Thanks so much to Jennifer at PET CENTER NEWS for the opportunity
to share my insights about something I’ve been involved with for more than 20 years.
[Read Part I HERE ]
I first started a pet sitting business after being “downsized” (a nicer way of saying “fired”) from my corporate job and not finding a suitable replacement.
We were apartment dwellers at the time, so it was mostly house calls for cats, plants, birds, fish etc., plus dog walking all over town.
After about 10 years or so, the running around 7 days a week with no time to myself was wearing on me, so I switched to offering home boarding for dogs only.
(We had become homeowners in the meantime and have a large backyard.) This has worked out well and my house is like a little “doggie commune”.
With so many years of experience behind me, I can offer multiple insights.
“SO YOU WANT TO BE A PET SITTER/DOG WALKER”
Continue reading HERE
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
16 thoughts on “PET SITTING: THE SCOOP PART II: GUEST POST AT PET CENTER NEWS”
wonderful publish, very informative. I ponder why the
other experts of this sector do not realize this.
You must proceed your writing. I am confident, you have a huge readers’
base already!
Well, not exactly huge, but certainly more than a few. Glad you liked the post and thanks for visiting. Please feel free to read some of the newer posts.
I like the idea of a Doggie Commune
but I know that my cat wouldn’t be too
enthused about it 🙁
You have done brilliantly with this business 😉
Andro xxxx
LOL No cats here! (I’ve nothing against them, mind you. I used to look after people’s cats in their homes when they were away, but retired from that a few years ago.) Thanks for reading my article. 🙂 Cheers!
Hey Debbie,
I have an ex-boyfriend who has a pet sitting business and he’s been doing it for about 15 years now. He makes very good money but he’s not a one man show.
I love animals but I live in a one bedroom condo and I’ve owned it for over 22 years now so there is no way I could ever do this for a living. We only allow 2 pets and the have to be under 25 pounds. With the barking and carrying on, my neighbors would kill me.
I admire anyone who can take this on because I don’t like leaving Kayla with strangers. So far since I’ve had her I’ve only left her three times and two were with my Mom and this recent trip was with my brother.
Great that you’re sharing this and so happy that you love what you do. I’m sure all the animals love you to death. I can tell by the stories you’ve shared with us.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne; Yes, the income potential is much greater when you have others working for you, but, I started this when I was suffering from “corporate burnout” and just don’t want those responsibilities anymore. Guess you could say I’m “semi-retired”. Fortunately, my husband has a steady job, so I can weather the occasional downturn. The dogs really do have a great time here, as you can see by the photos. 🙂 Thanks for reading my article and have a great weekend.
Toby also hates doing his stuff in the garden – even though we’ve got quite a big one – and he normally likes to work up to a poo with a walk of a mile or so – so we’re obsessed with his bladder and bowels (and very worried when he tries to wee standing on his bad leg!) He had his other leg done just over 2 years ago, so we’ve been through it all before, but we’d forgotten what a trauma it is – and it still does take almost 6 months for a complete recovery. The vet says research has recently shown they’re not completely weight-bearing for about 150 days!
Thanks Debbie – and you’re right, it’s NOT easy 🙂 – but he’s worth it 🙂 🙂
Sue
That brings back such memories. Yes, it’s quite the nerve wracking experience. Tasha held her bladder for 24 hours at a time the first couple of days and refused to poop for a week! The vet was threatening enema when she finally did it. Poor dogs just don’t understand what happened. 🙁 Oh yes, they are absolutely worth it!
😀 😀 Hope all goes well with Toby.
Cheers, Debbie – good to know we’re not alone 🙂
Sue
Great post, Debbie – couldn’t leave a comment on the actual site, as there didn’t seem to be any comments section.
I love the way you’ve been totally up-front about the real practicalities of this line of work – I’m sure a lot of people think about doing it because they love dogs, but don’t realize what’ it’s actually going to entail.
I love dogs, but I think I’ll stick to my own two horrors for now – my lab’s just had his second cruciate ligament repaired, so he’s needing lots of cuddles and VERY close supervision 😉
Sue
Hi Sue; Unfortunately, comments would have to go through their “Contact” page. Thanks for stopping by here, though. 🙂 I felt that bit at the beginning was necessary, because too many people get into this thinking it’s an easy way to make money and that’s not the case! There’s so many bad pet sitters around and they make it difficult for the rest of us who are truly dedicated. I read about poor Toby on Facebook. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery! Your loving care will get him through. Tasha had the same surgery back in the 90s and her recovery time was 6 months! (This was a dog who hated to do her business in the yard; always preferred a walk. Quite the challenge!) Techniques have improved greatly since then and the recovery is much quicker, thank goodness. Best of luck keeping him “quiet”. Always makes me laugh when vets say this. Yeah; it’s so easy, right? 😉