Pet-sitting advice sought
 

My dog who I love above almost all other things is putting a real cramp in my travel habits. My mother, his usual dogsitter, is getting older and I no longer feel I can ask her to have him stay with her for days at a time. Boarding is not an option for this dog who sleeps in bed and who has health problems that are exacerbated by stressful situations. So which of the following would you prefer in terms of having someone stay in your home and dogsit?: 1) a "professional" dogsitter who I found online 2) a trusted student who is at least 18 years old (I am a teacher) looking for cash before going to college or 3) the lady who I barely know who works at the grocery store near my house and who seems nice and responsible enough and who tells me she has started dog-sitting for extra money. Any other insights on this situation would be welcome.

Either 1 or 3.

Number 2 has "bad idea" written all over it.

I would go for option 2 given you know the student - but I'd test first with a long weekend before a two week trip

2
1
3
in that order

As a dog owner I would be apt to go with #1 and I would demand references.

The student who is 18 and "trusted"...not sure age 18 has much validity and the "trusted" part is no guarantee that the person can handle this particular situation. Feeling sorry for the student and/or your possible desire to "help out" by offering an employment opportunity are nice but not necessarily for your dog's welfare.

Forget #3 and the way you have worded it ("who I barely know") tells me you don't like that idea anyway.

I'm sure many will tell you their stories about how they've had wonderful success/luck the #2 and #3 types and possibly a bad experience with the #1 type.

But given the information you are supplying, and based on that alone, I would still opt for #1.

If you are talking more than 3 or 4 days, an adult family member, the child of a next door neighbor (where the parents could keep an eagle eye on the situation) or a professional - preferably recommended by the vet would be my only comfortable choices.

No matter how "trusted" the student is, that probably isn't a good idea. "Good" kids have been known have "just a few" friends over to keep them company and it easily gets out of their control. One family not far from my house had the teenaged friend of their daughter watch the house, water, mow - not even any pets involved. Well - the text message/my space brigade showed up on teh 2nd night and $12,000 damage later the police showed up.

BTW...what's the MONEY difference here as I suspect there may be a substantial one between #2 and #1.

Would it be any better for your mother to stay at your house, rather than moving the dog to her house?

I can't comment on the student option because only you can say you really know this young person well enough. Young people can sometimes be swayed or 'over-run' by their peers, which means you might not know for sure who has been in your house.

A professional should be licensed and bonded, and have references. They should come to your house in advance to 'meet' your dog, which gives you a chance to see for yourself if they exhibit a good 'pet' personality. And check out those references. And ask a neighbor to check on things and let you know if anything doesn't seem right. Leave a key hidden outside somewhere, in case you have to divulge its location to said neighbor.

I wouldn't want a person I 'hardly know' to have access to my home, personal things, or my dog.

Just an aside...if you are the teacher of the "trusted" student then this might have the appereance of something inappropriate.

Thanks for the speedy replies.

My gut told me to go with the professional. However, there is something appealing about entrusting my dog to someone with whom I have more than just a business relationship, if you know what I mean. I would want to know he's being played with and given affection. (Non-dog people needn't respond!) I suppose having the professional over to meet my dog, might relieve any anxiety.

I don't know what the money difference would be, but that's not a big consideration in this case.

Mom likes to sleep in her own bed and, although she has not come right out and said so, she seems increasingly put out by providing the care the baby needs.

saps--it would be a former student, and parents would have to know all about it. Teachers use students as baby sitters all the time, so I'm not too concerned. But thanks for the thought.

We used to use a professional service, now we use a family friend or a personal trainer we know, or me ... this weekend! I know that the pros can be expensive, but I might go for that. Or if you have a family friend you can use or a relative besides your mother?

Actually - I'd think a professional pet sitter would more likely play/have fun w/ your baby. That is her job and she must enjoy dogs or wouldn't be doing it. A student - even your "trusted" one has friends, school, activities and such taking up time.

I assume the pet sitter is fully bonded?

Have you checked with your vet? They often will refer you to good petsitters (that's how we found ours).

2
1 (make sure they're bonded)
3

Before you pick, I'd have the candidates come over--at seperate times, ofc course--and see how well they interact w/your dog and vice-versa.

