How To Find The Right Pet Professional

Photo by Valerie Buller of Rough Coat Photography

The pet industry is unregulated which means every Joe Schmo can say that they are a dog trainer, a dog walker, or a pet sitter, and enter your home, put hands on your pets and you don't know if they are even qualified to do so. Regulating these industries comes with its own problems, but it is very much the Wild West out here trying to find the right people to take care of your best friend and ensure that they're being well cared for. It's difficult making sure that the people you are hiring know what they're doing, they're professional, and that they will protect you, your pets, and your home.

Basic Qualifications for a Pet Professional

Pet care is a lucrative industry and people looking for a side hustle or a new business venture recognize that. What you need to understand as a pet owner is that loving animals is not enough of a reason to start a business or trust someone with your pets. Emergencies happen and is a "simple" pet lover going to know what to do when the worst happens? Is the kid next door going to know what to do if an off leash dog attacks yours or if your dog trips over a branch and won't put any weight on one of their legs?

Here are some ways to check that someone has done the basic work to legitimize themselves as a business and as a professional;

1. Registered their business with the state. You can't do anything without first registering yourself as an LLC, Corporation, etc. with the state. If you're in Pennsylvania you can check here to see if a business has been registered. Once you're registered you can open a business bank account, get a tax identification number, properly pay taxes... you can see why not properly registering with the state is a red flag.

2. Business Insurance - you'll have to ask about this as each business will have their own provider, but it will be absolutely necessary. My business insurance is under Kennel Pro and covers a wide variety of things. I have luckily never had to file a claim, but I remember calling them once because my dogs got swarmed by yellow jackets and I took them to the emergency vet. My insurance would have covered the vet visit if I decided to file the claim (it's a long story lol). Insurance protects the business and its clients - you want to hire a business that has insurance.

3. Contracts - a business that has good contracts will protect both the business and you as a client. I get it, reading over and signing contracts is a pain. I'm not sure that half of my clients are even reading over my contracts but they are there for a reason. They're explaining little things from payment terms and if I'm allowed to post photos of your dog online (this is very important actually!!), but also big things like what happens if your dog bites me or anyone or another dog, what happens if you want to break the contract and end the program early, what you can expect out of the program, what I'll do if your dog gets injured in my care, and. more. Trust me, you want a contract. Personally, as a business owner, I won't walk onto someone else's property without having a contract signed and it amazes me that other people behave otherwise. You're putting your hands on animals who have the propensity to bite and taking such a large risk. Protect yourself, protect your clients.

4. A website - buying a domain is fairly inexpensive and personally I find it really lazy and a bit sketchy when I'm researching someone and they don't have a website. Website hosting can get a little pricy but... what are you hiding if you don't have a website? If you're just starting out I'll cut you some slack, but a website is a fantastic way to let people know more about you, what services you offer, how you do what you do, etc. How is anyone supposed to find you and figure out if you're a good fit if you don't have a website? WHAT'S GOING ON!!!????

What About Those Websites?

Rover is pretty popular around here and there's only one person on there that I trust (I'll name drop later) and have built a rapport with, otherwise it is truly a gamble. Rover has their own insurance and contracts but at the end of the day, they are there to protect themselves. I have heard way too many horror stories. I don't think it's worth taking the risk. There are a lot of people who join Rover and Wag looking to make some extra money who don't know what they're doing. However, that doesn't mean you can't find a diamond in the rough on these types of websites. When I first started my business I used Rover to find leads. Do your due diligence and interview the people you're interested in to see if they're a good fit if that's the route you're going down.

Finding a Good Fit

Everyone is going to want something different - what I want for my dog is going to be vastly different then what my sister wants for her dog, especially because our dogs have very different personalities and needs. First, you need to figure out what experience you want for your dog to have.

If you're looking for dog training, is methodology and technique important to you, or can you be flexible? Are you looking for specific certifications? Is there specific type of training you need? All of these will be important when you're trying to find the best trainer for you and your dog. Training is incredibly personal, you'll likely spend a lot of time with your trainer and you'll want to ensure that you vibe well with them and that they even like your dog. With behavioral cases, sometimes your dog will be too anxious to be around your trainer, and that doesn't mean it won't work, but if you like your trainer and their methods, you can still do it! If you found a trainer you like, your dog has behavioral issues you want to work through, but the trainer specializes in sports, then that's probably not the best fit. If you're insistent on using positive only methods and you've found a trainer who is balanced, look elsewhere. See where I'm going with this? Research is essential! And take your time! Especially with behavioral cases, I know things may feel rushed, but I often see mistakes being made, and people working with the wrong trainers because they were manipulated into it because they were panicked. Good training takes time, patience, consistency, and repetition.

