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Entry 623Filed under Breeding

What to Check Before Booking a Pet Sitter or Dog Walker

Before booking a pet sitter or dog walker, verify handling experience, references, screening, insurance, service terms, privacy practices and emergency backup. This checklist shows exactly what to ask and leave in writing.
8-minute read By Animalso Team
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Choose care by matching the service to your pet, then verify the person who will provide it. Before booking, hold an in-home meet-and-greet, check references and screening, confirm insurance and bonding, read the service agreement, and leave precise medical and emergency instructions. A friendly profile or directory listing is only a starting point—not proof that a sitter can safely handle your animal or enter your home.

Start with the care your pet actually needs

“Pet sitter” can mean several different arrangements. Decide what your pet needs before comparing providers, because a candidate who is excellent for midday walks may not be equipped for medication, overnight supervision, or a fearful cat.

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Arrangement Best fit Questions to settle before booking
Dog walks Dogs that need exercise and a bathroom break while you are away How long is the walk itself? How many dogs are handled at once? What equipment and handling methods are used?
Drop-in visits Dogs, cats and other pets needing feeding, toileting, play or medication How long is each visit? Are feeding, litter, cage and medication tasks included? How often will updates arrive?
Overnight care in your home Pets that settle best in familiar surroundings or need night supervision What hours will the sitter be present? Are there daytime absences? What household areas and security procedures are covered?
Care at the sitter’s home Pets comfortable in a different home and with the provider’s resident animals How are introductions, confinement, outdoor access, feeding and veterinary emergencies managed?

Write down your pet’s non-negotiables—such as a medication schedule, reactivity to other dogs, escape risk, or a requirement for someone to sleep at home. Use those requirements to rule out unsuitable services before discussing price.

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Interview every candidate with the same questions

NAPPS recommends a thorough interview, reference checks, questions about insurance and bonding, and an in-home meeting where the sitter interacts with your pet and discusses a contract. A consistent interview makes candidates easier to compare and exposes gaps that a polished online profile may hide.

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Experience and handling fit

  • How long have you provided this type of care, and which species, breeds, ages or medical conditions have you handled?
  • Have you managed pets that are fearful, reactive, elderly, intact, escape-prone or uncomfortable with strangers?
  • What would you do if a dog refused to walk, a cat hid, or a pet would not eat?
  • How do you read dog and cat body language, and what signs tell you to stop an interaction?
  • Which collars, harnesses, leads, crates or other equipment do you use, and who supplies them?

Ask for concrete examples rather than accepting general claims such as “I love animals.” A suitable answer should describe calm, humane handling and a willingness to follow your veterinarian’s or behavior professional’s instructions. BC SPCA guidance specifically encourages owners to ask about handling methods, body-language knowledge and comfort with medication.

Training methods and boundaries

Ask what the sitter does when a pet pulls, jumps, hides, guards food or shows fear. Clarify whether they use rewards, physical corrections, aversive tools or forced handling. Your pet’s welfare and your instructions should govern the plan. If the candidate dismisses your concerns, promises to “dominate” a dog, or cannot explain how they would safely disengage from a frightened animal, do not book.

Service area, availability and visit details

  • Which neighborhoods do you serve, and how much travel time is built into a visit?
  • What are your normal arrival windows, and can you cover the exact dates and times required?
  • How long is a visit from arrival to departure? Is travel time excluded from the advertised duration?
  • How many walks or visits can you complete in one day?
  • Will the person you interview be the person entering the home?

If a business uses a team, ask who is assigned, whether substitutions require your approval, and how each worker is trained and screened.

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Use the meet-and-greet as a safety test

Do not treat a meet-and-greet as a social courtesy. It is your best opportunity to observe the working relationship and test whether instructions are understood. Arrange it in the home where care will occur whenever practical.

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  1. Let the sitter enter and approach at your pet’s pace. Do not force a greeting.
  2. Demonstrate feeding, leash attachment, crate use, litter care, medication and alarm procedures.
  3. Explain routines, fears, triggers, health issues, hiding places and escape risks.
  4. Ask the sitter to describe what they see in your pet’s posture, face, tail, ears and movement.
  5. Walk through a normal visit or walk. Watch whether the sitter handles equipment gently and follows your boundaries.
  6. Discuss an unexpected event, such as vomiting, a loose dog, a locked door or a missed visit, and listen for a specific response.
  7. Record agreed services, timing, prices, communication and emergency authority in the written agreement.

Comfort is mutual. A pet that remains distressed, a sitter who rushes contact, or an owner who feels pressured to book is a reason to continue searching.

Verify references, background checks, insurance and bonding

These checks answer different questions and none is a guarantee of safe care. Request current evidence, not just a logo or verbal assurance.

Verification What it can tell you What to ask
References How the provider performed for actual clients May I contact two recent clients who used the same service? Did visits occur on time, and how were problems handled?
Background check Whether a screening process was completed for the individual entering your home When was it run, what did it cover, and is every assigned worker screened?
Liability insurance Whether certain injuries or property losses may be covered under the policy Does it cover pet sitting or dog walking, the services I need, care, custody and control of the pet, and client property?
Bonding Depending on the product, protection against specified dishonest acts or losses What events are covered, who is insured, and what exclusions or limits apply?

