Before I take in a new animal to pet sit/train, I take my animals and the new animal (s) outside to introduce them and see if they play outside, how they relate etc. I spend a great deal of time observing outside with children and other animals. Then I decide whether or not I accept the job or not.

At the Meet and Greet, I make certain there is proof of licenses, vaccinations, check for fleas, ticks, and any possible scars or obvious sores etc. I check this with the owner, and annotate it in my notes with date and time checked, just so I'm not accused of abusing the animals.

My dogs follow me out of love, devotion and to protect me from harms way. They enjoy the companionship that we share. We're always there for each other. They have saved my life three times in their short eight years. They have a curiosity about people coming and going in and out of the house. They can sense if a person is good or bad.

I'm new to the pet sitting business for others. I have two lab/chow/miniature collies, and two declawed cats. If I pet sit others in my home, I let the owners know of my own personal pets. They all get along with each others and are very attached. There is no territorial boundaries, not even when it comes to food!!! They eat, sleep, and go outdoors together on my deck. They watch out for one another and for others that visit. I have no problems thus far, and because I'm here 24-7 I don't see problems arising. I'm safety conscious, and my dogs are trained in verbal commands and sign language. Once I start sitting new pets, I would like to surprise the owners by a new trick, command or some other surprise that the owners don't have time to teach.

Thank you all so much for responding to my question. This has been very helpful. But I did neglect to mention, my one service dog is diabetic, has a thyroid problem, and cataracts. Will any of the above suggestions affect him, like spraying (I don't think that would hurt him) but I have concerns that they (my two dogs and two cats may decide to eat flea traps etc. After reading these responses, it never dawned on me until now about possible side effects. Any input on this question about my diabetic dog. I'm one of those over protective mother's.....lol. And wondering also if the dish soap would make them itch? I usually use dog shampoo, uncertain about the dish soap, but I've read that Dawn has done wonders for many things. This is the first I learned about pets. I do like the idea of spraying them down with Apple Cider Vinegar, but after you spray them with that do you give a bath afterward? Or, do you give a bath before you spray them down? FYI...unrelated to the pets, but same concept with apple cider vinegar...if you have a migraine headache, take a damp cold wet washcloth, pour apple cider vinegar on it, go into a dark room, elevate your feet, shut off all lights, phones, etc., and put the washcloth over your eyes and forehead. Within the hour the headache is gone.

Now that the nice weather is coming, fleas and ticks will also be coming out I usually keep my cats and dogs inside, except to let them out to do their business, or, to put them out on the deck outside my bedroom on the second floor. My animals have only encountered one or two ticks in two years, and no fleas. But if I run into a problem, how does one get rid of fleas? I have the tool to get rid of the tick. That isn't the issue, just for future reference.