Every pet owner knows the challenges of booking holidays away from home where the pets are not welcome. And if you have a dog or two you know they need special care, attention and stimulation and some become nervous away from home, some also suffer from separation anxiety routine is important to maintain. So you need to find a dog sitter.

Read on to learn our top tips on at home pet care with a checked petsitter.

Find a dog sitter – Ideal at-home pet care

Holiday time arrives and every pet owner is nervously looking for dog minding solutions. Do you use a local dog boarding kennels or have a neighbour or family member take care of your pet? Or have you used up all your credit with friends and family so now you need to find a dogsitter?

Staying with familiar people is a good way to keep your dogs calm and to minimise separation anxiety.

Friends and family dog minding solution

If you have a single dog or single pet then often friends and family are happy to step in and do a spot of dog minding while you are away. However, the pet minding ask gets more complex and is a considerably bigger favour if you have multiple pets.

Whether they move into your home or have the pets at their place it is still a big responsibility. Familiarity of location, of smells and of habits all help your dogs feel more relaxed.

Maintain your dog’s routines

Above all keeping your dog’s routines and location as a constant is considered the best practice to keep your dogs relaxed and happy while you are away. However, some dogs will be very nervous regardless, by their nature or perhaps because they are rescued with a sketchy past. So perhaps you need dog sitters at home. Find a dog sitter online.

Nervous pets – dog separation anxiety

The added complication, therefore, is if your dog /s experience any degree of separation anxiety. You might consider some type of pet medication to relax and calm them. Consider trazodone for dogs dosage chart by weight and size.

Dog sitter managing your dog’s routine while you are away

Keeping your pets at home in their own environment is the best way to manage any fear they might experience. Brief your dog sitter to remain faithful to the dog’s routine, feeding times, walking times, treat times all matter and the dogs will expect the same activities every day. The routine gives comfort and shows they are cared for and loved.

Another solution is to keep your dogs at home with a dog sitter or dog minder in residence. Here they are familiar with their environment, they know the smells, it is easier to maintain their routine and for them to go on their usual routine walks.

Where to find a dog sitter for pet minding at home?

While you may be tempted to searching online for ‘dog sitters that come to my home’, ‘petsitters’ ‘dog boarding’, ‘find a dog sitter near me’ and so on, think again.

Today there are new online networks of pet lovers, who will exchange their time and experience in pet care to look after your dog for free accommodation and a good online review. Yes indeed, there are. HousesitMatch.com is a great place to start for pet owners, learning about house and pet sitting.

Online house and petsitting communities

A house and petsit community where you know members are ID checked for security, and you can view the sitter profiles is a good place to start reviewing dog sitter or pet sitter profiles. Communities like Housesitmatch.com offer a safe environment to meet like minded members who are primarily pet lovers and experienced in pet and home care.

Check their pet sitter reviews to find a reliable dog sitter

As a dog owner you might be very busy and you may travel a great deal for work and holidays.  You can always find a dog sitter for this job. Before booking a dog sitter, ask potential candidates about their experience and any Doggy references from former employers or customers.

With an online network like Housesitmatch you know they are checked, and their reviews are visible. It is a great way to find dog sitting services.

If you have a particular need, ask about it, and if the candidate can provide this service, check what kind of experience they have with the specific task.

Dog minding for multiple pets is costly

Another reason to consider this way to find a dog sitter is if you have multiple pets to care for. Apart from taking your dog away from your home while you are away, consider the cost of dog boarding, kennels especially if you have multiple pets. It can be very expensive, and made more so if you travel away from home several times a year.

Find a dog sitter for free by joining a house and petsitting platform. But how do you find a reliable dog sitter? Join a network like Housesitmatch. Check the online reviews for your house and petsitting network – check Trustpilot or Google reviews. It’s worth spending the time to do that to see what real users have said.

Join as a home and petowner to find a dog sitter

Joining HouseSit Match as a petowner is a straightforward process:

1. Register as a homeowner pet owner on HouseSit Match.
2. Complete the ID check for added credibility and trustworthiness.
3. Build your profile to showcase your pets, and home.
4. Offer your dog sits by posting a housesit advert and listing and connect with pet sitters.
5. Embark on an exciting journey as a member of this community meeting and working with dog sitters and house sitters.

How to become a dog sitter 

Starting as a pet sitter and housesitter

If you love pets and especially dogs (they are the most popular pets in this network) consider joining as a house and pet sitter. Becoming a house and pet sitter on this housesitting and petsitting platform is a straightforward process:

1. Register as a house sitter and pet sitter on HouseSit Match.
2. Complete the ID check for added credibility and trustworthiness.
3. Build your profile to showcase your experience and reliability.
4. Apply for dog sits across the housesit listings and connect with homeowners and pet owners.
5. Embark on an exciting journey as a trusted house sitter caring for pets and especially dogs.

Further reading about dog sitting and housesitters

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

Top dogsitting tips for beginners

What is House Sitting?