How to choose the right pet-sitter for you and your loved one!

Great pet sitters in your neighborhood are not always easy to find, but here are a few tips to make it easier the next time you need to leave your dog while you travel.

Our entire AZ Dog Sports team loves dogs and cats AZ Dog Sports so want to share our top 6 helpful advice on how to -hire a professional, certified, insured pet sitter in Phoenix/Scottsdale area!

1. Always ask for references from at least 2 or 3 people and call those references.
2. See the environment and make your own expectations clear as to what you expect of them.
3. Get in writing how many times do you want your dog to eat per day, do they get treats, will they be there overnight or merely during the day etc.
4. Find out if your pet sitter is physically active, healthy, and well educated so that she/he can also offers dog walking services that HELP your pet, not worsen behaviors.
5. Have a good friend or neighbor check that they are seeing someone come and go, or use a home monitoring system. Ask to see photos, get daily short reports or when they are available for you to check in for a phone call. Don’t assume anything the first time you use a pet sitter. Hold that individual up to a first time evaluation and trust your instincts if something does not seem right.
6. Don’t give your pet to the lowest bidder.Your number one priority, is to have your pet be happy, healthy, and safe while you are away. Good pet sitters charge anywhere from $30 to $75 per day. If you are not paying that rate, chances are you are using a less experienced or even unqualified individual.
7. Licensed pet sitters have more education and more experience. One of the most common complaints that brings people to us is that they previously hired an online pet sitter or a freelance pet sitters who didn’t give their dog enough care – and their dog returned to them either sick, depressed or had worse behavior than before. So our advice is always to either put your pet at a highly rated pet boarding facility in Phoenix, or search  pet sitting business in Phoenix which hires ONLY licensed and top of the line dog trainers who are specialists in dog behavior, obedience and love being with dogs!

This way you will have a great trip, knowing your dog or pet is in great hands! Don’t settle for less and your dog will thank you!