If you own dogs and travel away from home without your pets you will be used to finding local dogsitters to dog sit. However, if you are a new pet owner or you are not quite sure of the area you may need to think about your next step. Have you considered all the types of dog minding care you could have? Read on to learn more about how you find the ideal dog sitters, who may be local or they may simply arrive at your house when you request to be your live in home and dog sitter while y0u are away.

What makes dogsitters great?

Many homeowners start their search for their dogsitters in the local neighbourhood. Usually we approach neighbours, friends in dog clubs or perhaps our dog clipping service. Some other homeowners go straight online to see what a search for ‘local dogsitters’ or dogsitters near me will yield. It is important to consider what makes our ideal petsitters or dogsitter.

Dog sitting service

The ideal petsitters

Whatever you have in mind for your ideal pet sitter note it down. It can help you to have a reference when you are searching for that special person.

Dog sitters for dog holiday care

Before you start searching for dog boarding near me, do think about various ways of finding good dog sitters.  Finding dedicated pet sitters who will help care for your dogs can be a great relief when you go away.

The dogsitting brief

When we finally decide we need a dogsitter, and which dates we need them we then start mentally drafting a brief. Some people count on recommendations only. So the reputation of the dogsitter is important.

Other people consider price of the dog minding brief.

And some simply go on availability of the dogsitters.  Many pet owners will likely go online to search for dogsitters near me.

A major challenge in keeping dogs is finding a sitter

What you look for in a pet sitter dog sitter

There may be various characteristics that you look for in an ideal dog sitter.

Large dog sitter

These may be related to their experience and perhaps love of dogs. You may have large security dogs that need experienced dog handlers.

Dog boarding in home

Live in pet sitter

Or you may have friendly domesticated dogs that simply need care and attention as part of the dog minding in their home home. Here are some of the characteristics that our clients tell us are really important to them:

• A love of dogs
• Experience in dog minding and dog care
• Dog handling knowledge
• Not fearful of dogs
• Fit and able to walk the dogs and entertain them
• Someone who is happy to clean up after your dogs
• Someone who doesn’t mind giving medication if needed

Are the ideal dog sitters always local dog sitters?

You might have just typed into Google ‘How do I find a local pet sitter near me?’  Wherever you have found your dogsitters in the past you will be used to briefing them and reviewing them.

Dog sitters near me – The ultimate search

Perhaps you posted a local advertisement to find a regular dog minder. Local dogsitters are usually fairly available in most towns. A search for dog sitters near me delivers a range of appropriate results. There could be professional dogsitters in the results listed.

Looking for trusted pet sitters

How to find dogsitters near me

You might prefer to research the ways to find the right solution for you. Perhaps you have even Googled ‘How to find a dog sitter near me?

Maybe you have found kennels that are local to you. Or perhaps your search engine has returned a list of various options including dog sitting websites, or house sitting websites.

What makes an ideal dogsitter?

A good dogsitter is one who will care for your pets while you are away. More than likely they will be a live in dogsitter. They will be a dogsitter that will come to your house, and will stay for as long as you need them by agreement. And when the dogsitter is caring for your pets they know what a dog needs before the dogs knows it.

Organising the dogsit

Dog sitting prices

You may want to hire a professional dogsitter. If so you will be ready to pay the daily rate. And if you are away overnight or for a longer period you may wish to agree a set rate for your period of absence. In the UK dog sitting prices vary from £ 10 per day up to £ 50 + per day.

In home dog sitter

So if you are to cover all your holidays with a holiday dog sitter the total annual price for dogsitting can add up significantly. So it is worth considering alternative options such as an overnight pet sitting in my home.

Petsitting and housesitting websites

One relatively new and effective alternative comes in the form of petsitting and house sitting websites. usually there is a nominal administrative fee to joining. Once you have joined as a pet owner and homeowner you create a profile and post an advert.

Professionally run housesitting platform

The good and professionally run sites will then check your ID for the safety of all those in the network. Sitters are also checked and their current police and background checks are displayed alongside their sitter reviews.

Free petsitters and housesitters

The other perhaps major advantage is that the sitters are for free. They wont charge you for dogsitting in your home.

In house dog sitting

There are many sitters who are happy to move into your home to care for your pets. Or you could hire dog sitters at their home.

Rent free living in exchange for petsitting

Joining such a petsitting website can save you a great deal of money. And you can find remarkably well experience dogsitters, dog handlers and dog lovers.

The deal – Free dogsitting

Sometimes these dogsitters are local. They may be happy to pet sit for free to earn reviews in order that they can travel further afield. Sometimes you may be petsitters offering to help you for free because they have come to petsit from abroad and this is their way of managing their budget. It is a way these dogsitters fund their travel overseas by exchanging their skills in home and pet care for free accommodation.

A final word on finding local dogsitters or the ideal dogistters

So next time you feel the need to search for local dog sitters, consider the alternatives. They may be kennel alternatives in the form of amateur dogsitters who will house and petsit for free! And you can secure free dogsitters for the price of a small club membership.

More useful blog links about dogsitting with Housesitmatch

At Housesitmatch.com we always try to share useful and informative blogs and practical advice with our members. Read on to find some helpful articles with useful tips for dog owners and dogsitters about dogsitting.

What is dogsitting with Housesitmatch

Dogsitting in Cornwall – Joys and responsibilities

Dogsitters’ tips – Dog’s body language and how to read it

The Affordable Alternative to Dog Kennels

What is House Sitting?