Finding the right pet sitter or dog walker can be a challenge. While pet care seems like a straightforward job, there are many intricacies to take into consideration. Your sitter will be bringing your dog outside, potentially encountering off leash dogs or unpredictable situations. Your dog may have special needs when it comes to his behavior or his physical health.

Not only are you trusting your beloved animal with a pet sitter, but also your home. Sitters and walkers will enter and exit your house four times in just one visit. It’s critical that they have a keen eye for detail and are diligent about locking doors and following your instructions.

Another important consideration is how the sitter will treat your dog. The pet care industry is rife with misinformation about how dogs should be handled. Harsh corrections, leash jerks, and worse outright abuse do happen in this field so it is critical to find a sitter who aligns with your values.

How to choose a pet sitter

When I am helping my clients find a pet sitter in York, PA I provide them with a list of questions to ask the potential sitter. Never feel sheepish about inquiring about the way a sitter will treat your dog. Be up front about your needs and expectations. If you enter into a business relationship with this sitter and your values are misaligned, neither of you will be satisfied or happy.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior stands behind force-free treatment of dogs. Corrections and tools like shock collars or prong collars are not recommended. Finding a dog walker or sitter who stands with modern science-based practices will prevent traumatizing experiences that can inflict lasting damage.

“avoid any use of training tools that
involve pain (choke chains, prong collars, or electronic shock
collars), intimidation (squirt bottles, shaker noise cans, compressed
air cans, shouting, staring, or forceful manipulation…”

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior

Why does it matter what training my sitter believes in? They aren’t my dog’s trainer!

Your dog’s pet care provider WILL encounter situations where your dog exhibits unwanted behavior that may upset them. For example, your dog may bark at another dog on a walk, have an accident in the house, jump up, or chew up something that wasn’t meant to be a chew toy. The way your sitter responds to these incidents matters for the long-term health and wellbeing of your dog.

Your sitter will not be your dog’s trainer but their outlook on training and handling needs to align with your values and preferences.

Set up the meet and greet

While speaking with the sitter over the phone or email, ask them to send you proof of insurance. Never work with an uninsured pet sitter.

Once you verify their insurance, schedule a meet and greet so you can meet the potential sitter in person. Ask them the questions below during your meet and greet. For their responses, you want to hear that they use treats, praise and will redirect your dog with food if the dog exhibits an unwanted behavior. Green flag answers are good signs while red flag answers are a sign that this particular pet care provider is not a good match.

Of course, these are just sample responses that provide a framework for the types of responses you should look for and those you should steer clear of.

Questions to Ask Your Potential Pet Sitter

1. What will you do if my dog refuses to walk, barks at other dogs/people on his walk or “misbehaves” in any way?⁣

• Green flag answer: “I use food to redirect a dog who is barking at other dogs/people on a walk. If this is a regular problem, we will choose walking routes that are low traffic areas with fewer triggers. If your dog misbehaves I will communicate to you what happened but I don’t punish dogs. If your dog doesn’t want to walk I will use treats to encourage him but I won’t drag or pull him. Sometimes my client’s dogs don’t want to walk, if I can’t encourage them with treats we just go inside and play in the house.”
• Red flag answer: “I will teach your dog that it’s not ok to bark at dogs/people. Leash corrections or spray bottles can be helpful for that. Dogs sometimes need encouragement to walk, a few leash corrections usually work well.”

2. Do you use prong collars, choke collars, or shock collars on your dogs or your client’s dogs?⁣

• Green flag answer: “I use harnesses, head halters, or flat collars. I’m not comfortable using equipment that causes pain.”
• Red flag answer: “Yes, choke/prong/shock collars can be good for dogs who pull on leash or bark at other dogs. It’s just a form of communication.”

3. Do you take dogs on “pack walks”?

• Green flag answer: “No, pack walks are stressful for dogs. Also dogs are not pack animals!”
• Red flag answer: “Yes, all dogs are brought out in pack walks. They are great for teaching obedience.”

4. Are the dogs allowed on furniture in your house? ⁣

• Green flag answer: This one is up to you! If you allow your dogs on the furniture in your home then you may want a pet sitter who allows the same. Their reason for not allowing dogs on furniture matters. If they just don’t like dog fur on the furniture, no problem! If dogs aren’t allowed on the furniture for the reason below, that’s a red flag.
• Red flag answer: “No, I don’t. Dogs should never be higher than their owners because it gives them too much status and makes them think they are in control.”

5. What pet care experience do you have?⁣

• Green flag answer: “I have been working in this field for one year (or more) and have held positions at groomers/vets/dog daycares in the past.”
• Red flag answer: “I have been working as a sitter for less than a year but I have had dogs all my life.”

6. Are you currently enrolled in any continuing education?⁣

• Green flag answer: “Yes! I am taking X course that is teaching me about animal behavior and the science behind how animals learn.”
• Red flag answer: “I’ve had dogs all my life and trained lots of dogs. At this point I feel confident in my skills.”

7. What is your stance on force-free pet care?⁣

• Green flag answer: “I know that modern veterinary medicine stands with force-free pet care and training. I don’t like hurting or scaring my client’s dogs and I know it can cause long-term damage.”
• Red flag answer: “Some dogs need a heavy hand and but others don’t.” Or, “I’m not sure what force-free pet care is.”

If the potential sitter is not a good fit, keep looking until you find someone that shares your values. Advocate for your dog’s needs. Once you find a safe and reliable pet sitter, treat them well! Don’t underestimate the amount of physical and emotional labor required by pet sitters and dog walkers. Dog walkers often walk upwards of 10 miles per day and sitters and walkers alike work very long hours to accomodate the needs of their clients. You can show your pet sitter how much you appreciate them by referring them to your friends, family, vet office, groomer and through tipping.

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