pet sitting?

[kellikans]

I wanted to get some input from other pet owners...

we are going out of town over the holidays and need to decide what to do with our brood.  we've always boarded our 2 seniors in the past (cage free place), but now with a third dog, it's going to be VERY pricey.  

we can either get our dog walker to come over 4 times a day to walk them, play with them, feed them, etc.  no one will be staying overnight, and the puppy will end up being in her crate most of the day for over a week.  I've always been hesitant going out of town and leaving the dogs home with just a dog walker coming by because I this irrational fear that something will happen and no one will be there to take care of them. 

our second option is to hire a pet sitter who will stay overnight with them.  now, this is a complete stranger who has never taken care of our dogs.  we met her today and she seemed friendly enough and the dogs liked her.  the company is licensed, bonded, insured.  I'm just not sure how I feel about having a stranger stay in my house for 9 days.  but they would probably get more play time and the puppy won't be cooped up as much.  

we often have a friend stay at our house and take care of them when we go out of town, but since its the holiday, he won't be around.  

so, what would you do?  I really wish we could board all of them, but I can't afford that.  

[G22]

Well I'm no help because we board our 3 typically when were out of town. We have a couple who is good friends and we do doggie play dates with their 2 who watch them occasionally. But our 3 + their 2 is a lot to handle so we typically opt for boarding, and your right, it ain't cheap!

I've thought about a pet sitter, and had the same reservations as you mentioned. But being that she is from a company I'd like to think she be a better option than a random person on Craigslist. Is there anyway you can get a opinion from someone who has used the company before?

Personally, leaving our dogs and having someone just check up on them isn't an option for us. They have too much energy and would get themselves into trouble around the house.

[orangeblossom]

I would maybe do the the dog walked with the older two and boarding for the puppy as a first option.

Boarding all three as the second

In-home pet sitting for the third.

Have you checked out dogvacay? You take the dog to someone's house and they watch them there.

[redheadbaker]

Since she is licensed and bonded, I'd go with the in-home sitter.

I'm mobile and miss my physical keyboard!

[kellikans]

my other worry with having the pet sitter is that she is only 21 and I don't get the feeling that she's really experienced. but she's the only one available for the time that we are leaving. my two seniors are easy to take care of, but the puppy is a handful. and a BIG handful at that.

also, we would pay $65 for her to be here 7pm-7am.  we would still have to pay for another visit for them to be walked ($15).  so that's $80/day.  the dog walker would come by 4 times a day for a total of $60/day.  so it's a bit cheaper and she may agree to spend 2 or 3 hours here in the evening to hang out with them.  

I don't know what to do.

[pinkroses]

I will second the suggestion to check dogvacay.com.  I just used it for the first time and was really happy with the woman we found. 

[dexteroni]

I would find the money to board them. Leaving them alone except for four short visits for 9 days straight is not cool at all IMO, especially senior dogs and a puppy. And I wouldn't be comfortable with someone I didn't know living in my house for 9 days. I wouldn't be able to enjoy my vacation under either of those circumstances.

Our boarding place is not cheap, but I'm confident that our pups are being well cared for there. We know the workers, and I can check the webcams on my phone and see that they're playing in day care during the day and are happy (and tired) in their room at night. To me that would be worth making a few spending cuts in other areas to free up the money. You have two months. Is there really no way you can swing it by then for just this one time?

And if your budget is really that tight, I worry about what will happen when your senior dogs start to need more medical care. Do you have insurance for them?

[InBetweenDays]

We use a pet sitter for our two dogs and cat. There is no way I would feel comfortable having someone come in just 4 times a day. We've used www.fetchpetcare.com and www.rover.com to find the pet sitters, called references, and of course met with them beforehand.

We have had no concerns. We get regular photos and updates about how they are doing, and at least with Rover the sitter is not paid until a few days after you return (in case you find any issues when you return). We actually like having someone in the house, and while I had a few nerves the first time it is nice that we now have some trustworthy people we can rely on for future trips.

[brittmk0922]

Ask the in house sitter for references, don't be afraid to make sure that you're comfortable with someone before letting them stay in your house.

That being said - We went to Africa for 2 weeks last month and used an in house sitter for our two while we were there and it was the best move that we could have made. While I was gone I felt SO much more comfortable knowing they were getting that constant attention. Also she texted us photos occasionally so we could see how they were doing

[midnightmare81]

I would vote pet sitter, but I may be biased as I was one.

Most companies (at least the good ones) do a full background check on the sitters before they are hired. It is not as simple as applying and you get the job on the spot. I was only 21 when I started. I don't think the fact that she is 21 should have any bearing on her ability to watch your furry kids. In fact, it may help since she is not likely to have as many unexpected issues come up (child care bailing, ect) as an older adult. I loved my job. Honestly, pet sitters for the most part would have to, since the pay isn't great (sitters usually get about 1/2 of what the company charges). Definitely ask for references as well. You should be far from the first overnight the company has done, so there should be plenty of references available.

Boarding for the puppy and pet sitter for the older dogs is another good option as well. I would not do the 4 walks a day for the puppy though. It's really not fair to him or the sitter, as the pup will likely be quite a handful after 9 days mostly spent in a crate.