Pet Sitters
Another alternative to bringing your dog along when you travel is to have your Yorkie stay in your own home, and hire someone to come in and tend to her needs. You could use a neighbor, but only do this if you are absolutely certain that this person has the time and dedication to be there for exercise and feeding every day. The other choice is to hire a professional pet sitter.
There are a couple of organizations to which pet sitters can belong, and they can both provide you with the names of members in your area. Contact the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters or Pet Sitters International. Ask all your dog-enthusiast acquaintances for recommendations.
Some pet sitters visit your home once or twice a day, while others come and stay in your home the whole time that you are gone. Many will also water your plants, bring in your mail and newspaper, and generally deter intruders by being present in your home.
A pet sitter should be insured — he will be coming into your home, so you want to have some guarantee of his reliability — and carry commercial liability insurance. This person should have experience with dogs, and he should provide a written list of services and fees for those services. He should come to your home for a consultation, at which time you can give any specific instructions relating to your dog or your home.
