How to be a dog sitter (if you don't own a pet)

There is hardly anything that can make people more content in less time than the happy sounds, adorable looks and gentle nudges of a beloved pet. Unfortunately, though, not all of us can have fur babies of our own. Your living situation might not allow for it, you might have a family member who’s allergic, or perhaps your lifestyle means you don’t have the luxury of being able to care for a pet 24/7. In all of these cases, becoming a dog sitter could be the solution you’re looking for. As a dog sitter, you’ll take care of other people’s dogs while getting the chance to visit new locations, and live like a local while staying at the owner’s place.

But being a dog sitter isn’t all fun and games, it also comes with quite a dog sitting responsibilities. After all, the owners who entrust you with their beloved pets rely on you taking care of them with as much care, knowledge and affection as they themselves would. In our article, we’d like to help you get an idea of how to be a dog sitter, the skills and attitudes you need to bring with you, the tasks you’ll be asked to perform in the course of your service and even where you can get trained and certified as a dog or pet sitter to show pet owners you’re a real pro at taking care of their furry, scaley or feathery family members.

The basics of pet sitting

Before you begin to ask yourself, “How can I become a dog sitter?”, you should first ask yourself, “Do I have what it takes to be a dog sitter?”. Here are some skills and characteristics you will most definitely need to start your own dog and pet sitting adventures:

1. Have a good rapport with animals

It should go without saying but the most important characteristic for anyone trying to be a pet sitter is to love animals and have a good rapport with them. This means that you can’t be scared or allergic to them, but also that you need to love taking care of them even if they – or you! – are having a bad day. You should also be prepared that some pets may take a little longer to get used to you and start loving you back.

Having a good rapport with animals also means that you need to have certain skills. You should know how to communicate with your new furry friends, how to read their signals, how to handle them during walks or, when you have to give them medication or calm them down if needed, keep them out of dangerous situations or best help them in the case of an emergency.

Having had your own pet at some point in the past, even if you no longer do, will most likely mean you’re good at these things. In case you’ve never actually taken care of a pet before and are still set on becoming a dog sitter, however, consider starting your pet sitting career by learning from friends with pets, co-sitting with an experienced pet sitter or volunteering at shelters, so you can gain the experience you need. And should you be willing to even invest some money into your exciting new venture, you can also check out the last section of this article to find out how to become a professionally trained and certified pet sitter.

2. Be reliable

Whenever a pet owner books you to take care of their dog or other pet, you are essentially their fur baby sitter. Reliability, therefore, is another indispensable characteristic any dog sitter needs.

Being reliable, however, is not just a matter of being there on time, it’s also about reliably following the owners’ instructions on how to best care for your charge: food needs to be given a certain way and no other, especially if the pet has specific dietary needs or allergies. You may be asked to walk the dog a specific way, route or distance; and any necessary medication must be given exactly as instructed. And, of course, the owners will also want to be certain you’ll reliably treat the pooch with love, kindness, care and enough expertise to professionally respond to any circumstances that may arise.

3. Be trustworthy

Lastly, the third absolute must-have characteristic for anyone wondering how to be a pet sitter, is to be trustworthy. This may sound like a repetition of the previous point but there is actually a little more to it.

Being trustworthy certainly means you need to be someone who can be trusted to provide the best care possible for the owner’s beloved puppers, but it also means you need the skills to communicate that indisputably being the case. If you’re the most caring, skilled and reliable pet sitter in the world but fail to reassure potential owners of it, none of it will matter. You therefore not only need to be what you are, but also look, sound and feel the part, so pet owners will want to put their trust in you.

Equally, you need to be someone who’s calm and open enough to make pets open up to you and trust you, too. This is especially important if you plan on sitting dogs who tend to be anxious or scared in general (or at least whenever their humans aren’t around). If you go to a meet and greet with the owners so they can decide whether they’d like you to be their new dog sitter and they (or their dog) do not warm up to you, it could really hurt your chances of getting the sit.

