A LITTLE ABOUT PET SITTING...
In 2005, we left our German Shorthaired Pointer, Maddie, at a kennel boarding facility rather than leaving her at our home with a sitter. Maddie was a bit destructive and anxious even when we were home so it seemed the only real option for her when faced with many hours by herself. At the time, kennel boarding was very common--and pack-style or private-home boarding was not as well known--and seemed physically safe for her so we reasoned she'd hate it during her stay but wouldn't be alone and overall would be okay. By day three during her stay at the boarding facility, Maddie had stopped eating and by the time we'd done Disney World, had permanently damaged her nose because, during her stay, she'd obsessively poke it through the chain link gate of her kennel in what I imagine was an attempt to look down the corridor for us. When she passed in 2014, she still bore the scar from that kennel stay.
My oldest with Maddie in 2000 (left) and again in 2013.
Pet sitting starts with an evaluation of whether we are a good fit: I come to your home, meet you and your pet to see how the pets act, how they feel, etc. As the sole proprietor and sole-sitter for my business, I will be the one coming into your home for each visit during any trip you take and so this evaluation is a particularly useful time for all of us. During or after this initial "meet and greet," we discuss care--for both your pet and your home--and start the process of collaborating on how we can best see that your pet(s) feel safe--physically and psychologically--and comfortable in your absence. For while physical needs are usually simple enough to attend to, our pets aren't merely looking for food and water: they want to feel comfortable and safe within their own space. And getting them to feel nearly as good as when their humans are home involves getting to know who they become once you're gone (some are more anxious, some less), blending known behavior into what happens when you leave then attempting to meld the two experiences so that they don't ever spend any amount of time scared or worried and instead hardly seem to notice you're gone until you walk back in the door.
Pet sitting is not the perfect solution for all pets--and I would be the first one to suggest that your younger canine, for instance, try their hand at a pack-style place or private home boarding before pet sitting--and in reality, I'm sure in your pets' minds the perfect solution is just for you to stay home. But in the nexus of reality and possible means and ends, there is usually a way to get them to a point where it is obvious they feel good and safe and are having fun, and that point is both goal and journey, traversed by getting to know them, "listening" to them, then assessing/reassessing strategies and situations through it all.
I hope you'll ask me anything about the process that you are unsure about--via email apal@amythecrittersitter.com or text 801-580-5320--because while easing the pets' anxiety is crucial so as well is easing the humans.