Best Apps to Find a Dog Sitter

We love our furry friends, but we can’t stay home all day long to give them company. We have jobs and errands to run. At the same, dogs suffer from separation anxiety if left alone for so long. Taking the dog to a doggy daycare isn’t a good idea either. The environment is unfamiliar and noisy. The dog will feel overwhelmed and intimidated. I have also seen dogs learn bad behaviors from their daycare peers. 

Sometimes, the vacation or business trip takes months, meaning a doggy daycare isn’t an option. The only solution is to find a dog sitter. The best thing about dog sitters is that they come into your home and give your dog companionship. That means your furry friend won’t have to deal with new dogs and the environment. You’ll also save time, as you don’t have to take your dog to daycare and pick it up afterward. 

However, the most challenging part is finding a good dog sitter. I saw one Reddit user saying how he unsuccessfully tried to contact over 20 dog sitters. All were fully booked. Another had trust issues, and he could only leave his dog with a family member or close friend. We can all relate to this. Having a dog sitter means the person is in charge of the dog and, somehow, in charge of your home. 

You don’t want a case where the dog sitter is careless and damages things, steals, or mistreats your furry friend. The solution is to find a dog sitter using dog-sitting apps. These apps are designed to help you connect with trustworthy dog sitters near your location. But, just like dog sitters, all apps aren’t the same. 

Some will only go as far as to connect you to experienced sitters and allow you to book and securely process your payments. Others will go the extra mile to connect you to screened and vetted sitters and offer in-app messaging to improve communication and trustworthiness. So, in today’s guide, I’ll review the best apps to find a dog sitter.     

Best Dog-Sitting Apps Comparison

Before I talk about the best apps, here’s why finding a dog sitter without an app is so difficult. In the US alone, there are about 77 million dogs, 8 million birds, and 58 million cats: a total of 143 million pets. In contrast, there are only about 35,000 pet sitters. Now imagine how much these people are in demand during the holiday seasons, not forgetting that some pet sitters will also take holiday breaks. 

If you rely on the conventional way of finding a dog sitter, there is a chance you’ll be like the above Reddit user: making phone calls and finding all the sitters you know are booked. The solution is to install a dog-sitting app, and you’ll be able to see all the available sitters near you and book in advance. Here are some of the best dog-sitting apps you can install. 

Rover

Our list starts with Rover, which is the largest dog company app in the world. The company is actively operating in 17 countries and their pet sitters have been booked by over 42 million users since their establishment in 2011. Generally, the app covers Europe, the UK, Canada, and, of course, the US. The company has been featured in ABC News, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Today Show, and The New York Times. 

In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal, Rover has a dog-app market share of 80%, compared to Wag, which has a market share of only 20%. Rover services include house sitting, dog walking, doggy daycare, drop-in visits, and boarding. That means once you’re a member of the Rover community, you have the flexibility to request any of the services. Also, Rover accepts all dog sizes, from extra small to giants. You can book these services through their main website. 

What I like about their site is that it works almost like an app. It’s not cluttered, and the option to find a dog sitter is right on the homepage. Choose the service you need, enter your address, choose the size of your dog, enter the date you want the service to start and end, and then click search. A page will open showing the available dog sitters near you, their rates, customer ratings, and the number of clients they have handled. Choose the one you prefer. 

On average, Rover sitters charge around $50 to $80 per night. Alternatively, use Rover’s Android and iOS apps, which are available on Google Play Store and App Store. The apps use GPS services in the background to track the active services. The best part is that Rover offers 24/7 customer support and a guarantee of up to $25,000. So, if your furry friend is injured or the sitter damages your property, Rover will reimburse the costs. 

However, compensation only comes in after the first $250, and coverage is for up to 1 month. The guarantee also doesn’t cover preventable and pre-existing issues like fleas and ticks. But what do customers say? Rover has earned a 4.5-star rating out of over 25,000 reviews on Trustpilot. But reviews are contradictory on Sitejabber. Here, Rover gets a 1.2-star rating out of 618 reviews, although a significant portion of the negative reviews are from sitters, not clients. Regardless, some clients have complained of cancellations from sitters just a few days before the trip.             

Wag

Wag is another large company that offers comprehensive services like sitting, walking, drop-ins, boarding, and training. The company was founded in 2015, so it has been in operation for almost 10 years. As of now, the company has over 5 million clients and has worked with over 450,000 pet caregivers. 

Something that I really like about Wag is that all their caregivers have passed background checks, so you can be sure you're dealing with vetted individuals. Also, the company supports animal shelters, and so far, they have donated more than 16.5 million meals. So, when you join the Wag community, you're indirectly supporting animal shelters. Just like Rover, you can easily find a dog sitter around your area using Wag's main website. 

