Top Pet Sitting Tips You Need to Know in 2023

Posted on 23 October, 2022

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

Written by Dur-e-Sabih for Homesitters Ltd

Pet owners worldwide have busy office schedules, with some unable to give proper time to their pets. These pet owners could be looking for pet sitters who can take care of their pets.

If you love spending time with pets, great or small, from a Shih Tzu Miracle Shih Tzu: Complete Guide to the Shih Tzu Dog to a horse, pet sitting could be a perfect side hustle for you.

A pet sitter should have a versatile knowledge of the breed they are going to handle. They should be caring and remain patient. The owner wants the pet sitter to turn to the pet the same way the owner does.

Besides that, there are several tips and tricks that you can follow to become a perfect pet sitter. This article will share some of the top pet-sitting tricks that every pet sitter needs to know.

So, stick with us till the end if you want to win the hearts of the pet owner whose pets your taking care of.

1. Schedule A Pre-Meeting With The Pet

Before starting the pet-sitting job, you should first meet the pet. A pre-meeting allows you to introduce yourself to the pet and then begin the pet sitting on a better footing.

An initial visit will familiarize you with the pet and allow you to learn about the pet's eating, sleeping, and exercise habits. A pre-meeting will allow you take notes from the pet owner regarding the pet's temperament and behaviour.

Try to put the owner at ease by mentioning your previous pet sitting jobs.

At Homesitters Ltd we always encourage a preliminary visit.

2. Things To Ask Pet Owners

After the meeting, you can ask a further important questions about the pet, which will help you in the pet-sitting journey.

Investigate the pet's health condition. If the pet is young, you can also ask about their vaccination status and if safe to go outside.
Inquire about dogs' behaviour, temperament, likes, and dislikes.
Does the dog develop separation anxiety if left alone?
What are the dog's feeding habits, and what food does the owner feed the dog?
Behaviour with other people, animals, and dogs.
What commands does the dog understand easily?

3. Be Versatile and Knowledgeable About Breeds

People have developed some myths that one must be a vet by background to be a good sitter. Being a vet is not necessary to be a perfect pet sitter. All you need to do is to have knowledge of pets' needs and behaviour.

However, the more knowledge you would have, the better it will be. You can start gaining knowledge and experience by petting your friend's pets when they are busy. If possible, you can enroll yourself in pet first aid courses and get their certification.

Different breeds have different needs, so it's always better to gather information before pet-sitting that breed. The pet owner will give you some instructions, so listen to them carefully and make notes. You should know what food, flowers, etc… are toxic to them and avoid them.

4. Making A Schedule and Confirming Its Implementation

Image by Tom und Nicki Löschner from Pixabay

While going on vacations, some pet owners don't take their pets with them, leaving them to a pet sitter instead. To take care of the pet for more than a day, you must develop a schedule to maintain good health. This is more often than not driven by the pet owner already established routine.

You can make a schedule containing the feeding time, exercise time, and sleeping routine. Afterward, ensure you properly stick to the schedule and implement it.

5. Pet Proofing Your Home

Some pets can be destructive and might mess around with your household, should you offer a boarding facility. So, a better approach is to pet-proof your home in advance.

Remove all the stimuli and keep the family away from the pet's reach. It doesn't mean you will idle the pet from the entire house in a corner room. You can still place some pet toys and keep them engaged.

Pet proofing is also necessary to protect your household from any harm. If you note any signs of a pet scratching the door or walls, they might be bored and want to go out. So take them out in the yard and play with them.

At Homesitters Ltd, while you’re away, our employees will stay in your home and look after everything – pets, garden and security – providing complete peace of mind for you, your animals and your insurers.

6. Be Caring and Responsible

The best trait and the most important tip each pet sitter should develop is to be caring and responsible. It would be best if you did your job as a responsibility and always remained caring towards grooming, feeding, and exercising the pet. You must make sure that the pet is comfortable being around you.

7. Always Stay Alert How Ever the Dog Is Friendly and Clam

No matter how well trained the pet is, your job is never to leave them out unattended because of their calm and friendly behaviour. Once you choose to do pet sitting, it's your obligatory duty to spend as much time as possible with the pet.

It will develop a bond and empower the dog's to be more agreeable with you. When the dog is returned to the owner, his attachment to you will reveal how well you looked after them during your time with them.

8. Keeping The Pet Owner Updated

Nothing can satisfy a pet owner more than their daily report, subject to consent. You can share the pet report with their owner on a video call or by sending them a pic of the pet on a daily basis. You can always call the pet owner if you face any problem; it will help you resolve issues and develop a trustworthy atmosphere between the pet owner and yourself.

Final Words

For guidance on generating pet sitting instructions, please visit Dog Sitting Instructions: How To Write Great Directions (smalldogplace.com). Pet sitting requires patience, commitment, and responsible behaviour. A good pet sitter is one who handover the pet back happy and all taken care of.

The best pet sitter knows how to develop a bond with pets and deal with pets of different temperaments. Sticking to the schedule and gathering information from the pet owner makes the pet-sitting experience easier and more enjoyable.

That was all from our side on pet-sitting tricks. If you have any queries regarding pet sitting , then you can reach out to us. We would love to hear from you.

Author Bio:

Dur-e-Sabih provides ghostwriting and copywriting services. Her educational background in Accountancy helps her in tackling topics ranging from career and business productivity to web development, finance, and digital marketing.

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