Hi there,
I am new here. Thanks for having me on this group.
I just joined THS and as I build up my profile account, do you have any recommendation for an online pet sitting certification out there? I just noticed that HO prefer some form of credibility if you are starting from scratch. I am pet parent myself but stating that doesn’t seem to favor my profile. Any advice ?
Thank you.
I’d start with some references from friends, some short local sits that may be less desirable and therefore easier to get with no reviews, a really solid profile (lots of tips in the forum), and well thought out applications that show you really read their listing, mention them and the pets by name, and gives a good overview of you. That’s going to do more for you than any certification. But, if you want an extra bump, maybe look into pet first aid/CPR courses and you can mention that on your profile/in your application.
Good luck!
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Welcome, @jenmar.
I’m not aware of any petsitting ‘certification’ but references from people who can vouch for your positive interactions with animals and your character will be a good starting point. You could begin by applying for local sits or those with fewer applicants, which will enable you to gain some experience and get some good reviews under your belt.
We actually started off on another website, then found THS and so asked previous sit pet parents to replicate their reviews for us on here, and it worked for us.
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Welcome @jenmar
I don’t think an online course is as valuable as actual pet sitting experience-
Have you cared for friend /families /collegues/ neighbours pets or homes ? Ask them to write a reference for you
Apply for a short last minute sit local to you - once you have your first THS review you will find it easier to get sits .
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THS sitters don’t require any sort of certification - we are all just pet-loving people here for a mutually beneficial exchange, and are not qualified pet-care professionals or anything. Just ordinary people - usually travellers - giving free pet care in exchange for a free place to stay and opportunity to discover a new place. It is just as if you went to a friend’s house and are looking after their pets, collecting the mail and watering the plants while they’re away.
If a certificate is something you want to do, go for it, but it’s certainly not necessary and will never be as valuable as reviews & references; owners will care far more about how reliable and trustworthy you seem, as they are trusting you with their pets, home & belongings.
I’m not sure a certificate would really teach you much for pet-sitting either; pet-care tasks are pretty basic (feed pets, walk pets, provide some daily company & play-time, administer medication if necessary (by which the owner should you how) - simply, ensure the pet is safe and happy at home 
In any sort of pet emergency, an owner should have emergency vet numbers for you to contact, and it shouldn’t be a sitter’s responsibility to attempt to give CPR or first aid or anything - ensuring you immediately contact the owners in case of emergency and take them to the vet is all an owner needs (note: any vet bills must be covered by the owner). If you haven’t already, make sure you read the sitter guidelines & the T’s & C’s to understand what your responsibilities as a sitter are.
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Agreed, and I suspect most pet parents won’t value it much either. Experience validated by reviews is what speaks volumes.
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A course can be icing, but it can’t replace experience.
Why: Anyone can take a course, but it doesn’t tell you how they’d do as a sitter. Plus, how does that reflect whether they’re responsible house sitters?
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Hi @jenmar
Welcome to the Forum!
I, like many THS sitters, started from scratch. When I first started, I initially had no references, but I did have experience in caring for animals. When I applied for my first sit, I had some experience along with hope and a prayer. After submitting my first application, I was offered the sit which turned into me being invited back for repeat sits. I had a gracious host who took a chance on me and I will be forever grateful.
Obtaining an online pet certification could be nice and offer useful tools, but a more important tool is having hands on experience with pets. There are some things that cannot be replicated—like loving pets, caring for pets, spending time with pets, and administering medication, etc. You mentioned that you are a pet parent, so that gives you some experience and hopefully that will count in your favor.
You also mentioned that being a pet parent “doesn’t seem to favor your profile.” Ensure that you have photos and a well-written profile that convey your love and care for animals. And since you are a pet parent, try and ask yourself what you would look for in a sitter.
You did not mention the type of pet(s) you have, but would you travel with your pet(s) as part of your sits? Something to consider, if you have not already: homeowners may find your sitting with your pet(s) accepting while others may not—as they may believe that their pet(s) and your pet(s) may not get along.
Good luck!
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Thank you! that’s good to know. I always wonder what other sitters are doing here. Thank you for your input.
Thank you for your advise. I will definitely look for HO with fewer applicants.
Very helpful information here , thank you. I really enjoy reading all the advises from other sitters. It is a great community here. I’m glad I joined. Again, thank you.
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That is good to know. I always thought the reason of declined application is because I do not hold any certification or training. Thank you very much for warm welcoming community here.
You’re right! I never thought it that way. There’s no specific training for being a responsible person, only character reference can do that. THANK YOU!
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Hmmmm… that’s a good point you brought that up. I should mention that even though we have pets of our own, we certainly would not bring them with us to sit because when we travel our son stays with our pet. I will definitely mention that to HO just in case. Thank you so much for your advise.
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I don’t know what you have read, but no they don’t, we’ve never been asked about anything like that, owners just like us for who we are. We had zero references when we started and zero certification in spring 2023, and we’ve done 30+ sits, including plenty of repeat sits, but we had a lifetime of experience in property, pets, diy, etc. We’re in our 50’s and 60’s.
I actually looked into doing a first aid for pets course (real-life practical certs, not online) but I couldn’t find any courses locally, as a lot were cancelled during covid and never started up again… and then real-life petsits kicked in for us and we were then busy sitting full time within months.
The love of pets is important, but I think it depends what life skills you have too.
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I’m not aware of any pet sitting cert and would be VERY wary of any offered as there are no regulations which means that anyone can establish one simply to make money. In other words, any cert that you find is worthless.
Your credibility is far better established by having good references (and many of them), volunteer experience at rescues, shelters, vet offices (if you have any) and other verifiable and relevant experience.
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Thanks for your advise . This is very helpful hearing from this community . I should highlight my own life skills that could help boost our profile . Thanks again.
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Thank you . I shall work on adding more reference on my account. Thanks again for your advise .
@jenmar you can get pet CPR + First Aid certified. I obtained my certification from My CPR Now.
Note: this is for dogs and cats. You could probably Google CPR + First Aid certifications for other animals.
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I remembered reading someone had a pet certificate through University of Edinburgh, so I just did a search. Coursera offers these, and there are many courses on offer. One is called Animal Behavior and Welfare, has 7 modules, takes 10 hours to complete, enrolls for free.
Because I travel a lot, I can’t sign up to volunteer with any regularity, but in the city where one of my children live, there’s an animal shop which has a vet clinic attached. They always have at least one or two dogs available every day that are up for adoption. You can stop by, leave your drivers license, and take them out for a walk. Since I enjoy walking, I stop by and take them out for an hour or so for a little socializing and exercise. Maybe there’s places like this where you are or where you visit. Could be something to add to your profile and it feels good to get them out and about.
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