How to get into dog sitting and look after pooches around the world
Dog sitting can take you places – quite literally! People all over the world are looking for caring, conscientious pet lovers to care for their dogs while they're away. As a pooch sitter you get to visit incredible new places, make memories and spend time with precious pooches. Barking up the right tree? Read on to find out how to be a sitter of your favourite four-legged friends.
What is dog sitting?
A dog sitter is a caring pet lover who gets to enjoy canine companionship by keeping dogs safe while their owners are away.
TrustedHousesitters is here to keep pets happy in their own home while helping people to travel. Instead of dog sitting in your own home, as a sitter in our pet-loving community you'll always dog sit in the dog's home. It’s a wonderful way to stay in unique places, both near and far away, while helping dogs stay in their happy place — their own home — while their owners are away.
Can I get into dog sitting?
As long as you're confident that you're able to provide the love, care, and attention a dog needs, then you should make a great pooch sitter. Our blog post, What's expected of you as a pet sitter?, will give you a clearer understanding of these responsibilities. From learning their much-loved walks to sticking to a dog’s diet, you’ll learn exactly how to be a sitter that people turn to time and time again.
Want to get started with dog sitting?
Dog sitting with TrustedHousesitters
You can join TrustedHousesitters for an annual membership fee. Once you're in, you connect and arrange exciting dog sits around the world – safely and securely. Unlimited sits with adorable pets around the world; what more could a dog lover want?
With the love of pets at the heart of every sit, our members never charge each other. There are no uncomfortable questions around dog sitting salaries or accommodation costs. Just happy pets and the chance for more people to travel.
To see how it works, watch Jenny and Martin’s story…
Why sitters love their TrustedHousesitters membership:
- Pay once a year to arrange and enjoy unlimited worldwide dog sits
- Stay in over 130 countries with a canine companion
- Call a veterinary expert anytime, anywhere, while on a sit with a free 24/7 Vet Advice Line
- Get help and support from our award-winning Membership Services team
- Use the app to explore and arrange dog sits wherever you may be
Discover dog sitting stories
So what is dog sitting really like? Our member’s stories should give you a good idea.
“I've found that house and pet sitting offers me the opportunity to become acquainted with a place and its people in unique and authentic ways. I really enjoy meeting people on dog walks, in towns and villages and exploring the quiet rural way of life.”
“Every experience we have had thus far has been unique; from arriving to Manhattan on July 4th and walking a beautiful dog through a celebratory Central Park avoiding random grilling out garbage but gazing at the fireworks, to being picked up from Cairo airport at 3AM by the homeowner's driver that would then take us to the Great Pyramids of Giza during our stay…”
To hear even more first-hand experiences, or ask a question, just get in touch with our Membership Services team. Each one is a pet-loving sitter member who will be happy to share their stories and help you start your very own TrustedHousesitters journey.
Dog sitting FAQs
You must be aged 21 and over to be a member of the TrustedHousesitters community. As laws for travelling vary in different countries, we have set the minimum age to 21 to allow for freedom of travel for all members of our community. So in turn, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old to dog sit with TrustedHousesitters.
As long as you love dogs and have experience in giving them the care and attention they need and deserve, then yes! If you're not sure you have what it takes to get into dog sitting, it's worth building up some experience with a friend or family members' dog. Offer to help out with responsibilities like feeding and walkies, to see if you could handle it on a more full-time basis.
It takes a special type of person to get into dog sitting. First of all, you need to love dogs. But more importantly, you have to be kind and considerate. You need to be prepared to treat other people's pets and houses as if they're your own. All of the pet sitters in our network go through a verification process, including external references and an ID/document check. Find out more about our verification process.
For many people, their dog sitting journey begins by setting up a membership with TrustedHousesitters. Fill in your profile and mention how much you love dogs, talking about past experiences you have with them. Have you always had dogs as pets? Do you often look after them for friends and family? These are the details that will help you stand out.
If you don’t have much experience looking after dogs, now is a good time to get some. Tell everyone you know that you're getting into dog sitting, and would love to help out with their pets. Once you've got a few happy doggies under your belt, you can ask their humans for references. This will give people more reassurance.
Once you're ready, it's time to search for dog sits on TrustedHousesitters. Apply to the ones that appeal to you, remembering to talk about why you're the perfect pooch sitter. If you want to increase your chances of landing your desired dog sit, read all about how to write the perfect application message.