How do I find a special pet sitter?

First of all, do you have any friends that already know your dog and would be willing to keep her for a bit?

Secondly, you might try asking your vet if he knows of someone who either does that sort of thing and that seems to be trustworthy.

Judi: I would put an ad in your local paper or market perhaps. But I word it just as you have above…honest and frank. There’s probably someone who’s been laid off or is looking for a few extra dollars that would welcome the chance to spoil your baby. Another option are those pet-sitters that come to your home; but not for your home—for theirs. I know a freind who works for a company that does in-home pet sitting; but on the side she will take a select dog into her home.

a guy i work with has a wife who works for a vet and she does that and i’m willing to bet that many vets’ assistants can use some extra cash, are probably trustworthy because you will be seeing them forever after when you go to the vet, plus they are trained in animal handling and first aid techniques for animals.

The problem is that in my area the Vets ARE the boarding facilities. There would be a conflict for someone to offer to “compete” with their employer for boarding.
It doesn’t work with any of my friends. They either have dogs already and molly would be a problem or they live somewhere where pets are not allowed.

Ask friends, ask around, especially friends who also have pets. Start with questions about housesitters, move on to dogs, and my experience is that many will have recomendations from personal experience since so many of us travel often. This is more than a Fluther question – this is a face-to-face in your neighborhood question.

Call the SPCA and ask about people who volunteer to foster animals. They will have been checked out and be good with animals. As you get to know people there you might find some who would like to earn a little extra money because nonprofits don’t pay much. Even if Molly has a few bad habits, they may be able to help her get over them

I would still ask area vets – if you explain that you do not want a boarding facility, it’s not direct competition.

Preferably, you should use someone that is bonded and insured. I would recommend someone with a medical background like a vet tech (you’d be amazed how many pets we see who’s petsitters have given them 1cc instead of 1 unit of insulin, let them seizure for hours because they didn’t know what a seizure looks like, or left a cat hiding under the bed with a urinary blockage until they become moribund).

Your sitter should ask you for a letter authorizing medical treatment, a credit card for paying for medical emergencies, and every contact number under the sun for being able to get hold of you while you’re gone.

Thorough preparation will help to prevent some of the nightmare scenarios that we see at the emergency clinic. (We had one client who had not left clear directions who had to call us during her wedding ceremony in Hawaii and authorize euthanasia of her severly suffering pet.)

I would look at coffee shops, dog obedience trainers, dog bakeries, etc. for leads. And I would ask at the vet’s office. Even though they board pets, that’s not their business. They do it mostly as a convenience to clients. Often people who work at a vet’s office do pet sitting on the side, or know someone who does. When we had shelties, kennels never worked out for us either.

It sounds like you might do well with a retired person, who likes dogs, but cannot have one of their own on a full-time basis. You need a doggie grandma.

Being a cat person, this may sound naive. Could a close friend just come by your house a few times a day to walk the dog/let the dog out and refill food and water dishes? They wouldn’t have to stay in your house. Is that stupid?

Are there any dog organizations in the area? Often employees are looking for outside work and you’d get a trained and experienced dog handler that way.

Augustian: Dogs are “needier” than cats. If they have no one around to amuse them, they will find ways to amuse themselves. They may become curious about how furniture is constructed or how their owners get food out of that big box. They might decide to go looking for fun and learn to go over or under barriers. If all else fails they may just vocalize their unhappiness until your neighbors hate you. And once they learn bad behaviors it takes a lot of work to unlearn them.

Yellow pages.

at a special school, or riding a special bus?