Rate Question--Pet Sitting

[SilverSabre25]

A dcfamily is going away for a week and dcm mentioed today that she doesn't know what to do with their large dog since hey're going camping and can't take her to the campground.

I said that I might be willing to pet sit and she was astonished and grateful. I told her that i needed to come up with a rate and talk to DH, but that we could probably do it.

Sooo...how much would you charge to keep a dcfamily's large but friendly pooch for a week(ish)?

[sharlan]

You're house or their's?

[SilverSabre25]

You're house or their's?

at my house.

[wdmmom]

As long as they are providing the kennel to lock him/her in at night, chew toys, bones, treats, and food, I wouldn't charge all that much.

The only thing you'll really need to do is feed, water, let out and clean up after him/her.

My kennel charges $30-$45 a day depending on the setting you want. I would probably charge half. Possibly more if the animal isn't house trained.

[sharlan]

Maybe $10 - $15 a day.

[bice99]

at my house.

Are you licensed to have a large dog during DC hours at your place? I would worry about the liability.

[Kaddidle Care]

I pay the 2 boys across the street $10.00 each to come over and let my dog out and feed him if we're away for the day. They really don't have to do much - just let him out, give him a scoop of food and make sure he has water. He sleeps on my bed all day and is comfortable that way as opposed to putting him in a Kennel. (I have NEVER put either of my dogs in a Kennel)

At my own home I'd say probably $20-25.00 per day. It depends on the rates where you are. Call around to some pet sitters and find out what they charge! At least you'll have something to go by in your area.

[mac60]

We have had someone stay at our home 2 different times to take care of our dogs. They were teenagers/young adults. I paid 1 of them $125 for 7 days, and the other $150 for 2 weeks. While they stayed at night here, they went on about their day everyday, just making sure the dogs were let out ever 4/5 hours or so.

[CheekyChick]

I'd probably charge $10.00 per day - if that.

[AfterSchoolMom]

I'd probably charge $10.00 per day - if that.

I'd have to respectfully disagree. I pet sit, and have been for many years - it helps me make ends meet in the summer when I have no kids.

Think of it this way - if they put the dog in a kennel, he'll be with a large group of other dogs and cats, where it'll be loud, strange, and where he'll most likely spend most of his time in the kennel itself. If he's at your house, it'll be a home environment, you'll be available to let him out when he needs to go (rather than on a schedule), and he won't have a stressful environment with lots of other strange dogs around.

What they're paying for is a specialty service in order to keep their dog comfortable and stress free, and they're familiar with you and not leaving their dog or house in the care of a stranger. I think that's worth more, not less. It's similar to a nanny vs. group care situation.

I've had many people tell me that it's worth the extra cost NOT to have to kennel their dog.

[SilverSabre25]

Thanks for the insights everyone! I am looking into what rates for kennels and pet sitters are like in my area and I'll go from there--I really just wanted a baseline idea of what other people's thoughts and expectations might be.