The 4 Best Certifications for Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters
In this article, we will cover the best certifications for pet sitters and dog walkers.
There is not one certification or pet care course that is better than the others, rather each class covered in this article teaches important aspects of professional pet care. Each dog sitting class takes their own approach and teaches important but different parts of the job and over time, you could take all four certifications to continue your education.
Becoming a certified professional dog walker and pet sitter will help you grow your business because the best clients look for sitters who took the time to get professional training. Also, getting certified is about more than just getting a logo you can feature on your website or social media. It’s about offering the best possible pet care and keeping the pets in your care safe.
PetSitterCourse.com This certification will teach you the hands-on knowledge you need to offer professional dog walking and pet sitting service. The self paced online course covers every detail about how to do the actual job. Such as what questions to ask at the meet & greet, how to handle keys, dog walking safety, administering medications, client communication, what to do at the visits, the best equipment to bring, and more.
This course also includes a set of proven emergency procedures, a 49 point visit checklist, an example document and policy pack, and a proven client onboarding course. The PetSitterCourse.com certification is the best value for money certification available for professional pet sitters and dog walkers and is a great first certification to get. Click here to see all of the details about this certification course and to enroll today.
NAPPS Certification The National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) has been an industry leader since 1989. NAPPS is committed to supporting their members through education, resources to build a successful business, and certification. The NAPPS Certification covers a broad range of knowledge related to professional pet sitting. They have fantastic resources for learning about how to care for dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, reptiles, birds, small mammals, and more. If you feel like there are gaps in your technical pet care knowledge, the NAPPS certification is right for you.
Fear Free Certification for Pet Sitters If you would like to learn more about dog or cat body language this course would be a good fit for you. The Fear Free course teaches the benefits of positive reinforcement and the dangers of training methods that involve fear or pain. You will learn the details of animal behavior as it relates to pet sitting. The Fear Free Certification teaches the modern approach to pet care that seeks to improve the human-animal bond through trust.
If you want to learn the basics of what the Fear Free Certification teaches but can’t afford the price tag, check out this free lesson from PetSittercourse.com, Understanding Reactivity and Aggression 101. Both the PetSitterCourse.com and the Fear Free classes are based on what is taught in the KPA-CTP certification, the standard certification for behavior & enrichment coordinators at pet shelters. However, the Fear Free Lessons go further in depth on the behavior and health side of pet care, while the PetSitterCourse.com certification is focused more on the day to day operations of a pet sitting company.
PSI Certification The Pet Sitters International (PSI) Certification is one of the most common certifications for pet sitters. While their website states having the only knowledge-assessed exam for professional pet sitters, knowledge-based exams are available through both the NAPPS and PetSitterCourse.com certifications. Although the PSI certification is exam only and does not require coursework to be certified, PSI does offer a number of industry leading online courses for pet sitters.
