It’s always so tough when you have to travel without your dogs and trust a stranger to take care of them. As a dog trainer and behavior consultant, I have a leg up in finding a good sitter for my dogs. Maybe because of that, I’ve had mostly great experiences with pet sitters, even for my dog with a strong fear of strangers, so I thought I would share how I approach the pet sitter search process to help you find great sitters, too.
This post ended up being pretty long, so if you need a quick summary, here you go!- In every step of the process, I assess a sitter’s approach to dogs to ensure that it is respectful, kind, and force-free.
- I scour their photos to see that they know how to put their force-free approach into action.
- I pay attention to how my dog feels about the sitter during the meet and greet.
Before we dive in, I want to clarify that this post is not sponsored by Rover or connected to them in any way. It's where I go to find sitters, and I've had a lot of good experiences with Rover sitters across the country, so that's why this is about Rover specifically.
1. Identify your dog’s needs and wants and yours, too.
Think about your dog’s daily enrichment, exercise, and socialization needs.
- Will they do better with someone who is home all day?
- Do they need someone who is active and loves to get out for long walks? Do they need a snuggle buddy on the couch or in bed at night?
- Do you need a sitter who is willing and able to drive your dog?
If you have a dog with special needs, either behavioral or medical, remember that most sitters on Rover are young adults who don’t have professional training, and they might be overwhelmed by medical or behavioral needs that you handle with ease. Plus, your dog will be at least a little stressed by your departure, which could exacerbate things.
- For less complicated needs like puppies, high energy adolescents, dogs with mild-to-moderate anxiety or fear or reactivity, dogs with mild mobility or pain issues, dogs who take a lot of daily medications, etc, you can probably find a slightly more experienced sitter on Rover and do well.
- For more challenging behavioral and medical issues, Rover may not have what you need, although it could be worth a shot if you have no other options.
- For behavioral needs, see if any trainers in your area offer sitting or if there are any kennels with advanced experience.
- For dogs with medical needs, ask your vet clinic for recommendations. They may even have staff members who offer sitting as a side gig.
Now, think about your needs.
- How do you want to be treated?
- What level of communication do you want?
- What type of person will make you feel comfortable leaving your dog with a stranger?
- How do you want them to treat your house? I once had a sitter (not from Rover) clean diarrhea from a rug using paper towels only, so I now care a lot about cleanliness.
2. Run an initial search on Rover.
In your initial search, look for star rating and repeat clients. You don’t necessarily need to find the sitters with the most reviews and the highest number of repeat clients, but you want to see that at least 3 people wrote positive reviews and at least 1 or 2 chose to hire them again. Price is often not a great indicator of quality on Rover, so don’t write off a sitter just because they have a low rate. I will often open up 8-12 profiles for further review.
3. Read the sitter's profile.
You’ll scan through their profile and reviews, looking for these things:
- Kind treatment of animals - This is number one. Make sure they talk about treating dogs with kindness and patience. They should see dogs as individuals and adapt to their needs and preferences. If they talk about training or discipline, they should reference treats, positive reinforcement, and force-free methods. If you see any reference to dominance, alpha, strong leadership, firm hands, Cesar Milan, etc. reject them immediately.
If you want to learn more about why we suggest staying away from dominance-minded sitters, check out this statement from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, the highest regarded organization in this field.
- Fit for your family - Compare their profile and reviews to your list of needs and wants. Do they have the necessary experience for your needs? Does their general vibe seem like a good fit for you and your dog? Is their communication style in line with your needs?
4. Take a deep dive in their photos.
I believe that this is my number one key to success in finding a good sitter. Actions speak louder than words, and this is your chance to see the sitter's interactions with dogs. So, really take your time here and get a sense of the trends. You want to see:
- That they have a sense of when a dog is happy, scared, or stressed. The dogs in the photos generally look happy or neutral.
- That they seem to do a good job of making the dogs in their care feel happy or at least relaxed and neutral.
- That the dogs are not wearing aversive training equipment like prong collars, choke chains, and shock collars. I will instantly reject a sitter who uses this equipment on their own dogs, but might let it slide if they have a client or two who asked them to use it.
Note: research shows that people pay more attention to the situation than to a dog’s body language when guessing what a dog is feeling in photos. So remind yourself to override that when you look at these photos! Here’s a great resource if you want to know what to look for.