Call references yourself and ask whether the provider followed instructions, communicated changes, respected the home and had a workable emergency response. Membership in a professional directory is not an independent inspection: NAPPS says it does not inspect or police member businesses.

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MSPCA-Angell notes that background-check thoroughness varies among app-based walkers. If a platform assigns the worker, ask how it verifies that specific person rather than assuming the platform’s name answers the question.

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Pet Sitters International’s Global Standards for Professional Pet-Sitting and Dog-Walking Businesses, announced in October 2025, call for pet-sitting-specific general liability insurance that covers all services and includes care, custody and control coverage for pets and clients’ personal property, along with screening of team members entering clients’ homes. The standards are professional baseline guidance, not jurisdiction-specific legal advice; confirm the current version and read the actual policy limits and exclusions.

Read the services agreement before handing over keys

A written agreement prevents “I thought that was included” disputes. PSI standards recommend a legally compliant agreement with clear service descriptions, schedules, pricing and policies. Before signing, check each item below.

  • Dates and schedule: arrival windows, visit length, walk frequency and overnight hours.
  • Scope: feeding, water, litter or waste removal, exercise, play, plant care, mail, bathing and medication.
  • Fees: regular rates, holiday or extra-pet charges, travel fees, taxes, deposits and payment due dates.
  • Cancellation: notice periods, refunds, no-shows, weather closures and what happens if your trip changes.
  • Access: keys, lockboxes, alarm codes, garage access, key-return method and permission to contact building staff.
  • Communication: message channel, photos or notes, update frequency and who receives them.
  • Emergency authority: spending limit, veterinary authorization and who may approve treatment if you cannot be reached.
  • Backup care: the named backup person, when they may be used and how you will be notified.

Local licensing, contract and insurance rules differ. A standard written form does not replace checking requirements where you live.

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Plan privacy and home access deliberately

Your itinerary, alarm code, key location, veterinary records and visit updates are sensitive information. Ask how they are stored, who can see them and when they are deleted or returned. PSI standards call for client access information and personal details to be stored securely and not disclosed to unauthorized people.

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  • Give only the access information needed for the agreed service.
  • Use a temporary code or lockbox rather than leaving a labeled key if your system allows it.
  • Do not post travel dates or home photos publicly in visit updates.
  • Confirm whether employees, subcontractors or app support staff can access instructions.
  • Change alarm codes after the booking if your security plan requires it, and retrieve physical keys.
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Leave a complete care and emergency sheet

Verbal instructions are easy to forget during a stressful event. Leave a dated, printed sheet and a digital copy if the sitter uses one. The ASPCA recommends reviewing medication instructions with the sitter and keeping medication in a pet-resistant container.

Pet and routine details

  • Pet’s name, species, age, weight, sex and microchip number.
  • Normal meal portions, food location, treats, water routine, toileting and exercise.
  • Sleeping location, crate instructions, hiding places, fears, triggers and escape risks.
  • Behavior changes that require a call, such as refusing food, repeated vomiting or unusual lethargy.

Medication instructions

  • Medication name and strength, exact dose, route, time and permitted late or missed-dose action.
  • Demonstration of pills, liquids, injections, topical treatments or special equipment.
  • Storage instructions and the number of doses available.
  • Veterinarian contact for questions; the sitter should not improvise a dose.

Contacts and treatment authority

  • Your itinerary, mobile number and a realistic alternate contact.
  • Two trusted local emergency contacts who can enter the home or collect the pet.
  • Regular veterinarian and nearest emergency clinic names, phone numbers and addresses.
  • Who may authorize treatment, what spending limit applies and whether records may be shared.
  • Expected return time and instructions if travel is delayed.

Tell your veterinarian the dates you will be away and who may make decisions. Leave the carrier, leash, first-aid supplies and transport instructions where the sitter can find them.

Agree on failure plans before they are needed

If the pet is injured or ill

Specify whether the sitter should call you first, contact the emergency clinic immediately, or use a named local decision-maker when you are unreachable. State the symptoms that justify urgent transport. Ensure the sitter has permission and practical means to transport the pet.

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If the sitter cannot arrive

Require prompt notice, identify the backup person by name and phone number, and state whether the backup has been introduced to the pet and given access. “I’ll find someone” is not a backup plan.

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If you cannot return on time

Tell the sitter how many extra visits or nights may be authorized, who can approve additional fees and where the pet will stay if the extension becomes substantial. Include a maximum period for waiting for your response.

Compare candidates without pretending there is a magic score

No cited organization validates a universal numerical scoring rubric. You can still compare providers fairly by asking the same questions and recording evidence under the same headings.

Comparison area Evidence to record
Handling fit Relevant experience, humane methods, body-language awareness and your pet’s response at the meeting
Screening Reference contacts, date and scope of background check, and whether every worker is screened
Protection Insurance policy type, care-custody-control coverage, property coverage and bonding details
Service match Visit length, frequency, travel area, medication ability and named provider
Reliability Backup person, missed-visit procedure, emergency transport and delayed-return plan
Communication Update channel, frequency, photos or notes and escalation method
Access and privacy Key, alarm, record storage and information-sharing procedures
Cost and policies Total recurring and extra charges, payment timing and cancellation terms

Choose the candidate whose documented plan meets your pet’s needs, not merely the lowest quote or the most enthusiastic introduction. If a provider will not answer reasonable verification questions or put the agreement in writing, stop before giving access.

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