Care to Your Dog!

It can be stressful planning a trip, and as for lining up a pet caretaker video online many families and individuals don’t really know how to track down a good match for their pet. What to do – scour postings about pet sitters, computer message boards, or should they enlist the services of a pet-sitting firm? Can anyone be sure of an unknown sitter’s abilities and whether this sitter is the right person for the job? An easy method (and one that’s proven reliable) for finding someone you can trust is to request the aid of a placement service which has the resources to find you the best person for the job.

If you wish to find a petsitter video – click here!

Before starting the search for a pet caregiver video, be sure you know yourself what the specific duties are as well as what you expect from your sitter. You should include questions such as, how much previous pet-sitting experience does this person have? Is he or she capable of walking/exercising your pet? Is your pet a “senior citizen”? Are you looking for someone who will look after your home as well as your pet? Write a sample contract for your pet-sitter to sign which describes all of the requirements that your pet-sitter will perform.

Following the creation of your list of duties and expectations, now you should choose the best and most efficient tools to locate just the right person to help. One of the easiest ways is to enroll with an online sitter placement agency. This kind of firm takes pride in providing online tools to access many reliable and conveniently-located pet sitters who are looking for a job caring for your pet.

To find a pet caretaker video in your locale, you can simply start with an internet search on the topic – enter the necessary criteria to search for: your locale (city, state and zip code), and the exact type of pet sitter you want to find. Out of the results which are now there for you, you decide upon the ones that might turn out the most compatible with your needs. Weigh the experience level and references of the pet sitters and make a choice among the options as to who can fit the detailed job description you came up with.

Expert client/provider matching companies will normally supply these and other functions: the opportunity to scan their database of sitters, and a glimpse of the sitter through their online description (photograph, basic information about them, previous experience, etc.). Often there is the option of a free “test run,” though in most cases these are limited time-wise, sign up as soon as you can in order to examine the quality of service which is offered.

These days the cost of travelling is far less than it used to be. In fact more and more of us are taking advantage of all these low air flight prices and package deals and are now going away on vacation several times a year for long vacations and mini weekend breaks. This is great for us but what about our pets?

Pet ownership is increasing every year and this means that there are more animals out there that require looking after while we are away on vacation. Of course there are several options open to the pet owner, you could pay out for kennelling or you could ask a neighbour or family member. Both of these options are acceptable if you are in the position to pay the kennelling fees or have very good relationships with your neighbours. But if not, then there is another option, Pet Sitters.

Pet sitting offers many benefits over kennelling and asking friends and not just for you but also for your pet. Here are just a few of them:

Your pet will feel happier remaining in their home environment.

Your pet will have structure to their day and receive regular human contact and care.

The sitter will know what to do in and emergency and be able to give any existing regular medications.

The costs involved are far less than kennelling.

There is no need for your pet to travel anywhere, often a cause for stress.

You will not feel as if you are imposing on your friends.

Your home will be regularly visited while you are away.

Of course ensuring that you hire a pet sitter that you can trust is not as easy as it first sounds. There are many people advertising themselves as pet sitters who have no formal qualifications or experience and who may have other motives for wanting to access your home. The best way to find a trust worthy pet sitter is via a recommendation either from friends and neighbours or from another animal professional such as a vet or groomer.

There are also some specialist companies set up who act as agents for pet sitters who monitor and regulate their Sitters regularly. They can also provide a backup sitter if your regular sitter is unable to attend your pet due to unforeseen circumstances. This may add to your piece of mind.

Before you hire someone to look after your pet while you are away it is important that you meet up with them to ask them questions about their experience, qualifications and to see how your pet reacts to them and visa versa. This will help you make your final decision.

Once you have hired your pet sitter a written agreement should be made between you both highlighting what services your sitter will carry out and how often and the costs involved. It should also include details of your pets likes and dislikes, there eating habits and routine, any medications which need to be given etc. You should also show your sitter where everything they will need is kept in the house, like cleaning equipment, the food and litter and the pet’s toys and bedding. You should also provide your sitter will full contact details for yourself, a neighbour, a nearby relative and the local vets, along with a copy of your pets medical papers and record of vaccinations.

To ensure that everything will run smoothly and that your pet will be properly looked after and not feel stressed while you are away there are a few last minute things you will need to do.

Make sure you have supplied enough food and litter for the sitter and have left it in a convenient place.

Make sure doors are closed to rooms you do not whish your pet to enter.

Make sure a small light is left on or is timed to come on for the comfort of your pet.

Ensure that familiar toys are left available for your pet while they are on their own.

Leave a few items of your clothing lying around, the familiar smell will reassure your pet.

Inform a neighbour that a pet sitter will be visiting your home and leave a spare key with them and your contact details in case of emergencies.