Best of luck.

There are several bonded pet sitting services in my area. I don't yet have a particular one in mind. Checking with my vet is a great idea. Thanks again for all of the good advice.

another tip...if you dont smoke,,,,you probably wont want a sitter that does

my son used a professional dog sitter who turned out to be chain smoker.

his dog "stunk of cigarette smoke" when she was picked up

We also called the vet - and the lady who works in the office said " I pet sit" and have 3 dogs, blah blah. When we came to pick up the dog she said "boy does your dog snore louddd!". So she really was a dedicated petsitter.

My mother had the girl next door come into the house to watch the dogs. Similar age (19) and a good kid. But she had her boyfriend over, (we forget how difficult it is to find privacy at that age, and how even trustworthy kids will take advantage).

Do you want someone to stay 24/7?

I think most often professional dog sitters would just come feed and walk a couple times a day. You might be looking for a house-sitter who does dogs too.

Not 2. And 3 is not an ideal option either.

suze-definitely 24/7. He'd be frightened if left here at night by himself. I'm pretty sure dogsitters do this. My house would be ideal, but I'd consider sending him home with someone as well.

Cimbrone

I don't have a lot to add except that my vet has a vet tech who house/dog sits.

Our dear depart dog was with us for a long time and we needed people to come and stay with him in our house. I did a lot of networking and came up with some good options. We had two or three people stay, all acquaintances with close enugh connections to us. It worked out well. I suggest asking everyone you know if they have a good dog sitter.

Ugh! Typos! My excuse is that the New Adored Dog (as opposed to the Dear Departed Dog) was climbing all over me as I typed. So sorry.

I guess I'd go with one if money were no object, although I never heard of a professional dogsitter moving into your home, either. My neighbor has one who just comes by for an hour or so a day, and does a few other little things, also (mail, plants, etc.). A friend of mine just hired someone online who was a "professional" housesitter (whatever that means, which is about nothing, just that they call themselves that) and she also had two cats, so that was the main job.

It was for about a month and nothing terrible happened but the cats weren't in bad shape. But, she never cleaned the house in a month, she undid a lot of training (ie, let the cats on furniture they had been trained not to be one), and broke the electric kitty litter rake thing, etc.). But nothing dire happened. She was "responsible", I guess, and not a partier, just a flake. People who are willing to move into your home for a long time because they don't have their own home because they can't afford it or move around a lot are generally flakey, in my experience.

I would definitely "test drive" the dog sitter. We had a dog sitter when Murphy was around 6-8 mos. old. The sitter was a dog trainer as well as a cop. We thought we had found the perfect sitter and the first stay went well, but during the second stay a young German Shepard (also being watched) attacked our dog.

Our poor pooch had bite marks all over his back and at first the sitter claimed that he knew nothing. When my husband confronted him about all of the bites, and the subsequent trip to the vet, the guy came clean. Needless to say the dog never went there again.

Now Murphy stays with my in-laws when we take long trips and stays with our neighbors if we are only gone for a day or two.

It's a tough situation. Good luck!
((c))

WE have a friend who "house" sits - which includes donkeys, dogs, hens and a budgie. WE know her well and trust her to take difficult decisions if need be. Would you trust this person to make a difficult decision if your dog were ill? injured?
Whoever I picked, I would either want to know them very well, or take up all their references.
THe idea of having them do a weekend is a good noe, I think.
Regarding using students/young family members, we are leaving our two kids aged [nearly] 19 and 15 in charge for 5 nights this September as our housesitter is not available. [she's going on her own holiday!] Last year we left them for 2 & 3 nights. THey are very responsible, know the animals and their routines, and have friends and neighbours to call on in an emergency. I think this is preferable to using "adults" that neither we nor the animals know at all.
I have no worries about what they/their friends will get up to while we're away.
My instinct would be to go with the student - he/she is is a known quantity, who could be introduced to your precious pouch before you go, and would probably be happy to do a dummy run. Sounds as if your mother could step in in an emergency.
My test would be - which option would let me sleep best at night?

I meant good "one" - sorry about the tyops.

