How to Prepare Your Pet Sitter
Vacations are exciting but leaving your fur baby behind can be a nerve-wracking experience. I know what it’s like to scramble around the internet googling for reputable sitters in your local area. From my own experience, I know finding a sitter is easy. However, I cannot stress enough about the importance of having a thorough conversation with your pet sitter before you hand over your pup. Truth be told, pet sitters are not mind-readers. They are just normal people who love animals. Therefore, it’s the job of the pet owner to ensure clear communication in order to reduce potential risks. Don’t freak out just yet! The risk of an accident is very low. However, you can use this guideline for your meet and greet to ensure a stress-free holiday.
Emergency contact and itinerary
Always provide your sitter with your emergency contact and itinerary. Make sure you write down your contact information (for your travel destination), and the phone numbers and addresses of your veterinarian and emergency contact. Arrange a drop-off and pick-up time and be sure to ask your sitter about their cancellation and late pickup policy.
Behaviors
It’s always a good idea to meet your pet sitter beforehand and provide them with some background information regarding your pet’s behaviors.
- Does your animal have a history of wandering out or running away? Have they ever tried to dig a hole in the backyard fence in an attempt to escape? It’s always a good idea for the sitter to take extra precautions and check their backyard fence for any path to escape. It’s also a good idea to teach your sitter the recall word should your pet run away.
- does your animal have a history of bite and food aggression?
- Are they good with other animals and kids? How does your animal behave with other animals?
- Do they have a habit of jumping on tables in search of food scraps, and do they have a habit of digging through garbage? Does your animal have a habit of chewing household items? These are important points to cover so that your sitter can better prepare for your animal’s arrival.
- Is your animal kennel, potty, leash, and house trained?
- Does your animal get hyper and jumpy when they see other dogs?
- Can your animal socialize with other dogs?
- Does your animal have the tendency to bark?
Leash
Don’t forget the leash! It’s important to have a sturdy body leash for your sitter. Some animals may be hesitant to go out on walks with an unfamiliar pet sitter. To my knowledge, neck leashes are notorious for sliding off when the animal pulls in the opposite direction. Trust me, bring a sturdy body leash is a good idea because the last thing you want on a vacation is a frantic pet sitter calling you while chasing after your pet.
Health
Not all dogs are created equal because each dog has its own unique health conditions. Below are health-related questions to address with your pet sitter.
- Is your animal spayed or neutered?
- Is your animal tattooed, microchipped and registered?
- Is your animal fully vaccinated? Are the vaccinations up to date? Socializing and walking your animal without vaccination puts your animal’s health at risk. It is at the owner’s discretion, not the sitter, to ensure the animal’s vaccinations are all up to date to reduce the risk of infection. If your pet is unvaccinated, you run the risk of a vet bill should your animal contract an illness.
- Does your animal have allergies? Can the sitter give their treats to your animal?
- Does your animal have pre-existing conditions or prior illnesses/infections? If so, do they require medications? Always provide instructions on the dosage and when and how to administer these medications.
- Does your animal suffer from separation anxiety?
Daily routine and schedule
Make sure you go over your expectations and your pet’s daily routine with your sitter.
- Would you like to receive video/ picture updates about your animal throughout the day?
- What kind of items will you bring? Common items to bring are beds, toys, food, dog dishes, treats, shampoo, brushes, kennels, poop bags, training pads, and a strong body leash.
- How many walks does your animal go on per day? what is the duration of a typical walk?
- What is the feeding and bathroom schedule like throughout the day?
Taking these talking points into consideration will help to ensure that you enjoy a much needed stress-free vacation. Bon voyage!