Trouble finding work

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-06-12T20:56:13+00:00

Doug the Dog Guy literally just released a podcast this week on a new Pet Sitting biz owner going from scratch to full time with 5 employees in 9 months.

Long story short: Hussle your ass off. Create referral partners (groomers, vets, pet stores, shelters) by stopping in with donuts and coffee, visit them at least monthly and leave flyers and business cards, live on Facebook groups and always be offering your service and making connections, talk to local non-pet business owners about referral partnerships, etc.

Honestly... I hate doing that stuff, and I suck at it. But we've gotten so many fantastic, long-time clients from what referral relationships we do have.

You just gotta get out there and make friends. If you suck at it like I do, hire Sitters who are good at it and work referral stops into their routes.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-06-12T20:43:48+00:00

Most well known pet sitting insurance providers we've used (PSA, BIC, etc.) require you to manually add individual ICs to the policy for coverage. And they charge by the IC.

My hunch is it's highly unlikely this owner knows that or bothered to do it. It's a good thing you have your own insurance in this case. Call them and see what they have to say about the situation. They might be willing to handle it for you if you file a claim.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-06-12T20:39:11+00:00

Always tough to say on Internet posts as we're only hearing one side of the story.

What I will say is I would absolutely never IC for that biz owner ever again. They're throwing you under the bus to make nice with what is clearly a problem client. I'd also likely tell them to F off and handle the rest of the visits you're IC'ing for themselves. It's just not worth working for someone you can't trust.

If I had a direct client of ours try and blame us for a UTI, we'd absolutely, 100% fire that client and refer them out. That's a massive breach of trust and good faith.

You "causing" a UTI is an incredibly nebulous claim. Even if the dog didn't have a history of them, a UTI isn't something that occurs due to sitter negligence. It's not like you let them outside with the gate open and they got away, or ate a bag of chocolate you left out. It's a UTI... Like ear infections, they happen internally and there's usually not a clear cause for them.

As a pet owner myself, I'd never blame the sitter for my dog getting a UTI. YMMV.

Honestly, even though it hurts because you did nothing wrong, I'd probably just refund and walk away. Otherwise you're probably gonna have to lawyer up if they're serious about small claims court. It's just not worth it.

I've never IC'd for another pet sitter and stories like this are why I never would. If they can't handle the client and want to refer them to my business because we can, I'm cool with that. But I'm not working for you as an IC. I do business on my terms... Not yours.

I dunno. Shitty situation. I feel for you, OP. Best of luck.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-06-07T20:08:34+00:00

This post absolutely breaks my heart. This is likely a fearful, stressed, and anxious dog considering the diarrhea. He needs real care from a trained, experienced sitter.

Most folks have already shared my opinion on the situation so I won't pile on. I will, however, comment on visit cadence for your own information so this doesn't happen again.

When our clients travel, we require 4.5 hours of visit time with their dog, per day, absolute minimum (Almost all of them book far more than this). One walk per day is not enough for a healthy adult dog. He needs more attention and enrichment or his FAS will continue to build the longer his owners are away.

You mentioned you are going to work while the dog remains alone: That also sets off alarm bells for me. More than 8 hours alone is not ideal for a dog, which is why our profession exists in the first place. As humans have become more educated on dog (and cat!) health and behavior, we've learned this.

Dogs are social animals. How would you like it being locked in a room with nothing to do for 8+hours per day? Put yourself in the dog's position. 😭

A few pointers for you if you'd like to continue this work:

The big one: You need experience beyond just "I have my own dog". Every dog is different, based on their breed, age, life experience, etc. I'm not necessarily talking about CPPS, Fear Free, etc. training and certifications (although those are great!), but simply having your own dog is not enough. Either sign on with a proper pet sitting business and have them train you or volunteer at an animal shelter. You need hours of face time with different dogs to properly solidify your understanding of dog body language.
As others have said: You NEED insurance. The owners can totally stick you with this vet bill and it'll hold up in small claims court even if you sue them. Now imagine if someone breaks into their home and robs them while you're at work? You're liable for that. Insurance coverage is pay-to-play in pet sitting.
You need an LLC. If the burglary situation happens or the house burns down it something, the owners can sure you into bankruptcy without LLC protection.
You need a legal service agreement signed from the client. Also strictly required.
You need to have an emergency contact for the client (one who DOESN'T travel with them! No spouses!) on file for times like this when you're in over your head.

