Congratulations! You’ve been accepted for your first pet sit by applying online with Trusted Housesitters. Now what? It’s very important to clearly communicate with your pet sit hosts prior to and during the visit while they are away. For our international sit, we arrived the day before starting, stayed in a local hotel at our own expense, and let our hosts know when we landed so they would be able to relax knowing their pet sitters were in the country. We met the hosts several hours before they departed for their flight the next day, so we could get a house walk-through, meet the pet, and ask any questions. Be sure to have your hosts fill out the Trusted Housesitters online guide in advance so you have time to read it and prepare questions for them. Even for domestic sits, we followed this plan and all has gone well so far. While you are at your pet sit, send pictures of the pet to their owner so they know all is going well. Follow my tips below for a great pet-sitting experience!

And if you haven’t already joined Trusted Housesitters, use this link to get 25% off and start your pet-sitting adventures today!

IMPORTANT TIPS-BEFORE THE PET OWNER LEAVES YOU IN CHARGE!

• Have the hosts physically show you how to operate all appliances. We have learned how to use unique microwave/oven combos, a very fancy coffee espresso machine, a gas hob aka stove with electric oven, radiator heat, etc. Ask the owner where they keep instructions on how to use everything or, better yet, get online links to them. In France on our girl’s trip, we had to watch a YouTube video on how to work the washer/dryer because all the labels on the panel were in French. We eventually found out in London that their dryer didn’t vent outside but rather had a water collection tube that needed to be emptied so that it could dry the clothes. After several hours of clothes tumbling without drying, we investigated further and figured it out. We have learned to just ask the hosts to show us how to work all their appliances before they leave us in charge.

• Have owners show you how to lock up their house, which seems uncomplicated until you stay at an old house with multiple door locks. Try it yourself before they leave. Ask the host if there is a door key hidden outside the house in case you forget your key on an auto locking door. You do not want to have to take out the window screen and crawl through a window like we had to at our first pet sit when the door key code stopped working. The hosts were mortified because it was their fault that the guest key code setting expired. Who else has keys in case you lock yourself out? Housekeeper? Neighbor? Is there a relative close by? Stuff happens. Be prepared.

• Ask for neighbor names, contact info, neighborhood groups on WhatsApp or Facebook, etc. You never know when you might need local help.

• It’s very important to follow your hosts’ instructions as every pet is different with their sleep/eating/medication/walk schedules. You might be used to giving your own pet a treat after every walk, but you should respect the owners wishes. For one sit, the pup got their food weighed for each meal and put into an eating dish that had several compartments to help the pet eat more slowly to aid digestion and no pet “treats” were allowed.

• Whether or not the pet is allowed on furniture is another topic to discuss. One pet owner lost that battle a long time ago they said so their dog would run from couch to couch to look out the window at birds and passerby’s. This pup was not one to bark but another good question to ask pet owners is if the animal you are watching barks a lot, especially important in apartments where neighbors might be bothered by it. Does the pet sleep in a crate or expect to cuddle up with you? Important to ask this question before you accept the sit just in case you don’t want four lively dogs sharing your bed. That happened to us!

• When walking dogs, there may be rain and thus mud, so be ready to use a towel to wipe down the pup after every walk. While the owners might feel comfortable allowing their dog off leash, we don’t feel comfortable with that, and we tell pet owners that we will keep their dog(s) leashed for all outside walks. You never know if a random dog might get aggressive and bite your dog (it has happened to our pets!) so we want to have some control to keep everyone safe.

• Another local hazard we were advised of on one of our pet sits was to watch out for foxes both in the backyard (they climbed over the home back-office structure roof to gain entry) and when out walking the dog in the neighborhood. We don’t have that problem back home as really only squirrels are running around our local area.

• Make sure to ask the hosts how much time their pet should be left alone. In the initial interview before you are chosen, be prepared to share if you are planning any day trips or want to do a lot of sightseeing when you pet sit. If you are thinking that you might try to slip away and the owners won’t find out, I would advise against that as most places have security cameras (check with hosts on this so you know in advance) and neighbors who will be watching your movements for the hosts. We did have one sit with an interior camera which we turned to the wall, but the outside cameras are fine and good for security reasons.

• Speaking of security, be sure to get all the information on how their systems work, passcodes and #’s to call for the security company if you have a problem. Most pet owners will leave you with phone #’s of any person we might need locally for help with the alarm system.

• For the month-long London sit we did, they had a house cleaner, window washer, and a gardener come every week. Yeah! Ask your pet owners if any service people are allowed in the house while they are gone. If you don’t have cleaning help, be sure to leave the house in pristine condition when you leave. We try to wash the towels and sheets prior to leaving, take out the garbage, do floors and light cleaning of entire house. This type of attention to detail will result in 5-star reviews and being chosen for future pet sits.

Finally, have fun staying in a new location and getting to know your new furry friends. Enjoy the journey!