Interview whoever you are about to hire. Personally, I love whenever someone essentially holds me hostage because they've got a notebook of questions they want answered. It shows that they are dedicated to their dog and the process. Every professional has a different process, some will do phone consults, I prefer in person. You are allowed to request what you want. I'm a chronic millenial and shy away from phone calls, but if someone emails me and asks to hop on the phone I will gladly do so! I will still require in person consultations because that's my process, I like seeing the dogs, allowing people to see me and my personality and ensuring we all vibe well together before signing on to a full program.

If you're looking for a pet sitter be specific about what you need, what your pet needs. If someone isn't willing to meet your needs, you're allowed to move on and find someone else. Make a list of things you're willing to be lenient about and things you will not fold on. I drive to Newark, DE to have my best friend watch my dog because she's the only person I trust to watch him. I'm also insane, but if you are like me then maybe you need to expand your parameters of where you are looking, and that's okay. This is a safe space. You actually don't have to settle for less! If you want the best for your dog, it is out there, you just have to keep looking.

There is no reason for anyone to be secretive about anything that they're doing. I try to be as transparent as possible in every aspect of my business. I'm very clear about who I am as a person, how I acheive my results, why I'm doing certain things in a certain way, etc. If a client asks me a question and I don't know the answer I'll tell them that and research in between lessons. There isn't a single person on this planet who knows the answer to everything, but I think there's a lot of stock in someone who can be honest about not knowing something and having the resources to find the answer.

I also don't vibe with dog professionals heavily shaming dog owners. A lot of "professionals" in my field believe in "tough love" and I think that's a load of crap. It's an excuse to get away with bullying people and abusing dogs and I've heard people say that they learn better that way and they feel like they're held accountable that way but I have clients that I'm holding accountable without making them feel like shit for not knowing better. You don't have to settle for less just because someone is. making you feel like crap because they know more than you. You deserve to feel great when you're with your dog. These types of trainers are really good at manipulating dog owners into believing that dogs "need" a heavy hand or that they "need" more punishment based methods for... whatever reasons. Don't fall for the trap.

Learn To Say No

As a recovering people pleaser, I understand how difficult this may be for some of you. If you catch a bad vibe at any time just know that you have the right to leave or back out, regardless of what your contract states. This may mean that you may lose money if you've prepaid and you might just have to swallow that. It will be worth it for the sake of your pet's mental and physical health. This is why the interview before signing on, before signing any contracts, is so important. If you feel like you're being pushed to sign contracts before you're able to ask questions, just leave. If you're not even signing any contracts, don't do it. That's just bad business and if something bad happens to your pet you're left to fend for yourself. I try to trust that people are good natured, but not everyone has the funds to cover a hefty emergency vet bill. You know who does? Business insurance companies. I'll die on this hill. Anyway...

I'm clearly very big on trusting your gut. Sometimes that's just anxiety but I've ignored that too many times and it's blown up in my face every single time, so now when I see a red flag I leave immediately, and I'm better for it. You don't like something but you're scared of confrontation? Write it in an email. I'm a big fan of written communication.

So Who is The Best?

There are a lot of people out there and I've been scouring the earth (Lancaster, mostly) to find pet sitters, dog walkers, and more that I can trust to refer my clients out to since those are services that I don't offer. Trust me when I say that it is not been an easy task and I feel your pain. My standards are high and I am really difficult to please. My mother thinks this is a bad thing but I believe it's one of my best qualities because now I can share with you all some of the best providers this county has to offer. Please don't yell at me if they don't have any availability but they are the best for a reason!!

• KA TailWaggin' Pet Sitting - Kianna is one of the best. I've been referring out many of my reactive clients to her. She's patient, kind, calm, and caring. I've never heard a bad thing about her from any of my clients and I've had the pleasure of working with her for years now. She's always my go to when anyone asks for a dog walker or pet sitter. When I said there's only one single person on Rover that I trust it's Kianna.

• Once Upon a Dog Tail - I've known Cara almost the entire time I've been running my business. Her and her team are always professional and kind and another company I always recommend when clients are asking for recommendations for dog walkers.

• Rough Coat Photography - Valerie is truly the best in the business. One of the kindest souls I've met and incredibly talented. Valerie occasionally joins us on our monthly community pack walks and photographs along the way and offers pack walk portraits at the end of the walks. She really is one of a kind and I couldn't recommend her more to anyone.

I know that list is short but I did say that I was hard to please so... Maybe someday the list will grow LOL.

My favorite thing to do is research other professionals so if you ever want help, reach out! I'll happily look at someone else's website and socials. And remember kids, don't rush and trust your gut. Here's a Bagel for your thoughts.