1. What Services Do They Provide?

A good pet sitter doesn’t just sit.  

A good pet sitter actively engages with your pet, making her feel loved and secure in your absence. Think about it: Dogs are pack animals. And YOU and your family are the pack. When you don’t come home at the usual time, your dog is confused. She has no idea where you’ve gone, or when you’ll be back.  Sometimes cats, too, are super-sensitive to their owner’s absence. Some sitters may think all they have to do is feed, check water, and walk the dog. Make sure they’ll offer quality contact like love, affection, and playtime.

A good pet sitter will take care of little things even if it wasn’t part of your initial agreement. For example, if Fido tracks in mud after his walk, she’ll clean the floor so it’s not tracked throughout the house.

Watch how the sitter interacts with your pets during the meet-and-greet, a crucial part of hiring a pet sitter. Here, the pet sitter will come to your home and meet you and your pet, and will learn where the important stuff is.  Leashes, poop bags, medications, food, where the pets sleep at night. A good sitter will ask what your pets like and don’t like, what they’re afraid of, and what they love.  

Ask about the sitter’s plans for physical exercise, mental stimulation, and playtime. Better yet, suggest what you’d like the plan to be. If the plan is for the pet sitter to take Fido on a hike in Upper Cache Creek, ask what she’d do after returning home. If it’s a tick, burr, and paw check, followed by a brush-out for Fido, she’s a keeper. 

2. Are They Equipped to Handle Special Needs?

Special Strokes for Different Folks

Often, our four-legged companions require specialized care and attention for their physical or mental health. It’s important to find a pet sitter who will work to provide comfort when your anxious dog sees you walk out the door.  

Whether it involves a specific diet, administering medications (which can be quite challenging), or even giving insulin injections for diabetes, your pet sitter should be prepared to take these extra steps to ensure your pet’s well-being. 

In fact, a good pet sitter should be able to give you pointers in dealing with your pet’s issues, or will at least have some ideas. Say he doesn’t like pills and hates pill-pockets. One of our petsitters here at Jackson Hole Pet Sitting taught me an easy trick that gets the medicine down every time. (Hint: It involves cream cheese!)

Your pet is one of a kind, so you need someone who takes their responsibilities seriously. Your pet’s health and sense of well-being matter. An anxious pet often develops behavior issues, which isn’t good for anyone. 

3. Do They Have the Necessary Insurance and Documentation?

Make Sure They’re Insured

As an animal lover, you know leaving your pet with someone for days or weeks at a time is a serious undertaking. Confirm that your pet sitter has taken the time to acquire some know-how and experience. 

If they’ll be driving your pet, make sure they have a valid driver’s license.  Make sure they know how you’d like Fido secured in the vehicle: seat-belted, crated, or au natural (not recommended).  Ask if they’re bonded and insured for pet sitting; ask to see any certifications they claim to have. 

If they don’t have a website, request references from their other clients. A competent pet sitter can easily provide evidence of relevant experience and positive references. Be sure you can call and speak to them to hear about their experience with this particular pet sitter. 

4. Do They Ask You Questions?

During your interview, the pet sitter should have questions for you.  Your pet deserves a sitter who is attentive, professional, and considerate not only to you, but to your furry little guy. You’ll know this if they ask about: 

• His medical history, any allergies or health issues to be on alert for
• His veterinarian’s contact
• Whether his vaccinations are up to date
• His typical daily routine, mealtime habits, and elimination habits,
• Whether his teeth should be brushed or what to do if he’s licking excessively
• His likes and dislikes, his fears, and what calms him down
• Nighttime sleeping arrangements if the sitter is staying nights
• Rules around the house – is he allowed on the couch, for example
• Is he a door-dasher, and how to keep him safe

If your pet sitter covers most of these bases, Fido will likely be in capable hands. Your sitter’s ability and willingness to think on her feet will help your dog feel secure and happy and prevent dangerous situations. 

 It’s also a safety net in case you inadvertently overlook something important. A good pet sitter will have a checklist and will inquire about anything important you may have forgotten to mention.

5. What’s the Emergency Plan?

Accidents can and do happen. 

Ensure your sitter is prepared for any emergency and can quickly get your pet the care she may need. Provide her with your veterinarian’s contact information and the phone number of a neighbor in case she needs help. 

