1. How many pets will I be taking care of? 2. What is the pet's temperament? 3. How do you deal with bad behavior? 4. How do you reward good behavior? 5. Are there any medical issues or allergies? In that case, do they need any medication? 6. What is the pet's daily routine? 7. Who should I contact in an emergency? 8. What are your pet’s triggers? What are they scared of? What will they react to? 9. Can the pet be left alone? For how long? 10. Is there anything else I need to know about your pet?

Some owners had a routine they wished for me to follow. Others did not. I recommend asking. One dog I used to make visits to at lunchtime I taught to dance, that is, do canine musical freestyle. I asked his owner if he minded if I taught him to ride a skateboard, but he said he didn’t want me to do that because he had a prior injury - that I didn’t know about. So, I asked him if it would be ok for me to teach him to dance, and he agreed. We had such fun! the dog was a bulldog. Ever seen a bulldog do canine musical freestyle? I do not recommend any training unless the owner agrees to it, and you are familiar with the owner’s preferred training methods. I would not agree to anyone training my dogs while pet sitting them, and I caution my clients to tell their pet sitters not to allow their pet sitters to train their dogs in their absence. It could really damage their training! Some ideas for activities include taking the dog for a walk, playing fetch, or simply watching TV together and petting the dog. I would not recommend taking the dog anywhere without the owner’s permission! Feed the dog what the owner has told you the dog eats and when, and only give the dog owner-approved treats. I recommend getting all these instructions before you ever do the visit, and writing them down for reference. One other thing that comes to mind is hide and seek. This is a great game that will not only provide entertainment, but will strengthen the dog’s recall.