How Do I Find a Trusted Dog Sitter?

by | Apr 3, 2023

Let’s chat about what your options are if you want to travel, go away for a weekend, a week or two, or more. So the question is “how do I find a trusted dog sitter?

If you haven’t already found your new best friend, these are questions that need to be thought through beforehand so that you have “all your ducks in a row” as the saying goes! 

We are thinking that you already enjoy the company of your four-legged friend and we can explore together the different choices that best benefit your particular lifestyle and family.

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n my case, I have previously successfully paid for house-sitters to look after my much-loved dogs and have also on occasion put my “best friends” into reputable kennels.

Let’s go through together what I have found is the best way to decide which is best for the length of time away you are considering.  Are you going away for a short time or a long time?  The planned time away is a factor that allows for different decisions.

First, it is best to ask friends, family or neighbours what they have found to be the best option that worked for them.  Were they able to pay someone they knew, or family, or friends, or neighbours that were able to stay at their home and dog sit for them?

We need to know that the person who can dog sit at your home is trustworthy, and if the person (or couple) has been referred by someone you know well, as this possibility provides peace of mind, doesn’t it?

If you go away for longer periods, sometimes it is not feasible for folk who have been dog-sitters for you previously to be able to stay at your home for a longer time frame.

Friends of mine had parents overseas and travelled to their homeland once a year to stay in touch with family and when they were unable to have known dog-sitters help out, they successfully found trusted people from reputable websites and were really happy with this outcome.  How do I find a trusted dog sitter in this instance?

My homework would be extensive, I would research feedback from any site that I looked at.  What rating did they receive, were their clients really stoked, were their clients only providing mediocre feedback or were they unhappy with the dog-sitters that the website provided?

This is vitally important, after all, this is your home, your belongings and your pet (or pets) that you have raised.   So, so important that you diligently research these websites.  Do the dog-sitters the website is recommending have outstanding references, do they have a criminal record, do they have experience in dog sitting or are they just starting out, do they have a love for animals, have they any dog training certification, are they prepared to come and meet you and your loyal pets?

I am sure you would have many other questions going through your mind, this is your house and your beloved pet, so you need to be confident in your own mind that the person or persons you are now about to meet recommended from the website are folk that you can relate to.

You have worked out a suitable day to meet the dog sitters and usually, first impressions guide you as to whether you are able to feel comfortable with these strangers living in your home for the time you are away. 

You are happy with your first meeting as the person or persons have presented themselves in a clean and tidy manner, are polite, and are interested in putting you at ease that they have your home and animals at heart. 

They are keen to know how you run your home, what is your daily routine so that they can mimic, how much your exercise your dog, what is your feeding program, what do you allow and what do you not allow?   One of my special requests is that the doggie do-do’s are picked up each day as firstly, it is a cleanliness issue, and I do not like my dogs to be running around and through their doggie poos if this can be avoided.

Discuss pay, ask more questions that are important to you, discuss feeding, grooming if any, outings if any, walking, sleeping quarters, what food you may provide and what food they would need to bring themselves and how you would like your home to be kept.

To top it off, they love your dog (or dogs) and your dogs are happy to meet them and are not showing any uncertainties. 

All parties are now content and your question, how do I find a trusted dog sitter, has come to a satisfying conclusion.  Enjoy your time away, relax and return to your very welcoming “best friends” who are so glad to see you.

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Until next time,

With Love, Success and Inspiration,

Robin Oliver

www.robinoliveronline.com/blog

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With Love, Success and Inspiration,

Robin Oliver

Robin Oliver Pet Dog Training
Professional Dog Trainer

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