Regular walks are an important part of a dog’s health, and as a pet sitter, you’ll need to go on two to three of them every day. Talk to the dog’s owners before your first sit or drop-in to get a thorough understanding of how and when the dog is usually walked…

The pet care market is now flooded with more products than ever. As a pet parent who wants to do the best they can for their dog, it can be hard to know what’s a gimmick and what’s actually good for your pet.

Leaving your pets at home with a stranger can be as nerve-wracking for you as it is for them — maybe even more so. You want to find the best care possible for them, but hiring for your pets is different than hiring for work. How can you tell who will be the best fit for you and your pets?  

Picking a name for your new puppy or dog is a big part of the fun, but it’s not always easy! Worry not, our professional pet sitters have heard some of the best and have all the inspiration you need. 

We’ve collected over 400 of the best names and broken them up into categories for Vintage, Elegant, Nature-loving, Quirky, and inspired by San Francisco.

Vetting new pet-sitting clients is an important step that can either set you up for success or struggle as a pet sitter. If you’re feeling overwhelmed as you try to think of everything you’ll need to ask your clients ahead of care, you’ve come to the right place. 

Here’s the seven topics that our professional pet sitters start with when meeting new clients:

The Fear Free System is a holistic teaching methodology that can help pets learn to have an active role in their care and reduce anxiety around unavoidable activities. It was created by famous veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, who you might recognize from Good Morning America, to help vets, shelter workers, pet sitters, and pet owners create a connection with their dogs through positive reinforcement.

If you’ve been using Rover or Wag! to find pet sitters or dog walkers, you already know that the platform offers pet services at a variety of experience levels and a wide range of rates. However, due to the low barrier to entry, you may be wondering about the credentials of your sitter or the level of care your pets will receive.

The Fear Free Method is an innovative and gentle way of working with pets that prioritizes the needs of the pet and encourages positive reinforcement of wanted behaviors. While it’s more often talked about in terms of veterinary care or dog training, these methodologies are also useful to pet sitters. 

Let’s dig into the main benefits of this system, not only for your pets but also for you. 

If you’ve been dog sitting for a while and are considering becoming a professional pet sitter full-time, welcome! Pet sitting professionally can be a rewarding and flexible career that not only lets you meet interesting people — but more importantly — their wonderful and unique pets.  

However, as you’re probably realizing, there’s a lot more than dog walking to do when it comes to creating a small business and a reliable client base. If you’re uncertain of how to start marketing yourself as a pet sitter, keep reading. We’ll walk you through it in four easy steps. 

Leaving your dog behind can make preparing for a vacation or work trip stressful, especially if you’ll be using a new pet sitter. You probably have a million questions, but let’s tackle the top three that you should be asking yourself when vetting a new pet sitter:

Whether you’re leaving your dog for a few days or a few weeks, there’s a lot that you need to let your pet sitter know. At Grand and Graham Pets, before creating an online portal with client accounts, we used to provide this checklist for our clients to ensure that everyone is set up for success. We’ll walk you through each section in detail and provide a PDF checklist that you can use when you’re building your own instructions.

If you’ve never used an in-home pet sitter before, you likely have plenty of questions about how the process will work. At Grand & Graham Pets, we have years of experience working with new clients and dogs of all shapes and sizes, and we’re happy to answer any questions that might put your mind at ease. 

Let’s dig into a few of the ones that we hear most often:

If you’re nervous about using a pet sitter for the first time, we’re here to help. Let’s take a quick look at everything you need to consider before you leave, and by the time we’re done, you’ll be feeling prepared and ready to tackle the next vacation task.

If you’re considering taking your dog on vacation, you probably already know that there are a lot of locations that either don’t allow dogs or just aren’t ideal for them. However, there are still tons of beautiful vacation spots that both you and your dog will love. Here’s our top 5 ideas to get you started:

Absolutely! Asking a family member or friend to look after your pets while you’re away might be your first thought, but it’s not the best solution for everyone. Whether you don’t have anyone nearby or have a dog that requires a lot of care, there are lots of reasons to use professional in-home pet sitting. For most people, it’s the best way to care for the dogs when they’re away on vacation or other extended stays. 

When you tell people that you’re a professional pet sitter, they may think that your job hardly sounds like work at all! However the reality of being a pet sitter is full of scheduling negotiations, filing background checks, advertising campaigns, and other disadvantages before you even get to the literal dog crap. 

If you’re preparing to go on a vacation, you probably have a hundred questions racing through your mind. If you’re also a dog owner, you probably have a thousand. 

Whatever you’re wondering about, you can guarantee that our professional in-home sitters have heard it before. Let’s dig into the top five questions that we hear from clients: 

At Grand and Graham Pet Sitters, we know the pet sitting business backwards and forwards. If you’re just starting as a pet sitter in San Francisco, we can offer a few tips to help you stand out as a professional to your clients. 

Preparing for vacation can be as stressful as it is exciting, especially if you have dogs in the mix. But don’t worry! We’ll help you get your pets ready to stay behind during extended trips, and fill you in on the secrets of the trade.

If you have a vacation or work trip coming up, you may be asking yourself if taking your dog with you is an option. This can work well for some dogs and cause extra stress for others, so let’s take a look at some of the concerns with air and car travel when bringing your pup along.