!

Jason Dunn ~ Computer Guru & Dog Jogger

Photos and Bio coming soon.