I wasn’t sure this was going to be my next topic for the blog but as it happens, I am in the process of interviewing pet sitters for my Springer so it is on my mind.

I was very fortunate for most of my life to live in the town where I was raised with my family so pet care was never too difficult.  I have lots of siblings and as you have may or may not have noticed, my mom has always been a huge fan of my Springers.  If I had to travel for work I had lots of options for pet care while I was gone.  Then I moved to Texas where I knew just about no one and had a job that required I travel about once a month.  I had to figure something out.  My Springers had never been boarded and I was nervous about that because they were about 6 or 7 at the time.  My female developed Cushings disease within a year of moving there and I knew that boarding was not a great option because of the medication that she needed to take on a very strict schedule.

I had a friend form work that helped me initially but it was a long drive for her and really only a temporary solution.

So I decided that I was going to hire a pet sitter to stay in my home.  I was a bit nervous about that but found that there are two different organizations that will allow you to select specific requirements including CPR certification, insurance, overnight visits, etc.

I liked the idea of having someone in my home that was bonded and insured in case something did happen.  Thankfully we only had one incident where this became necessary.  My male Springer was quite clever and typically used his resourcefulness for his own gain and he managed to obtain and eat a whole bottle of his yummy beef flavored arthritis medication.  Naturally there was a vet visit, etc which was covered by my pet sitter’s insurance since he was under her care.  Please don’t think this was her negligence.  She was wonderful and Wembley was amazingly gifted in this area.

I still use pet sitters when I travel but I have also taken my current Springer to a kennel.  I prefer a kennel that has someone on site 24 hours in case there is a problem.  Linus is very adaptable and doesn’t require anything special in terms of medication, etc.

I do believe however that he is most comfortable at home so this week I will be talking to some veterinary students from the University of Illinois about staying with him while I travel for work and vacation.

I quite often take Linus with me but when it’s work travel, that’s not possible.

I like a pet sitter who has experience and canine knowledge.  I like to have someone who will walk him when I’m not home.  They definitely need to be responsible.  Above all, I look for the interaction they have with my dog.  Linus is a lap dog 150% and if they are uncomfortable when him climbing on their lap while we talk, then it’s probably not ideal.  It may not have mattered with my other Springers but I think it’s the best when they both really adore each other.

So, what does everyone do when they travel?  How do you choose a kennel or a pet sitter?  How do you feel if the pet sitter is more of a “cat person”?  Ok. I’m really kidding on that last comment but I would love to have some comments and suggestions to help me with my current search.  Please leave some comments and hopefully you voted above.