“I Just Need a Nice Person to Look After My Dog…” Why That Sentence Worries Me

A post popped up on my Facebook feed recently.

Someone was looking for a dog sitter while they went away for ten nights. Nothing unusual about that. We all need someone to look after our dogs from time to time. But there was one sentence that made me stop scrolling.

“Just a nice person that can help. Don’t need to be insured or any of that stuff.”

And I completely understand where that comes from. You just want someone nice. Someone who loves dogs. Someone trustworthy who will feed them, walk them, cuddle them and keep them safe until you come home. But the words “I don’t need insurance or any of that stuff” genuinely worry me. Not because everyone without insurance is going to do something terrible to your dog.

They aren’t, but because when you leave your dog with somebody else, you’re handing over responsibility for a member of your family.

And sometimes things go wrong.

Sometimes very badly wrong.

I’m saying this as a professional, but also as an owner

I’ve worked with dogs and their humans for years and I’ve seen what can happen when the care a dog receives while their owner is away isn’t what the owner thought they were paying for. I’ve also experienced this personally, I once trusted someone with my own animals.This wasn’t some random stranger I’d found on Facebook. It was someone I trusted. Someone I believed would look after my animals properly but I had been let down and it was a bit of a rush so we ignored there was no DBS in place and went ahead. That person went on to face animal cruelty offences. I didn’t knowingly put my animals at risk. I trusted someone I thought I knew that had come recommended. And that’s probably why I’m more cautious about this subject than most.

It’s incredibly easy to look back afterwards and think, I should have checked this. I should have asked that. I should have known, but the reality is that most owners don’t leave their dogs with somebody they think is unsafe. They believe they’ve chosen someone trustworthy. That’s why doing the boring checks beforehand matters.

Being a “dog person” isn’t enough

We hear this all the time.

“Oh, she’s brilliant with dogs.”

“He’s had dogs all his life.”

“She absolutely loves animals.”

That’s lovely.

None of those things automatically make someone competent to care for your dog.I love dogs. I’ve built my career around them, but I also know that dogs are individuals.The dog who happily sleeps for four hours while you pop out isn’t the same as the dog with separation anxiety who becomes distressed the moment the front door closes.The dog who loves everyone isn’t the same as the nervous dog who needs careful introductions.The dog who can be walked anywhere isn’t the same as the reactive dog whose sitter needs to understand distance, triggers and body language.This is where things can go wrong without anybody deliberately being cruel.I’ve seen it professionally.

One example involved two dogs with separation issues. Their owners had been very clear that the dogs couldn’t be left.

They were left alone for around two hours.

For many dogs, two hours is absolutely nothing. For these dogs it was huge.It caused a significant setback in the work their owners had been doing with them.

That’s the thing about behaviour.Someone doesn’t necessarily have to physically harm your dog to have a massive impact on them.They just have to misunderstand what that particular dog needs.

Your instructions aren’t optional

If I tell someone my dog can’t be left, I don’t mean “try not to leave them if possible.”I mean they can’t be left.If I say my dog shouldn’t meet unfamiliar dogs on walks, that doesn’t mean “unless you think the other dog looks friendly.”If I say don’t let them off lead, don’t let them off lead. If I say they need medication at 7pm, that’s when they need it.We know our own dogs.We know their routines, their quirks, their triggers and the little things that might seem completely insignificant to somebody else.A good dog sitter should want to know those things.In fact, I’d be far more reassured by somebody asking me too many questions than somebody asking hardly any.

So why does insurance matter?

Insurance isn’t there because you expect something to go wrong, it’s there because something could.Dogs are living, breathing animals. However careful we are, unexpected things happen.A dog can slip a lead. A gate can accidentally be left open.A dog can become ill. There could be an incident with another dog. Your dog could damage somebody else’s property.A person could be injured.Suddenly that little sentence, “I don’t need them to be insured”, becomes quite important. And actually, I’d be asking myself another question.If somebody is regularly taking payment to care for other people’s dogs, why don’t they have appropriate insurance? I’m not talking about your mum popping in to feed the dog while you’re at work.I’m talking about someone offering a professional service.There is a difference.

Then there are licences

This is another area that gets confusing because the rules depend on exactly what service someone is providing and where in the UK they are operating.For example, if someone is providing home boarding for dogs in England as a business, where dogs stay in that person’s home, that activity can require a licence from the local authority.That isn’t the same thing as someone staying in your home to look after your dog.So don’t assume every person calling themselves a dog sitter needs exactly the same paperwork.

But do ask.

What service are they actually providing?

Are there licensing requirements for that service?

If there are, are they licensed?

It’s a very different conversation from simply asking whether someone likes dogs.

