Hiring a dog walker/sitter/helper type person...

Ask your vet and friends with pets.

Stinky had a life altering experience and is not allowed to be kennelled in a particular Tennessee town for the duration of his life.(nor does he care to be)

bite proof gloves may not be

I found mine by the yellow pages-- there were a couple to choose from, and both said something in their ads about their qualifications, like "licensed, bonded, & insured" or something like that. I think there is enough of a demand for pet-sitting now that it's fairly easy to find someone who is really in it as a serious business and can give you references and assurances of experience and that kind of thing.... I bet you won't have any trouble finding some to choose from.

What did you ask of the sitter, cyphercat, and how much did you have to pay for the service?

Oh no - Rockhead!

We know a really good kennel here and Bird and her (now dead) sister (the much loved Bakker) used to stay there once in a while. The first time they ever stayed there we had arranged a grooming visit on the day we picked them up and that is when they discovered that the dogs refused to be seperated! When we arrived to claim them they were both in the smallish blow drier kennel, happy to be together but mad about all that air.

Hmm... Well, with the one we ended up going with, I talked to her on the phone and asked to meet with her in person; she brought a new-customer information packet with a reference list, a local vet recommending her, her experience, etc; copies of her contract for both of us; and also a really thorough health history for us to fill out about all of our pets -- all of which seemed professional enough that I felt pretty comfortable with her.... This was the first time we'd used a petsitter so I didn't know what to ask, really. I just checked out that she had experience with giving medications and with the kinds of pets that we have. Other than that, I liked that she made sure to meet and interact with each of the animals, so they'd know her a bit. She'd also been in business for quite a while so I felt that she would be responsible, since she had an established business to protect...

I did find out later, much to my surprise, that she brings her three-year-old with her and lets her run around the house. I thought that was unprofessional, since jeez, all kinds of stuff can happen with a toddler running around your house. I'd have wanted to move my breakable stuff at least, besides which I don't really trust little kids with small animals if I'm not there to keep an eye... So I think now, after having that experience, I'd make sure that the contract states that the petsitter is the only person I'm giving permission to be in the house, not them and whoever they feel like bringing with them...

Pricewise, one of the two I looked into charged something like $10 per visit, and the other $10/day, for one visit in the morning and one in the evening. Both charged a little extra for over two pets; and a little for extra things like giving meds.

I face this dilemma every summer. The past few years we've had our
dog staying with friends, and I hope they'll take him again.

I did have a dog sitter for a number of years. I got her through a neighbor
where she was dog sitting. She was great with our dog and I trusted her
staying at the house, she even picked us up from the airport. Unfortunately, she moved!

I also had my maid stay at the house one year, and it worked out fine.

So, in essence, I always try to find someone I know already, or someone
I know has experience with the dog sitter.

Prices down here are ridiculously high, even "Club Pet" charges close to
$ 30/day.

We got a pet sitter from a recommendation from our vet.

The Furry Godmothers


We've used them twice, and were very impressed with their caring and accountability. We got 2 update calls in the week we were gone...."Lulu is taking her medication fine, and loves to be brushed, and Jezzer is enjoying her ice water"

In addition, when we got home, they supplied us with a detailed diary of each day "Both girls got cat nip today, and enjoyed rolling around in it, and batted at each other"

My 4 year old neighbor (oh, and her mom) just took care of feeding and walking Sammy the Pug (belonging to another neighbor) for a week. I observed she took her responsibilities very seriously. I intend on using her services when we go on vacation in the Spring/Summer.

We had our irish setter stay for four days at a nicely sited kennel in Malibu, which was on our way out of Los Angeles, and came back to a dog that had lost weight fast fast fast. Ugh. Forever after that we left him at home and had our immediate neighbor feed and play with him on - which he was glad to do.

I usually left Pacco, on the few times I left him, at my business partner's home, which he was well used to from shorter visits... but one time they were away as well, so I left him in a certain local pet store and kennel (not a chain), also for something like four or five days. He was fine there as the help are all really good with animals, which I knew from taking him there to get his nails clipped over the years, and for leaving him there once in a blue moon for part of a day when we had projects where I couldn't take him along.

Anyway, I agree it is a good thing if the animals can stay home.

You know, if you're having one stay at home, you might consider just having both stay home-- I'm just thinking of the bringing-home-a-bug problem with kennels. I know cats are really susceptible to catching colds while at kennels, I don't know if it's as much of a problem with dogs, though.

Yeh, when I got Pacco from the humane society he had kennel cough...

There is no way that Diamond would get the activity he's used to without me having to pay a dog sitter an absolute fortune. Until he is "mature" enough to have free roam of the house he isn't going to be home when I'm out of town. It wouldn't be fair to him at all.

The kennel we use is good. It has a huge playgound for social time. It is out in the country so they have walks through the forest. Truly, for a young dog it is much better than being at home where someone might check on them a couple of times a day or cost a fortune to spend the day/night with the dog.

Even an oldish dog is better off at the kennel. But an elderly dog.... maybe not. Bird essentially needs someone to make sure she has some fresh food and water and that she isn't dead.

I know that sounds harsh and I don't mean it to be but really, that's the truth. She's old and slow and prefers to sleep in the sun to any kind of activity.

I asked at the vet today and one of the vet-techs does some pet sitting. I know it would be cheaper to kennel Bird but.... she's so lovely.... and dear.... and.... and.... did I say lovely?....

She's my darling.

I want her to be comfortable.

Well, the vet tech sounds perfect..

Why not give the home visit/feeding job to a kid in your street?