How to find a perfect petsitter!

Ever thought about using a petsitter when you have to be away from home? They're a great alternative to a boarding kennel.

Here's 5 reasons to find a petsitter!

Do you worry about leaving your precious puppy in a crowded boarding kennel?

Are business trips, overnight stays or other travel plans a regular part of your life?

Is is difficult, or impractical to take little Fido along most of the time?

During family vacations do you fret that your pooch will be miserable, or think that you abandoned him?

Does your pup come home from the boarding kennels hoarse from barking, hyper-active or depressed?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, finding a dog sitter could be the answer to your problems!

There are many reasons why you can suddenly find yourself looking for a petsitter.

And it's not just the routine business trips or summer vacations that mean little Fido needs to be taken care of, but last-minute breaks, unexpected illness or family emergencies can all send you scrambling for the Yellow Pages.

But STOP!, you wouldn't leave your children with someone you picked from the phone book would you? For much the same reasons it's not a good idea to leave little Fido in the care of a stranger (even if they do have a nice advertisement and snazzy business cards) - without doing your homework first.

Of course, Fido is your precious 'furbaby' and a petsitter is the canine equivalent of a nanny - so why not let us help you find that perfect Mary Poppins?

Finding Mr/Mrs Perfect

Using a pet sitter to take care of Fido while you're away, has some significant advantages over traditional boarding kennels, especially for dogs who are too young for boarding, are older or tend to be anxious or nervous in strange places.

The comfort of being in familiar surroundings, with their own bed, toys, bowls and backyard can be priceless.

Finding a dog sitter isn't difficult, but finding the right one can take time and effort.

Any petsitter should be able to provide references relating to their experience, training and background. Some of the best petsitting services today conduct background checks and screen their sitters - this gives you invaluable peace of mind and one less thing on your 'to do list'.

A petsitter may need to stay in your home while you're away, or just stop by 2 or 3 times a day.

Usual duties include making sure your pooch has food and water, walking and exercising, socialization, giving medications if necessary, and cleaning up any dog-related messes.

Any additional duties such as watering the plants, bringing in mail/newspapers, turning lights on and off etc. are all negotiable (and no, asking her to take old Aunt Martha to her podiatrist appointment is not appropriate!).

All duties should be discussed and agreed on before you sign a contract.

Questions & Answers

If you possibly can, arrange a face-to-face interview with your prospective sitter so you can find out if they, you and Fido are all in agreement. Even if you like him or her, if Fido takes an instant dislike to them (or vice versa) it's not going to work out well.

Obviously some puppies and dogs are more shy around strangers than others, you know him best and can decide whether it's natural timidity that will get better once they're acquainted or not.

But it seems that some dogs sense something when they decide whether a person is acceptable to them or not. If Fido refuses to come around or openly dislikes the first candidate, don't be afraid to try someone else.

There are certain questions that you should ask any potential petsitter so we've given you a list as a starting point. Feel free to add or subtract questions depending on your needs, personal preferences and situation.

Are you accredited?

Are you licensed and bonded?

Can you provide references?

Do you have a written contract?

What kind of experience and training do you have?

What specific services do you provide and what are the charges?

Are you willing to give Fido his medecines if necessary?

Do you have any first-aid training?

Do you have your own transport (important if an emergency should happen)

Are you willing to provide live-in services or only daily care?

Your petsitter should also ask you questions! They'll most likely want to know Fido's regular mealtime and 'walkies' schedule, where everything is kept, what you expect them to do in an emergency, where to contact you, your veterinarians phone number and address etc.

If you want to find a petsitter that you can feel confident is experienced, reliable and trustworthy, I'd really suggest using a Petsitting Agency. They will check the references of the sitters on their books and often provide background checks (or the ability for you to do so). A good agency will have a large pool of sitters for you to choose from, so you can be sure that you've found a good 'match'.

They'll also generally have lots of tips and advice to help you ask the right questions, and provide your chosen pet sitter with all the information they'll need in your absence.

All this makes finding a dog sitter so much easier, and less stressful... and the peace of mind you get knowing that your pup is in safe hands is priceless!

There are other situations and circumstances where being able to find a reliable petsitter quickly can be invaluable.

For example, a Pet Sitting Agency can also help you :

find a dog walker/sitter to give your pet a break and some much needed attention and exercise during those days/weeks when work/family commitments keep you away from home for extended hours.

find a petsitter who can help you out if your dog needs to be given medication at regular intervals, or has veterinary or grooming appointments that it's difficult for you to keep.

if you get sick, or are injured and have trouble taking care of your pup, you could find that having a petsitter to rely on in those first few days/weeks makes life a whole lot easier.

Click on the banner below to find out more about one of the biggest and best pet sitting agencies here in the USA. They provide a very thorough and professional service, and have sitters all over the country.

I live in a small rural town, but was able to find over 15 great prospective dog sitters within 10 miles of my home! You can take a free website 'tour' of their services, and take a look at the pet sitters available in your area before registering.

If you need a pet sitter, I seriously suggest you check them out.(PS. If you're a mom and have the need for a babysitter, they have a totally superior and comprehensive babysitting service, it's their original business actually - petsitting came later!)

Leave a list

It's important to leave a written list for your petsitter that includes things such as -

Where all the dog supplies are kept - don't forget things like the leash or frisbee etc.

Where cleaning supplies are kept

Important things to remember such as how your furbaby lets you know he needs to 'go outside now', if he tends to guard his food, is allowed on the sofa or in the bedrooms etc. etc.

Your contact numbers, including cell phone, for when you're away

Phone number of a friend or relative who lives nearby (useful in all kinds of situations)

Veterinarians telephone numbers and location

Alarm code for your security system and the alarm company's telephone number and your password if applicable

The people who have key to your house and may drop by (that way the petsitter won't have a heart-attack when cousin John walks through the front door unexpectedly)

Whether you have a gardener or pool company or similar that visits regularly

If you have more than one dog, a sheet of paper with a photo of each dog and his/her name and individual preferences and quirks is really helpful

We've designed our FREE monthly e-zine 'Puppy Pawprints' especially for you! It's packed with exclusive and original articles, information, tips and whole lot more.

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