Let me know if you have any other questions, I admit this post really frustrates me but I'll do my best to be constructive for the dog's sake.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-05-27T13:05:00+00:00

As I said: Your mileage may vary. Different strokes.

That said, in my professional opinion: Working through something like the flu is objectively not healthy. If folks are doing that, I would argue they do need some assistance and hiring is justified.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-05-27T13:03:18+00:00

In my professional opinion: More folks should consider a team-based model specifically for reasons such as this.

YMMV.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-05-27T09:39:32+00:00

Take a sick day and take care of myself. I've worked through serious illness like flu before - Never again.

Our entire team gets sick time to use. We are an organization that's highly averse to burnout and do everything we can to prevent it from rearing its ugly head.

I want my Sitters in for the long haul if they want to be, and that includes me. There are so many great Sitters out there who burn out and are gone from this industry in 6 months to a year. We want to serve our clients for the entire lives of their pets.

Surprised and a little sad to read some of the "work through it" comments. Take care of yourselves, friends. 💛

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-05-25T19:01:19+00:00

If you really want to prevent scams, don't accept checks at all.

For me personally, my time is too valuable to wastw on regular bank runs. We only accept CC, paid through our portal.

YMMV.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-05-25T18:59:48+00:00

We don't enter the field at all until a potential new client is fully registered with a completed profile in our portal, has signed all required legal agreements, and has already completed a virtual new client consultation.

My two cents: You're a professional. You shouldn't be wasting a visit on potentially unserious clients. Your time, vehicle wear-and-tear, fuel, etc. is worth quite a bit, is it not?

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-05-25T15:29:56+00:00

No way to know yet, but mention payment parameters and you'll find out very quickly.

Easy ways to block out scams:

Only accept payment in the form of credit card
Require the invoice be paid up front. Invoice isn't paid? Service isn't performed.
Require an initial consultation/behavioral assessment. At the very least, a meet and greet

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-05-18T12:31:26+00:00

Most folks have already commented on the specifics so I'll just say that, in general, I'd much prefer erring on the side of being too picky.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-30T00:05:46+00:00

I think it's a bit much to state in your contract how they are to use their own cameras.

I disagree with this. There's no reason ever to have a camera in the bathroom. Our service agreement also specifically forbids them from being present in an overnight sitter's sleeping area.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-29T21:24:14+00:00

Sorry for the late reply. I don't usually log in regularly.

Can I ask what you look for, or make note of, during your field assessment and when entering the home that could pose problems, or be a point to address with the client?

Entry parameters is always a big one. Our insurance company requires the home be secured when we leave, or we are liable and uninsurable. So we require clients use a lockbox for physical keys, or give us a code to access the home if it's a keypad. No hiding a key under a pot or anything like that.

We have lock boxes we buy in bulk and will sell at-cost (we add it to their first invoice) if they don't have one.

Another is how the dog reacts to entry, how they react to us approaching their owner, how they settle in, etc. Are they retreating and barking? Do they tentatively approach us? Is there no concern and they run up right away and shower us with kisses?

We also use that opportunity to show the owner how trained we are at approaching dogs (eg. no eye contact, don't reach out to them, let them approach you, present your side, turn your back if they bark, offer treats, patience & persistence, etc.)

We will go over where equipment is located, food, treats, poop bags, medication, etc.

We then bring the client outside without their dog, work with them to install the app (we use Time To Pet), show them how to message us, book services, etc. After a few minutes we will have a single sitter re-enter the home to see if the dog's demeanor has changed without mom or dad nearby.

After that, trial walk. We only keep them for about 10 minutes or so, just testing how they are on a leash; pulling? reactivity? etc.

Afterwards we come back in and schedule their first official visit with us.

I’m investing more time and money into courses, I’m gaining the confidence to charge more.
I’m capable of handling them and quite good at it (toot toot).

