Tips on Being a Good Dog Sitter

Do you love dogs? Have you ever thought about being a dog sitter? Here are some basic tips that will help you be a great dog sitter if you think it is something you would enjoy. I am a dog lover from way back and have taken care of many different peoples dogs over the years, sometimes I take care of them in their home and other times the dogs come to my house to stay. Either way it can be an enjoyable experience for everyone involved if you just follow a few common sense rules.

The number one thing while sitting for someone elses pet is to follow the instructions of the pet owner to a tee.

Have the dog owner give you a list of things they would like you to do while watching their pet. This list should include feeding instructions, medication instructions, walking and exercise schedule, house rules (such as letting the dogs on the furniture or not), emergency phone numbers,their contact numbers and the basic commands they use in getting their dogs to obey.

If they say no table scraps that means no table scraps. It is hard sometimes, especially if you are use to giving your own pets scraps, but if the dog you are sitting for is not use to the richness of different foods it may cause an upset to its digestive system and you may end up with a vomiting dog or diarrhea all over the place. Of course we all know how enjoyable that is! Easily avoidable by following the pet owners instructions and sticking to their regular diet.

Follow the exercise schedule as closely as possible. A dogs system is like ours, once we get into the routine of doing something at a certain time of day then make a change in the schedule, it can through our whole system off. Plus if a dog gets the proper amount of exercise it is much more likely to be more obedient and not get in trouble doing things it shouldn’t be, such as chewing or digging in the yard.

Make sure if the owner has the rule of no dogs on the furniture that you make the dogs obey this rule. A lot of dogs will sneak up on the furniture as soon as you aren’t looking, unfortunately this can result in stains or rips that you will have to be accountable for upon the owners return. It is always better to be safe and follow the rule rather than be sorry later.

It is always a good idea to make sure ahead of time what basic commands the owners use to control their pets. Many obedience classes give different instructions for verbal commands, such as getting a dog not jump on you. Personally I use “down” but have also heard of some owners that have been taught to say “off” when the dog jumps on someone. If you use a different command than the dog is use to it will have no idea of what you expect of it and usually continue the negative behavior.

Another good idea is to bond with the dog or dogs you are taking care of. Give them plenty of loving attention and praise them often. Dogs thrive on love and attention and the next time you sit for them they will be happy to see you. This will make for happier dogs and happier owners if they see that their dog enjoys being with you.

Make sure you pay attention to the dogs behavior, eating habits and daily excrement’s. If anything seems out of the norm try to figure out what the cause is and alter what you need to before things get out of hand and they need to be taken to the vet for help. Use your common sense and watch them closely so they don’t eat something they are not suppose to and end up getting sick. If there is anything you feel is not normal mention it to the pet owner when they call you to check in on their pet.

If you follow all of these common sense tips you will surely have an enjoyable and fun time dog sitting. The pet owners will also look forward to their vacation or time away from their pet more knowing that they are in good hands with someone that is responsible and treats their pet in a loving, caring manner.