Simply enter your address and the dog sitting start and end date, and then, in the Pet Type option, choose Dog and enter how many dogs you have. Click search. However, unlike Rover, Wag will demand that you create an account first before showing your pet sitters around your area. Note that you have to give your credit card number when creating the account. If you book a service, Wag will hold onto the funds, and then the payment will be released to the sitter within two days after completion. 

Something I didn't like is that you can't go back to the previous page if you decide not to sign in or open an account. Something else is that you can't book an overnight stay using the website. You have to use the mobile app. Unlike Rover, which shows you a list of dog sitters and you choose your preferred one, Wag gives you a quote for the price but doesn't detail much about the sitter. 

In most cases, the sitter who replies first gets the business. This gives you little control over who will be caring for your dog. I don't think that's cool, considering how much dogs are in our hearts, and we need to have full control over who cares for them. Other than that, Wag allows you to keep track of your furry friend's well-being using their Android and iOS mobile apps, just like Rover. 

Also, the mobile app has an in-app messaging feature, and you can always request photos and videos of your pet. But pricing is probably their selling point. On average, an overnight stay costs around $39 to $59, almost half of Rover's. But what is the clients' take? Wag has a 3.8-star rating from over 5,000 reviews on Trustpilot.             

PetBacker

If you're looking for a company that will give your furry friend all dog-related services, then PetBacker might be the best option. The company offers the following services:

• Dog walking

• Pet boarding

• Pet sitting

• Pet taxi

• Pet daycare

• Pet training

• Pet grooming

The company is large, offering its services in 50 countries. Just like Rover, you can use the company's main website to find dog sitters. Choose the service you're looking for, enter your location, and click Search. But unlike Rover, you don't have many filters to help you get a more refined search. 

On the next page, click More Filter and choose Dog. At least you'll get a list of dog sitters, not just pet sitters. Then, you can sort the list by number of reviews or distance from your location. Alternatively, use the mobile app. They have apps for both Android and iOS. Just like Rover, this platform shows the sitters' pricing, the number of customers they have handled, and their respective star ratings. I prefer filtering by reviews as they give a more accurate picture of user experiences. 

You also have an option to request a more precise quote from 5 different caregivers. However, to request the quote, you'll have to answer more questions and then create an account or sign in. Then, the company's AI system will analyze your needs and reach out to the top 5 caregivers that meet your requirements, availability, and location. From there, you can use the app's messaging feature to talk to your preferred sitter before deciding to hire. 

Once you decide, make payments through PetBacker. The platform offers a secure escrow payment, and you'll get a refund in case of cancellation. On average, expect to part with around $15 to $60 for an overnight stay. But even with all these goodies, the app isn't perfect. Some users have complained of a lack of enough care, especially when the pet has a pre-existing condition or is being left for long. And with that, PetBacker has a 4.2-star rating on Trustpilot.     

TrustedHousesitters

TrustedHousesitters is quite a different company from the above ones. Instead of hiring a dog sitter, you'll be taking advantage of dog sitters who want to travel around the world and explore. The sitters will have a home to live in and, of course, a pet that will provide companionship. 

Unlike the other dog-sitting apps, the sitter pays to join the platform, not the other way around.

Sitters pay an annual membership fee of $129 to get unlimited worldwide sitting opportunities. Of course, this is cheaper than even a one-night stay in a hotel, considering an average 3-star hotel in Toronto is around $191, and an average 4-star hotel is around $243. In return, the dog owner isn't paying for the sitting services. 

Dog owners only need to register on the platform as pet parents, make a listing with photos of their home and pets, and indicate the date they're planning to leave home. TrustedHousesitters work as facilitators. Dog owners use the platform to reach out to reviewed and verified sitters, and sitters have the freedom to send applications to pet parents. 

Both pet openers and sitters can use the company's main website, or mobile apps on both Android and iOS. Also, the company offers 24/7 customer support and vet advice. So, it's a win for you, a win for the sitter, and a win for the platform. And with this business model, TrustedHousesitters is fast growing. The company had already hit about 200,000 members by 2023. 

So, what do customers say? Well, it's the only B Corp-certified app on our list. That means trustedHousesitters have high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The same reflects in customer reviews. TrustedHousesitters have a 4.5-star rating from over 20,000 reviews on Trustpilot.  

Final Thoughts

We might not travel with our furry friends on vacations and trips, but they remain beloved members of our families and deserve all care and love. We must make sure we leave them with a responsible and trustworthy caregiver. The good thing is that you can always measure trustworthiness by how the sitter handled past clients. Dog sitting apps allow you to view customer reviews so you can pick a sitter with the most positive reviews. Some of these apps will also take responsibility for the actions of their dog sitters and will compensate you in case of any injury or damage. The above are some of the best companies you can use, and they all have Android and iOS apps.