In Home Dog Care
- Thread starter jackaroo
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This is a place that I was refered to once. I didn't use them because something better came up. They don't post prices because they say that price is negotiable when you meet them. But you can check it out. They're nationwide. Might be one near you. Fetchpetcare
Maybe you could check if your vet does boarding?Do you have a friend who would be willing to stay at your house? We have a friend who lived with a roomate, he'd house sit for us. Made it very handy having a house sitter, or my daughter who just moved to WI would come stay at the house. Next I'm going to talk to my niece to see if she'd house sit for us now that she's old enough. I hate the thought of having strangers take care of my dogs. I want someone I know I can depend on.
I think you should look for someone like me in your area.I offer in home dog boarding for dogs of all sizes.The dog stays in my home.I have done this for 5 families but only take dogs that are sexually altered,up to date on shots,must het along with male and female dogs of all sizes.I charge $14 a day if you provide the food.Or $17 a day if I provide the food.Look around you should be able to find someone in your area that does what I do.
I work in a kennel and we charge on average $14 per day, you bring food and shot records. Truthfully, and nothing against pet sitters, I think your animals are safer in a good reputable kennel. We have heard some really sad stories of people having someone sit with their pets while they were away, and the pets getting loose, probably to find their missing owners, and getting lost or worse. If its a good kennel, your animals will be safe and well cared for. Good luck, I know how hard it is, even though I work at the kennel, I still worry when I leave my babies there.
I really don't feel comfortable having someone.. " live in" . Our vets have a person that will come by 3 times a day...haven't used them either. Luckily we have a 3 way family network ... but last Feb. EliN and I had to board Chip and Hunter for the 1st time. Was a great place...they even suggested we bring the dogs out 2 or 3 times for a " trial ". They were on 17 acres and for $5. a day extra, would let the dogs play and run in the fields. I personally feel if it isn't family, bite the bullet and pay for a good loving kennel with runs etc. Was well worth the money for the peace of mind.
I am a dog sitter. Depending on the person, some leave the dogs in the fenced place, some have me bring the dogs in at night. Depending on location (ex:coyotes at night like down here) you may want your dog in at night.
Or, you can have a good neighbor or friend keep your dog while you're gone.
Expect to pay about $10 a night.
Or, you can have a good neighbor or friend keep your dog while you're gone.
Expect to pay about $10 a night.
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I'm sorry but I AM offended. I am a *Professional* Pet Sitter. I am bonded and insured so nobody has to worry about having a "stranger" in their house. (People have housekeepers, don't they?)
I take my job very seriously and am very responsible with the pets I care for. I also truely care for my fur clients as if they were my own. My reputation is everything to me and I would never dream of snooping around in someone's home. I am there for the pets exclusively.
Having worked in a kennel for over a decade, I started my business because I don't think kennels ARE the best place for most dogs to be. The object is to have the dog (cat) in its' own home and to try to keep the routine the same which alieviates a LOT of stress (which most dogs/cats feel when boarded). My clients know that their pets are getting one on one care. The same can't be said of a kennel, unless the kennel is very small. I have had NO complaints from any of my clients. All have said that their pets seemed so much more relaxed and content when they reunited with them. The perks of using a Pet Sitter are many.
Yes, we are expensive. As well as the personal care of your pets, there is drive time, gas prices, wear and tear on our cars, travel time etc.
Most kennels are cheaper because they do their business in BULK. The more furry bodies they can cram in there, the more profitable. I worked in a very upscale kennel. It is one of the best in my state but all I observed was a bunch of attention starved and unhappy pets (not to mention filthy from tromping through their own crap and laying in their own urine. A little confused about where to do their duties) Cleaning the building was more important to my boss than spending quality time with the dogs/cats. Also, most kennels are totally understaffed. The ratio at mine was about 30 or more dogs per 1 worker. How much attention do you think each one got?
I say, if you can afford a Pet Sitter....do it. There are ways of weeding out the good ones from the bad.
There are people who call themselves Pet Sitters who don't really have a clue what the business really entails. I make it a point to learn as much as I can and converse with fellow sitters all over the country. Their experiences have taught me much.
Just for the record, kennels have been known to "lose" dogs/cats too.
And whomever said they charge $10/night...you've got to be kidding. Obviously you are not Pet Sitting as a legal business so I am guessing you are not bonded/insured either. I charge $55/night and there are others who charge more.
My clients love the fact that their pets are spending the night with me and getting love and attention as opposed to spending the night alone in unfamiliar surroundings, most likely on a concrete floor.
Sure, your pet will probably be fine in a kennel but will it be happy? I highly doubt it. Too bad our pets can't talk.
Pam
I take my job very seriously and am very responsible with the pets I care for. I also truely care for my fur clients as if they were my own. My reputation is everything to me and I would never dream of snooping around in someone's home. I am there for the pets exclusively.
Having worked in a kennel for over a decade, I started my business because I don't think kennels ARE the best place for most dogs to be. The object is to have the dog (cat) in its' own home and to try to keep the routine the same which alieviates a LOT of stress (which most dogs/cats feel when boarded). My clients know that their pets are getting one on one care. The same can't be said of a kennel, unless the kennel is very small. I have had NO complaints from any of my clients. All have said that their pets seemed so much more relaxed and content when they reunited with them. The perks of using a Pet Sitter are many.
Yes, we are expensive. As well as the personal care of your pets, there is drive time, gas prices, wear and tear on our cars, travel time etc.
