Top tips for introducing your puppy to a homesitter

Posted on 18 January, 2023

Image by Katrin B. from Pixabay

Christmas has always been a popular time for people to get a puppy or adopt a dog for the first time. Whilst this year figures[i] suggest demand for a pet may be much less, there will be still lots of people enjoying those first few months with their new puppy.

Basic training and socialisation are key during the early, formative months. Beyond this people will be considering what they may do if they want to go away and who will look after their dog. Employing a home and pet sitter is a popular choice for many.

For younger dogs especially having someone come and stay in your home whilst you go away is the good solution, especially if they have never been left for long periods before. Dogs are creatures of habit and staying in their own home with familiar walks and routine can help them settle better than if they were put into a kennel or taken to a family friend.

A homesitter can also continue with any basic training as they are dedicated to looking after only your dog and will have the time to ensure any training regime is adhered to. Also they are well versed in keeping dogs safe, especially out on walks to make sure they don’t come to any harm.

One of the key things is to introduce them to the homesitter before going away. All our homesitters have preliminary meetings with owners to meet pets and to go through their routine. Below are some tips for introducing your puppy to a homesitter for the first time:

Keep your puppy out of the way at first

When answering the door consider keeping your puppy in a different room or in their crate until the homesitter is settled and sat down. Puppies are boisterous and excitable so keeping them out of the way until you’ve brought the homesitter in and had a quick chat makes sense!

Stay calm when making introductions

Once the homesitter is sat down bring in your puppy to meet them. It’s important to stay relaxed and calm so they understand that you aren’t worried or concerned at all in the presence of an unfamiliar person. Ask the homesitter to stay seated or crouch down to interact with the puppy.

Don’t overwhelm them

Ask the homesitter to let the puppy come to them rather than approaching them. Different dogs will have different temperaments so make allowances. If they appear nervous just carry on chatting and let the puppy go over to them in their own time.

Don’t pick them up

Ask the homesitter not to pick them up as this could frighten them. Instead have everyone in the room stay seated and give the puppy a chance to have a good sniff about and get used to people being there.

Give some treats

Have some treats available and give a few to the homesitter. The puppy will no doubt have learnt to sit so ask them to sit and wait for a treat. Ask the homesitter to do the same with them. Wait until they have calmed down first if they are quite excitable.

Take a tour of the house

Once introductions have been made and the puppy has settled down, take the homesitter on a tour of the house and garden. Take them to all the places they will be expected to go with the puppy including the garden. Remember to take the puppy with you so they get use to someone else moving around in their space.

Take them for a walk

Finally, and if time allows it may be worth going on a short walk with the homesitter and your puppy so they can see how they behave and for the puppy to become more familiar with the homesitter. Maybe practice some recall together too if they are going to be allowed off the lead.

To conclude

As well as these tips, the preliminary meeting is the time to go through everything the homesitter needs to know for the assignment and they will have a check-list to go through. In regards to the puppy it’s about learning about their routines, including training requirements, food, walking and grooming.

It’s important to let your homesitter know too how long your puppy is usually left alone and if they are confined to a specific area or crated. Our homesitters will only leave the home for up to three consecutive hours during daylight and one hour after dark, but if your puppy requires a shorter time please let them know.

If you have any questions about our homesitting services and looking after a puppy or young dog, then please do give us a call on 01296 630730.

i - https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/demand-pets-nearly-half-pandemic-111721333.html

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