Going away from your pet, even for a short while, can be hard on you and your furry friend. But sometimes you can’t do anything but leave your pet at home while you get things done elsewhere. Although it’s a painful ordeal, with a pet sitter, you can achieve some peace of mind while you are away from your furry friend. Pet sitting has become a common form of care in the past few decades, and it has allowed many animal-parents to have stress-and-worry-less trips abroad while their doggo is safe and sound at home.
With that said, there is a tricky bit when it comes to pet sitting. And that is choosing the perfect sitter for your canine. Most parents struggle to find the right sitter to care for their fluffy baby because they don’t know what to look for when hiring one. But you don’t have to worry about it anymore because we have decided to share with you the four things that you need to look for in a pet sitter.
Thanks to trade schools and veterinary institutes, people can now learn to look after dogs and other pets professionally. So now, when you can get a sitter who is trained to look after animals, why would you settle for anyone who is not? With that said, it’s not necessary that every certified pet sitter is well trained. A lot of factors can play into the level of expertise of a pet sitter.
Starting from the school they got their diploma from to the program they enrolled in, many things can affect how well a person can look after your furry friend. So to make sure that the person you are hiring is actually good at their job, ask them about the course they studied and what aspects of animal care did it cover. Then look up the institution from where they studied. A well-reputed school will have online reviews and be recognized. After you have done your homework and evaluated the competence level of your potential pet sitter, then think about hiring them. Don’t recruit anyone just because they carry around a certificate that makes them eligible for animal care.
Two of the most notable pet-care certification-offering institutes are the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and Pet Sitters International. If an individual has a certificate from one of those two institutes, then you don’t have to worry about the credibility of their credentials.
Another great thing about hiring someone with certifications from a recognized institute is that they have insurance. So if they get injured while taking care of your canine, you don’t have to worry about paying their medical bills because the insurance will cover it.
Anyone can have an experience of pet sitting. So how do you know if a person’s claim of having previous animal-care experience is enough for you to hire them to look after your dog? Well, you need to dig a little deeper. Ask them questions about their previous interactions with pets, such as what kinds of animals did they sit or did they ever look after a special dog or any other domestic animal. By asking such questions, you can gauge the validity of a pet sitter’s past experience and also get an idea of their animal management skills.
Another way of judging a person’s pet sitting skills is by giving them unexpected scenarios and asking them how they would deal with those. For example, ask your potential pet sitter what they would do if your dog suddenly became uncharacteristically lazy while you were away? Or ask them how they would pacify your dog if it suddenly got too hyper? Such questions will help you get a better idea of the interviewee’s abilities, and you will be able to make a well-informed and thought-out decision.
Every pet is different and so are their needs. If a pet sitter has been good with animals in the past, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be good with your pet too. Even though if an individual is gentle and loves to be around animals, then the chances are that they would work well with your furry friend. But you can never be truly sure unless you actually see them fending for your dog. And to do that, you can take a demo test.
Test if the person you are interviewing to be your pet sitter is suited for your pet for by leaving them alone with your four-legged buddy and observe from afar. It will allow you to see for yourself if they have the ability to meet the needs of your animal friend adequately and also give you a fair idea about how gentle they are with pets.
Just like employers ask their future employees for references, you should always ask your potential pet sitter for references. And once you have them, contact each one of them and find out if the person you are hiring is good at their job or not. Also, try to hire someone who has multiple references because that indicates credibility and competence. If a person has many people who vouch for their aptitude, then it means that person is pretty good at their job and are most likely to take good care of your dear doggo.
Once you have selected a pet sitter to take care of your canine, ask them to start a bit early while you are still in town. This way, you can see if your pet is getting along with the sitter and also give it time to familiarize itself with an unknown face while you are close by.
by Bobby J Davidson || You can’t buy love, but you can rescue it™ .
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