And what about a DBS check?

A DBS check isn’t some magical certificate that tells you somebody is a good person. It doesn’t. And I don’t want anyone reading this to think that insurance, a DBS check and a licence automatically guarantee their dog will be safe. They don’t. What they do is give you additional layers of information and accountability. If somebody is going to have access to my home, potentially have my house keys and be responsible for my animals while I’m miles away, I’m going to ask questions.I’m not embarrassed about that.Neither should you be.

Please ask the awkward questions

This is probably the bit I want people to take away from this article more than anything else.

Ask questions.

Don’t worry about appearing difficult. A professional shouldn’t be offended because you want to know how they’re going to care for your dog. Ask what happens if there’s an emergency. Ask whether they’re insured and ask to see the insurance. Ask who else will have access to your dog. Ask whether other dogs will be present. Ask exactly how long your dog could be left alone. Ask what happens if your dog becomes unwell. Ask what happens if the sitter becomes unwell. Ask how they transport dogs. Ask about their experience with your dog’s particular needs.

If your dog is reactive, ask what they understand about reactivity. If your dog has separation anxiety, make sure they actually understand what that means. If your dog has medical needs, make sure they’re comfortable dealing with them. And don’t just accept “I’ve had dogs for years.”You aren’t interrogating them.You’re doing your job as your dog’s owner.

I’d also use cameras

This might divide opinion, but personally I think cameras can be incredibly useful when someone else is caring for your dog in your home. I’m not talking about secretly filming somebody in private areas or trying to catch someone out. I’m talking about sensible, disclosed cameras in appropriate areas of your home. I have mine in the areas the dogs are plus the doorbell. They can give you reassurance that your dog is settled and being cared for in the way you’ve agreed. They can also protect a good sitter if something happens and there are questions afterwards.

We’ve seen cases reported in the media where owners believed their dogs were receiving one standard of care and footage showed something completely different.

That’s terrifying.

Because without the footage, those owners may never have known or understood why their dogs behaviour suddenly changed.

Watch what your dog tells you when you come home

Dogs can’t sit us down afterwards and give us a review. They can’t say:“Actually, I was left alone much longer than you were told.” They can’t tell us someone frightened them. They can’t explain that another dog made them uncomfortable.They can’t tell us their normal routine wasn’t followed. But their behaviour can sometimes tell us that something has changed.

A sudden increase in anxiety, clinginess, toileting problems, reactivity, sleep changes, reluctance around a particular person or situation, or behaviour that simply feels different shouldn’t automatically be dismissed.

It doesn’t necessarily mean something awful happened. Dogs can behave differently simply because their routine has changed or because you’ve been away. But if your gut is telling you something isn’t right, pay attention to it.

There are some absolutely brilliant dog sitters out there

I really want to make this point clear because this isn’t intended to frighten people away from using dog sitters.There are some fantastic dog sitters, walkers, home boarders and pet professionals across the UK. People who take their responsibilities incredibly seriously. People who are insured, who undertake training, who learn about canine behaviour and body language and who understand first aid. There are people who ask questions, who follow your instructions even when you’re not there to see them. People who will send you a ridiculous number of photos because they know you’re sitting on a beach somewhere wondering whether your dog misses you. Those are the people I want owners to find. And good professionals deserve owners who recognise the value of what they do.

Your dog doesn’t get to choose

This is what it ultimately comes down to for me.

Your dog doesn’t get a vote.

We choose who walks through the front door.

We choose who holds their lead.

We choose who has access to them when we’re not there.

We choose who we trust.

And our dogs simply have to accept the decision we’ve made for them.

So yes, find someone nice.

Of course you want somebody kind and caring.

But please look beyond nice.

Check them.

Meet them.

Ask questions.

Watch how your dog responds to them.

Check the insurance.

Check whether the service they’re offering requires a licence.

Ask about their experience.

Leave clear written instructions.

Have an emergency plan.

And don’t ignore something simply because you feel awkward asking. I’d much rather have a slightly uncomfortable conversation before I leave my dog than discover something went wrong after I came home.

Before you hand over the keys…

If you’re going away and trusting somebody else with your dog, don’t choose purely on price, convenience or because someone on Facebook said “they’re lovely.” Do your homework! The majority of people working with dogs are doing it because they genuinely care about them. Your job isn’t to protect somebody else’s feelings.

Your job is to protect your dog.

If this article makes just one person ask an extra question before choosing a sitter, then it was worth writing. And if you know somebody who’s currently looking for someone to care for their dog while they’re away, share this with them. It might prompt a conversation they hadn’t thought they needed to have.

And if you’ve had an experience with a dog sitter