Love your pet but can’t take it with you when you travel? Try renting a dog for the weekend from this innovative shelter program.

If you’re a dog or cat owner who loves to travel, you’ve had to deal with the unhappy scenario of leaving your best friend at home. It’s stressful for both parties, but sometimes necessary. If you happen to be headed to the Colorado Rockies, however, there’s a great way to offset the furry friendless blues. The Aspen Animal Shelter has a Rent-a-Pet program for visitors (and residents) that provides a symbiotic, feel-good solution for participants of the two- and four-legged variety.

This progressive, for-profit, no-kill shelter has a borrowing system for folks who want a canine companion to hike with. Whether it’s for two hours or a weekend, adoptable dogs are matched up with “renters,” who then provide the animals with exercise, love, and enhanced socialization skills.

According to Aspen Animal Shelter director Seth Sachson, the adoption rate from the Rent-a-Pet program is high; another bonus. Even if you’re not a hardcore hiker, runner, cyclist, Nordic skier, or snowshoer, no matter. Matches are made based upon the athletic ability and personality of both parties, so even if your idea of a workout is drinking coffee and people-watching, you’ll both benefit.

And here’s a tip: if dog loving travelers want a pup for the weekend or you plan to bring your own dog, many of Aspen’s hotels are dog-friendly. Looking for ways to incorporate your furry friend into your vacation plans? Consider taking a skijoring clinic from the shelter.

Image: Laurel Miller

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Leaving your beloved pet(s) at home is a bummer, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Here’s how to find a pet-sitter you can rely upon.

I’ve worked as a dog-walker and pet-sitter off and on for over a decade, and as someone who’s experienced both sides of the pet-care coin, I’ve picked up some tips on what to look for in a pet-sitter. May your next trip be less stressful, for both you and your furry or feathered friend(s). Here’s how.

Growing up on a small ranch, we had a live-in caretaker, because my dad had to travel not infrequently for work (he’s a retired large animal vet and equine behaviorist, and still lectures all over the world).

Having someone who lived on the property and loved our animals almost as much as we did mitigated a lot of the anxiety incurred by leaving them at home, but it certainly didn’t eliminate it. My mom, in particular, missed her dogs and fretted over them. And as sometimes happens, a few beloved pets…expired during our travels. Accidents happen, but in a couple of instances, the passing of our pets was due to negligence, and to this day, it rankles my family.

Here’s how to ensure your pet sitter is prepared and trustworthy (as well as what you can do to give them the tools they need to do their job well):

• Ask for references, and follow up with them on the phone.
• A company that’s bonded or insured is a good sign, but it’s not a guarantee of a good sitter. Word-of-mouth and having potential pet-sitters meet at your home and interact with your pet will provide you with a much better idea of their knowledge  and skill with regard to animals.
• If your pet has special medical needs, ask your vet for a sitter referral.
• Determine beforehand exactly what you expect of your sitter. Are they planning to stay in your home, or drop by/how many times a day/for how long, or take your pet into your home?  Outline a clear schedule and put your expectactions in writing.

Image:  Sean Molin, Flickr

• Ask  what their course of action is in an emergency. Do they know the location of the nearest 24-hour emergency vet clinic/have a rapport with doctors on call? Do they know the signs of an animal in distress?
• Will the sitter just perform the basics, or are they going to act as a substitute pet owner? You want someone who will not just interact with your pet, but love them up. Walks, play, socialization, cuddling, treats: All of these  (depending upon species, of course) are essential for the physical and mental well-being of your pet while you’re away.
• Do they have experience dealing with animals other than dogs and cats, if applicable?
• Don’t neglect your home: In addition to feeding pets, will the sitter also water plants, keep things tidy, scoop litterboxes, take out the trash, etc? Note that most pet-sitters who stay in a client’s home should offer these services as part of their fee.
• If your sitter is just doing daily visits, how reliable are they? Ask references if they set alarms, lock doors and windows, bring in mail, leave a porch light on, and otherwise leave your home secure. (Just remember that you’re hiring a pet-sitter, not a caretaker or maid.)
• Be sure that your sitter is willing to provide you with brief email or phone updates on your pet, but be reasonable. A 500-word daily email about Princess Fluffy’s adventures with her fishing pole toy is over-the-top. Don’t blow up your sitter’s phone or email with messages, be a “helicopter parent” or have unrealistic expectations; it’s a surefire-way to ensure you lose a reliable pet-sitter. Remember that while your pet may be your child, it’s still an animal, not a human.