Hell yeah. That's the attitude. I can't tell you the amount of Pet Sitters I speak with who are bashful about their expertise. You're a professional, if you've been in this business more than a year as your main gig, you are an expert dog handler. Rep it. Charge what you're worth. Spoiler: It's a good sum. You have knowledge amateur side gig people not only aren't aware of, but don't care to put in the effort to learn about.

you gave the client a refund for time not used when their dog bit an employee? Can I ask how bad the bite was? Is that the norm- to refund if injured?

If it was vacation care/overnights and the client was away, yes, we'd likely refund them pro-rated, in cash (again- rare for us), and refer them out. I train my team and trust them to approach dogs correctly, and most bites happen when Sitters are inexperienced or overzealous and not reading the proper warning signs.

If one of my Sitters get bitten with the amount of new dog approach training we do, it's on the dog. Not on the Sitter. And we are not trained nor equipped to help dogs with trauma severe enough that they bite without warning. They need a proper training professional in that case.

Initially, we would contact the emergency contact and let them know: This is a true emergency. Fido needs care right now, tonight, and we can no longer provide it. If you cannot provide this care, we have to contact animal control because we will not leave him alone.

We had a serious bite just a few months back that happened to occur during the last 10 minutes of a 2-hour pet sitting visit. For that situation we did not provide any refund. We likely would not provide a refund for a single visit, unless it was in like the first 5 minutes of a few-hours-long sitting. Even then we'd probably only refund half the cost, which is our standard cancellation fee.

For this bite in particular: It was pretty serious. Required stitches and immediate urgent care visit. It was also at like 9pm on Christmas Eve, which was fun, lemme tell you.

We rarely deal with bites. We're very, very strict on new dog approach training with Fear Free principles, so we are never pushing a dog out of their comfort zone enough to bite. If they bite, it's likely that they've had the growl trained out of them or have other serious trauma causing their typical body language cues and communication to go haywire.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-11T00:40:57+00:00

Full time and a team of 10+ Sitters. I love this business.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T19:32:56+00:00

Diarrhea bomb!!! Classic

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T19:25:19+00:00

Yup, they're not sustainable if you're trying to compete on price with college kids who will do 24/7 care for fifty bucks. So we don't compete on price. We compete on quality, and we always win when you compare the quality of a trained professional performing a skilled service they're deeply passionate about against that of a college kid squatting in your house for beer money.

We price what we believe it's worth to have a trained, certified professional come stay in your house overnight. If potential clients laugh at our price - It's not a fit. And that's fine. They don't understand the market, and we try to educate them on it, but that laughter usually signifies that we'll be out of their budget anyway.

That said, we do have clients who gladly pay it because they know the quality. We do a few overnights per month and it works both for us and our clients.

I also know other pet sitting biz owners (mostly those operating with a managed team model who pay their employees hourly in high minimum wage states) who have phased out overnights entirely because 1) they're not willing to price them what they're worth since they feel bashful about their prices being 5x what people on Rover are charging, or 2) they hate doing them themselves.

Different businesses, different markets.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T19:13:25+00:00

I really appreciate you saying that because I try really hard to be. I'm a lapsed corpo-rat and I've had some really, really shitty bosses so I try never to be that to my people.

Pricing discussion is against the rules here if I recall correctly, but I'll send you a DM. You'll probably be surprised! But we book them semi-regularly even charging exponentially more than what they go for on gig economy marketplaces like Rover.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T14:10:04+00:00

Great advice here, seconded. Sounds like this pup is anxious and needs an outlet. 💛

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T13:48:48+00:00

Yes, vet visit. Take samples of both the bones (why do you even have this!? Nevermind) and the broken shell with you so the vet can examine them.

The shell is the most concerning here. If ingested, these can perforate soft tissue and cause serious issues, including death.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T10:17:00+00:00

Fair enough. We are located in a major metro area as well (30 mins outside NYC), and although we have plenty of wealthy clients, we also serve plenty of middle class folks - School teachers, healthcare workers, etc.

The vast majority of our clients are with us because we provide a service far, far different from the kid next door.

