List Of Essential Dog Sitter Interview Questions
Q – 1 Explain what is your ultimate goal in life?
Ans- Eventually, I’d like to be wealthy enough to not have to work and I want to open up animal shelters. I always helped injured animals when I was younger and I loved when they got better and we set them free again.
Q – 2 Tell me can my pets stay at the pet sitter’s home instead of my home?
Ans- Some pet sitters do offer boarding services. Boarding availability may be limited to certain types of pets, since special licensing and additional insurance may be required of the pet sitter.
Q – 3 Anything else you’d like to share with us now?
Ans- I really love animals, and would love to have a job caring for them while people are away. When I am away, I make sure my cat has the very best, and I feel that I can do this for other people’s pets.
Q – 4 What is your least favorite word?
Ans- Friday
Q – 5 Tell me what is vacation pet sitting service?
Ans- If your pet sitting service provider offers vacation service, that means that the pet sitter is available to visit your pets if you go out of town on a trip, such as on a vacation or a business trip.
During this time, a pet sitter will make scheduled visits to your home. Often these are scheduled to start between pre-determined time slots (such as 6am-8am, 2pm-4pm, 8pm-9pm, etc) that will best fit your pets.
Q – 6 Explain what constitutes the perfect Sunday morning?
Ans- The perfect sunday morning would be to get up extra early to watch the sun rise while i go jogging. Would be great if i had a dog with me.
Waking up with my cat curled up next to me then proceeding to watch tv.
Q – 7 Tell us should our pet sitter be insured?
Ans- You should definitely select a pet sitter who is insured for liability. It is important that their coverage includes care, custody, and control of the pet. Pet sitters can provide proof of coverage, or a phone number you can call to verify they are currently insured.
Q – 8 Do you know how long is a visit?
Ans- Each sitter determines what length of visits they will offer (such as 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, etc). Homes with multiple pets will often require longer visits than homes with only one animal.
Q – 9 Tell us how do you communicate when you are unsatisfied?
Ans- I told her that I always communicate any sort of discontent or disagreements I may have.
Q – 10 Tell me what profession would you not like to attempt?
Ans- Working at the DMV where people are paying lots of money for something like parking tickets and always waiting in line.
Q – 11 Do you know how much do you charge?
Ans- Prices vary depending on the type of service and number of pets.
Q – 12 Tell me can a pet sitter stay at my home all day or overnight?
Ans- Some pet sitters do offer live-in and/or overnight care.
Live-in daytime care is less common, because most pet sitters have pet sits and daytime walks they need to do for other clients all throughout each day. So the availability of this type of service may be very limited.
Q – 13 Tell me what is your comfort level with different animals?
Ans- Don’t lie. If you can still handle all of the animals I wouldn’t mention not liking them, but if you are absolutely terrified of snakes or lizards (or hamsters, I guess) this probably isn’t the right job for you.
Q – 14 Tell me how would you feel if you were a goldfish?
Ans- I would want to jump out the bowl and hope someone put me back in time.
I would not like living in a small bowl.
Lost, they have a memory span of a couple of seconds.
I would feel trapped in the bowl.
Q – 15 Explain how many times a day should we have the pet sitter come?
Ans- It’s best to keep your pets’ routines as close as possible to what they’re used to when you’re home. Try to schedule visits as close as possible to your pets’ usual feeding and walking times and frequencies.
Q – 16 Explain how many times a day should my pet sitter visit during a vacation?
Ans- The frequency of visits is something you will negotiate with your pet sitter once the pet sitter interviews the situation and determines your needs and wishes.
Most indoor only dogs will require a minimum of 3 visits per day (at least morning, afternoon, and evening).
Most clients choose once per day, or twice per day for cats. Some sitters will consider every other day visits. Every other day visits are not recommended for large male cats because of potential health problems.
Q – 17 Tell me what profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Ans- I would like to learn everything. Languages, business, acrobatics.
Q – 18 Tell me some of the hardest things you had to learn recently?
Ans- Gave a personal answer relating to my friends.
Q – 19 Tell me do pet sitters just take care of pets while people are out of town?
Ans- Pet sitters are available to care for your pets not only for when you are on vacation, but also for when you are at work, or away for the day. We even do overnight stays for extra snuggle time! PetCare Group is available for visits 24/7, every day of the year, including weekends and holidays.
Q – 20 Explain how would you go up to a dog you thought was cute to pet it?
Ans- I said I’d first ask the owner if I could pet their dog, let it sniff my hand, and then pet it. She said that was a perfect answer because you’re not supposed to just run up to someone’s dog and touch it without their permission.
Q – 21 Tell us should the pet sitter be insured and/or bonded?
Ans- Yes. Liability insurance protects you should there be an incident while you are away. Your pet sitter should be able to show you proof of insurance and/or bonding.
Q – 22 Tell us do you have any allergies?
Ans- Be honest, they’ll work with you. But seriously, why would you work at a pet store if you have allergies?
Q – 23 Tell me Is there anything that you would refuse to work with, such as snakes, or crickets?
