Choosing the best dog home boarding provider for your best friend

We understand that dogs are family

If you feel desperately in need of a holiday but are really apprehensive about leaving your beloved dog behind, it can offer great peace of mind to know that you have done everything in your power to choose the very best dog sitter for your pet. If you are wondering, “Which dog sitter should I choose for my pet?” read on now. We have used our eighteen years’ experience as the UK’s leading dog sitting service provider, to compile the ultimate checklist to help you. Here are our top tips…

1. Ask for recommendations from family and friends

There is no greater reassurance than a referral from a trusted family member or friend. A good first step to finding a dog sitter is to ask other pet owners for their first hand experiences and insights. At Barking Mad Dog Care, we are proud to be a business that has grown by referral and continues to do so.

2. Conduct some online research

Sometimes it isn’t possible to obtain a personal recommendation but in this day and age a reputable dog sitter should be able to provide online reviews. Barking Mad Dog Care partners with Trustpilot, one of Europe’s largest online review platforms, so that our customers can have the reassurance of reading nearly 5000 independently verified personal reviews from customers. Social media platforms such as Facebook are also a valuable source of customer opinion and a visual representation of your dog sitter’s day to day activities.

3. Look for signs of quality

A good dog sitter should be happy to discuss the training they have received, have robust procedures in place for emergencies, a good relationship with local veterinary surgeries and be contactable by phone and email at all times. As a network of nearly eighty branches with a dedicated, expert head office team, Barking Mad Dog Care is able to offer our local business owners award winning support and training. Our processes and procedures have been established with eighteen years of experience and we are ISO 9001 certified. This demonstrates the effectiveness of our quality management system and our capability of satisfying the rigors of an external, independent audit.

4. Meet your dog sitting professional in person

An important step in choosing a dog sitter is to meet the person who will be responsible for your dog face to face. You should look for someone who is animated, enthusiastic and clearly has a real love of dogs. They should also want to meet your dog before accepting a booking.

At Barking Mad, our dog sitting professionals will come and meet you and your dog in person and advise which host families will be available during your chosen dates. They are responsible for your dog on a 24/7 basis whilst they are on holiday and work with a carefully selected and vetted team of host carers. Together, you will decide on the most appropriate holiday home match for your dog.

5. Consider your dog’s specific requirements

When choosing a dog sitter it is important to consider your dog’s own requirements:

• Do they have any specific medical conditions?
• Do they require medication to be administered?
• What is their typical behaviour at home?
• What is their normal routine?

It is vital to choose a pet sitter who is able to accommodate their individual needs and faithfully replicate their routine, in order that they can really feel at home.

6. Ask about availibility

It is important to bear in mind that dog sitters with a good reputation can be very busy, particularly during peak holiday times. They may not be able to provide dog care for your chosen dates if you don’t give them plenty of notice. Planning well in advance will allow you to have more choice in terms of a dog sitter who has availability.

7. Think about location

You should also think about how convenient your dog sitter’s location is. When you are making a dash for the airport, driving half an hour away to drop your dog off can feel like  a real headache. At Barking Mad, we offer a chauffeur driven service as part of our dog sitting package, which makes the process hassle free. Your dog is collected at a time to suit you and lovingly escorted to their holiday home in one of our special cars, with every attention to their comfort and well being.

8. Can your dog sitter offer you peace of mind?

The most important consideration when choosing a dog sitter, is whether or not you are going to be able to relax while you are away. At Barking Mad, our slogan is ‘Happy dog. Happy holiday. Happy you!’ because we really believe that we can offer our customers complete peace of mind. You should always choose a sitter who you trust to take the very best care of your best friend.

Why not find your nearest branch of Barking Mad to discover more about a dog holiday for your best friend?