The realities of pet sitting
This my third blog about pet sitting. The first blog explained what pet sitting is, how to become a pet sitter and included some tips on securing a sit. In the second blog, I shared the benefits, including making friends and living like a local. But there are some realities and challenges I’d like to share as well.
I am back in Scotland and finishing up my 30th pet sit. I’m taking care of a sweet, silly spaniel named Winston. He’s an absolute sweetheart but also very anxious and stubborn. This is one of the ‘realities’ of pet sitting. A lot of doggos are quite anxious when their humans leave and this can lead to some challenging behaviour. Winston is anxious overall and very scared of other dogs and cars – this has made our walks less than easy. He also does not like to be left alone – not uncommon, but again a challenge.
Unexpected Challenges
This is the reality of pet sitting. Often, much more care is required than the owners disclose or realize. Sometimes, the owners do not realize how trained they are to their pets’ needs or how rigid their schedule is. Then when a pet sitter arrives the animals are upset to not only have a different human but also to not have their exact routine. This happens a lot.
And sometimes, pet owners are not fully upfront about the demands of a pet sit until you arrive. This has happened to me 4 times now. And actually twice, I only found out about the challenges as the pet sit took place. That is the most frustrating to me – it is so unfair to both the pet sitter and the pet.
I do not want to discourage anyone from pet sitting – I love it. However, I do want to stress that it is not always easy. So if you are considering pet sitting simply for the ‘free accommodations’ aspect, I don’t recommend it. You must love animals, have a great deal of patience and be ready to let go of expectations.
Winston
For example, this pet sit with Winston – whom I love. He is both adorable and frustrating. He lives in a small town on the west coast of Scotland, with a lovely marina that is a 15 minute walk from his house. There is also a nice beach – apparently a 25 minute walk from his house too. I am not certain about the beach as we have only made it to the marina twice due to his fear of dogs and cars. We have not made it to the beach at all.
In fact, I have given up completely on the cute picture I had in my head of me and Winston frolicking in the shallow water. He is too simply too scared. So I have just decided to enjoy his company and I am taking advantage of the excellent Wi-Fi and teaching a few extra hours while I am here. But if I had taken this pet sit specifically and only for the beach aspect, it would be incredibly disappointing and frustrating.
Hunter
I had another pet sit where I found out after the owner had left, that I could not leave the dog alone… at all. He was a massive GSP with anxiety and reactive issues. When I tried to leave the house the second day, he rushed to the door and wouldn’t let me leave. I reached out to the owner who then told me that Hunter couldn’t be left alone at all. I had to take him with me if I wanted to leave the house. He was like a teddy bear when we were cuddling on the couch. But he was also very big and very aggressive whenever I ventured near the door. So I did not leave him – I simply couldn’t. Thankfully I had a car at that pet sit and was able to take us both on a few car rides. Having said that, it was a long 10 days.
Kiwi
My worst pet sit involved a traumatized Vizla that bit me twice and wouldn’t let me sleep in her humans’ bed. The owner did share that she was very reactive and I met them two days before the sit to go over how to deal with her issues. However, we both underestimated the severity of her behavior when being left for the first time. It was a very stressful 10 days for both Kiwi and myself. I never blamed the dog even though her behaviour was extreme.
The English Setters from Scotland
And actually, even though I love Scotland, my first pet sit here was disappointing and frustrating. I absolutely loved the 3 dogs but they required a lot more care than the owner had told me. And two of them were in heat for part of the time I cared for them – which was not mentioned and very, very messy. The owner did not leave enough dog food and I didn’t have a car. Buying dog food for 3 large dogs every week for 4 weeks was frustrating and exhausting as the grocery store was 2 km away. And the house itself was very dirty when I arrived. Having said all of that, I loved Maska, Diva and Ambra – I do not have the same feelings towards their human.
Overall, 26 of my pet sits have been somewhere between really good and absolutely amazing. I have been lucky. I also generally do not have high expectations. Taking care of the 3 English setters was exhausting. But with the English setters, I got my first experience of living in a small town in Scotland. That was cool. And Hunter had a great house with amazing views of the Okanagan Valley – I can almost always find a silver lining. And Kiwi – well that was just a really bad time for both of us and sometimes there is no silver lining.
Back to Winston and not being able to frolic on the beach. He is the silliest and sweetest dog. He has a nice house with great views and he loves to sleep on my feet while I’m teaching. It could definitely be worse. And at the same time, it isn’t a sit I would do again.
A great job – but it is a job
In general, I not only love pet sitting but I think it can be a great and unique way to travel – IF you love animals and like the idea of slow travel. It is also a great way to live as a nomad. If you are looking for ‘easy’ pet sits, then I recommend cat sits – dogs are generally much more work. Having said that, cats usually take a longer time to accept strangers in their house, so if you’re in it for the animal snuggles, that is something to consider.
If you have any questions or are considering pet sitting, please reach out. I am happy to answer any questions. There are 2 links below (with discounts) if you are interested in joining THS or Global Petsitters, the 2 platforms I use to secure pet sits. I know I shared a few less than wonderful stories in this blog but honestly, my awesome experiences have far out numbered my negative experiences. (Check out my post about the unexpected benefits below.) And you just never know where pet sitting will take you…. in 2 months I will be in Australia taking care of a Great Dane. How cool is that?!?
Please feel free to share with anyone that might be interested in becoming a pet sitter. And definitely share with anyone who might be in need of a pet sitter. I am booked until the end of the year but I’m open in 2027 so far 😉
https://www.globalpetsitter.com?ref=4FJHEUUX