Someone who does it for a living is the best idea, who will stay in your home.
The worst is leaving your pet at a strangers home.
Actually, the safest can be a kennel, but I don't do that ..
So I guess on your list, #1.
.Definitely not # 3 and
#2- if a student that you know would stay in your home for money, might be good.

You just have to go for the person who you personally trust the most. Trust your gut instinct.

I wouldn't be so concerned about 2's age as some of the other posters. I think she is most likely to play and make a fuss of your dog and spend time with him. 1 and 3 I can imagine quickly popping in, feeding dog, letting out in garden until he relieves himself, then off to their next booking.
Teenagers are not necessarily irresponsible. I used to leave two of my son's friends with a key to come and feed my cat and look after my flat when we were away from when they were about 14 years old, and everything was fine. They used to get up to more mischief when I was out at work. The shaving foam on the kitchen ceiling incident is burned into my brain. But they responded extremely well to being left 'in charge'.

I don't like the idea of a stranger (i.e. professional dog sitter) living in my house. So I would find a friend, relative, neighbor, or student who was willing to do the job, and hope for the best.

With three Boston Terriers, I am familiar with this dilemma. There is no ideal solution, only one that is least worrisome.

A professional house/dog sitter with a verifiable track record is the safest option. The "trusted student" and the "old lady I barely know" sound like a premise from a Stephen King novel.

Even a professional house sitter can "bite" you (pun intended). A house sitter that we had used for two years stole some Percocet and Vicodine (either that or she had someone at the house that wasn't supposed to be there and they stole the medication).

We just lost our second (and very good) house sitter because family obligations now prevent her from doing overnights. We are going on a trip to the Grand Tetons next month as an excuse to try out a new house sitter.

If you live in a large metropolitan area, you should be able to find at least a few professional housesitters. Try Pet Sitters International - all of our house sitters (including, unfortunately, the painkiller addict) have belonged to this organization. They have a website.

Don't rely completely on the house sitter. Before we go on a trip, I always check our fence for holes or loose boards. Don't want one of our dogs to slip away on a potty break. I even built a small barrier that blocks the front door so the dogs can't bust out as the house sitter is entering.

If your mother is nearby, maybe you can use her as a backup in case something goes wrong with the house sitter (massive heart attack, hit by bus, etc.).

Remember, you're not just paying for someone to take care of your dog, you're also paying for peace of mind.

I've _just_ gone through the same dog sitting problem. For years we boarded our other dogs in an excellent kennel about 2 hours from our house. Then their prices skyrocket when they added the word "spa" to their name. They don't bathe, groom, give manicures or pedicures, so the name is is merely for decoration.

Personally, I would not go with any of your options. We have an 11 month old puppy, who will be 16 months when we go to Paris over the Holidays. I refuse to leave him in a caged environment. Also he has food allergies and is on a special diet - easy enough for us to maintain via wet and dry food from the Vet's.

Our local SF newspaper had an article about pet sitters a few weeks ago - horror stores - about people coming to your house daily, people house/dog sitting, both individuals and 'agencies'.

After agonizing for several weeks AFTER taking DH's advice to pay in advance, non-refundable $$$, for our flight and apartment deposit, I still hadn't found anyone.

Then we hit on the idea of asking at the dog park down the block. We go there almost every day. BINGO ... a woman that we had talked to numrous times, who lives two block away and whose dogs play with mine, said that she would love to have him in her home. She doesn't come to your house, but I feel very comfortable leaving him there.

He has already had an a test overnighter and an evening stay and he did just fine --- with the addition of a citronella dog bark collar.

Prior to finding our neighbor, I had checked with the woman whose training class we took and she suggested calling the local SPCA. Another good source would be you own Vet or neighborhood pet shop.

I would never never hire anyone sight unseen on line to take care of my little Zebby - maybe to take care of my kids, but never my puppy ;-)

#2 has been the perfect solution for me. I am in a mixed age choir, and one of the younger members is working 2 jobs, going to college, and living at home to save money. When I go, he stays here with Mary and Mo (two 2 year old sister kitties). They get to stay in their own home (and sleep in their own queen sized bed) while their 'uncle" gets some time by himself. (and private time with his girlfriend!) I learned not to buy food for him (impossible to figure out what a 21 year old boy eats) but just leave money for him to spend however he wants (in addition to payment for watching the girls.) I have never had a moments problem and trust him totally. Good luck in finding someone like this for your kids!!

