There are things to assess before you decide to take on pet sitting:

• What types of services do I want to offer?
• Do I own and know how to use a smart phone? Am I willing to learn?
• Where do I want to offer those services? In my home or in the client’s home?
• Would I enjoy the duties of a Pet Sitter? ie. washing, brushing, walking, cleaning litter trays, daily photo updates, and picking up poop!
• Does my schedule allow me enough time to be responsive to clients and care for their pets needs?
• Is my property fully fenced, safe, and escape-proof for pets?
• Is my home suitable for pet toilet accidents? Or is it all carpeted?
• Are my own pets socialised and compatible with other pets?
• Are others I live with going to be healthy and safe around visiting guest pets?
• Is my home peaceful and calming for visiting pets?
• Am I free of unprescribed mind-altering substances (ie drugs and alcohol) while supervising pets. Can I accept this responsibility?
• Am I physically fit?
• Do I have any physical limitations that would prevent me from doing certain tasks related to Pet Sitting or Dog Walking? ie. Are you able to manually lift a weight of around 10kg? 
• Do I suffer from medical conditions or am I taking any medication that will affect my ability to conduct Meet & Greets effectively & perform reliable Pet Sitting or Dog Walking if I take on a job?

ie. If you are managing your condition, and still able to do work, then great. But if you think it will cause you to sometimes not turn up to jobs that you have accepted with Pet Owners, then perhaps this job isn't right for you, right now. 

What do Pet Sitters Do?

Key responsibilities and duties:

• Daily Feeding, putting out fresh water every morning and evening
• Brushing pets
• Taking dogs on walks, and providing exercise through play
• Cleaning litter boxes
• Additional services may include giving medications, vacuuming up pet hair in the house, or collecting the client's mail or newspaper
• Pet sitters are also responsible for notifying owners and taking pets to the vet if they should become sick or suffer an injury while under their supervision
• Prepared to pick up dog poop every time? Taking poo bags with you is also an important part of being a responsible Dog Walker.

The ideal candidates will:

• Have a love for animals and a Connection to Pets
• Be Flexible
• Calm and Resourceful - Do you use common sense, and think well under pressure? 
  
• Polite and Respectful of Owner's Privacy if staying in an Owners home as a House Sitter
  
• Professionally Assertive about whether you feel you can meet the Owner's expectations of a Pet's care routine.
  
• Are you able to be reassuring to Pet Owners and reliable?
• Are you a person with a ‘take charge’ attitude if a situation calls for it?  Can you problem-solve basic problems? Or take fast action for Emergencies?
• Trustworthy, Honest, & Safety Conscious
• Excellent time management skills.
• Good communicator? Responding to clients within 1-2 hours of an inquiry is key.
• Sensitive to the needs of the pet ie. Mindful enough to recognise when its a hot day to ensure a dogs paws don't get burnt or ensure they don't overheat, and ensure they get enough water.
• Experienced & Prepared
• Consistent and reliable
• Are you patient with pets who may not be toilet trained or obedience trained?
• Willing to investigate different local councils about their local bylaws and whether or not you need a permit.
• Do you have attention to detail?

Attitude:

• Committed to providing a high standard of quality care to animals
• Friendly and outgoing to clients
• An expert at reading canine body language or willing to learn
• Willing to devote research time prior to taking a new breed of pet on to learn their temperaments
• Diligent – does a job well the first time.
• Are you good at building rapport?

If offering Pet Sitting from your own home:

• Do you have a secure fenced property?
• Is your property free of plants that are toxic to pets?
• Do you own pets that are socialised and get along with other pets?
• Are bodies of water fenced?
• Are you reliable and able to keep good records of appointments to show up on time?
• Are you willing to research pet breeds and their care needs?
• Observant – knows when a pet has missed a wee and poo
• Familiar with basic training commands

Types of People we Look For:

• The ideal pet sitter or pet care provider would be flexible and independent. They should be able to think on their feet and be an animal lover.
• An ideal candidate will have another source of income, even temporarily, while building up their client base with PetCloud.
• Go-getters should apply.
• Multi-taskers should apply.
• People with veterinary experience should apply.
• Animal Shelter Volunteers and Animal Foster Carers should apply
• People that are starting their next phase of life as an empty-nester or retiree should apply.

Do I have to be able to Walk to be a Pet Sitter?

• Pet Sitters do not have to take dogs for walks around the block.  Only Dog Walkers do this, or if you have listed it as a service on your Listing.  Dog Walkers do need to be physically fit to walk several hours a day and handle dogs of all sizes and strengths and temperaments