As Pet Owners and PetCloud website users ourselves, we understand that a pet is a member of your family. So pet safety and animal welfare is our top priority. Here are a few things you can do to help ensure your pet has a great time while you’re away:

1. Fill out your pet's complete profile. These details are shared with your sitter or dog walker when you book with them. Be sure to include vet contact information, day-to-day care instructions, and any unique behaviors your dog has. Does your dog love mince? Do they get a little separation anxiety? Are they on medication?  Do they sleep in your bed with you at night? Check your pet's profile here.

2. Read the Golden Rules for Pet Owners this includes important things such as micro-chipping and giving your pet an engraved ID tag to wear on their collar before you drop them off.

3. Download the Pet Owners Guide PDF which contains Property checklists and Pet Profile templates to guide you through the Meet and Greet interview with your selected Pet Sitter.

4. Always hold a Meet & Greet with your prospective sitter (& as early as possible). Meeting your sitter or dog walker in person allows you to ask questions about the sitter's experience and make sure their pets, their children, their fences, living environment and the Sitter themselves will be compatible with your pet/s. It also offers an opportunity to set clear expectations about your pet's care while you’re away. Will there be other pets (not present at the Meet & Greet) who will be staying at the property during your pet's stay? Together you must both do a property check and ensure fences are secure. It is both you and the Sitter's responsibility to ensure the property is hazard-free and escape-proof.  Don't be shy about asking for a little tour throughout the entire property, our Sitters will be most happy to do so.

5. Provide enrichment toys where your pet has to work the toy out to get a treat, or kongs that can be filled with 100% peanut butter or cheese and raw meaty beef or lamb bones (not cooked). When dogs are away from their usual home-environment, they can have heightened anxiety as they are in new surroundings with new smells.  The licking and chewing action helps to relieve boredom and creates endorphins (happy chemicals) which settles them down. 

6. Ask your sitter if they could take your pet for daily walks.  Exercise helps to relax dogs and reduces anxiety, which lessens escapism activity such as fence-jumping, digging holes under fences. High-energy breed dogs typically bred as working dogs may even need walks twice daily.

7. Communicate well and often with your sitter or dog walker. Make sure your sitter or dog walker knows how to contact you, a relative, a neighbour, or your Vet in case of an emergency or if questions arise. Leave them a list of contacts and care instructions.

8. Tell your Sitter you would like to get daily photo updates and small reports via the PetCloud website.

Even if you are travelling overseas or in areas where there are no mobile towers, so long as you can still get an internet connection, you can still log into PetCloud to get your daily photo updates and reports.

Watch: Dr Glen Richards - Greencross Vets founder from hit tv show Shark Tank Australia 

gives advice to Pet Owners & Pet Sitters for safe & happy pets.

9. Ensure the register your Pet's Microchip Number is registered with, has your most up to date contact details.  If you have your pet's microchip number, but don't know which Microchip register your pet is registered on, go to Pet Address, to search by Microchip Number and it will tell you which one your pet is registered on.

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