Prepare your Home for Doggy Stays

Author picture Fiona

So you have a pooch coming to stay – HAPPY DAYS! The joy of a visiting pet (whether during doggy daycare or overnight stays) is one of the best parts of being on Pawshake, especially if you love dogs but can’t commit to a long-term fur baby.

We want our sitters and owners to have a fantastic experience when having a pet to stay, and so have compiled five golden rules to follow for smooth sailing. 

Golden Rule 1 – Meet and Greet

Ahh the Meet and Greet – the number ONE tool to make sure everything goes 100% smoothly during doggy’s stay. Check out our post HERE on having a great Meet and Greet and you will all get off on the right paw!

Golden Rule 2 – Be informed and prepared

Gather as much info as you can think of before kicking off the pet stay – simple risk management is the name of the game, which you can do by imagining what issues could potentially come up in a worst-case scenario. Some of the most important questions might be – 

  • ‘How do I get in touch with you when you are away?’
  • ‘Who is an emergency contact that can help me out on your behalf?’
  • ‘Who is your regular vet and do they know you will be away?’
  • ‘Does your pet have any medical history I should know about, and are they up-to-date with worming and vaccinations?’
  • ‘What are your pup’s favourite games to play and food to eat (and how much!)?’
  • ‘Does your pup get separation anxiety?’

Golden Rule 3 – Be safe

Imagine you have your own dear new dog coming to live with you and you need to get the house ready. Dog sitting is no different! Some essentials are – 

  • Make sure you have a safe, sheltered and secure place for your guest to sleep – communicate with the owner as to whether outdoor or indoor is best
  • Make sure you have plenty of fresh water out at all times
  • Let your neighbours know you have a little mate staying over – especially if you think they might make a bit of noise on the first day – but don’t take on a barking doggy if you think it will upset your neighbours!
  • Check all fences and gates and mend any tiny holes or potential escape routes (you might have an escape artist staying!)
  • Clean up your garden and clear away any potentially dangerous plants, weeds or rubbish that could be a choking hazard
  • Put away clutter and make sure all potential hazards (including human food, medicines, wrappers, rubbish, household cleaners and other human products) are out of reach
  • Make sure your whole house knows about your guest and is happy to be involved in play, feeding and looking out for their safety

Remember that a new enviroment might mean your guest is extra curious and into things, so be diligent in looking out for those home hazards!

Pawshake recommends only boarding one dog over at a time just to keep things manageable, unless of course you know the doggies in question are very good mates. As any good dog will tell you - don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Golden Rule 4 – Updates 

Pet owners understandably LOVE getting regular photo and message updates about their fur baby while they are away. As you can imagine this is incredibly reassuring and a lovely part of being a member of the Pawshake family. 

A simple text message every day or so will do the trick, or email if the owner is overseas! Get fun and creative by writing fun captions, or even send a text message from their dog – ‘hello Mummy - stole phone. Ooh I hear biccies…gotta run!’

Golden Rule 5 – Ask for help

If in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask the pet owner if you’re unsure of anything – there is no such thing as a silly question, so if in doubt, ask! Remember, Pawshake is here to help at any time, so drop us a line ☺