Dog Walker & Pet Sitter

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. My most common type of a job is a regularly scheduled, daily walk; a close second to that would be several visits per day when a customer is out of town and wants his or her pet visited, played with, fed, etc. Slightly less common are overnights, but there are plenty of those as well: many clients who are out of town longer than a weekend prefer to have me living at their house or apartment with their animals, instead of doing drop-in visits. Every case is different, which is one of the great things about my job. I may walk a dog in the early morning on a daily basis, then visit an animal whose "people" are out of town or at the office, then spend the night with a dog whose family is on vacation. (The job requires a strong sense of organization and an excellent calendar)

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. If you're looking for a petsitter or dog walker, make sure that he or she is properly insured. Any potential dog walker or petsitter should be more than willing to come to your home for a no-obligation meeting with you and your pet(s), which will give you the opportunity to get to know the person and see how they interact with your companion(s) in the animals' home environment. If you are going to be out of town, expect regular text updates on the status of your home and pet(s).

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Anyone can call themselves a "petsitter," but not everyone has taken the steps to obtain a business license and to purchase the proper insurance; at the least, expect your petsitter to be fully insured and ideally, have a business license (required for all independent contractors, which your petsitter most probably is). Experience is important! It's not essential that every petsitter be a veterinary technician, but any petsitter worth hiring will have several years' experience working with animals in one form or another; don't be afraid to ask for references, as any good petsitter will be able to furnish these. Check to see whether your petsitter (or the umbrella company for whom the petsitter has contracted) is a member of Petsitters International or the National Association of Professional Petsitters; membership in at least one of these shows a commitment to the business and a desire to do excellent work. Don't go with the cheapest pet care worker out there; your animals are your family!

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. I'd ask about the associations/experience listed above.

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. One thing that comes immediately to mind is that I go above and beyond the "required" job description; I totally understand it when a client wants me to spend more time with his or her pet than a short visit here and a short visit there. Whenever possible, I spend as much time with the pet(s) as I can possibly fit into my schedule; I've even spent entire days (and nights, too!) with my clients' pets! While this might sound cost-prohibitive, it doesn't have to be. I believe everything is negotiable, and prospective clients shouldn't be overly concerned about cost. If I have the time available, I'll make the money part work for my client.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love being entrusted with the care of people's beloved pets. As a lifetime pet lover, I know that dogs and cats aren't just "pets," they're truly members of the family. When a client is away from home, whether for the day or for a week, I make it my goal that the client's companion animal --as much as possible -- barely knows his or her human is away. I do this by maintaining the animal's regular walk, feeding, and play schedule, and, for example, if the dog is used to sleeping on the client's bed, then that's where he's going to sleep with me! I don't go so far as watching the TV shows the dog recommends, but I'm open to it! (In most cases, we watch Dog Whisperer anyway!)

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I wish customers knew that anybody can print up business cards and call themselves a "Pet Sitter." It's important, when hiring a pet sitter, to ask the potential sitter about his or her professional alliances: are they a member of Pet Sitters International, or the National Society of Professional Petsitters? Do they have a business license, and are they bonded and insured? I think most pet care consumers are savvy enough to ask the right questions of the individual who'll potentially be caring for their pet; most of all, I'd urge customers to LISTEN TO YOUR GUT when you first meet with a pet sitter. Our instincts, about people or situations, are never wrong if we really listen to them.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. After having worked as an animal shelter volunteer for over five years, it dawned on me: I should be doing this as my next career! It didn't take long before I found a petsitting company -- Dogs On The Run -- that was looking to expand into my area (Pacific Beach, La Jolla). I met with the company's owner, we realized we were definitely "in synch" when it came to our beliefs (and at the time, her experiences) about petsitting as a profession, and we decided to contract with each other for work (I am an independent contractor affiliated with Dogs On The Run). That was three months ago, and I quickly realized I'd made the absolutely correct decision, career-wise. From the daily morning walk I provide for a client in La Jolla, to the longer, overnight assignments I've taken on, I've found the experience even better than I'd originally imagined it would be. The best part of the job is that I'm dealing with people who love their animals, and, of course, I get to spend time with the animals themselves. I still volunteer at the San Diego County Dept. of Animal Services, but happily, I am able to balance that out with my job.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I read everything I can on petsitting via information provided by Petsitters International, and as far as animal care, I continue to expand my shelter work knowledge whenever possible. Presently, I am attending a Level 2 class on handling pit bulls, presented by Best Friends Animal Society and Whole Dog training. I am also extremely interested in pet dog training, not as a career, but as a way to better connect with and communicate with my clients' dogs as well as the many shelter dogs I am privileged to work with. I took the Red Cross dog and cat pet first aid class a few months ago, and I am sure I will need to take it again within the next year or so in order to remain "fresh" and well-informed.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. First of all, I would advise anyone thinking of going into this profession to "sample: it by volunteering their dog walking services at a local shelter. The experience one can gain, and the insights into dog behavior, are invaluable, and it never hurts to do good in the community, especially a community you'd like to become an active member of. I would suggest they listen to their 'gut' or intuition before taking on this profession; if you truly feel a love and respect for animals, especially dogs, and you believe you can bring this with you every day you go to work, then follow your gut, and your heart, and become a pet sitter/dog walker. Of course, I'd recommend that they obtain a business license, and become bonded and insured, but that's pretty basic. I would also suggest that they not give up at the very beginning; pet sitting and dog walking takes time to grow as a business; the clients are out there, they just need to know you are, too.