Being a pet sitter is a fun and lucrative experience. You can have the freedom of running your own business, full or part time, and luxuriate in the company of lots of delightful furry companions. However , before you go printing business cards it's imperative that you recognise the responsibility that goes with caring for somebody else's pets. Before you take on this job, prepare, learn and equip yourself. Then get ready to have a good time and make some cash!
Arm yourself with knowledge
Before it's possible for you to be a good dog sitter, you have to do a lot of reading on how to care for different breeds, sizes and special needs. Spending a lot of time with dogs and having experience training and caring for dogs is also a must have. Learn dog first aid and when it is necessary to take an animal to the vet. It's a great idea to go and visit your local vet, breeder, and trainer to find out pointers on how to care for different breeds and handle assertive behaviour. Remember people will be trusting you with an especially dear member of their family and it's imperative that you're confident in what you're doing when offering your services.
Choose your customers wisely
To build up your business you'll need to publicize your services. Try handing out flyers in your neighbourhood, advertize on a free public site like Kijiji, Craigslist, or your local paper. Make sure you list all of your assets and qualifications, for instance any first aid training you have done, related education, and so on. It will assist your business a lot if you position yourself with a bigger organization such as Pet Sitters International. Once you get calls for business, set up a time to go meet with the customer and pet to get feeling for the dog and how it interacts with you. This is your chance to have a look for any special needs or poor behaviour. Bear in mind that lots of your business will come by personal recommendation, so don't put yourself in a situation that'll be unsuitable for yourself and your customer. Never take on more than you know that you can handle for a job.
Location
It's time to make a decision on where you'll be doing the pet sitting. Will you be offering to go to your customers' houses? Do you need to solely sit out of your customers' houses or would you like to offer your own space for clients to drop off their pets? If you choose to offer your own space for your business, there are a few key things to think about. Where are you situated? Is it convenient for your customers to get to? Are you in an area that is a good environment for dogs? What can you offer in terms of conveniences to your customers? Is there a park close by to play in? Are there a lot of other dogs in the area? Will you permit your clients to bring toys, bedding and other accessories to your home? These points to consider will all influence your business.
Be well supplied
When you have the location sorted, it is time to obtain all the obligatory supplies. What kind of set up will your business need? Are you looking to take on more than one dog at a time? Will you be insisting clients bring their own crates? If not you will need to have crates of differing sizes available for different breeds and ages. You'll also need bedding, leashes, food and water bowls, food for every age from puppies to mature dogs, wet and dry, toys and treats. For safety reasons you should have strong, sturdy pet gates blocking potential hazards in your home such as staircases. You will need gates that can withstand even the largest and strongest breed. Pet gates come in many heights and widths to accommodate most spaces, from extra-wide to extra-tall. Obviously, if you will offer grooming services you need to have all grooming supplies available as well. Even if grooming will not be one of your services you will want supplies to bathe the animals after a run through the mud or being out in the rain.
Make it cosy
If you are planning to pet sit from your house, you're going to need to supply a safe, comfortable environment where the pets can stay for an extended time period. The dogs should not be left on their own through the night. Prepare a spare room for the dogs to be crated for the night, within earshot, so you can be aware of anything going down. The pet sitting area should be a comfortable temperature at all times. There should be a window and lots of light so the dogs don't feel jailed. The room should be enticing to both pets and your customers, who will likely request a tour before leaving their dog with you.
Plan Activities
You should plan to tire out the dogs during the day, permitting them to play and get plenty of exercise. If you can take them to a park or dog park, that's ideal as it'll give the dogs sufficient chance to run and socialize with other dogs. Make sure you have control over the animals before you let them off leash or near other dogs or people. Play games, take them for walks and ensure they have lots of food and water.
Arm yourself with knowledge
Before it's possible for you to be a good dog sitter, you have to do a lot of reading on how to care for different breeds, sizes and special needs. Spending a lot of time with dogs and having experience training and caring for dogs is also a must have. Learn dog first aid and when it is necessary to take an animal to the vet. It's a great idea to go and visit your local vet, breeder, and trainer to find out pointers on how to care for different breeds and handle assertive behaviour. Remember people will be trusting you with an especially dear member of their family and it's imperative that you're confident in what you're doing when offering your services.
Choose your customers wisely
To build up your business you'll need to publicize your services. Try handing out flyers in your neighbourhood, advertize on a free public site like Kijiji, Craigslist, or your local paper. Make sure you list all of your assets and qualifications, for instance any first aid training you have done, related education, and so on. It will assist your business a lot if you position yourself with a bigger organization such as Pet Sitters International. Once you get calls for business, set up a time to go meet with the customer and pet to get feeling for the dog and how it interacts with you. This is your chance to have a look for any special needs or poor behaviour. Bear in mind that lots of your business will come by personal recommendation, so don't put yourself in a situation that'll be unsuitable for yourself and your customer. Never take on more than you know that you can handle for a job.
Location
It's time to make a decision on where you'll be doing the pet sitting. Will you be offering to go to your customers' houses? Do you need to solely sit out of your customers' houses or would you like to offer your own space for clients to drop off their pets? If you choose to offer your own space for your business, there are a few key things to think about. Where are you situated? Is it convenient for your customers to get to? Are you in an area that is a good environment for dogs? What can you offer in terms of conveniences to your customers? Is there a park close by to play in? Are there a lot of other dogs in the area? Will you permit your clients to bring toys, bedding and other accessories to your home? These points to consider will all influence your business.
Be well supplied
When you have the location sorted, it is time to obtain all the obligatory supplies. What kind of set up will your business need? Are you looking to take on more than one dog at a time? Will you be insisting clients bring their own crates? If not you will need to have crates of differing sizes available for different breeds and ages. You'll also need bedding, leashes, food and water bowls, food for every age from puppies to mature dogs, wet and dry, toys and treats. For safety reasons you should have strong, sturdy pet gates blocking potential hazards in your home such as staircases. You will need gates that can withstand even the largest and strongest breed. Pet gates come in many heights and widths to accommodate most spaces, from extra-wide to extra-tall. Obviously, if you will offer grooming services you need to have all grooming supplies available as well. Even if grooming will not be one of your services you will want supplies to bathe the animals after a run through the mud or being out in the rain.
Make it cosy
If you are planning to pet sit from your house, you're going to need to supply a safe, comfortable environment where the pets can stay for an extended time period. The dogs should not be left on their own through the night. Prepare a spare room for the dogs to be crated for the night, within earshot, so you can be aware of anything going down. The pet sitting area should be a comfortable temperature at all times. There should be a window and lots of light so the dogs don't feel jailed. The room should be enticing to both pets and your customers, who will likely request a tour before leaving their dog with you.
Plan Activities
You should plan to tire out the dogs during the day, permitting them to play and get plenty of exercise. If you can take them to a park or dog park, that's ideal as it'll give the dogs sufficient chance to run and socialize with other dogs. Make sure you have control over the animals before you let them off leash or near other dogs or people. Play games, take them for walks and ensure they have lots of food and water.
About the Author:
Pamela Noble writes articles on pet care and parenting for BabyandPetGates.com. You can find more information on pet gates and other safety items on the Baby and Pet Gates website.
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