Puppy Sitter Compensation

[Melissa Bissell]

We are going on a 6 night/7 day vacation and our college-age niece has been kind enough to agree to puppy sit for us.  She will be staying at our home while we are out of town.  What is the going rate for puppy sitting services (in puppy's home, with family member as sitter).  She has not asked of compensation, but taking care of a young puppy is an enormous amount of work, so we want to compensate her fairly, and hopefully she will be happy to do it again!

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

When we are unable to take the doodles with us, I have a dog nanny who comes to our home to stay with them.  She charges $40 a day (24 hr period) and I allow her to bring her cockapoo along.  It works great for us and the doods are in the own environment, safe and sound!  So for a week, I would pay her $280, plus a 20% tip. She is reliable and send me daily updates and photos.  I do not know what I would do without her.

[Abigail *George & Juno*]

We payed $400 for the week I was out of the country for George to be boarded by our trainer. She provided everything except the food which we took with us when we dropped her off. She trained her the whole time, George lived with her in her house the entire week and our trainer took George with her everywhere she went all the while practicing obedience and manners. I felt more reassured with this, rather than a kennel where they would put her in a cage and leave for the evening. Normal boarding was going to cost around $40 a day. We paid under $60 a day for boarding school and 24 hour supervision. And she also gives us a discount on classes so we count that discount. :) we will probably do this in the future, George loves her.

[Pam Thomas]

I am thinking about retiring in a year. I was thinking I should house sit for doodle families going on vacation. Be able to see some of the country that way.