If you have used a petsitter....

[ALDOGMOM]

How many times a day did you have them come?

We have never been in a position to use a petsitter because we had neighbor kids with responsible parents...Those kids have all grown up and moved away..

We are trying to get away for a long weekend. My trainer is working with a guy that has had a pet-sitting business for a couple of years now. She thinks a lot of him.

This is his facility:

www.goplaypets.com

After talking with him this morning - it is cheaper for me to have him come to our house than to board B&B at the vets office.

if you have had someone come to your house - how often did they come? I'm thinking 4 times a day would be enough...

[Terry]

the only dog sitters I have had stayed right at my house. So I don't know. Is he going to walk them and such? If so I would think 4 times would be enough.

[Erin]

I would think four times would be good, but with my dogs I would have five just because Kemper gets SO rambunctious. I guess it also would depend if it was for an extended period of time (like 5 days) or just a weekend, because if I was going to be gone longer I would want them to come more often daily, IMO. (I've never really had a petsitter like that that came daily... luckily now my petsitter [aka the ONLY person I have ever trusted with my dogs] lives downstairs from me, so it's made things really easy)

ETA: also, I guess length of time that they stay when they DO come is also a factor into figuring things out!

[ALDOGMOM]

He said he will walk them up to twice a day when he comes...
So if he does that I think four times a day would be enough...

[mezmerelda]

We also have the sitter stay at the house, but she is definitely not there all of the time. She does overnight, though.

[sam.i.am]

We've only had people who stayed in our house overnight, too. But, I think 4x a day would be OK if he took them out that many times and walked them 2x on real walks. I live near a vet school so we have a plethora of vet techs and vet students who watch dogs, so it's probably easier to find someone here.

[ToBScholarly]

We use a petsitter whenever we go away. If we do a weekend, thhey come 3x on Friday and Sunday and 4x on Saturday. They take them out and play with them for 30 minutes each time and feed them as well. And have no problems with the raw thing either, which makes me happy.

They charge $10/visit/dog. Which still ends up being cheaper than boarding considering we would have to add extra shots to their repertoire and almost every single time we have boarded, we have had to get them both groomed when finished as well, because they stink.

Plus, they are less stressed and eat normally when we have sitters at the house.

[Myzoocrew7]

I have someone come in four times a day. They do not walk my dogs, as I do not trust anyone else to take my dogs outside of my home. But they spend plenty of time here at each visit, and play in the backyard with them, so it's never been a problem that they don't get walks while I'm away. I am SUPER lucky because my petsitter (who also happens to babysit the girls) only charges me $25 per day.

[ALDOGMOM]

The petsitter just came to meet the pets and find out where everything is...

I had to go over all of Birdie's quirks...For example - "if you let her out in the back yard and she won't go potty, take her in the front yard and she will go within seconds"....

And "make sure you watch them eat...Bogey will look out the window for a split second and Birdie will inhale all of his food when he is not looking"...

I have a friend of mine that is going to be coming in and out to make sure things are going okay...
I really like him...I think we are going to be fine...

[sam.i.am]

That's great - glad he seemed good. I also ask a friend to keep an eye on things on top of the pet-sitter.

[Swissies4Me]

So glad that you liked him, that's very important. Have a fun trip!

[Yeti_Girl]

That's great! I'm sure B&B will be spoiled.

Isn't it funny the things we have to tell them? I had a 2 page write up! And then when we watch someone's dog, they just give us a bag of food and are on their way. LOL!

[bren]

Glad it went well!

[ALDOGMOM]

That's great! I'm sure B&B will be spoiled.

I go home tomorrow...Birdie has been sending me text messages and pictures...It appears she grew thumbs while I was away..LOL..
I have already told her she is not getting her own cell phone...

A friend of mine has been over there almost every day and says that everything seems to be going great...The dogs are happy and are obviously being cared for..

I might actually go places and do things! This could open up a whole new world for me...

[NickandNora'smom]

Yay for finding a good petsitter; they're priceless!

[Yeti_Girl]

That's so great!