How to Hire the Best Dog Sitter on the Road

It was over a year before we left Bruce Leroy with a dog sitter after starting full-time van life, and it wasn’t from lack of trying. It’s easier to build relationships with dog sitters when you live in a place year-round. You can get recommendations from neighbors, co-workers, and others in your community. Or you may live close to family and friends willing to help out. But on the road, your home may change frequently, and you likely won’t know anybody in the local communities you visit.

Why have we struggled to find dog sitters?

• Some dog sitters don’t watch pets in their own home. It’s too awkward for us to have someone we barely know in our small van space lounging on our bed.
• Dog sitting isn’t always a primary source of income, so we lost a potential sitter when she got another job.
• People become unresponsive for no apparent reason.
• Dog sitters have lives and can cancel unexpectedly.
• The small towns we visit don’t have many people offering pet sitting services like a city with a population in the six figures.

Steps to find a dog sitter on the road

We worry a lot about Bruce when we leave him with strangers, especially since he has special needs. He is an anxious senior dog who is blind and mostly deaf. He needs to know a human is present most of the time, and can only be left for short periods. While he requires the security of a human, he also doesn’t like doting strangers petting him without his approval and speaking to him using high-pitched baby noises. He instantly responds with aggression.

Here are the steps we take to ensure Bruce and the sitter have a positive experience, and I’m not in a state of anxiety the whole time.

Identify a few potential dog sitters

Preselect sitters on Rover.com based on reviews and criteria important to you. You can also ask any locals you’ve met in the town you are visiting for recommendations.

Try to reach out to candidates as soon as you know you have plans that aren’t going to include your dog.

Ask to schedule a phone interview. Rover.com and people you meet will provide a little insight into potential sitters but always conduct a phone interview. You may be surprised at what you find out.

Before the phone interview

You’ll have a faster, more meaningful conversation if you answer the following questions and share them with your candidate ahead of your call. It will provide an introduction to your dog so the sitter can determine if they are a match. It will also help him or her to ask better questions and provide assurances. You can share your answers in an email, or put them in your dog’s profile on Rover.com.

Basics

• What is your dog’s age?
• What is your dog’s breed?
• How much does your pet weigh?
• Is your dog current on vaccinations? Can you provide proof?

The dog sitter may only feel comfortable watching dogs of a certain age, breed, and size.

Routine

• What does your dog’s typical day look like?
• What is your dog’s eating schedule? How much do you feed him?
• Do you give your dog treats? How often? Is it okay to give your dog treats different from his regular treats?
• How much exercise does your dog need? What do you do to tire out your dog?
• Is your dog potty trained? How often does he need to go out? How does he let you know?

Your dog will have a better stay if the sitter can stick to your pet’s routine as much as possible.

Personality & behavior

• Does your dog have aggression? Separation anxiety? How do you address situations when your dog becomes aggressive or anxious? How do you prevent it?
• Is your dog fearful of anything like certain sounds? How do you calm your dog?
• How do you know when your dog is distressed?
• Is your dog an escape artist? Does he dig under fences? Go over fences?
• What commands does your dog know?
• What excites your dog? How can your dog sitter build a positive relationship with your pet?
• Has your dog ever stayed at a kennel or at somebody else’s home? How did it go?
• How well does your dog ride in a car?

The dog sitter needs to know what your dog is like to create a positive experience.

Interactions

• How does your dog do with other pets, including dogs, cats, and farm animals? How do different animals react to your pet?
• How well does your dog interact with children? Can your pet be around children of all ages?
• How does your dog handle meeting new people?

Your dog may not get along with others living in the sitter’s home.

Special needs

• Is your dog blind? Deaf? Senior?
• Does your dog take medications? How are they administered, and how often?

The dog sitter may not have the skills or comfort level to care for your pet.

Emergencies

• How should your sitter handle an emergency with your dog that requires veterinary care? Should you be contacted first? What decisions are they allowed to make on your behalf?
• Who should the sitter contact in case of an emergency? Who is your vet? If you’re unreachable, who should they contact?

Make sure you agree on how best to care for your dog in case of an unfortunate event.

Other notes

• What else should the dog sitter know so your dog’s stay is a success?

