Dog sitter tips?
 

I have a dog sitter visiting my new babies at the house every day around noon to check on them and make sure all is well. I know they will be okay at home alone, but I feel better so....

My question, am I supposed to tip her at the end of the week? (I do not think I am a cheap person, but I do think we are a tip crazy country.) And if so, how do I determine what to tip?

I tip my pet sitter 10 dollars per day, plus 100 at holiday time, she comes 4 times per day when I am away though, I would tip weekly if they only came once a day.

what happens if your dog bites the pet sitter? does anyone know the liability of that?

This is one of the reasons some people like to hire professional petsitters who carry their own insurance.

I have never tipped my petsitters. I guess I never thought about it, I ask them for the total and usually pay that. I do usually bring back a gift and they seem to appreciate that.

I pet sit occasionally and didn't know that pet sitters get tipped...We've never had anyone pet sit our babies so this is the first time I'm hearing this...

Ive never had a pet sitter i take my baby everywhere but does anyone ever wonder if the pet sitter would ever steal from them? my friend told me that her mother had a pet sitter and one day after many months using this pet sitter she came home and found things missing (Thank God the lady didnt steal the puppy) but how does this even work? do u guys check backgrounds? sorry just wondering!

:eek: OMG!! That is a good question. I'm always iffy about others taking care of my dogs because I'm afraid they don't return them!! Luckily, we take them with us almost everywhere so never had to use a pet sitter. Only once they were pet sitted by a member here on YT, who we totally trusted! :) I pet sit here and there, but only at my home though so never had a background done for it...I'd like to hear what others say ;)

I have a dog sitter, maybe she is a dogwalker since she comes daily and walks Sophie Kate.

I do not tip her but I do pay her pretty well ($17.00 per day).

Holidays she does get a tip and small gift from Sophie Kate ($100.00 tip and usually a gift card).

The dog sitter I use with is a local business - the owner is the daughter-in-law of my vet - and they are licensed and bonded. They do carry their own insurance. Also, my home owners insurance has coverage for if my dog were to bite someone - a real bite, not the puppy torture, er, I mean nips. They were recommended to me by several people I work with - they live in the same area of town and have the same sitter. They charge $30.00 an hour for in home visits, for up to 3 dogs. Not cheap, but worth it for the peace of mind for the first few weeks of leaving my babies home alone all day. Their over night fee for 10-12 hours is $75.00 - so I do not think I will be traveling any time soon.

The in-home consultation/interview lasted over an hour and was very detailed. We went over daily routines, feeding, play, toys, chews, - pretty much everything. Do I want the tv turned on/off, radio, trash days, mail and paper picked up, heat or a/c adjusted, etc. There is a check-list she fills out when she is here and she writes about a half page note about what the puppies did while she was visiting - I have to say, I am so proud to read that they went potty on the potty pads! I asked a lot of questions and watched how she interacted with the puppies when she came. She has worked for the business as a dog-sitter for the past 8 years and loves it.

I have never had anyone come in to the home when I am gone before. Poppy used to stay with a nice retired couple - I paid a daily/overnight fee of $25/35 per day. I always brought back a gift from where ever I went and they always happy seemed pretty happy. I always planned in extra time when I would drop-off/pick-up to visit with them - after 8 years they were more like family then a dog sitter.

When I went on-line to book the dog-sitter, it mentions if you would like to tip the sitter to please leave cash or check in an envelope with the sitters name on it so they know it is for them. I planned (budgeted) for her come by for the first month they were home. Did not even cross my mind to tip at the time.

I have a friend who has three Yorkies - ages 8, 5, and 2 - who has offered to watch my babies. But...she does not seem to understand the boundaries and limitations I have set. The puppies are not allowed on the furniture - yes, I have been sitting on the floor with them since they came home - because I do not want them to hurt themselves jumping off of things. At 2.4 pounds, they are small and my furniture is huge! She has never house trained her dogs. She actually had her carpet removed and the house tiled to make it easier to clean up. She even leaves her back door open and lets her Yorkies run in and out when they want - she seems to have no concern about the owls, hawks, snakes or her pool. Sorry, but I am not letting her anywhere near my babies - I do not care if I can ever afford to eat out again!

I am a pet sitter/dogwalker. I, however, am not working for a company or insured, etc. It's just plain ole' me. Anyways I get paid $12.00 per day to walk one dog for 30 minutes. I have a few other people who request me for longer periods, so that's more money, but I've never been tipped. They always just give me what they owe, which makes sense since I'm gaining all the profit. I would never have expected to be tipped.

Thanks for the info. I think I am going to with just the holiday gift.

That makes sense! I don't pet sit as a regular job, just a couple times. It's usually people from meetups or something. I also never expected to be tipped. When I offer to pet sit, it's usually for the dogs rather than the money. Right now, I am watching a maltese for 1.5 months and am getting paid about $10 a day. When I pet sit a member from meetup, I was paid $30 for overnight with 2 yorkies and $20 for the entire day. I didn't come up with the rate too. lol I do enjoy the company of the dogs though! :D

My good friend petsits for a living. She has been in business for over 10 years, is a veterinary tech, carries insurance and is bonded. I am not sure what she charges as I never had a need to inquire. I know she does daily visits and overnights. I know that her regular clients do not tip her during the week. They do, however, usually give her a gift around the holidays. Anywhere from gift cards to restaurants, to gift certificates to the movies to cash. She truly appreciates the gifts but does not expect any tips.

We pay 3 different rates for Dori's care. A 1/2 hour walk is $15, overnight at the pet sitter's is $30, and if the sitter stays overnight at our place it is more expensive. I tend to "round up" when writing the check...a $90 bill becomes $100. Dori is also very generous to her caretakers at the holidays!