What do you think of Pet sitters

I would want them to be certified and I would get references. I've seen good and bad. By bad, I mean they didn't show up, or showed up 1-2 hours late or only stayed for 5 minutes instead of 1/2 hour.

I have friends whose cats are cared for by a twice a day cat sitter for up to 2-3 weeks at a time. They have been very lucky to find responsible and caring sitters. Even their scardy cat comes out for the sitter. I have been advised to check with my vet regarding sitters. Sometimes the vet techs or other staff pet sit.

A great pet sitter says at the house takes care of the dogs, for cats you ony need someone to come in daily to feed them. A bad pet sitter may trash your house, or leave before you get back, or fail to take the dog out. The bet thing to do is ask around, get refferences, and make sure you fully trust the person to take care of your pets but also not to steal from you. we've had great and horriable petsitters. The best thing to do is fully check the person out. but boarding dogs isnt always great cause there are a lot of diseases to pick up at kennels and the kennel workers dont alwyas care, and it can be very stressful for your pet.

I think a good pet sitter brings a huge comfort to someone who can't take their pet with them. I think most animals are more comfortable in their home than in a boarding facility. Also less risk of getting sick.

I have a groomer who also pet sits for me when I have to go to the hospital in Pittsburgh. Because I have to leave so early, 5am, and don't get back till 11pm or the next day they generally stay two nights.

She has two big dogs of her own, a fenced in yard where they all get to know each other and blow off some steam, and her grooming room where they can stay in their crates if they're not behaving in the house with the rest of the family. I always take their favorite pillows and beds for them to feel more comfortable. She's a heaven send and her hubby enjoys having the little lapdogs for a visit.

A friend stops by my house to put out cat food. They have a pet door in the basement and can let themselves in and out.

I've used 2 different cat sitters for periods up to 2 weeks. They had references, left detailed daily reports and communicated with me via e-mail while I was away. One even brought a different kind of canned food when mine decided not to eat what I had left for them. (Luckily no stomach issues.) Cats are happier staying at home.

Well i can tell you from my perspective as a pet Sitter, I have had many jobs where i havehad to stay as long as and up to 3 weeks. I typically would stay at there house and live there for the time that they were gone. Alot of the clients that ask for this know me through a trust worthy source. So they feel comfortable with me staying in their home. The benefits to that would obvioulsy be, the dogs are not alone for alot of the day/night,. and you do not need to putithem in an unfamiliar setiting and can keep their routine as as constant as possible. make sure you do your research before hiring a sitter as their are some sketcky ones out there!

I don't know about dogs. When we left our two cats as I grew up we always had a neighbor come over every day and check up on them and that worked great! A neighbor or friend who will come over is nice. Even had one friend who stayed at the house while we were gone.

I'm answering this from a kennel owners perspective. i have had several calls from pet sitters who are having trouble with pets they are watching and can't get in touch with the owner. problems such as agression, the sitters are having a health problem and can't take care of the dog etc. I would suggest having a back up person the sitter can call if they have problem other than you. If you will be unavailable for most of your trip i would strongly suggest kenneling your dogs.

Would doggie daycare fit in your criteria? I've never used a petsitter but I've used Camp Bow Wow doggie day care. The thing with pet sitters is that they don't give your pets 24 hours of attention, maybe an hour or two everyday (unless you want to pay extra or specify more care) plus I really don't like the idea of having someone in my house when I'm away...but that's just me. Doggie daycares cost about 25 bucks a day and $30 for all day and overnight. I haven't left my dog overnight yet, but I normally go once or twice a week to get him used to it. I see that you have a lot of dogs so I guess pet sitting is more feasible, but they usually give discounts for multiple pets. I know people who have left their dog there for more than a month. The dogs are monitered in an open play area from 7am - 7pm and then rest in comfy kennels through the night. You can watch them on camera during the day too (streaming on the net)
Other than that I guess just get recommendations from friends (like everyone else said) and google the petsitters to see if they have any ratings on google, read the comments. Pet sitters aren't always obligated to clean up after the animals, so if they mess up the house in the upstairs and the petsitter only has access in the downstairs...you might get funk festering in an unobserved area while you are gone.