Preparing for an Overnight Dog Sitter

Traveling once you have pets can be challenging because while you’re booking everything for your own trip, you also need to think about who will take care of your pets while you’re away. Instead of only picking pet-friendly hotels, an overnight dog sitter might be the perfect solution.

Let’s talk about why an overnight dog sitter might be right for your next trip and how to prepare your home for their visit.

Is an overnight dog sitter the best option for your dog?

If you’re traveling and can’t bring your pet along, you might be considering an overnight dog sitter (or cat sitter) to watch your pet and your home.

Here are a few things to think about as you compare your options for Morris County, NJ or Somerset County, NJ pet sitters:

Your dog has anxiety and/or needs medication

If you have an anxious pet, you already know that traditional options like doggy daycare, an overcrowded kennel, or an unregulated/uninsured in-home boarding option with other dogs may not be a good fit. Most, if not all, pets will always benefit from being in the safety and comfort of their own familiar environment. If this sounds like your pet, then an overnight dog sitter would be the best option for you. Additionally, if you have specific medication requirements for your pet, a home sitter would be ideal so your pet can take their medicine on time and can be monitored throughout the day for any symptoms or side effects in their own comfortable environment.

You have several pets to care for

If you have more than one dog, cat, fish, or any other pet, you may need an overnight dog sitter at your house. This option will be less expensive than boarding all your animals, and everyone will get the exact care they need without the hassle of packing up food, bedding, medications, and toys, as well as the struggle of transporting pets in carriers or dealing with car rides that may cause stress.

You have an early flight or travel arrangements

Don’t derail your trip planning before you even leave by dropping off your pets at different homes or boarders. When an overnight dog sitter or pet sitter comes to your house, everything is easier for you.

How you can prepare your home for an overnight dog sitter

Many of the same rules apply to an overnight dog sitter as if you were having a house sitter or guest in your home.

List of alarm codes and locks

Your pet sitter should know the lock-up routine for the evening: what doors have alarms, how to turn them off in the morning, where the cameras are throughout the house, if your windows are locked, etc. You want your sitter to feel confident they can keep your house safe.

At Walks Wiggles and Wags, we store all of this information in an app, so your sitter will never lose it, and you can update it as necessary.

Rooms and rules

Depending on your pet’s temperament, you probably do not want guests other than the pet sitter in your home. But remember to be clear with your expectations. If the sitter will be staying for several days, show them where the cleaning supplies or toiletries are located in case they need anything. If anyone else will be in the house while you’re gone (house cleaner, for example), make sure the pet sitter knows the routine for their visit, and whether the dogs need to be out of the house during that time.

Be clear about where the sitter should sleep, which bathroom they should be using, and any other house rules you may have. Setting clear expectations will ensure the best results on both sides.

If you’re in Northern NJ and choose Walks Wiggles and Wags for pet sitting, we do not allow anyone other than our pet sitter in the home. We cannot take the risk of anyone else interacting with your pets while they are under our care, so you will be required to sign a waiver if anyone else needs to access the home while we’re staying there.

Tell your neighbors

Let your neighbors or landlord know that a pet sitter will be staying at your home while you're away. This helps prevent any confusion and avoids the risk of them reporting unexpected activity. 

And don’t forget to spread the word about a good dog sitter so your neighbors know who to trust and call when they go out of town!

Making sure your dog is comfortable overnight

The easiest part of keeping your pet comfortable is taken care of -- they’re in their own home, and sleeping in their own bed. But here are a few things you can do to make the stay better for the sitter and your pet.

Leave detailed instructions about your pet’s routine

Let the overnight dog sitter know what time you usually feed your pet, when they go out the last time, and if they have any special medications. While your sitter should take notes or have your information on file, you can text or email any last-minute things you remember. We’ve seen dogs eat paper notes that were left for the sitter or walker, so try to keep these communications digital, just in case!

For our NJ clients, we use an app that makes it easy for both sides to access their information during the stay. We recommend you check everything is up to date before you leave on your trip!

Update your pet’s contact information

Before you go, ensure your pet’s collar tags have the correct address and contact information. If your dog were to get loose, your neighbors could easily bring them home with the correct address on the tag. For the sitter, leave a neighbor or family member’s contact information should anything happen at the house while you’re gone.

We’ve made this information a required field for our clients so pet sitters always know who to call. All clients must supply an emergency contact and contact information for HVAC or appliance service in case something comes up.

Why should you choose an overnight dog sitter instead of a kennel?

If you still think dropping your dog off at a kennel while you’re gone might be easier, remember that you’re not just caring for your pets with an overnight dog sitter. Your house will be safer, too.

Extra layer of protection

When you choose an overnight dog sitter, you have someone staying in your home while you’re away. It’s a built-in house sitter. You don’t need to ask a neighbor to check in, and you don’t have to keep checking every motion on your cameras.

Your dog is comfortable at home

While some dogs may like the change of scenery from a daycare or kennel, most want to stay in their own home. Kennels are noisy, tiring, and stressful; the dogs may not even leave their designated area during the day.

Bringing your dog to a dog sitter’s house introduces all new variables: Will their fence be secure enough, or could your dog escape? Could your pet chew or scratch their furniture, leading to damage or extra costs? If they have children, will your dog be comfortable and safe around them? Another major concern is the presence of other dogs. Do you know how many will be there, their temperaments, or how they’ll interact with your pet? These variables make in-home pet sitting a risky option compared to having a sitter care for your dog in the comfort of your own home.

With an overnight dog sitter, your dog stays in his own familiar environment with all his toys and routines. The dog sitter will come to your house, check on any other pets, play with them in the evening, provide mentally enriching exercises so they’re never bored, feed your pets dinner, stay overnight, feed them breakfast, and take them out in the morning. Nothing about your pet’s routine will change.

At Walks Wiggles and Wags, our goal is to step in as a trusted stand-in for you, keeping your pet’s routine as normal as possible while you're away. We focus on keeping them happy, safe, and healthy so they feel comfortable and cared for until you return. 

Personalized attention

With only your pets in the house, the overnight dog sitter can give personalized attention to your animals. Their time isn’t split between several different dogs, and they’re not leaving them in a playroom to fend for themselves with other dogs. Your pets will feel secure and cared for from the one-on-one attention they receive overnight.

Overnight Dog & Pet Sitting in Northern New Jersey

If you’re looking for an overnight dog sitter in Morris County or Somerset County, NJ, visit us at Walks Wiggles and Wags and see if you’re in our service area. We also offer Bed and Breakfast  service for pets that are comfortable sleeping on their own. If you only have cats, we have a special cat-sitting rate for the short daily check-in they need. We hope to meet your pets soon!