Image: Alfie Goodrich, Flickr

• Leave a list of your contact information/itinerary, and emergency numbers for your sitter, as well as details on feeding instructions, etc.
• I never used contracts for clients; other sitters may present you with a formal document. If you feel better drawing up a contract yourself, however, by all means do so. This protects both parties, and ensures you’re in agreement about payment and services to be rendered.

Top image: Michael Fletcher, Flickr

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More alpha men and women seem to be answering the call of the wild, signing on as leader of the pack for several hours each day. For herders able to command six-to-ten furry friends at a time in a neighborhood park or at the beach, dog walking can rake in as much as $200 a day (minus the truck fuel). Scooping poop just got a lot more enticing!

But you should know it isn’t all fun and games, warns Emy Sakai, 29, owner and founder of The Urban Paw dog walking service in San Francisco. The consummate animal lover has been pet sitting and dog walking since the age of 12, starting her career working part time while working in office settings and then branching off to launch her own service, which she likens to running a daycare program.

“The dog walker is like the teacher on a preschool field trip who has to keep a very close eye on the kids or they might wander off or eat something that is poisonous,” she finds. “I use treats and positive reinforcement and know what they are doing at all times.”

Sakai walks some seven different breeds at a time at Fort Funston, a wild and breezy stretch of headlands, sands and dunes. It has become the new happy hour spot for unleashed thirsty beasts and their guides, and where she has seen a lot of newbies come and go. It’s easy to talk the talk but can you walk the walk?

“You have to walk the dogs rain or shine, get dirty and not be grossed out by a lot of things,” she shares. “You have to have thick skin. It’s not just hanging out with cute, fuzzy animals. Being the pack leader shouldn’t be viewed as a glamorous or good transitional job.”

Okay, so it’s not as cushy as being a personal assistant to Carrie Bradshaw or being the intern who erases the chalkboard on the Glen Beck set. You may not be after glamor. You may not be a cat person. But perhaps flicking a Frisbee or waving a ball wand is your idea of a fling.

Here are seven signs that dog walking is the career for you:

1. You form attachments easily, even with drooling mutts who won’t pick up their poop. (“It’s sad when clients leave and I don’t get to say goodbye or have one last walk,” shares Sakai. “They’re like our second kids.”)

2. You are seeking part time work with flexibility so you can play with your human kids or finish that novel. An indoor retail job would be impossible, and besides, they won’t let you wear your gnarly, muddy boots at Saks.

3. You’re an alpha personality (a.k.a. control freak) who feels powerless in your current position. Why won’t someone, anyone, listen to you? Why are you constantly interrupted by stupid humans? Dogs know their place.

4. When you run on the beach you feel like a lonely loser and envy the dog walkers you spot throwing balls and sticks and connecting with their four legged friends. You like throwing sticks. You want friends.

5. You are looking for way out of that booth at Starbucks and perusing your laptop for listings for desk jobs. Your tush is spreading like nobody’s business, but the bills are not getting paid. You need exercise and money. Who doesn’t?

6. While you are a master at multi-tasking, you have never had the right job to employ your skills. As a dog walker you can shout loudly (calling out each name so everyone around you can hear), run, scoop, praise, play, feed, defend and reward, all while socializing and commiserating with other walkers.

7. No matter how hard you try, you cannot get rid of that gas guzzling SUV but realize you can use it for a good cause, namely the outings with your Fidos. Better yet, your clients all live within walking distance and you can pick them up on foot and hit parks a few blocks away!

Images: revolution cycle, NinaZed

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