Could someone explain house/dog sitting to me?

[Onlyrainbows]

We're going away for a holiday and in a local group somebody offered to pet-sit for us. She seems like a decent middle aged lady who does tons for charity but just 2 weeks before our departure it has come clear that she expects to spend the night in our home. I don't think neither of us are necessarily comfortable with this, but we've never done it before. I'm almost certain she's not insured. DH thinks that maybe we should meet her and see what we think but also beg our groomer and see if he could take our doggie. We're also struggling to come up with an explanation that were uncomfortable with it without offending her.

This.

I am seriously appalled that you think it is OK to leave a dog like this.
Cats are fine with someone popping in once a day.
Dogs need someone around most of the time and overnight.

So a dog either needs someone in the house or needs to go and stay with someone else.

People who are suggesting kennels because they think it’s cruel to leave the dog overnight with 2x a day visits- are you aware that dogs in boarding kennels are left from 5-6pm till morning and are only visited a couple of times a day/probably only get half an hour of attention a day. I’ve worked in several and this has always been the case, even in really good boarding kennels run by qualified behaviourists. At least if the dog was left at home with visits it would be in a familiar environment. It’s not an ideal amount of attention for a dog but won’t do any harm just for a week (although I agree that someone staying over would be better just in case of emergencies/dog would be a bit happier)

I agree. And paying £84 per night for someone to stay in your home is insane imo!

When I looked after my friends' pets (4 cats 2 dogs) I just moved in for the duration of their holiday. That way all the animals get fed in the morning and evening, and the dogs got walked once a day, and they all had company as I worked from their home as well.

I agree, kennels are very antiquated. There are much better options out there and we wouldn’t consider kennels. However, I disagree that this is not ideal but ok. It’s really not.

People who are suggesting kennels because they think it’s cruel to leave the dog overnight with 2x a day visits- are you aware that dogs in boarding kennels are left from 5-6pm till morning and are only visited a couple of times a day/probably only get half an hour of attention a day. I’ve worked in several and this has always been the case, even in really good boarding kennels run by qualified behaviourists. At least if the dog was left at home with visits it would be in a familiar environment. It’s not an ideal amount of attention for a dog but won’t do any harm just for a week (although I agree that someone staying over would be better just in case of emergencies/dog would be a bit happier)

That's not the case in any kennel I know. Dogs get at least two hour long walks a day, free run of an enclosed space and lots of company from staff and daycare dogs.

Kennels are also far safer and far more secure than leaving a dog home alone with the bloody door open 🙄

And paying £84 per night for someone to stay in your home is insane imo!

It's not cheap but it works out as less than half of the minimum wage for 24 hour care.

if you want personal, private in-home care then it won't be cheap.

It's not cheap but it works out as less than half of the minimum wage for 24 hour care.

if you want personal, private in-home care then it won't be cheap.

I get that but how much care does a dog need? It's not like she's an actual carer for a person!

We pay £30 a night for our dog to stay at his doggy daycare owner’s home. We provide food and his meds, he gets doggy daycare in the day and sleeps in their room with them and their dog at night. I don’t know how much it would cost for house sitting too but I can’t imagine it would be almost 3x the price. I’m on the Surrey/London border so not in a particularly cheap area either.

It doesn't matter whether you think it's not much work.

While the person is in your home caring for your dog, they can't earn money elsewhere.

If you're planning on leaving your doors open while away, then you're wise to pay someone to come and stay for security reasons!

You cant leave a dog with someone just popping in a couple of times a day

I get it. I just simply had no idea how it worked. And yes, given my dog's personality I did think she'd be happy with that arrangement (even my husband thought the same).

£84 divide by 24 hours is £3.50 an hour, my dog gets to stay in his own home with someone he knows and that includes two or three walks a day.

It would break my heart to put him in kennels!

It's not needed very often as usually there is a family member or friend who could have him but as they were all also at the wedding I didn't have that option.

I guess it comes down to how much you love your dog....