With all of this in place, your vacation should be a happy and relaxing experience for both you and your pet.

Type in the phrase “pet sitter” in any search engine box and you will find over one million websites! Quite overwhelming when you are trying to find a pet sitter before you go out of town. And to make matters worse, 99% of those pet sitters are probably not in your area.

There is an alternative to finding a pet sitter, however. That’s by using an online pet sitter directory. They are easy to navigate and nearly all are free to use when you are searching for a pet sitter.

One free, and easy-to-use directory is called Find Me A Pet Sitter (http://www.findmeapetsitter.com). On the home page one simply types in either their zip code or city/state and the results will display pet sitters in their area. The pet sitter’s listing can then be clicked on to display more information, such as: a brief description of their services, their contact information, cities and towns they serve, and what sort of services they provide.

Most pet sitter directories are free, but a few may require you to register with their site first before you can search for pet sitters. And, some charge a fee for their referral service.

Keep in mind, not all areas have pet sitters listed. You may need to contact the administrator of the website and ask them if they can help you locate a pet sitter in your area.

Finally, any pet sitter you hire should be reputable within their community, have liability insurance, and in some cases, may be required to carry a bond or be licensed.

Pet Sitter Directories:

http://www.findmeapetsitter.com

http://www.petsit.coM

http://www.petsitters.org

If you have pets, you know that leaving them behind while you go on vacation can be stressful. You can minimize that anxiety by hiring a good pet sitter. This article has some advice to make the process easier.

Start by asking your vet if they recommend anyone. Pet-owning friends may also have names for you. There may be people who do it occasionally, like I do, just not as a business. Some pet sitters will advertise in the yellow pages or newspapers. Most will leave flyers or business cards with veterinarians.

There are professional Pet Sitter organizations that have websites. Some of them offer a search feature, but remember that only their members will be listed. Some smaller towns may not have local professional pet sitters.

Keep your expectations realistic. Normally, a pet sitter will feed the animals, let them out or walk them, change litter boxes and do whatever else is needed to care for the animal. They will spend an average of thirty minutes for each visit. They might even pick up your mail and water your plants.

There is usually an extra charge for additional visits during the day. Some sitters may be willing to spend the night – something you may desire if you have older or sick animals.

Make sure the pet sitter will come and meet the animals before you hire her. It is important that both the animal and the sitter be comfortable with each other.

Be sure to plan well in advance, as pet sitters are usually in heavy demand. You should ask for the pet sitter’s fees and policies in writing, so you know exactly what to expect. I would suggest getting references; a trustworthy businessperson will have these readily available.

Ask what other kinds of animal experience the person has. Someone with veterinary experience, such as a technician, is a good choice for special needs pets. A dog trainer, or someone who has trained a few animals will know how to handle dogs with behavioral issues. A pet groomer will have experience handling both dogs and cats in stressful situations.

Pet sitters are not required to have any special licensing, but those who have gone to the trouble of acquiring accreditation from one of the pet sitter organizations show a high degree of professionalism in my opinion. They will have been required to take a course that usually includes business management, animal care and animal health instruction. Accredited pet sitters will therefore likely have more diverse knowledge and experience than someone who has not been through the course. Once you have found the right sitter for you, be sure to give and get all the information you both will need.

You will want to leave phone numbers for where you can be reached, as well as a friend or neighbor who might be able to answer questions or help out in emergencies. Provide the sitter with the name, address and phone number of your veterinarian, and leave a signed letter giving permission for necessary medical procedures to be preformed. Additionally, make sure you have a way to reach the sitter at all times, in case something comes up.

Be sure to tell the pet sitter of any special behavioral problems or quirks. If your dog is afraid of people in hats, say, the sitter will not make the mistake of wearing her rain hat indoors! Point out where all the supplies are; food, dishes, toys, beds, etc. Tell the pet sitter your rules on treats, how much you feed, how often and when. If you can put everything the pet sitter may need in one central location, so much the better.

If your pet needs to be fed at certain times, or takes medicine on a schedule, you will want to be sure that the pet sitter can accommodate your needs.

Be sure your pet sitter is bonded and insured. Don’t forget, she will have the keys to your home. Also, make arrangements for payment and the return of your keys.

It is a good idea to have a contingency plan in place in the event that your return is delayed. Arrange for the sitter to call, or for you to call her at a specific time on the date of your return.

The pet sitter should also have a backup plan in case he or she is unable to attend to your pets for some reason. If not, you had better make a backup plan of your own.

Leaving the pets behind can add unnecessary stress to your trip. Knowing that you have hired an experienced pet sitter, and that you have provided her with everything she needs to do the job right can help ease that stress.