Lastly, another thing that should go without saying: whenever you’re pet sitting at someone else’s home, you are being invited into their private space and should treat it with the same respect you’d expect others to treat your home and privacy. This means, for example, not entering rooms you don’t need to, no taking or posting pictures without permission and no taking other people with you unless the owners have already agreed to it.

Services and responsibilities

Now that you know what you need to be to become a dog sitter, how about what you need to do once you are one? We’ve put together a short list of any pet sitter’s most common responsibilities and services. Plus, here's the questions to ask before dog sitting to help you prepare for your next venture.

1. Walking Dogs

The first thing when it comes to dog sitting for vacationing pet owners, of course, is taking the dog for a walk. As a sitter for TrustedHousesitters, your services will far exceed those of a regular dog walking service, but you’ll still be out and about with the pooches quite a lot.

Many owners will be content with you just exercising their dogs however you see fit, while others might give you specific instructions, like the distance or duration of the walk, the route you should take, which areas to avoid/seek out or whether to keep their pets on- or off-leash. Especially as regards the leash, make sure to communicate with the owner beforehand on what both you and they are happy with. Most dog sitters will not walk dogs without a leash, and that is perfectly fine as it is much safer for the pupper, you, and other pets and people. Not to mention, it might be illegal not to.

2. Feeding Pets

Of course, feeding pets and keeping them happy and healthy is a big part of being a pet sitter. The food will be provided by the owner, and be sure to feed them according to any instructions without exception unless the owner specifically gives you permission to feed them other things, like your own dog treats.

You should also ask the owners about any special dietary needs the dog might have or special practices they are used to beforehand to avoid problems and show the owner you really care about and pay attention to their fur baby.

3. Taking care of the business

If you put things in on one end, sooner or later it’s gonna come out the other – and making sure it then ends up where it belongs, namely the trash bin, is your responsibility as well. This means cleaning out litter boxes and bringing poop bags on your walks with Fido.

4. Playing and cuddling with pets

Another responsibility is to keep your charges entertained and happy, which means you’ll want to plan for plenty of play and cuddle time. Ask the owners about their pet’s favourite games and toys, or find out if you can continue with fun training activities they’ve started themselves, like teaching the pooch new tricks or commands.

Just keep in mind that not every dog loves cuddles and pets from strangers, even if their owners say they do or if they were okay with it while their humans were around. Try to read the pet’s body language and other signals to decide what’s welcome and what’s not.

5. Giving medication

Most pets in their younger years won’t need to take medication but older cats and dogs often do, and even younger pets might be sick or recovering from injuries while you care for them. The owner should give you a good demonstration of how to do this, but it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with how to administer pills, solutions and other medication, how to fix and change bandages, how to apply ointments or eye drops, and which tricks you can try should things not go as smoothly as you might hope.

Pet sitter training and certification

In case you’re wondering “How can I become a pet sitter if I love animals but have no experience with them whatsoever?” and don’t mind investing a little money, joining pet sitter training and certification programs could be a great way to learn all the basics – and more. Plus, being able to show potential pet owners your certificate will most definitely help you in reassuring them you really know your stuff and will indeed take superb care of their beloved fur baby.

Some great organisations that offer pet sitter training and certificates:

• PSI – Pet Sitters International
• NarpsUK – National Association of Pet Sitters & Dog Walkers (UK only)
• CAW – The College of Animal Welfare (UK only)
• NAPPS – National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (US only)

Have you been thinking “I want to be a dog sitter!” over and over since you’ve started reading this article or even for much, much longer? Then finally be one! You don’t have to start your own pet sitting business or do it full-time right away, either. Simply get going by learning how easy it is to be a pet sitter with TrustedHousesittters and then register and start exploring our currently available sits. Oh, and did we mention that being a TrustedHousesitters pet sitter means you also get to explore the world if you wish to? We promise you’ll love being a part of our pet-loving community!

New to dog sitting?

Do you love pets but have never had one of your own and therefore feel like you should first learn your pet sitting ropes? Our friendly, pet-loving Community Forum will certainly love to help you gain some experience and share their favourite tricks with you. So, what are you waiting for? Come on over and join the conversation!