Ans- Be honest. If you are allergic or too frightened to touch an animal in the store just tell them, and they will do their best to work with you. Many people I worked with had allergies, and one had a phobia of snakes.
Q – 24 Suppose If you left a message inquiring about services, how soon was it returned?
Ans- All phone calls should be returned within 24 hours.
Q – 25 Tell me will a pet sitter care for my pets in my home or theirs?
Ans- Our pet sitters will visit your pets in your own home. This helps maintain their routine as much as possible and makes them more comfortable in familiar surroundings. We do have boarding available for small and medium sized dogs.
Q – 26 Tell me do you understand that a good portion of this job is cleaning cages and tanks?
Ans- I said yes, I knew that before I applied. I didn’t care
Q – 27 Tell me should I ask for references?
Ans- Most definitely! Ask for references and check on them.
Q – 28 Tell me are you scared of any of the animals?
Ans- Answer honestly!! They will try and work with you if you have a phobia of snakes (or birds, I don’t judge) I again told her I was nervous about the birds because I had never handled them before.
Q – 29 Do you know how much does pet sitting cost?
Ans- Each pet sitting business sets its own rate structure, which can vary greatly from other businesses.
Many pet sitters charge a base rate per visit. According to U.S. nationwide polls conducted since 20010, the average per visit base rate for a 30 minute is $18 per visit.
Some sitters may have additional charges based on number of pets, mileage to your home, holidays, or tasks needed.
Q – 30 Basic Dog Sitter Job Interview Questions:
Ans- ☛ What is your hiring and training process and do you do background checks for criminal history?
☛ What happens if my sitter becomes ill? Is there a backup plan?
☛ Will you provide a written service contract spelling out services and fees?
☛ Can you provide me with phone numbers of other clients who have agreed to serve as references?
☛ Do you provide regular office hours? How quickly do you return emails and phone calls?
☛ Can you provide written proof of commercial liability insurance (to cover accidents and negligence) and bonding (to protect against theft by a pet sitter or her employees)?
☛ How much notice do you need to schedule a service?
☛ How long are the visits or walks?
☛ What occurs during a dog walk / pet visit / overnight stay?
☛ What are terms of payment and do you accept credit cards?
Q – 31 Tell me what’s the funniest or most embarrassing thing you’ve experienced with an animal?
Ans- When I had my wonderful, gentle Doberman so many years ago and walked into a 711 (remember those) and people literally ran either out of the store or cowered in the back until we left.
My dog would love to go by himself and grab a bone and pretend that he never had anything.
when I was trying to break a horse at the rescue and I was using an old saddle so the second I got on, it broke, smacked the horse, he bucked and took off and i went flying with the saddle still attached.
My cat is a little boy, and while he is fixed, he still “finds the urge.” He has a special friend, which is a big black stuffed dog, he is a little grey and white cat, and the site of him humping this dog is pretty funny. My husband and I always thought it was a funny little habit, but it didn’t really bother us until my husband’s boss and his wife came over for dinner.
I had thought nothing of it, but we sat down on the couch for a drink and “Hanz” the kitty dragged out his black dog and began humping it in the middle of the floor! Best yet he was humping it backwards and had it’s tail in his mouth, while he purred loudly, my husband’s boos and wife just cracked up!
My cat likes to give me little kisses on my nose, however, one day he gave my nose one too many licks and I found myself looking like Rudolf with a big red nose for the next 3 days. It was a great conversation starter!
My family and I fostered a Parson’s Russell Terrier named Terry who had been cooped up in a shelter for a long time. After picking him up at the shelter we took him to the pet store to pick out some toys and he went to the bins and picked them all out himself-and a few treats, which were promptly paid for.
When I was younger, my family got a puppy, we named him Freddie. Everytime a guest would come over, Freddie would pee on them in excitement.
when my cat Cinnamon escaped our apartment, made his way to the roof of the building, jumped into an open window onto the chest of an old woman napping, and proceeded to knead her neck and lick her earlobe.
The funniest moment I experienced with an animal was when my first cat, Bootsy, caught a mouse, carried it in her mouth to the toilet, dropped in and flushed it.
Q – 32 Why do you want to work as Dog Sitter?
Ans- I love working with animals, and am planning on having a career with them
Q – 33 Tell me how would you deal with pet parent with aggressive dog?
Ans- Please share your experience.
Q – 34 Tell me how long does each visit last?
Ans- Our mid-day weekday walks start at 20 minutes, but can be scheduled for 30, 45, or 60 minutes. All other visits start at 30 minutes. Need a multi-hour extended visit or overnight stay? We do those, too!
Q – 35 Tell me do we meet the sitter before service?
Ans- Yes, for most sitters an initial consultation is required before your first service can be provided. This consultation will give the sitter time to learn about your pets, fill out paperwork, take notes about your home and required tasks, and collect keys from you.
Many sitters offer the first consultation for free, or will credit any consultation fee to your first visit.
If you would like a follow-up consultation at a later date, be aware that there might be an addition fee for this.
