Have you been asked to look after a puppy for someone? Maybe your friend or family member is going on holiday or traveling for work, and they need a puppy sitter. If you are anything like me, you are so excited to spend a night or 2 with a puppy! Or, you might feel too bad to say no, and be dreading this experience. Alternatively, maybe you are hoping to make being a puppy sitter your side hustle or full time career.
As someone who has both raised a puppy, and looked after puppies for my friends in the past – here are my essential tips for a smooth experience as a puppy sitter. I have a Springador called Honey, who was a very crazy puppy – I really got put through my paces. However looking after friend’s puppies beforehand helped me know how to cope, so I will pass on everything I learned.
There are 3 main areas of the puppy’s routine for you to know about
Most puppy owners will have a routine for their puppy. This helps with things such as their sleep schedule, and house training. Having a puppy is hard work – way more planning and thought has to go into their day than most people realise. It will be important for a puppy sitter to stick to any routines.
1. Sleep Schedule
Did you know puppies are expected to sleep for about 18-19 hours per day? I was shocked to learn this! The first time I looked after my friend’s 20 week old puppy, she said that for every hour of play, we should put the puppy back in their crate for an hour of rest. Puppies often can’t regulate when they should calm down and rest for themselves, so having some boundaries in place is important. They will be especially excited with a puppy sitter to play with!
When it comes to bedtime, find out what this normally looks like for the puppy as well. For example, our puppy slept in a crate at night with a blanket over the top to make sure it stays dark for her. Find out if the puppy still needs to go out to the toilet in the middle of the night, or if they should be able to hold their bladder till morning. For more information on getting a puppy to settle in their crate, check out this blog post.
2. Toilet Habits
Another surprising thing about puppies is how often they go to the toilet. I was shocked when my puppy would poop about 6-8 times per day. Their little bodies can’t hold much waste. Find out beforehand roughly how often you should be letting the puppy out in the garden from their owner. Even if they are house trained, changes in their daily life like having a puppy sitter in the house can distract them and make toilet accidents more likely. If you don’t have specific instructions, taking the puppy outside about once per hour is a safe bet. This will minimise the risk of any accidents in the house.
3. Walks & Exercise
Puppies can’t walk as far as adult dogs. It’s not that they physically can’t, but it’s important for their healthy growth that they don’t walk too far. So it’s up to you to be responsible! A general rule of thumb that I was taught is that a dog can walk 5 minutes for each month of their life. So a 4 month old puppy can walk for 20 minutes, 6 months old = 30 minutes, you get the gist. So if you are looking after a puppy, it’s not a great idea to plan a big countryside walk.
Find out from the owner how often and how long they normally walk their dog for, and try to stick to their usual routine.
The Puppy’s Diet
Many people measure out their puppy’s food to ensure they are being fed correct amounts for their nutritional needs as they are growing. Find out beforehand how much and how often and how much you are supposed to feed the puppy.
Treats normally make up a good portion of a puppy’s diet. This is because they are being trained all the time! I had to use treats to get my puppy to go to bed, to come in from the garden, to let me put their lead on. They are constantly being rewarded for exhibiting ‘correct’ behaviours. Find out from the owner when they would usually give the puppy treats.
When you want some peace and quiet, long lasting chews are a great option to keep a dog busy. The dog owner will hopefully leave something for you, or maybe they have alternative distraction techniques. These could be lick mats with peanut butter, or toys that you stuff with treats. With my puppy I used this KONG stuff-a-ball with puppy safe treats in – it kept her entertained for ages! It would be a good idea to ask the owners if they have any sort of option for this, for when you want the puppy to calm down and relax.
If you choose to buy any treats or chews for the puppy yourself, make sure you read the fine print on each product – many dog treats can say they are only suitable for dogs over 6 months.
The House Rules
Every family has different rules and expectations for their dog’s behaviour. It’s a good idea to get a general understanding of any rules they expect you to be enforcing, as their puppy sitter. Ask about these general areas:
- Is the puppy allowed on the sofa?
- Is the puppy allowed upstairs?
- Any rules for mealtimes, like puppy being in their bed?
It would also be good to establish if there are any house rules for you as the puppy sitter, such as:
- Is there a ‘no shoes in the house’ rule?
- Are you allowed to help yourself to the food & drinks they have in?
- Are you allowed to have anyone else over to the property while you are staying there?
Hopefully they want you to feel as comfortable as possible, so you can relax while you are there!
Other Considerations for Puppy Sitting
Important Contact Details
It is wise to make sure you have any important contact details in case of an emergency. Make sure the pet owners leave you the vet phone number & address – this is very important. We also leave our dog sitters the contact details of a local family member incase of any other type of emergency.
More of a fun one – but I like to make sure I find out what the best local takeaways are, when pet sitting for friends!
Arrival & Departure
Understand expectations for your arrival and departure, including timings and access. Will they give you a key beforehand, or leave one hidden for you? Do they have a lockbox with a code, or maybe an alarm system you need a code for?
For timings, when I have acted as a puppy sitter for friends in the past, I like to make sure I’ve gone home before they arrive back from their trip, as they are probably tired from traveling and are looking forward to being back in their home.
One key consideration is it is good practice to make sure you leave the property in the same or even better condition than when you arrived! Make sure you have washed up any cups and bowls you might have used, picked up the dog poops in the garden, emptied the bins. You want your friend or client to come home and be able to relax! This is a great way to ensure you are invited back, especially if being a puppy sitter is your job.
I hope this is a useful guide to successfully looking after someone’s puppy.
