IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Contact: Cindy Thomas,
April 15, 2010                                                         Owner Cindy’s Pet Sitting

                                                                                 Tega Cay, SC

Five Tips To Introduce Your Pet to a Pet Sitter 

One of the truly rewarding aspects of pet sitting is the assurance of gaining the confidence and trust of a new furry friend. Creating an anxiety and stress free environment should be the main goal of a pet sitter as well as the pet owner.  Weather you need daily dog walking or will be traveling to Europe for a month, the objective is the same . . .  to create and maintain a relaxed and loving environment for your pet.

When you pick a pet sitting service there are five steps you can take to help ensure that you create a relaxed and loving environment for your pet:

1.       Introduce Your Pet 

Introduce your pet to the pet sitter for as long or as many times as it takes for everyone to feel comfortable.  You, as the owner, need to be present and visible at the beginning to help your pet gain trust in the sitter.  Dogs are pack animals and follow a hierarchy. You are at the top of that hierarchy and your pet looks to you for guidance.  If he senses an uneasiness or distrust from you, it will be nearly impossible to optimize this new relationship.  A positive interaction between you, your pet and the pet sitter will go a long way in establishing a relaxed loving environment for your pet.  Also, it is a great idea to leave an article of clothing from the pet sitter to allow the pet to get acquainted with the scent.

2.       Trust Your Instincts  

 Now is the time to use your intuition and listen to your heart as well as your head.  If something just doesn’t seem right or feels odd to you or your pet - address it immediately.  You want to be at ease with your decision.  Discuss your feelings and analyze the answers.  You don’t want to be far from home worried needlessly about your pet.

3.       Meet For a Second Time 

Meet again if necessary, with less owner involvement to make sure your pet is starting to trust the pet sitter.  It is important for the pet sitter to be comfortable also.  You are looking for a transfer of trust to the pet sitting professional.  You must trust your instincts and voice all of your cares and concerns.  It’s time to make a decision.  If all is well, it is time to hire the pet sitter. If all is not well,  start over from the top until you are comfortable.

4.       Establish Schedule 

When the pet sitter starts the sit, timing and scheduling is extremely important for all pet sits, but especially for a first time situation.  Animals are creatures of habit and rely on it to stay safe and secure.  They are very comfortable within the confines of a schedule. Having said this, it is nearly impossible to make visits at exactly the same time based on the nature of the pet sitting business.  However, every effort should be made to keep the timing, activity leve,l and emotional state consistent.

5.       Relax 

Relax and know you’ve done the right thing!  Enjoy your vacation!