What a pet sitting course should cover
A solid pet sitting course covers pricing for both drop-in visits and overnight stays, how to get recurring clients who travel regularly, what your service agreement needs to protect you legally, how to handle emergencies, and how to build a review base that drives ongoing word of mouth.
Most generic courses stop at the basics — business structure, liability insurance, how to set up a profile. The useful ones go further: specific client communication protocols, key handling procedures, what to do if a pet is sick during a sit, and how to build recurring clients who book every trip instead of treating you as a one-time service.
Paid course options
Paid pet sitting business courses typically range from $80 to $300. Most cover the fundamentals adequately. Few go deep on recurring client development, referral partnerships, or operations at scale.
Things to evaluate before paying:
- Does the instructor have verifiable experience running a pet sitting business as a primary income source?
- Does the course cover client acquisition methods that do not depend on Rover or Care.com?
- Does it include actual templates — a service agreement, client intake form, visit checklist — or only conceptual guidance?
The free option
Pet Service Tycoon offers a completely free Pet Sitting Business course inside its community. No credit card required. No content locked behind an upsell during the course. The curriculum reflects real operator decisions, not generic business advice.
It is the most practical starting point available. Complete it before evaluating any paid option.
What the Pet Service Tycoon pet sitting course covers
- Pricing drop-in visits and overnight stays — including holiday rates, last-minute rates, and how to raise rates with existing clients
- Getting first clients through local Facebook groups, Nextdoor, and Google Business Profile without depending on Rover
- The meet-and-greet process and what to cover before accepting a new client
- A complete service agreement and client intake form you can use immediately
- Key handling procedures — how to manage client keys professionally and securely
- Emergency protocols — what to do if a pet is sick, injured, or missing during a sit
- How to build a recurring client base from frequently traveling clients
- Review collection and building a Google reputation that generates organic referrals
How to get started
Join Pet Service Tycoon free at petservicetycoon.com. The Pet Sitting Business course is available immediately inside the community. Complete the full curriculum — it takes a few hours — before deciding if any paid supplement is worth adding.
Most operators find the free course is sufficient to launch, get their first clients, and build a full-time pet sitting business.