The phone interview

Some dogs are effortlessly introduced to new people and situations. And they don’t seem to care when they are separated from their owner. For Kyle and me, none of our dogs have ever been this way, so we ask the right questions to ensure our dog and the sitter are compatible. The sitter’s home environment is important too.

If you’re using site’s like Rover.com, the sitter’s profile is helpful. However, I find they aren’t always up-to-date, so I like to confirm everything over the phone. Your questions may differ depending on your dog’s needs, but here are questions we want to ask:

Environment

• Where will my dog sleep?
• Will you require my dog to be crated at any time? When?
• Will you allow my dog on your furniture?
• Do you have a secure yard? How tall is your fence? Do wild animals ever enter your yard like coyotes? Will you monitor my dog when he is in your yard?
• Will my dog need to navigate stairs or decks? Do they have railing?

One sitter wanted to keep Bruce in a laundry room because he doesn’t like dogs on his carpet.

Bruce escaped a sitter’s yard once and ended up on a major highway. Cops picked him up and put him in doggy jail, and animal control wouldn’t release him to the dog sitter. We had to call and pay for his bailout and provide the necessary permission.

Another sitter admitted coyotes could scale her fence and have plucked small dogs from her yard.

One man was concerned that his stairs and decks didn’t have sufficient railing to prevent my blind dog from falling off.

Care

• What is the most extended amount of time you expect to leave my dog alone? Where will he be when you’re away?
• How often will you let my dog out to do his business?
• Will other people in your home provide care for my dog?

A few sitters admitted Bruce would be unattended for more than four hours each day, even though they advertised being home full time.

Most of the time, we find the entire family will participate in our dog’s care, so we want to meet them if we get to the point of a meet-and-greet.

Interactions

• Will my dog be interacting with any other pets? How many? What type?
• Do you have children? What are their ages? Can they follow special instructions related to my dog?
• Will my dog be interacting with anyone that doesn’t live with you like family or friends?

Outings

• Will my dog ever ride in a car?
• Will you be taking my dog anywhere outside of your home?
• How often can you take my dog out for walks? How far do you walk? Where?

One sitter asked if she could let Bruce off-leash on the road in her neighborhood. He’s blind!

Another made it clear she doesn’t walk dogs.

Emergencies

• How will you handle an emergency situation related to my dog?
• What will happen if you have a personal emergency?

Payment & cancellation policy

• How much do you charge?
• When is payment due?
• How do I go about paying you?
• Is there anything that would cause you to cancel on us?
• If you cancel, how soon do you refund our money? How?
• If we need to cancel, what is your cancellation policy? Do you offer a refund?

One person sold her home after we hired her, not knowing her house was for sale. She fully refunded us immediately through Rover.com. I found a replacement based on a recommendation, but she was showing signs of dementia, so we canceled. We did not establish a cancellation policy, but I willingly paid her double what she kindly requested. She was so sweet about the whole thing, and I didn’t think I did an excellent job vetting her because I was desperate.

Other information

• Do you have any references I can contact?
• Why does the sitter think they will be the best fit for your dog?
• Will you send pictures or other updates while my dog is with you? How often?
• What else do you think I need to know if my dog stays with you?

Next steps

By the time you get to the end of the phone interview, you’ll probably have some sort of gut feeling. If it feels okay, move forward, and plan a meet-and-greet. If it feels terrible, it’s best to let the sitter know that you don’t think it’s a good match. They will likely appreciate not being strung along. The sitter may also tell you they aren’t comfortable watching your dog.

When you are full-time RVing, planning a meet-and-greet may be challenging, especially if you need a dog sitter as soon as you arrive at a destination. If you can, though, try to be there at least a day early so you can make time for that meet-and-greet. You don’t want to leave your dog with someone to get a call a few hours later, saying it’s not working out.

Have a backup plan in case that meet-and-greet doesn’t go well. We pretty much assume any plans without Bruce are off the table if that happens, which could result in loss of money. Fortunately, it has always worked out, and I attribute that to a thorough phone interview.

If you choose to move forward, here are questions to ask:

• Can we plan a meet-and-greet? When? Where?
• Will we have a chance to see your home, so we know where our dog will be staying? (If they pick another meeting place like a park.)
• Will we get to meet other people and pets in your home that will interact with my dog?
• Do you have any special instructions

The Meet-and-Greet

This is your chance to see how well your dog interacts with the potential dog sitter and their family, and if their home environment is suitable. The dog sitter can also decide if they will enjoy watching your pet.