Most kennels are cheaper because they do their business in BULK. The more furry bodies they can cram in there, the more profitable. I worked in a very upscale kennel. It is one of the best in my state but all I observed was a bunch of attention starved and unhappy pets (not to mention filthy from tromping through their own crap and laying in their own urine. A little confused about where to do their duties) Cleaning the building was more important to my boss than spending quality time with the dogs/cats. Also, most kennels are totally understaffed. The ratio at mine was about 30 or more dogs per 1 worker. How much attention do you think each one got?
I say, if you can afford a Pet Sitter....do it. There are ways of weeding out the good ones from the bad.
There are people who call themselves Pet Sitters who don't really have a clue what the business really entails. I make it a point to learn as much as I can and converse with fellow sitters all over the country. Their experiences have taught me much.
Just for the record, kennels have been known to "lose" dogs/cats too.
And whomever said they charge $10/night...you've got to be kidding. Obviously you are not Pet Sitting as a legal business so I am guessing you are not bonded/insured either. I charge $55/night and there are others who charge more.
My clients love the fact that their pets are spending the night with me and getting love and attention as opposed to spending the night alone in unfamiliar surroundings, most likely on a concrete floor.
Sure, your pet will probably be fine in a kennel but will it be happy? I highly doubt it. Too bad our pets can't talk.
Pam
Pam. Thanks so much for replying to my post. You are exactly whom I wanted to hear from. Someone that does this work professionally. You cleared up my questions. The person I had the last time charged me $50.00/night to stay in my house which is close to what you charge.
I hope that you weren't offended...really. People's opinions were voiced because they had only "heard" stories or had not had the opportunity to use incare services.
As in any profession, there will be horror stories of any kind. Having you speak up will hopefully put people at ease if the opportunity arises that they may need a in house sitter.
I have a special needs dog and a dog agressive animal so therefore I chose to utilized in home care for them.
Pam...again....it was so nice to hear from you and also the opinons of everyone else was so greatly appreciated. Thank you for cooperating. This is a very caring and wonderful dog site/community.
Please share more if you can. Thanks again
I hope that you weren't offended...really. People's opinions were voiced because they had only "heard" stories or had not had the opportunity to use incare services.
As in any profession, there will be horror stories of any kind. Having you speak up will hopefully put people at ease if the opportunity arises that they may need a in house sitter.
I have a special needs dog and a dog agressive animal so therefore I chose to utilized in home care for them.
Pam...again....it was so nice to hear from you and also the opinons of everyone else was so greatly appreciated. Thank you for cooperating. This is a very caring and wonderful dog site/community.
Please share more if you can. Thanks again
I'd love to find a good pet sitter like Pam. I feel better knowing mine are home, sleeping in there own beds, being able to run in their own yards. I cant stand the thought of sending them to a kennel (nothing agaisnt them) where they dont understand what's going on, why are they there. But now I'm finding myself being more protective than ever since I'm home all the time. We have our own routine. I sometimes feel like a mom going out for the first time leaving the kids with a sitter with a hugh list of things to do and not to do. Let the dogs go out to potty, listen for yappy dog next door, dont let Princess stay outside longer than...It's hard to find someone you can really trust. If I could find a pet sitter I could trust I'd do it. Really, you get references, talk to other people who have used this sitter, I'm sure it'd be fine. I'd want my dogs to meet the person first a couple of times, and watch how the person handles them.
Well the problem really is finding someone you can trust. Yes, it's like housekeepers, but I've had bad experiences with some housekeepers (my parents had one and they found out she was stealing stuff). I've asked my brother in law to take care of the cats for 5 days once and he forgot, so I'm never trusting him again - last time we left for a week he was supposed to come, but I left 5 bowls of food and probably 8 of water anyway...
So sure, if I found someone like Pam I would gladly pay $55, but I wouldn't even know where to start looking.
So sure, if I found someone like Pam I would gladly pay $55, but I wouldn't even know where to start looking.
When I go somewhere on vacation, I kennel my dogs. But I have never in my life seen a kennel like this one. The ratio is like that of children- 5 dogs to one adult. They have access at all times to the outdoors. There is a place where dogs can socialize with the others. There is just so many different things for my dogs to do I know they don't get bored. Actually, when I come to get them, it's almost like they don't want to come home, which is sad. I feel very comfortable knowing that there is someone there watching my dogs 24/7 and when they are not in direct contact with my dogs, there are cameras that the security station watches at all times. The cost is expensive, but I'm willing to pay it to make sure that my dogs are comfortable and taken care of. It's about $90 per day per dog and they supply the food (you can bring your own if you want though), but if you have more than 2 they offer discounts depending on the time of year. The first place I took my dogs though was this place I almost didn't leave them until I met the people. They had access to outside, but the floors were cement with that epoxy coating on it. I just didn't like it, but the dogs didn't seem uncomfortable. I just love the new place so much better, though it takes just about all my money because I'm typically gone for 9 or 10 days at a time. I also have guinea pigs, and even though they don't take care of animals like that, they made an exception and watch them for me for an extra $15 a day for both Rodney and Minnie. I had someone that I thought I could trust come watch and stay at my house once. That turned out to be the biggest disaster, and I almost lost one of my dogs! So even though I'm sure there are very reliable people out there like Pam that are devoted to the animals which is GREAT, I just don't see me ever being able to trust someone again, not due to snooping around but just because of my past experience.
Such great suggestions. The girl I had last year was a student but I found her through a dog kennel. They referred me to her because she was one that spent the night in the homes. I was a little disappointed in her care and so I thought about looking elsewhere and that is what prompted this post. Thank you all for such wonderful information. Please keep posting. I'm learning a lot.
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