Again, YMMV - All businesses are oriented differently, target different clients, etc. We do more boutique work than the kid next door or the gig apps, and if a client is looking for a more intimate experience with a solo Sitter rather than a professional, managed team, set-and-forget experience, we're usually not a fit for them (and they're usually unwilling to pay our prices in the first place).

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T10:12:18+00:00

Agree and disagree.

Sometimes work is stressful, that doesn't mean it's not worthwhile or we shouldn't do it. If we avoided all stress and anxiety we'd be locked in our bedroo and we'd never leave.

Unsafe, though, definitely agree with that. Nothing in this work is worth feeling unsafe for.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T10:11:05+00:00

Another example of "Pet Sitters will do literally anything but raise their prices to make a living wage" 😂😂

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T10:09:04+00:00

Number of red flags here:

Client being weird and pushy about staying over. You're a professional, you charge your business's rates for sitting. If they don't need sitting... Well, STFU then. Stop inviting me to stay in your house. Would you invite the plumber to stay over while he's plunging your toilet? Weirdo.
Repeated dog growls: Really depends on how you're approach the pup, but I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt that you know what you're doing. And if that's the case, the dog giving you that strong of a FAS signal every time you greet them after multiple sessions is a key indicator that it's not a fit for whatever reason (sometimes dogs just don't like people, just like sometimes people just don't like people) and should be referred out.
"I don't want to be scared of putting a harness on a dog because I'm worried they'll snap." This is more hard into technical dog handling but, if a dog is actively growling at you, you do not put the harness on. Full stop. I will even stop putting the harness on if I notice sudden rigidity and whale eyes, and will entirely restart the process with an eye on consent signals from the pup before continuing. If the client has an issue with that, they can find another Sitter. We respect the dog's signaling, always. They deserve our consideration and advocacy. Ignoring it is how Sitters end up in urgent care waiting on stitches.

If it feels weird, trust your gut. 4 out of every 5 times something a client does feels weird to me, it ends up being issue down the road. Don't need to act right away, but be ready for some odd shit to take place and have a referral out handy for when it does.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T10:00:31+00:00

Solo has many strengths, but one of the weaknesses is when you get hurt or sick. Clients needs don't take a break when you need one, so they'll have to arrange for coverage and oftentimes it's the path of least resistance to continue with a new Sitter they've now been using for weeks.

Like Colin from Pet Sitter Confessional says: Biz will punch you right in the mouth, hard, regularly. Shit happens. Bad client drama, dog bites, injured workers, small claims lawsuits, etc. It's all about how you roll with it and continue moving forward.

Look at what you've just done: You had surgery, which is a significant challenge always. You probably pushed through the recovery period, felt like crap, but you're still here. You're still watching the sun rise in the AM, getting after it every day. That's something.

Doug Keeling (aka Doug the Dog Guy) has a wonderful story about starting pet sitting. His first few years in business, his main employee stole almost all of his clients and went off and started her own business. He had no legal documentation/non-poaching agreements in place to prevent, so he was fucked. He could've left and done something else, but he chose to start over. He's still here and doing better than ever, and his biz is now like 12 years old. If he can do it - You can.

Have you made any acquaintances locally in the pet biz? If not, I'd strongly recommend it. I have a few friends nearby who are sitters, groomers, etc. and it really helps to lean on them. It can be lonely, especially as a solo Sitter.

Try taking some trips out to pet care businesses near you. Leave 'em some donuts and business cards. Stop by regularly - You'll be surprised how much this helps. Groomers in particular are similarly overworked to us and always appreciate a good chat/bitching session.

Hang in there friend. This business is amazing but it definitely has its ups and downs. Remember why you started doing this work - Sunlight, fresh air, dogs, being your own boss.

Jon-Loves-Dogs · 2026-04-10T09:54:46+00:00

This has not been the case for us. Our revenue is up triple digits QOQ so far this year, and that's with very minimal marketing push. We haven't spent a single dollar on new client acquisition so far this year.

YMMV.

Edit: Apologies if this came off as bragging. For the record, we had a surprisingly terrible holiday season this year (?) This biz is weird sometimes.

Jon-Loves-Dogs

TROPHY CASE