It was the first day of my first pet sit in Scotland. Bob and I had four more ahead of us.
Blow it, and I feared we’d get a lousy review that would ruin our chances of future sits. Ace it, and we’d be able to whirl through Europe for peanuts, staying free in pet owners’ homes.
I was walking the black lab, Morty, along a soft dirt path in the woods when another big dog came into sight. Morty bolted, dragging me several feet along the ground.
Foolishly, I figured I’d do better with Amber, the big, yellow lab from the same home. When she also took me for a mud slide, I decided it was time Bob and I walked the dogs as a team. If another dog approached, I’d hand my leash to him.
Teamwork did the trick. Neither Morty nor Amber dragged me again. Nor did any of the dozen other dogs we’ve sat since then.
We fell in love with Jack, a big, black lab who behaved so well we could have ditched the leash. A pair of whippets won Bob’s heart and mine cuddling between us every evening on the couch. Then there was Doddie, a small, shaggy terrier who never tired of playing fetch.
The more pets we sat, the less important the money savings seemed. (Unlike professional pet-sitters, traveling sitters are not paid.) We stuck with pet-sitting because it’s fun.
We find our gigs on pet-sitting web sites. Our favorite is TrustedHousesitters (trustedhousesitters.com) because of its thousands of listings in Europe, North America and Australia. The $129 annual membership fee gives us access to those listings. House Sitters UK (housesittersuk.co.uk) is only $40 per year but limits listings to the United Kingdom.
Filters on both sites enabled us to choose sit locations, dates and types of pets. Dogs and cats are the most common, although sits may include rabbits, chickens and other animals. Reviews from previous sitters help us decide whether a sit would suit us. Pet owners also read reviews hosts gave us.
Sit applicants appeal to owners with an introductory note. Most owners then request a video chat, though some hired us without.
Here are Bob’s and my tips for travel pet-sitting:
Choose your pets carefully. I’ll agree to sits with strong, undisciplined dogs because I have Bob to help out. If I were traveling solo, I’d stick with cats and small dogs. Ask owners how their dogs behave on a leash if you have any doubts.
Rack up reviews. If you’re new to pet-sitting, consider starting with sits close to home. Positive reviews Bob and I got sitting here in Florida made it easier to get sits our first time sitting abroad.
Consider location and transportation. Bob and I took public transportation to and from gigs in England and Scotland. In urban areas, a bus stop was never more than a few blocks away from our hosts’ homes. We often took local buses to shops, restaurants and attractions between dog walks. But we also loved rural sits, which could be miles from a bus stop. We just stocked up on food and enjoyed long walks and good books. Restless types, though, might wish to avoid rural sits or rent a car.
Keep in touch with hosts. Bob sends a photo and message to our hosts every day they’re away, often just to reassure them their pets are fine. Those quick notes helped us earn the five-star ratings that landed us more fun-filled sits.
