Important Things to Consider in Dog Care Services

Pets are considered to be a part of the family. In the United Kingdom alone, there is an estimated 8 million dogs owned for this year 2018. This estimated figure was from the Pet Food Manufacturer’s Association (PFMA). Owning a pet is also a time consuming activity. You have to nourish them with the right kind of pet foods; bathe and groom them; provide a proper, decent and clean shelter; and, you also need to bring them to the veterinarian or dog care services for their periodic vaccinations, regular check-ups, or puppy care program medication.
As a pet owner, you are responsible for all of their basic needs. Just like a parent to a child, you also have to make sure that your dogs are in a secure and safe environment. However there are times when you cannot perform this duty. You may have to travel and spend a vacation somewhere east coast this summer or be in an out-of-town or country conference, convention or meeting and you cannot just bring our pets with us. Well, we should not be worried because there are a lot of dog care services where we can leave our dogs and have peace of mind knowing that they are in good hands.
What are dog care services?
Dog care services are similar to a day care center for dogs. You can easily find a list of dog care services that are near your area through the internet, newspapers, or telephone directories. The specialty services: home services, house sitting, pet sitting, and daily dog walks. Pet sitters are the ones who will take care of your dog and with consistent responsive care. Again, they are like baby sitters who can go to your house to do the house sitting or bring your pet to their office for pet sitting. Some companies or centers are keeping up with the advance technology and they will send you a very generalized information that your pet is doing okay. This is usually done if you will be going away for weeks or months.
These dog care services usually employ pet sitters who have passion for animals and are pet lovers. Their passion and love for their pets would enable them to do the same for their client dogs. The typical responsibility of a pet owner is assumed by the pet sitter in caring for your dog. Pet sitters follow your daily feeding of food and water for your dog. Just like people, pets also need to have a bathe, brush, and walk your dog to social with other pets. Part of their routine is to give your dog vitamins and medications if necessary. The agency of the pet sitter can also coordinate and arrange medical or hospital treatment in emergency cases.
When the situation calls for a short-term notice, some agencies are reluctant to accept it because they need to be acquainted with the dog. There are others who will offer a special rate in such circumstances. For periodical care service, agencies would require the pet owner two sets of keys. The first key will be given to the pet sitter who will be in charge of periodically visiting and taking care of your dog. The second key will be entrusted to the agency just in case the pet sitter is unavailable or he/she cannot make it on the day or time to do the pet sitting.

Things to consider when looking for dog care services
It is very important that you carefully choose the right agency amongst the many dog care servicesavailable in your area. Here are some tips and guidelines on what to look for when choosing dog care services for your pet dog.
Do they require paper works? Normally, one avoids this type of requirement but in this situation, it is something that you have to check out if you will fill out a client questionnaire service request. Initial documentation and recording of information would allow the agency or facility to build an account for your dog. This paper works would normally obtain data on your dog this will help them in profiling your dog. It will also serve as a record for any special requirement of your dog and also this will serve as their reviewer for different pet sitters. In this regard, you may see that their system is organized and that it reflects on the standard of professionalism and high quality service that they would like to provide their clients.
Typically the documentation would involve the following:
 Registration form. This sheet would normally contain the names, address and contact numbers of the pet owner and veterinarian. Information on the dog would consist of the following: breed, age, temperament and other important concerns that need to be remembered.
 Records on current vaccinations. The agency would also require you to list down all vaccinations to give the agency an idea which will help them in cases of emergency situations. This is also to ensure that your pet is safe from any possible diseases.
Do they conduct initial assessments? Professional dog care services would conduct initial evaluation which will be based on the information you have provided in the paper works. You might ask if the information you have provided is not enough to accept you as a client. Equally important is the usual half-day evaluation conducted for your pet dog. Dogs have grown accustomed with their territory and pet owner. The pet sitter will use the half-day to introduce himself and the place to your dog. This way the pet sitter would be able to watch out for signs of aggression or any distinct behaviour of your dog. At the same time, it is also a way of introducing the facility to the dog so that when pet sitting day arrives, it would not be too hard for the dog to adjust to its environment.
Do they have sufficient and credible staffs? It would be appealing to have a cool and decent facility for your dog but it would also be important to check out the people to whom you would entrust your dog. Your dog’s life, security, and comfort depend on their hands so it is just right to consider this factor. Ask about the number of personnel and the number of dogs they are handling or managing at the time because this will give you an idea on the ratio of pet sitters to dogs. A 1:1 ratio is of course excellent due to the fact that all attention and needs can be provided for the pet sitter. Aside from this, you may want to ask the skills of the staff. Do they have trainings on animal CPR and the likes? This means that they are capable of managing and taking care of your dog. Lastly, make some observations or ask for feedback from previous clients on the quality of the service. An example is if pet sitters welcome your pets. This will give you an indication that they are caring about pets.