How to Become the Best Dog Sitter

Posted on 19 September, 2019

Pixabay - Adorable Dog

Do you dream of becoming a dog sitter? More and more people are looking to work with pets, because, let’s face it, they’re great! Walking dogs, making new four-legged friends, unlimited cuddle; the list goes on.

Being a dog sitter, much like being a homesitter, comes with great responsibility and while the job may seem perfect, it’s not for everyone.

If you are determined to get the job you’ve always wanted, then it’s best to find out as much information as possible regarding what’s involved and also how you can be the best dog sitter possible.

What Type of Person Does A Pet Sitter Need to Be?

Dog sitters need to enjoy the outdoors in all weathers; dogs require exercise come rain or shine. You can have a range of outdoor toys for them to play with when you go to the home, but you’ll have to get out there with your four-legged clients too!

Possessing good communication and interpersonal skills are essential for dealing with owners (working for Homesitters means that we take care of most of this for you) while having a strong understanding and affinity with dogs is paramount.

Having a patient personality also helps in this type of job because building a rapport with a dog can take time.

Being an organised person is very important; you need to know your schedule at all times if you are working with more than one home, but we can help you with this.

Qualities that are associated with successful dog sitters include:

  • Enthusiasm
  • Confidence
  • Optimism
  • Being organised
  • Patience
  • Professionalism
  • Self-motivation
  • Flexibility

What Qualifications and Training Will You Need?

There aren’t any specific qualifications that you have to own to be a dog sitter, but to be the best in your field and increase your chances of securing a job with us, we advise having some knowledge or training in animal CPR/first aid.

Having a qualification in animal care and/or animal behaviour will certainly boost your professional status when we’re looking for a homesitter to join our team because it shows you are serious and dedicated to your role and the welfare of the dogs.

If you haven’t done the job before, gaining some experience is essential and can be really helpful to ‘get the ball rolling’ and making sure the role is for you; many homesitters will volunteer at a rescue centre, obedience school, or even a dog walking company before applying for a role here. This can give you some helpful insight and useful pointers when you’re looking to work with us.

Do Some Work in Addition to Pet Sitting

Being the best dog sitter you can be doesn’t just involve work with the dog. You can make a lasting impression by doing bits and pieces around the home that highlight your dedication to the job. Because we offer a live-in pet service, this something that homeowners will appreciate when they arrive home.

Clients will expect to return home in the state they left it, so be sure to take the recycling out, change the bins and water the plants, etc. You can equally do some simple things such as picking some wildflowers or baking a loaf of bread for the client as these little things go a long way. Just remember that the dog comes first, so don’t get too distracted, but going the extra mile is something that has helped us to acquire more than 100,000 bookings over the years!

Go Above and Beyond

It’s a welcome touch for our employees to put their pet parents minds at ease by “checking in” with them before they feel the need to do the same with you. Proactively communicating with the pet’s owners is great, so you can send them reassuring messages and let them know that everything is in order and their pets are doing just fine. Obviously, not everyone will want/need to be contacted, so we can check this beforehand.

We need to know that you can understand the pets are sensitive to change and might well be missing their owners. With this in mind, you should maintain their schedule as much as possible. Once they are feeling comfortable, why not send pictures to their owner to let them know you’re giving them extra attention? When they receive a message with the smiling face of their pet, it’s a really nice feeling.

The Next Steps

If, after reading this, you still have your heart set on being a dog sitter and you think you have what it takes to be the best, then go ahead and pass the courses mentioned above before contacting us and applying for a role.

It’s also well worth getting in touch with your local dog training and agility classes so that you can get to know them and find out more from other pet sitters who are there. Being connected with these people can help you to progress with us and gain good tips that can be transferred to your job with us.


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