Most dog owners know their pets needs to be let out 3 times a day no matter how often they eat. But occasionally we do get a request to come only 2 times a day when a client travels - just in the am and pm. Often this request comes from clients who keep their dogs crated while at work and plan to keep them crated the whole time they are away on vacation except during the pet sitter visits. We really do feel sorry for these dogs.
I suppose those owners assume "heck, I only let the dog out once before work, and once after work, so 2 pet sitting visits is enough" - I always hope they are not trying to cut corners and save a few bucks when it comes to the comfort of their pets. Angel Pets will no longer do just 2 visits a day for our dog clients even if the dogs are crated all the time. Let me tell you why.....
The main reason dogs need 3 visits a day is - Would you want to hold it that long?! Even if an owner works and is gone for 8 to 10 hours each weekday, and lets their dogs out once in the am around 7ish, and once when they get home from work around 5:30 or 6, that is only one 9 or 10 hour stretch that the dog is holding it. Most owners will also let their dogs out again before bed time at 9 or 10 pm. So the dog is not waiting more than 8 or 10 hours with out being let out repeatedly day after day. Asking a dog to 'hold it' for 3 or 4 days in a row AND for 12 hours at a time every time is just inhumane in our opinion.
In addition - when a dog's owners are away and a stranger is caring for it, even if the stranger is a pet sitter the dog knows and sees often, the pet still misses mommy and daddy when they go on vacation or travel. This stress can often cause intestinal distress in the form of diarrhea and even more rarely vomiting. This makes it much more difficult for a dog to wait 12 hours between potty breaks.
Now just think about what happens if a dog does have an accident - in it's crate! Poor dog. And poor pet sitter who has to clean up the crate and the dog that has been sitting in it's own urine or feces for a few hours. Of course we bill clients for the extra time we spend cleaning up accidents so it's fair to our pet sitters, but it is not fair to the dog. We see this much too often when we have permitted 2 x a day pet sitting visits in the past. That is why we changed our policy and no longer do 2 x a day dog visits.
The only exception is if you dogs are free roaming in the house and have a doggy door, then we can agree to do 2 visits a day for feeding only.
We hope you understand that your pets comfort and happiness are our main priority when you travel. We do not want to care for pets who are not valued members of the family. That makes us sad. It makes us want to cry! We only want to care for pets whose owners want to give them the best care possible! Please trust us, we are pet sitters. Anything less than 3 visits a day for your dog, no matter how long he can hold it, is not giving your pet the care he deserves while you are on vacation.
And if you really love your pets please consider 30 minute visits instead of 15 minutes, so we can stay and play with and love on your pet after we feed them and let them out to potty. He wont miss you as much if you do!
Safe travels my friend!
I suppose those owners assume "heck, I only let the dog out once before work, and once after work, so 2 pet sitting visits is enough" - I always hope they are not trying to cut corners and save a few bucks when it comes to the comfort of their pets. Angel Pets will no longer do just 2 visits a day for our dog clients even if the dogs are crated all the time. Let me tell you why.....
The main reason dogs need 3 visits a day is - Would you want to hold it that long?! Even if an owner works and is gone for 8 to 10 hours each weekday, and lets their dogs out once in the am around 7ish, and once when they get home from work around 5:30 or 6, that is only one 9 or 10 hour stretch that the dog is holding it. Most owners will also let their dogs out again before bed time at 9 or 10 pm. So the dog is not waiting more than 8 or 10 hours with out being let out repeatedly day after day. Asking a dog to 'hold it' for 3 or 4 days in a row AND for 12 hours at a time every time is just inhumane in our opinion.
In addition - when a dog's owners are away and a stranger is caring for it, even if the stranger is a pet sitter the dog knows and sees often, the pet still misses mommy and daddy when they go on vacation or travel. This stress can often cause intestinal distress in the form of diarrhea and even more rarely vomiting. This makes it much more difficult for a dog to wait 12 hours between potty breaks.
Now just think about what happens if a dog does have an accident - in it's crate! Poor dog. And poor pet sitter who has to clean up the crate and the dog that has been sitting in it's own urine or feces for a few hours. Of course we bill clients for the extra time we spend cleaning up accidents so it's fair to our pet sitters, but it is not fair to the dog. We see this much too often when we have permitted 2 x a day pet sitting visits in the past. That is why we changed our policy and no longer do 2 x a day dog visits.
The only exception is if you dogs are free roaming in the house and have a doggy door, then we can agree to do 2 visits a day for feeding only.
We hope you understand that your pets comfort and happiness are our main priority when you travel. We do not want to care for pets who are not valued members of the family. That makes us sad. It makes us want to cry! We only want to care for pets whose owners want to give them the best care possible! Please trust us, we are pet sitters. Anything less than 3 visits a day for your dog, no matter how long he can hold it, is not giving your pet the care he deserves while you are on vacation.
And if you really love your pets please consider 30 minute visits instead of 15 minutes, so we can stay and play with and love on your pet after we feed them and let them out to potty. He wont miss you as much if you do!
Safe travels my friend!
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