Hiring a Dog Walker or Pet Sitter
So many of us have been working from home because of covid-19. Since the world shut down in the spring of 2020, many families have taken the opportunity to add a new furry member since weāve all been home so much. But now itās time to return to work so you need to hire a midday dog walker. Or perhaps youāre feeling comfortable about taking a vacation and Fido isnāt going along so you need to hire a pet sitter.
So many of us have been working from home because of covid-19. Since the world shut down in the spring of 2020, many families have taken the opportunity to add a new furry member since weāve all been home so much.
But now itās time to return to work so you need to hire a midday dog walker. Or perhaps youāre feeling comfortable about taking a vacation and Fido isnāt going along so you need to hire a pet sitter.
Perhaps your previous dog walker or dog sitter isnāt available any longer because so much has changed over the last year. Or perhaps youāve never hired a dog walker or pet sitter.
If you are in the market for a new dog walker or pet sitter, here are the things I think you should consider:
Find someone credible. Perhaps that is someone who has been doing this for a while who can provide you with references from current clients. Perhaps you can get a referral from a friend of yours or from your veterinarian.
Check the dog walkerās references. Actually call and speak to or email their references. Ask them what their favorite things are about them. Ask them if theyāve ever had any problems with the person. If so, what were those problems and how were they resolved?
Find out where the person lives. I believe having someone who lives fairly close to you makes the most sense.
Find out what your dog walkerās backup plan is if for some reason they canāt come at the last minute.
Find out what the personās backup plan is for when they take time off.
Find out what their experience level is with dogs, cats, hamsters, etc. Whatever type of pet you have, ask about his/her experience. If you have a pet with special needs, definitely discuss in detail what those needs are and how you expect your pet to be cared for. Is your dog sitter comfortable with what you need to have done?
Ask about how your pet sitter or dog walker will handle any type of emergency. Hopefully nothing will happen but what if something does?
Does the dog walker have liability insurance? God forbid, what happens if your dog injures another dog while out on the walk? What if your pet sitter loses the keys to your house and your home has to be re-keyed?
Ask the dog walker if the same person will always walk your dog. If youāre hiring a pet sitter, ask if one person will do all of the visits or if it could be multiple people. In my opinion, having the same person is best so your pet has that consistency.
These are just a few of things that I can think of off the top of my head when I think about things to consider when hiring a new dog walker or pet sitter.
Do your research. Trusting someone with your beloved pet and with the keys to your house is a big deal.
Hereās just one recent example of what Iāve had to do in a last minute emergency situation.
This was a few months ago and Charlotte was experiencing a windy, rainy day. Branches were coming down and sure enough our power went out. Our garage door is VERY heavy and I canāt open it by myself when the power is out. So I had to walk to my next dog walking client.
I texted my client and explained what happened. I told her Iād be about 20 minutes late but that I was on my way and Iād get there. I did. But Iāll admit, walking in that type of weather was a big scary. Branches were coming down as the wind was swirling around.
But my client and perhaps more importantly, her dog were expecting me and Poppy needed her potty break.
This is why in my opinion, itās important that your dog walker or pet sitter lives near you.
Iāve had other instances where I go to hop in my car and it wonāt start. Thatās actually happened to me twice. Once I flagged down a neighbor and she graciously let me borrow her car. Another time I walked to the job.
I started my dog walking and pet sitting company in 2009. Iāve had hiccups happen and now all these years later, Iām pretty good at handling whatever comes up. Luckily itās only been a handful of issues in all these years but itās important that you have confidence in whoever you hire.
You want to hire someone who can handle whatever happens. Because things will happen. Even to the best dog walker.
If you have questions or would like to discuss your dog walking or pet sitting needs, please contact me. 704-340-4105 or [email protected].