Professional Pet Care Specialist Tips
Mar 9, 2019 Tracey Hiring a Pet Sitter
Professional Pet Care Specialists play an important role in the lives of their furry clients. They are friends, trainers, and caretakers. A Professional Pet Care Specialist who is walking a dog every day will be the person to teach them leash manners and work with them on outdoor fears and reactivity. Professional Pet Care Specialists form bonds with the pets in their care and want the very best for them. With all Professional Pet Care Specialists do for our pets, what are some pet sitter tips they want us to know about their jobs?
Most importantly, a Professional Pet Care Specialist will be running a business, and therefore will book up quickly, make sure you are booking your appointments in advance to guarantee your space. Professional Pet Care Specialists would like to be there for all of their furry friends, but unfortunately, that's not a physical possibility. If a pet parent knows they are planning a vacation, have a work trip or will need extra visits over the holidays, they should include scheduling their pet care needs while they are making other preparations. For Professional Pet Care Specialists, this is their livelihood, and how they pay their bills and keep food on their tables. They want to be able to accommodate their clients, but having to reschedule and move things around for last minute requests makes for unnecessary stress on all involved.
Communication is key! For the health and safety of your pets, your pet sitter needs to stay aware of any changes with your pet so they can provide the best care possible. If a pet has a sore paw, or hasn't been acting completely like themselves, a Professional Pet Care Specialist will need to be made aware of this so they can take shorter walks, or pay attention for signs of illness in your pet. In the worst case scenario of an emergency, a Professional Pet Care Specialist will need to know what's going on with the pet. Medications are also an important part of your pet's health and wellness – if medications are added or dosages changed, a pet care specialist needs to be made aware of this as soon as possible, so they can look for side effects or issues that can arise from new or changed mediations. These changes need to be added to the system, if the Professional Pet Care Specialist has one, or emailed or texted directly to the pet care specialist. A note left on the table is too easily overlooked, lost or knocked over and when it comes to the pet's health, a Professional Pet Care Specialist will need to be aware of all changes.
If a Professional Pet Care Specialist is working with your pet on training, socialization or reactivity, please communicate your needs with them and don't allow the pet to do something you're asking your pet care specialist to work on with your pet. For example, if the pet care specialist is teaching the dog not to pull on the leash or react to other animals, don't take your dog on a walk and allow them to drag you down the street, while barking at another pet. Not only does this make training the pet harder for the pet care specialist, it confuses the pet.
While the above are without a doubt the most important ways a pet parent can help their pet care specialist, there are other small things that can help: if you notice the weather is rainy or snowy, leave a towel out so the Pet Care Specialist can wipe the pet's feet. It's also a good idea to let the Professional Pet Care Specialist know where the cleaning supplies are in case of a pet accident or sickness. While Comfort at Home Pet Services, advises against invisible fencing, if a pet parent does have one for their dog, the pet parent should be testing the collar regularly to make sure the batteries are in working condition and if in the winter months, nothing has frozen that would inhibit the fencing from working. If you know your Professional Pet Care Specialist will be walking your pet, have their license and rabies tags readily available.
Professional pet care specialist are not just a perfect addition for your pets, they can be much needed security while you're away. They will be a presence in your home, pick up mail and newspapers so they don't pile up, take out the garbage and rotate the lights. Should a home emergency happen, such as busted pipes or power loss, a Professional Pet Care Specialist can address those issues too.
Professional Pet Care Specialists work 7 days a week, and sometimes 24 hours a day, and honestly want the very best for the pets in their care. By following the above tips, especially communication, which is crucial to a pet's health, a pet parent can help to ensure the pet is given the very best care.
