I want to be a pet sitter. What are the best tips to get started?

Hi Mhabelle! I will be glad to answer your questions :-) 1. I have wanted to be a vet since I was a child. I have always loved animals, and knew from the time I was little that I wanted to look after them. 2. Yes, I have two dogs (a Basset Hound and a Chow Chow), and four cats. 3. The best thing about being a vet is being able to help make sick animals healthy again. 4. If you get a pet, you have to be prepared to pay for their veterinary care. Pets needs regular care, just like humans, and should be vaccinated, treated for fleas, intestinal worms, and heartworms. Pets need to be looked after, and when they are sick, they have to see a vet.

It can be easy to get caught up in the new puppy cuteness, while forgetting that your job as a new pet owner is to raise your little bundle of fluff into a well-mannered, properly socialized and trained adult dog. Good for you for being ahead of the game! The first thing to remember is to set boundaries now by only allowing your puppy to do things now that you also want them to do as an adult. For example, if you don’t want to have your dog on the couch as an adult, don’t allow them on the couch as a puppy. Teaching basic leash skills and focusing on crate training will also be important to start from the very beginning. The key to having a well-adjusted dog is to socialize them from an early age. Once finishing your puppy’s vaccine series, be sure to expose them to a variety of different people, other dogs, noises and environments. Puppy classes can be a useful arena for socialization as well as learning basic training commands. Puppies also require frequent visits to the veterinarian, particularly in the first four months of life, for physical exams, weight checks and vaccinations. During these visits, your veterinarian will be able to discuss the best preventative medications for your puppy, as well as the benefits of spaying and neutering, and proper nutrition.

Great questions! The most important tip I have is to have a dog fund, money set aside for your puppy's heath care. I would budget to spend at least $500-$1000 a year, but I would save more than that for emergencies. Dogs need regular health care just like humans, and you need to make sure you have the funds available to provide that care. The puppy you get should be at least six to eight weeks of age, any younger is too young to be separated from their mother. Keep in mind your puppy will need vaccines, deworming treatments, flea treatment, heartworm treatment, and should be either neutered (boy) or spayed (girl) when they are old enough. You will also need a leash, food bowl, water bowl, dog bed, and puppy toys. I would have your puppy see a vet as soon as you get it for a health check and to discuss the vaccine schedule. I hope this helps :-)

It depends on the personality of your cat and the incoming dog. If your cat is at all skittish, or has never seen a dog before you should proceed with caution. It may be stressful for your cat to have a dog around. If the dog has never been around cats the stress level could increase. If both the dog and your cat are pretty laid back it could be just fine. I'd keep them separated for a day if you do decide to try dogsitting and then start a gradual introduction. Feliway or similar pheromone sprays can help reduce stress for your kitty as well:

Hello, and thank you for your question. I really like veterinarypartner.com as a trusted resource for pet owners. All the articles are written by vets in easily understandable language. I found some relevant to your questions: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2343 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1089 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1129 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1379 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1384 I hope these helps! Good luck and congratulations on your new puppy!

Congratulations on your new pup! You can visit the following link for training tips and how to deal with common behaviour issues http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=1 also try Adaptil, a calming pheromone that can help reduce anxiety in puppies and dogs www.adaptil.com . Training is still needed with all puppies and dogs, and enrolling Sitka in a puppy training class is a good way to help socialize him correctly in a safe environment. You can also find a trainer who can do sessions with you at home if scheduling is an issue for training classes. Neutering is also a good idea to help reduce roaming, marking behaviour, humping and aggression. Good luck.

As a vet, I don't have much advice on how to do this! I would recommend starting by talking to your city business administration or chamber of commerce. You will likely need business permits and to start applying for non-profit status. You should also find a vet locally that can help you set up quarantine and cat sheltering protocols to make sure that the cats' health is maintained and that risk of infectious disease is minimized. You will also need appropriate housing facilities.