Petsitters & Dog Walkers

I get asked all the time what to look for when choosing a petsitter or a dog walker, or if I actually know someone that I can recommend.  I appreciate that pet owners trust me with the mental health of their pets and that they also trust that I will know qualified people who can help them with the other needs of their furred and feathered family members. On the flip side, I've also been asked by pet lovers to advise them in how they can build a petsitting or dog walking business for themselves. I think that it's important to understand what you, the pet owner, should be looking for in a petsitter or a dog walker, and by reviewing what you should look for, this should also provide a good foundation of the skills needed if you are considering either profession for yourself. 

Petsitters need to be more than just animal lovers.  They need to have the ability to accurately read animal body language and react/respond accordingly.  Petsitters need to know what stress and anxiety look like in our pets so that they can respond in ways that reduce those emotions.  Good petsitters will ask you for a detailed schedule of your pet's day, including feeding times, exercise, play, grooming, sleep patterns, and any quirks they might have, as knowing your pet's behavior and routine in a very detailed way reduces stress for your pet and for you.  For example, if you always feed your dog right at 5 p.m., it will be important for the petsitter to do so as well.  Pets who aren't fed on their usual schedule often become anxious, and some pets get more anxious about food and feeding times than others. It's important for you to tell the petsitter where your dog sits on the couch, especially if the petsitter sitting in that spot will make your dog upset.  You need to tell them *if* your dog resource guards and *what* they resource guard.  If you know your dog will growl and snap if their food bowl is picked up before they've chosen to walk away from it, you need to tell the petsitter that important information!  If a petsitter will also be walking your dog, share with them your usual route(s), what to do if they encounter other dogs, cats, squirrels, kids, etc. You want the petsitter prepared to avoid encounters or adjust their own behavior at the other end of your dog's leash. And if your petsitter will be medicating your pet while you are gone, walk them through every specific step you take to do that safely whether it's using pill pockets, wrapping the pill in lunch meat or cheese, or simply tossing the pill into your pet's bowl. No detail about your pet's daily life is too small to include in the outline for the petsitter because this is about safety and comfort for your pet and for the petsitter.  Because safety is important, I believe petsitters should be trained in animal CPR, just in case. There are classes and certification in first aid for pets and anyone interested in a career in petsitting should have that certification, in my opinion. 

While some dogs could truly be walked by anybody, many of my clients have dogs with very specific needs: A need to avoid encounters with other dogs; predatory behavior around cats, squirrels, etc.; fear of wheeled objects like bikes, scooters, and skateboards; or noise sensitivities to loud vehicles, backfiring cars, alarms, or sirens. If you know your dog is a handful on the leash, you cannot in good conscience hand them off to a neighborhood teen for daily walks; you will need to seek out a professional dog walker. Professional dog walkers should also be good at reading dog body language and understanding how to diffuse a volatile situation. They should come prepared with the tools to insure their safety and the safety of your pet.  I always recommend that dog walkers carry air horns with them, just in case.  Make sure the dog walker you've chosen also asks about your dog's typical walking behavior, the route you usually take, how much leash you allow your dog to have, if you allow your dog to sniff, if they are they allowed off leash at all, and if they are allowed off leash, what command do you use for them to come back, and do they know leave it and drop it, if they pick something up on the walk that they shouldn't. I'll never forget talking to a dog walker years ago at a conference telling the story of how she was having a terrible time getting a client's dog to come back to her at the dog park.  She tried everything she knew, but nothing worked until someone else at the dog park who knew the dog told her, "his mom just hollers cookie, cookie, cookie and he comes running!" Would have been nice if the dog's owner had told her that when she agreed to be the dog walker.  

I think one of the most important steps in choosing a petsitter or dog walker for your pets is determining if the person you are interviewing shares your views on animal care and keeping.  If you are a soft spoken pet owner, your pets are used to that style.  Bringing in a loud, boisterous, somewhat over enthusiastic petsitter is not going to work, no matter how qualified they are.  Same goes for the dog walker:  If you don't use harsh corrections with your dog on the leash, you certainly don't want to use a dog walker who routinely uses prong collars, e-collars, and firm leash snaps with the dogs he or she walks. And if you are hiring a dog walker to walk your dog alone, make sure that you stipulate that request as many dog walkers walk multiple dogs at one time which is beneficial for them financially and for time management purposes, but may not be what is best for you or your dog.

For people who are interested in careers in petsitting or dog walking I advise them to collect as much information as they can at the outset, meet with the owner and pets together well ahead of time, AND do a dry run, meaning babysit the pets for a single day or a weekend before committing to a longer petsitting gig.  For dog walkers, collect all the information on the dog ahead of time AND go for a walk with the owner and the dog so you can see what they actually do, which may not be the same as what they told you! Always make sure the situation feels safe and feels like something you are capable of doing.  Don't sign up to care for an animal you feel uncomfortable around and don't offer to walk a dog whose behavior is risky for you.  It's always better to side with caution.  Finally, get insurance to cover your business; having insurance shows you are a professional and take your job seriously, but it also protects you if something goes awry.  You are working with animals after all and animals can be unpredictable.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

I'm lucky.  Anytime I need a petsitter or a dog walker, I can call on my daughter to jump in and do it.  I'm also the person who walks her dog two to three times a week when she's at work and I babysit when she's out of town.  Our dogs are comfortable with this because they are with familiar people in a familiar environment and all of their needs are met the same way regardless of whether I'm providing the care or my daughter.  Find someone you trust and your pets will thank you for it.