Q – 36 Do you know what is a pet sitter?
Ans- A Pet Sitter is a contracted service provider who takes care of a pet in its own home.
Q – 37 Explain do you believe the cat has a right to chase the mouse?
Ans- Yes! It’s a natural instinct. I always try to help the mouse out and distract them with a toy but they still have the right.
Sure why not, isnt that what cats do?
Q – 38 Explain what was a time you had a difficult experience with a customer? What happened?
Ans- I told a story about a time I was working at a restaurant and a woman got mad at me for something beyond our control. I told the interviewer how I resolved the problem. It was a resolution that made the customer mad, but I emphasized that that is what the management wanted and ultimately – it’s not my business, it’s theirs.
Q – 39 Tell me what kinds of animals do you have experience with?
Ans- Be honest. They will find out if your not when they ask you to care for an animal and you look like you have no idea what you’re doing! I’ve cared for small rodents before but ‘m kinda rusty. Told them I had no experience with birds and they said I would be trained to care for them.
Q – 40 Tell me what if my pet becomes ill while I’m away?
Ans- The first choice is to take your pet to your usual vet. In case of an emergency however, we might need to use an alternate vet or emergency clinic. Emergency instructions will be reviewed at the service consultation.
Q – 41 Explain how much notice does the pet sitter (or agency) need in order to schedule your request for a pet sitter?
Ans- Most pet sitters request at least two weeks notice, but may be able to accommodate an occasional short-notice assignment. Sometimes there is an additional charge for short-notice assignments.
Q – 42 Tell me what animal do you think you are most like and why?
Ans- I think I’m the most similar to a french bulldog, because I’m extremely energetic and very playful. I also tend to think I’m a lot bigger and stronger than I actually physically am like them.
I think I am actually more like a horse. I like people, but also like to explore terrain and cover a lot of ground. I also like carrots and apples a lot.
Q – 43 Explain about a time you had to deal with a difficult customer. What did you do? Were you able to resolve the issue?
Ans- I was specific. I told about a time from another company the an elderly man had walked into my office demanding a product that my company offered, but I did not have anything to do with. He was very angry and wanted to quit his service with us. I told him I could help him get that product and offered him a seat while I called the appropriate department. Luckily the department I needed was in the same building. One of the supervisor came down with the product he needed. He left satisfied and we retained the customer.
Q – 44 Explain how would you deal with a very difficult customer?
Ans- I gave the “customer is always right” line, and she followed up asking what I would do if there was still no pleasing them. I told her I didn’t know (this was my first ever interview, OK?) and she told me the answer she was looking for would be requesting help from a manager.
Q – 45 What experience do you have as Dog Sitter?
Ans- Tell them anything pertaining to animals! Ever babysat someones python before? Tell them! I am a dog walker/pet-sitter/baby-sitter. My experience let them know that I was capable of dealing with stress (KIDS) and animals.
Q – 46 Tell me do pet sitters work on holidays?
Ans- Yes. However, there is an additional fee for each holiday visit.
Q – 47 Explain should our pet sitter be bonded?
Ans- Bonding is different than insurance. Bonding generally applies only if someone steals from your home, and is convicted of the crime. At that time, the bonding company will reimburse you for the loss, and the pet sitting business will reimburse the bonding company.
Such a conviction can take years, and can be difficult to obtain. It is also important to know that many bonds only apply to the employees of a business, and not to the business owner. So bonding is really optional.
Some sitters have chosen to obtain actual theft insurance through a company such as PSA in order to give their clients piece of mind.
Q – 48 Tell me what is daily/daytime dog walking?
Ans- Daytime dog walking is pet sitting on a weekly, ongoing basis. A daytime dog walker is usually hired to walk or visit dogs that need a regular break during the busy work day.
A dog walker may be scheduled for daily visits or just a few days week, often once or twice a day depending on your work schedule and the needs of the animals.
The most common dog walking visits are scheduled for somewhere between 20 and 60 minutes.
Q – 49 Tell me does the pet sitter (or agency) keep regular office hours?
Ans- A Professional pet sitter should have a schedule of office hours. A larger business may have additional personnel to answer phone calls or e-mails, but many pet sitters are sole proprietors who use answering machines to field inquiries.
Q – 50 What is your favorite word?
Ans- My favorite word is RESPECT
Q – 51 Explain your past experience with pets. Which animals do you know best?
Ans- I worked at 2 small pet shops previously where I cared for birds, reptiles, fish and small mammals. I know birds well. I can trim wings, nail and file beaks. I have also hand-fed parrots, and raised lovebirds and cockatrices. I also know reptiles very well and have hatched leopard gecko eggs. I can force feed reptiles and snakes if needed.
Q – 52 Tell us what pets do you have?
Ans- Emphasize your skills with animals they sell in addition to your dog or cat. I said I have a hamster and have worked with birds.
Q – 53 Suppose If an animal died while under your care, what would you do?
Ans- To make sure all policies are followed and no mistakes are made.