Become a Dog Sitter

Barking Mad Dog Sitting Opportunities

Love dogs but can’t commit to owning one? As a Barking Mad dog host, you can enjoy the companionship of friendly dogs during short stays or holidays while their owners are away, without the long-term financial or emotional commitment of full-time ownership.

At Barking Mad, we’re the UK’s most trusted dog-sitting service. With years of experience, a caring community and a passion for dogs, we’ve perfected the art of organising stress-free, one-to-one doggy holidays.

Become a pet sitter with Barking Mad to stay active, find purpose and experience the unique joy only a dog can bring.

How to Become a Dog Sitter with Barking Mad

From start to finish, we handle everything. Firstly, we ensure our dog sitting hosts are fully compliant with home boarding regulations. We’ll arrange a home visit to walk you through everything you need to know to be a successful pet sitter and to check that your space is ready for your furry guests. If necessary, we’ll also schedule a follow-up visit with the local animal license inspector. Don’t worry – we’ll coordinate everything to fit your schedule and be at your convenience.

On the day, we’ll collect the dog from its owner using our pet taxi service, bring it to your home for their stay and return them safely at the end of their holiday. It’s as simple as that!

Ready to join our community of dog lovers? Sign up today!

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Benefits of Becoming a Dog Host

From the joy of caring for man’s best friend, to the flexibility and freedom that being a dog sitter offers, there are so many benefits to enjoy:

Stay fit, healthy and active by going on walks
Enjoy spending time with dogs personally matched to your home and lifestyle
Relax as we arrange every detail, including transporting the dog to your door
All dogs come with their food, toys and essentials for a fuss-free experience
Connect with like-minded dog lovers at our fun, social gatherings
Choose hosting dates that suit you, that fit around your holidays and commitments
Leave the admin to us – we cover expenses, insurance, meetings and paperwork
Receive ongoing support and training to help you make the most of your hosting experience

What do you need to be a dog sitter?

Great dog host families are warm, loving and ready to provide a safe and happy environment for their furry visitors. Hosting is about creating a secure environment where dogs can feel right at home.

Be a passionate dog lover who truly enjoys canine companionship
Have some experience spending time with and looking after a dog
Ensure your home and garden are secure, offering a safe space for visiting dogs to explore
Have a household suitable for hosting – unfortunately, we’re unable to recruit host families with children under five or pets that may not welcome visiting dogs

FAQs

Do dog sitters need a licence in the UK?

We handle everything to ensure our host families fully comply with home-boarding regulations. All host families are covered under our Barking Mad business owner’s license and insurance. This means you can focus on enjoying the companionship of your furry guests without worrying about pesky paperwork.

What qualifications do you need to be a dog sitter?

You don’t need formal qualifications to be a dog sitter in the UK, but a love for animals and plenty of experience is vital! Our network of business owners also ensure our hosts are regularly supported, coached and trained to comply with all licensing regulations, such as pet first aid, recognising sickness, canine enrichment, animal handling and lots more, so our customers can be assured their pets are looked after with the utmost care and attention.

How do you become a dog sitter with no experience?

You can become a dog sitter even if you don’t have any previous business experience, but you’ve had plenty of pet ownership experience in the past, because all of our hosts are fully supported by our Barking Mad business owners.

It is important that you are confident looking after dogs to ensure they receive the loving, home-from-home environment Barking Mad is renowned for. Our franchisee’s support our host families to learn about dog behaviour, care, safety and pet first aid, amongst other aspects of looking after their doggy visitors.

How old do you have to be to be a dog sitter?

While there’s no strict legal age requirement, we have a minimum age policy of 18 years old to become one of our pet sitters.

Is it a good idea to pet sit?

Pet sitting and hosting with Barking Mad can be extremely rewarding and enjoyable for those who cannot commit to owning a dog full-time. Many of our hosts experience great benefits from being more active, as well as being part of a local dog-loving community, which can also help ease loneliness.

It can also be less stressful for the dog to be in a home-from-home environment, with their familiar toys and belongings, as well as daily routine, while their owners are away.

How much do dog sitters get paid UK?

While hosting with Barking Mad is not a business opportunity or ‘job’, as such, our hosts do receive a contribution towards expenses for each stay. This helps cover costs such as treats and general care, ensuring it is never a financial burden and always a positive experience. All of their doggy visitors come with their own belongings including food, bedding and toys, so there’s no financial outlay for out hosts. Insurance, licensing and all other business costs are covered by the franchise business owner.

Many of our hosts are people who would love to care for dogs but can’t commit to caring for their own or don’t want to run a business themselves. Barking Mad takes away all the administrative, financial and logistical aspects, allowing our hosts to focus purely on the enjoyment of dog companionship, with full peace of mind and support.

Become a Trusted Dog Sitter