Ask if they have a backup plan for medical emergencies that occur outside regular office hours. Also, ask if she has a vehicle she can use to take your pet to the vet. 

Imagine a scenario and ask how they’d handle it. For example, If another dog bites your dog badly on a walk, how would she handle it? If your dog stops eating on day 3 of your trip, what would she do?

6. Are They Animal-Lovers?

Does Your Pet Sitter Have Pets or Experience With Pets?

It might seem obvious, but people’s ability to connect with animals can vary significantly, even within the pet-sitting profession. Some individuals pet-sit out of genuine love and warmth for animals. They usually have pets of their own. Others are in it for the money. 

You want someone who loves animals and really cares about your fur baby when you’re not around. This will reduce Fido’s anxiety about your absence. Remember, you and your family are Fido’s pack. A dog’s pack is absolutely crucial, his lifeline not only to food and water, but also to his sense of security. A good pet sitter knows this and will tend to the animal’s emotional well-being as much as his food and his walks. 

A good pet sitter will carefully observe your pet’s behavior, mood, elimination, and appetite. A good pet sitter can help your pet to cope better in your absence, by keeping him engaged and stimulated. She’ll play games with him like sniff searches, hide and seek, and perhaps even work on training or problematic behaviors while you’re gone.

 If your dog loves driving in the car, ask her to include Fido on errands. If your cat gets bored easily, ask her to schedule dedicated playtimes. Suggest a visit to the dog park if your pooch loves other dogs.

I’ve cared for many pets with anxiety and behavior problems. I love these clients because they challenge my intuition and observation skills. I aim for pets in my care to trust and love me so much that they come to see me as their pack, and forget that their real pack is away. 

7. Do They Have Experience?

Experience Matters

Caring for a pet may seem simple until you realize the 110-pound Bernese Mountain dog in your care is too old to climb stairs for the night. This happened to me. The owner had forgotten to tell me about her elderly dog’s hip pain when climbing stairs. 

At bedtime, Rosie refused to go upstairs, despite my coaxing and many treat bribes. I ended up devising a pulley system with a towel to get her slowly but safely upstairs. A less-experienced pet sitter may have given up and left her to sleep alone, an unacceptable situation for a dog who’s already acutely aware of her pack’s absence.  

8. Will They Treat Your Home Like the Palace It Is?

The pet sitter’s goal should be to disturb as little as possible and to keep your home clean and organized. On a long stay, a good pet sitter will take care of the stinky garbage you forgot to toss. She’ll notice when the dogs have tracked in mud and give the floor a quick mopping. She’ll bring in packages, water plants (even if you forgot to ask her to), and she’ll shovel crucial walkways if it’s been dumping snow. 

Ask if she’ll be staying with your pet all day or if she’ll be at work part of the day. Ask if she’ll bring her own food or agree that she can eat yours. Ask if she’ll be doing laundry at your house and show her where the lint trap is. Make sure she is willing to care for your home, plants, and anything else you need tended to while you’re away.

You and your sitter should discuss house rules and maintenance needs that may crop up:

• Whether animals are allowed on the furniture
• Whether lights should be left on at night or if your neighbors like dark skies
• What to do in case power goes out
• Where the breaker box is
• Whether to expect cleaning staff or a repairman
• Whether any of the pets in her care are door-dashers or runners and precautions to take
• Whether Fido has ID tags, and whose number is listed on them
• Whether crating or a CBD chew may help with Fido’s anxiety
• Whether the Ben & Jerry’s or the wine is fair game – or not
• Whether or not she can use your treadmill or office computer

9. Will your pet sitter go the extra mile if an extra mile is needed? 

I have a confession to make: I once had to gently break into my client’s condo. They’d hired me to walk their dog while they hiked in Teton National Park. But I’d somehow left the key on the kitchen counter instead of pocketing it. 

This was embarrassing, of course. I told the neighbor lady watching me, “Please don’t be alarmed: I’m responsible for this dog, but I’m locked out.  It’s unfair to leave her to piddle on the floor.”

This lady hired me on the spot to watch her pup, because she saw that extra mile in me.  Now, one of the questions I ask clients is how do I get in if I lose the key or the code. 

Conclusion

By asking these 9 questions, you’ll gain valuable insights into your potential pet sitter and ensure your pet and home are in capable hands. This will make your trip worry-free and make coming home to your furry friend even happier.