I provide instructions for our meet-and-greets because Bruce will be more likely to accept new people if he is introduced a specific way. In one particular case, my instructions were not acknowledged, and it resulted in a dangerous situation for Bruce, the sitter, and her son. As I explained to the sitter, Bruce only befriends those that completely ignore him. She kept pressuring Bruce for attention as he became increasingly and visibly agitated. Her young son was bouncing in a circle around us, aggravating the problem. His mom’s requests for him to settle down were disregarded. So we had to remove Bruce before he took action and bit someone.

Another sitter routinely watched over half a dozen dogs at a time. A meet-and-greet revealed she didn’t keep them on a leash, they weren’t under voice control, and she allowed them to do their business on her neighbor’s lawns. We didn’t want Bruce running amok.

At another meet-and-greet, a woman didn’t want Bruce to pee on her grass in the backyard, only the front yard. I didn’t think I could successfully train Bruce to comply in time.

If you have good vibes after your meet-and-greet, move forward with the hiring process. If you have a partner with you vested in the decision, it’s best to talk it over before making any commitments. You may have warm and fuzzy feelings, but your partner may not. There’s nothing wrong with asking the sitter:

• Can I get back to you after my partner and I have a chance to talk about it?
• How soon do you need an answer?

If you go this route, get back to the sitter promptly. They may be holding out on taking other jobs just for you.

Hiring the dog sitter

Whether this happens at the end of the meet-and-greet, or communicating via phone, text, or Rover.com…

• Promptly pay the sitter their deposit or in full, depending on what was established during the phone interview.
• Confirm a good time to drop off and pick up your dog.
• Ask what you need to bring when you drop off your dog. Some sitters provide everything, including doggie beds, food and water bowls, leashes, toys, and more. Some suggest leaving an article of clothing that smells like you to help with any anxieties your dog may have.

Dropping off your dog

Be on time!

Some dogs are happy anywhere. But if your dog has separation anxiety and it’s their first time going to a dog sitter, it’s important not to make a fuss. This is EXTREMELY hard to do, but don’t say goodbye to your pet. Just hand them over and walk away. Don’t talk to your dog or look at them. You don’t want to signal to your dog something strange is about to happen with excessive love. As I said, this is extremely hard to do, but you don’t want your dog in an anxious state. It immediately sets up your dog and the sitter for failure. You want your dog to be invited back!

While your dog is away

Hopefully, you hired a dog sitter for something fun and unusual, so enjoy the time without your dog! There’s no need to reach out to the dog sitter unless they promised updates on a specified interval, and you haven’t heard from them.

Picking up your dog

Again, be on time!

Just like dropping off your dog, try not to invoke anxieties by keeping your first interaction with your dog neutral. Wait until they are calm for a full five minutes before paying them any attention. We’re not perfect at this because we miss our dog so much, but when we treat it like a non-event, Bruce is less stressed any time we drop him off or pick him up anywhere.

Ask the dog sitter how it went. Your dog may act differently around other people, and you may learn new information about your dog’s character you never knew before.

After picking up your dog

Write a review if your sitter is on a site like Rover.com. It helps them to capture future business, and it’s a great way to say thank you. If you build a genuine relationship, hopefully, when you’re back in the area, you can use the same sitter again.

If your feedback is negative, have a conversation with the dog sitter first. Give them a chance to respond before airing your grievances in a public review. Maybe there is a reasonable explanation for something you found upsetting. Allow them to apologize if it’s necessary. And hopefully, they will appreciate hearing what you have to say so they can improve their service in the future.

Conclusion

Our furry family members can’t be included in every RV and van life adventure. When they can’t tag along, we want to make sure they are safe and comfortable in someone else’s home. Do your due diligence by reading reviews, conducting phone interviews, and meet-and-greets. Recognize when something doesn’t feel right about a potential dog sitter and move on. If you do find an incredible sitter, make sure they know it so you can use them again next time you’re traveling through. As you leave your dog with new people around the country, keep drop offs and pick ups unemotional, so your pet knows everything is okay.