Kennels are a perfectly fine option for many dogs, I think people overestimate dogs needs/ability to cope with normal situations when they use over dramatic phrases like “break my heart to put them in kennels” and imply that people who use kennels love their dogs less. Most dogs will be absolutely fine with a kennel-they get food, water, a roof, safety and a quick walk everyday. Nothing cruel about it and fine for most dogs in the short term. In fact, it’s good to get them used to a kennel environment in case they ever have to be hospitalised/get lost and end up in a pound/rescue kennel if something happens to their owner.
I have a reactive rescue dog and use a kennel my vet recommended run by a qualified animal behaviourist. I use kennels because my dog was in rescue for a long time so is used to this predictable environment. It’s easier for him to get used to the unfamiliar small space of a kennel than a whole new household/routine which could be overwhelming. He wouldn’t cope well with a stranger being in his house and walking him and I don’t trust anyone else to walk him considering his reactivity-i think it’s safer/less stressful for him to have him exercised in the kennels private secure grounds by professionals who know what their doing and are fully insured. I appreciate this isn’t the case for most dogs though/many would be fine staying in a strange house/having a stranger in their home. Just pointing out that there are many reasons to use kennels it doesn’t just come down to who loves their dog and who doesn’t (and the cost was fairly comparable when I looked into pet sitters both £25 ish a day-whoever is paying £84 is getting ripped off). Anyway sorry to derail the thread!

if you don’t mind sharing your location, are there any specific kennels that have this sort of routine that you recommend/could you send a website link? I use kennels for my dog for a variety of reasons and would love for him to get 2 hour long walks in a day, however my experience of working in several rescue and boarding kennels and phoning round all my local ones to ask about how much exercise/attention dogs get has shown me that it’s just not viable for a kennel business to employ enough staff to give each dog 2 hours of walking and individual attention a day, and staff are usually only there 8-5pm. I’d love to know if any kennel has found a way round this and can offer long walks and lots of attention and what prices they charge to cover the amount of staff needed/long hours they must work. I’m in the south east but would be willing to travel an hour or so for a really good kennel.

Hi @Lampyshady unfortunately I'm the opposite end of the country to you (North West) so not much help!

Our local kennels charges £10 for daycare (8-6 ish) and £12 for overnights.

I don't really want to give my precise location as I'm really rural and combined with my other posts it would be pretty outing, lol.

But our kennels can operate the way they do as the owners live on site so there's always someone available in case of an emergency - they open for daycare drop-off at 7am, with last pick up at 6pm.

They have a huge secure field for allowing dogs to run free, and the beach is only a few minutes away so they often go there for daily walks ☺️

They also operate a cattery on site so I assume that helps a bit re. income levels too!

2 weeks before a holiday you think is the right time to sort out your dog? A member of your family? ( or not, obviously)

You shouldn't have a dog. I hope someone reports you to the RSPCA if you leave it like you suggest.

Shame on you OP

@dolphinsarentcommon I didn't leave it last minute... I booked this about two months ago. Again, for how our dog is WE really thought it was a decent solution.

£12 😮the one I use/worked at down here was £22 and I think is now £25 a night! And everyone earns minimum wage/staff are very busy and don’t have time to give more than a 15 min run around the field-they could really use more staff. The owner lives on site for emergencies but they couldn’t pay anyone after 5. Things are so expensive down here!

I use a site that is specifically for house & pet sitting, I put the house, animals & dates I needed, then vetted the sitters, Some are good with horses whatever, you set the filters on the site.

there are verified reviews from their former placements, (the postulants are from all over the country/world)
You can have video calls like an interview.
Yes they live in your house.
They may do things like water plants, cut the grass, various minor tasks give medication depending on your needs.
They need the vet, Electrician, Plumber emergency numbers.
They send updates & photos of the animals via the App
you pay for insurance via the site.
The sitting is free, there is a small fee to post your add on the site, but its about £100 pa, I think.
I thoroughly recommend it

@cooldarkroom is that trusted sitters?

£12 gets you an hour group dog walk here not 24 hour care, 2 walks, food, cleaning costs, electricity, heating, rent, building insurance etc

£12 is how much an hour walk is her and that’s the cheap end! This is turning into the dog care version of a MN wedding board…

They charge the same for daycare as I do for a one hour walk (I'm a dog walker).

But it's two different services so it's comparing apples and oranges. Walks can be private, tailored to the individual and mean the dog isn't having to stay in a strange environment.

Many dogs also find kennels and daycare over-stimulating so it's better for them to stay home with a walker.

Right but I would expect kennels to include some exercise…

£12 is for a group walk with several other dogs. It’s not a bespoke service. It’s not apples and oranges. It’s possible cooking apples vs eaters.