Alternatives to Rover and Wag!
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.
You might try to turn to family members, but unless they are professional pet sitters or work with animals as a vet or trainer, your dog's specific behavioral or medical needs may be more than they’re comfortable with. If that’s the case for you, you’re not out of options. Let’s take a look at two alternatives to Rover and Wag!, Boarding Facilities and Independent In-Home Pet Sitters:
Boarding Facilities
Dog and cat boarding facilities are common in most cities. The quality of care provided will vary widely, and some states may have stricter regulations than others. Dog boarders that are certified by the American Kennel Club are typically held to higher standards.
Most facilities will offer a mix of solitary crate time and group play times, and some may even have outdoor spaces for them to exercise in. These situations are ideal for dogs that thrive in group settings with multiple other dogs and have no anxiety or reactivity towards other dogs. Dogs who are slow to socialize or who become reactive around others are not suitable for boarding, both for the comfort of your dog and the safety of the other boarders and staff.
The best way to find reliable boarders in your area is to talk with your veterinarian or trainer; some may even have boarding facilities as part of their services. You can learn more about dog boarding alternatives in this blog.
In-Home Pet Sitters
If you have concerns about how your pets would handle a boarding facility, the better choice for them and you may be an in-home pet sitter. Having a pet sitter come to stay at your home for the duration of your trip allows your pets to stay where they’re most comfortable and receive personalized care without having to adjust the schedule or environment of a boarding facility. Our specialty at Grand & Graham Pets is keeping your dogs on the same schedule that you do with overnight, in-home care.
Good in-home pet sitters will get to know both you and your dog before the stay, and ask lots of questions about how your dog is used to being walked, fed, and more. Depending on their training and experience, your sitter may be able to administer medications and mitigate separation anxiety as well.
At G&G Pets, we utilize the Fear Free methodology to guide our approach to pet care. If you’re in the San Francisco, CA area, we hope you’ll reach out to us at Grand & Graham Pets, but if you live elsewhere, we encourage you to use the Fear Free Directory to locate like-minded pet sitters near you.
Still have questions about what in-home pet sitting covers? Here’s some of the top ones we hear from our clients.
Choosing between an App, Boarding, or an In-Home Sitter
For some dogs, using Wag! and Rover sitters or walkers is a perfectly viable option, but for others, these marketplace platforms can cause added stress for dogs and owners alike. Before using Rover or Wag!, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions:
How easily does your dog trust new people?
Mass-marketplace apps often have high turnover rates, and if you find a sitter that you like, you may have to find a new one in a few months, if not sooner. Some dogs may always be excited to meet new people, and this may not faze them, but others may take a long time to develop trust with their sitters and walkers.
Does your dog have any specialized needs?
It can be difficult to find sitters with specific qualifications on Rover and Wag!. If your dog requires regular medications or has separation anxiety, you’ll need to discuss this with each sitter before you confirm the booking.
Apart from your dog's needs, what do you need to feel good with a new sitter?
Some pet parents have dogs with little to no behavioral issues or medical needs, but still prefer to have the most qualified and personalized care for their dogs. Others don’t want to run the risk of the potential stress of boarding their dog, or put their dog in a situation where they could develop reactivity due to being with a group of dogs in an unfamiliar environment.
Looking for Professional In-Home Pet Sitting in San Francisco, CA?
Don’t forget to ask yourself what you need too as you look for a pet sitter. If you need the peace of mind of knowing exactly how your pet will be cared for when you’re away, you need a professional in-home pet sitter rather than a gig worker.
Grand & Graham Pets offers the highest quality in pet sitting, with fully vetted sitters who take the time to get to know you and your pet before their first stay. All of our sitters are full-time residents of San Francisco who want to build relationships with their clients — so you know they’ll be here for your next vacation too.
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