Cimbrone, I sympathize with your dilemma.

Despite your misgivings about a kennel, that is what I would recommend for your precious pet. We take our dogs to a kennel we "vetted" with multiple reference calls and surprise visits. One of our dogs is a special needs animal who takes anti-rejection drugs daily. Our dogs are well-cared for and safe, and not as lonely as they would be crated at home waiting for a sitter. At the kennel they see people most of the day from their cages and are walked five times each day. At home, they are isolated and most sitters will not come more than 3x per day. Also, kennel owners are conscientious about illness and will take your pet to the vet promptly if something goes wrong.

Find a kennel that is really excellent and leave with confidence.

I wouldn't choose any of your three stated options... especially #1. Someone from the internet? Yikes.

As others have stated, your vet or dog groomer may have leads on reliable people - but still I'd hate to have a stranger stay in my house.

In years past before we had other options, we chose to board our dogs in a kennel. At least we knew they'd be safe while we were gone. Different kennels have different facilities. The one we used had a "box" where the dogs could stay if they didn't want interaction with others, or they could walk out (still in their own space) where they could see other dogs and bark to their hearts' content. Check out the different facilities in your area. You might find something suitable.

I didn't like the idea of leaving my dogs in a kennel, but I could at least be certain they'd be safe and sound there until my return. There's a lot to be said for that.

I fortunately have a neighborhood dog walker who takes care of my dog and cat when I travel. She takes the dog home with her at night after her evening walk and then leaves her at my home during the day. For the dog and cat combined it is not cheap. In the distant past (before dog) I have had trusted friends, the college age children of friends, neighbors' children and my vets tech take care of my cats. The most reliable was my vets' tech.

I know what a dilemma this is. Since your pet has medical problems, I'd first probably try checking with the vet tech at your Vet's office or with the Vet if they have recommendations.

I do agree with Kswl about some kennels but check them thoroughly to make sure they're as good as they appear.

I wouldn't necessarily rule out the 18 year old either. You know him. Is he/she a real animal lover? Is he/she a big partier or a nerdier, studious type? As someone else suggested, can a neighbor or your mother sort of double-check on things?

We've had vet techs, nice elderly neighbors, and teens whose parents checked on them frequently. All worked well. Probably the nice elderly neighbor was the best of all because he was genuinely fond of my dogs.

Would it be an option to have the dog stay with your mother, but hire someone to walk/groom/look in on him? Perhaps it would be less burdensome for her if a professional dogsitter was helping with those things.

We have used a variety of options too -- we currently have a young, energetic dog (needs attention) and an elderly cat (needs meds). We've had both good and disappointing results with students. We have a wonderful professional who we trust very much, but she doesn't move in, and having her come twice a day for the dog is prohibitively expensive for a longer trip. It also doesn't solve the problem of providing companionship. We have great neighbors with whom we trade pet-sitting for shorter trips but we do not want to wear out our welcome with them. Several years ago, when we had three cats, we found a kennel that was great and left them there quite happily...but we have not found one we liked as much since then. Our most recent solution was to have a college student come over to stay and hire the professional to come over once every other day, with the neighbors having a key and acting as "backup."

I guess what I'm saying is don't rule ANYTHING out, and think about having back-ups or an extra set of eyes on the situation no matter which option you choose.

Not #3. Actually none of the above. Does your vet provide boarding? That might be the safest option. I have used regualr boarding kennels with my current and previous dogs, and it has always worked out fine. My dogs have always been friendly and sociable, so they adjusted well to the caretakers. However, I'd agree tht a boarding kennel is not ideal for a very old dog or a dog with serious health problems. My dog is 12, and I was going to board her at the vet this October when I thought I was going on vacation. But I just learned this week that she has a very serious medical problem, so most likely I will not go away this year, because if her time is limited, I'd like to be with her every day. If your vet offers some boarding, at least for a few longtime clients, for animals with health problems, I really think that would be the best option. Dogs are flexible, and being away from home is not terrible for them if they're reasonably outgoing.