When I take care of your pets I’m paranoid, and that’s really not such a bad thing. For both of us, really. Why? Simple – if I’m paranoid then I do a better job for you.

The above sentence may sound a little weird but let’s loook at it in this context – I am a trusted member of your inner circle. You allow me to come into your house and care for your little one, placing their life and well being in my hands. In order to earn that trust, I must work hard and be honest with you 110%. This is the basis of our trust relationship and it works well.

HOWEVER, I also realize that blind trust only goes so far. I would be remiss to think that you wouldn’t check on me ‘just to be sure’. That’s why I’m always cognizant of the fact that you, as a pet and home owner, have several tools available to you to make sure that I am honest. For instance:

• Hidden cameras – Face it, ‘nanny cams’ are available for consumers. They can be hidden anywhere and be activated by someething as simple as motion. As your pet sitter, I have no idea whether or not you use them and if you are monitoring me and how I interact with your pet. Trust me: this is a good thing. You have a family member and a home to protect. It is my duty as your service provider to be honest and behave appropriately in your home. Since I have no clue if you’re using a hidden camera I make sure that I do nothing to upset either you or your precious pet.
• Alarms – This is one of the best possible ways to keep track of time spent. If you have an alarm system in your house you may be able to run a report when it is disabled and enabled. This is a good approximation of when your pet sitter enters and leaves your home. I say approximation because your sitter may have arrived but had taken care of some business (getting your mail or packages, watering outdoor plants, retrieving or taking out garbage cans) before dealing with your alarm.
• Neighbors – Everyone remembers Mrs. Kravitz, the busy body neighbor from Bewitched. Believe it or not, she can sometimes be your best friend. What is better than an eye witness to how your pet sitter treats your pet and your home? If you are in good standing with your neighbors then it is in your best interest that they know who is entering and leaving your house while you’re gone. Again, it is my duty to act as a professional at all times. If your neighbor suspects that I am doing otherwise then I would expect them to tell you immediately so that you could come to me directly.

I wouldn’t take it as a personal slight if you took advantage of any of the above monitoring tools/techniques. If I was the person using a service such as mine, I would want to know as well. Sooner or later you should reach a level of trust with your sitter that you don’t feel that you need to do any of the above.