Top ten questions for homesitters to ask clients about dog care

Posted on 31 October, 2016

Homesitter Peter Jones with 3 dogs

All our homesitters have a preliminary meeting with clients before they start an assignment. This allows them to discuss how the home runs, the clients’ requirements and to get detailed instructions on how to take care of any pets.

Dogs especially are creatures of habit. They can get very stressed out when their owners go away, so we advise our homesitters to ask all sorts of questions to establish as much as they can about the pet’s routine.

This will not only make the dog less stressed, but will ensure the owner comes back to a happy and healthy hound.

Here are our top ten questions for homesitters looking after dogs:

  1. What time is your dog fed, how often and what / how much do you feed?
  2. Does your dog have treats and if so what do you feed and how many each day?
  3. What time does your dog usually go out for a walk and where do you usually take them? Also ask about any favourite walks or things that should be avoided whist out on walks (i.e. walking near a busy road, near water etc).
  4. Can your dog be let off the lead? If so, how good is their recall?
  5. Is your dog friendly towards dogs?
  6. Where does the dog usually sleep and are they allowed upstairs / on chairs etc? Are there any areas of the home where the dog is not allowed?
  7. Can you run through the usual commands you use with the dog (come, stay, sit, no etc) and let me know how well they respond to these?
  8. Is your dog friendly towards people when out walking and when visitors come to the door?
  9. Does the dog need bathing or grooming? If so please can you run through the routine?
  10. Do you have a number for the local vet?

These are just a few of the main things you should ask, however, please feel free to ask as many questions as you want to ensure you know as much as you can about the dog before the assignment.

Happy dog sitting!

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