Pet Sitter duties for 6 day Vacation - Successful!
 

Just thought I would debrief those who are interested in my in-home pet sitter experience. I originally posted on June 8 while I was looking for a sitter. My experience using Rover.com as a resource was excellent. Not only did I find many possible contacts but I learned what questions to ask and how to prepare information about my dog for the sitter. Most importantly upon coming home, Deuce was in perfect condition, happy, and was demonstrating his usual routine and behaviors. Additionally my home was immaculate. I would not hesitate using this sitter again.

Let me tell you I did not take this task lightly and put in quite a bit of time to make this work out. I researched candidates on both Rover.com and Care.com, texted and called them, physically interviewed 5 candidates, and created a Manual "All About Deuce" for the sitter. Once selected I had the sitter come over for dinner to spend some time with Deuce and us just to see how he interacts in his environment and to teach her how to groom him. All my time and energy was well worth it.

My family thought I was a bit over the top in creating the care manual but it made me feel better about leaving my boy and helped the sitter with questions that might arise even though I was always available on my cell phone.

Sections in the manual were the following.
Important phone numbers including neighbors and security.
Duties - including pet, house and plants
Daily Schedule
Food/eating Schedule - including treats and amount
Grooming - with pictures of topknot. The sitter never did a topknot before.
General - Things I do and don't do with Deuce
Misc. - Vet, immunizations, microchip information

If anyone would like to see the specific content of the manual just pm me.
Attached is a pic the sitter sent of Deuce when she was particularly proud of the way his topknot came out. Yeah I know his tail isn't up but sometimes it isn't always up when I'm here either.

Deuce looks fantastic in his top knot, he's such a handsome boy.

Glad it went well for you :)! I'm a Rover sitter and I've had nothing but wonderful experiences with owners.

The sitter lived in my home. She slept in my master bedroom since our guest rooms are upstairs and my dog does not go up the stairs to the second floor. He sleeps in his bed in the master. I live in a gated community so I had to register any guests that she wanted to have. She invited her mom for a couple of the days. My home is on a lake and I provided her with a kayak to get out on the water with.

Wow, how nice! I think I'd pay you to let me sit with your sweet Deuce!

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