I judge the photos the sitter uploaded themselves most critically. I really don't want to see any scared dogs, aversive equipment, or manhandling like hugging, kissing, and dressing them up.
I give a little more leeway for the photos of dogs they've watched, because they aren't curated. It's ok if some of the dogs look a little stressed or scared in some of the photos (they are with a new sitter, after all), but I want to see that the sitter successfully helps the dogs in their care feel safe and relaxed. I will also look for proof that they have met the needs of dogs similar to mine (eg. photos of leashed walks and couch snuggles).
These are all red flag photos:
Clockwise from top left: 1. This dog has a clenched, stressed face and this is not a comfortable way to be held. 2. This dog has worried eyebrows and a tense body. They are also being manhandled and wearing aversive equipment. 3. This dog's ears are pinned back, their jaw is clenched, their eyes are very wide, and they are showing the whites of their eyes, all signs of fear. 4. This dog is dressed up and showing signs of stress about it. Their eyes are wide and showing whites and they are stress panting.
These are neutral photos:
These photos are all green flags:
5. Message your top picks.
Next, reach out to 4-5 sitters with any questions and to schedule a few meet and greets.
After the automated request message goes through, send a follow up with more info and any questions you still have. You want to get any important information, like the exact schedule, location, and any of your dog’s special needs, and anything that could be a dealbreaker for you or the sitter out now. Here’s an example that I sent:
"Hi Jess! I'm looking for someone to watch my dog, Kona, for a couple of days, and you seem like a great fit for her. Kona is a nervous dog who is afraid of strangers. Since our other dog passed away last summer, she has been particularly stressed around sitters. But, I see that you have experience with anxious dogs, so I'm hopeful that you could help her feel more ok. Are you available on August 26 and 27? We need someone from 9am on Saturday to 6pm on Sunday. We are located in TOWN, a block from the intersection of STREET A and STREET B. Thanks!"
As you chat with the sitters, continue to assess their fit for your and your dog’s needs. If you get positive responses and continue to feel good about a sitter, schedule a meet and greet.
6. Let your dog give input during the meet and greet.
I prefer to do meet-and-greets in my home, since that gives the best indicator of how my dog will do with them for my trip. I start meet and greets with a casual discussion of my dog’s needs and my communication preferences. Most sitters will volunteer their relevant experience, but if not, I will ask for specifics. I do not run it like an interview. I'm actually evaluating their behavior more than anything they say. From the moment they come to the door, I'm noting how they interact with me and my dog.
Here’s what I’m looking for:
How my dog responds to them: You probably know your own dog well enough to tell when they feel comfortable around someone and when they don’t, but you can use the body language guide above to help you be a bit more nuanced, if you want.
How they treat my dog: They should be reading my dog’s cues and responding to them. If my dog wants space or a change in how they are being pet, I want the sitter to notice and respond accordingly. I want them to graciously ignore or redirect any rude behavior and not yell or scold my dog or get physical with them.
How they communicate with me: When I tell them about my dog’s specific routine, needs, and quirks, I want them to be attentive, engaged, and asking questions. I don’t want them to be dismissive or defensive.
How they respond to my approach to discipline: I always explicitly explain that my dogs are not to be punished, ever. No yelling, scolding, pushing, or pulling. If they do something wrong, the sitter should gently redirect them to a different activity. Heavy handed or clumsily implemented punishment could be quite traumatic and have long term impacts on your dogs comfort having guests in your home, meeting new people, or being left with dog sitters. If the sitter offers any pushback or I sense a brush off, I politely wrap up the meet and greet.
What our guts say: If I have a weird vibe from them or can tell that my dog wasn't as into them, I look for someone else. I've ignored this a couple of times before, and there always ended up being some sort of issue.
If it seems like a good fit, I will then give them a tour of the house to show them the ropes before they leave.
7. Book it!
I like to book the stay on Rover a few hours later. It gives the sitter a chance to politely reject me, which they might not feel comfortable doing in person. Since Kona had specific needs, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for someone to bow out if they didn’t feel that they were a good fit.
Wrap Up
As Maya Angelou said "believe people when they show you who they are." A fancy profile, high rate, or decades of experience on paper is not worth as much as a photo-documented history of happy, enriched dogs, an ease befriending your dog, and a communication that makes you feel confident and comfortable.