Start your Own Pet Sitting Business

Now Only

$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
1177 Students

Discover how to translate your love of animals into a fun and profitable career.

If you're an animal lover, find out how you can start your own pet sitting business to translate your passion into a profitable career!

In this course, you'll master the essentials of running a cat and dog sitting business. You'll begin with pet care, including nutrition, exercise, first aid, and identification of common diseases. You'll learn the basics of first aid and find out how to administer pills, liquid medications, and injections to an uncooperative cat or dog.

Next, you'll discover how to handle home visits and impress your potential clients. You'll also explore sticky situations that can arise, such as lost pets, pets that die unexpectedly, and pets that need immediate veterinary care.

In addition, you'll delve into finances and explore start-up costs, accounting, fee-setting, business plans, and low-cost marketing. You'll find out how to obtain required insurance, hire employees as your business expands, and entice financial institutions to loan you money.

To complete the picture, you'll identify many opportunities for expanding your pet sitting services. Is a dog-walking service right for you? Can you train puppies? Do you want to look after other animals, including horses?

By the end of this course, you'll have all the knowledge you need to become a professional pet sitter. In addition, you'll see how your pet sitting business can grow to continually challenge and satisfy you.

Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.

Are you a bona fide animal fan? Do you love nothing more than a long walk with a furry friend? If so, then a career in pet sitting may be just right for you. In this first lesson, you’ll discover what pet sitters do, what the many benefits are, and how to determine if there’s a strong market for this business in your area. The good news is, you don’t need lots of money to get started—your love for animals, your strong sense of responsibility, and the knowledge and skills you’ll learn in this course will take you far!

In this lesson, you’ll find out how to care for dogs. You’ll see that feeding is more than just putting food in a bowl as you discover how to determine food and water quantities for the dogs you care for. You’ll also learn about some of the ways to help Spot get the exercise he needs without overdoing. We’ll examine the dog’s vital signs—the signposts to health—and review specific conditions dogs sometimes develop, so you’ll always be able to assess the overall health of your canine clients. Finally, we’ll consider two emergency situations that can mean the difference between life and death for a dog and outline what to do if they arise.

In this lesson, you’ll gain an understanding of all the ways that cats are not just little dogs. You’ll see that feline nutritional requirements are unique, and you’ll explore the latest guidelines for ensuring that cats get the nutrition they need. From hair balls and abscesses to more serious conditions, such as thromboembolism and urinary blockages, we’ll examine the particular health concerns you’ll need to be aware of as you care for cats. You’ll learn how to identify these diseases as well as others and evaluate a cat’s vital signs so that you can be alert to emergency situations.

Can you tell a timid dog that’s smiling from an aggressive one that’s baring his teeth? What would cause a cat to use your sofa for a litter box? In this lesson, you’ll gain insights into how dogs and cats think. You’ll gather quick tips on how to protect yourself when working with aggressive cats and dogs and also learn strategies for dealing with common feline and canine behavioral issues you’ll encounter as you care for them.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to recognize and deal with emergencies that can arise in your role as a pet sitter. You’ll delve into what to do with a bleeding pet or if one of your pets in care has an allergic reaction or experiences shock. You’ll find out what to do with conditions such as vomiting and diarrhea, foreign bodies, and eye problems, and what to do during the birthing process. Then we’ll cover poisoning and examine common toxins that pets may encounter. Finally, you’ll learn how to respond to emergencies with a review of how to do CPR in pets and what to include in a first aid kit.

Have you ever gone into an interview totally unprepared for what happened? Did you make a poor impression? This will never happen to you in pet sitting! In this lesson, you’ll find out how to make the best impression to a new client—what to say and how to act. You’ll also consider how to assess the impression prospective clients are making on you—and how to refuse a client. Next, you’ll gain an appreciation of how much you can earn and how many calls you can do in a day. Lastly, we’ll look at how to get organized so you can get the most out of your new business.

In this lesson, you get right into the thick of your new career by finding out what to do during the home visit. You’ll learn about what kind of information to get from your clients in advance and how to assess their needs based on the kind of services they request. Next, you’ll explore all the elements of a home visit, from managing keys and alarm systems to feeding, exercise, and everything you need to do to keep the pets healthy and happy day to day. Finally, we’ll get a first look at some of the little extra things you can do to offer the kind of service that keeps your clients coming back for more.

What happens when a pet you're caring for gets lost? What if the animal needs expensive veterinary care? Will you be stuck with the bill? In this lesson, you'll learn to cope with some of those sticky situations that pet sitters occasionally run into on the job. This includes losing a pet, the sudden death of a pet, as well as handling medical emergencies. You'll also learn how to handle some literally sticky situations—such as how to administer injections, eye and ear drops, and other kinds of medication.

There are countless ways to get clients to call you and book your services. In this lesson, you’ll discover the different tools and techniques you can use to build your clientele. You’ll start with basic marketing materials, and see how to exude a professional image through business cards and brochures. Then, we'll delve into advertising, and consider whether paid advertisements are worth the money. We'll also discuss how to use things like press releases and social media to get free publicity, and whether joining professional organizations can boost your business. Finally, we'll explore ways to establish and deepen your relationship with clients once you've caught their attention—from how to handle that first phone call to special things you can do to keep clients happy and loyal.

At this point, you've developed the skills and knowledge to be a successful pet sitter. But how do you set up shop? In this lesson, you’ll see how to establish your business, including both your actual office and the legal structures you have to have in place to keep your venture stable. You’ll learn about the licenses you'll need and get a good sense of why contracts with customers are so important. You’ll appreciate the different types of insurance, both for the business and you personally. Finally, you’ll learn the ins and outs of employees—when to hire them and what they cost.

Time to hit the books—the financial books, that is. In this lesson, you’ll delve into the world of accounting so you can see where your business is heading financially. You’ll find out how to determine start-up costs as well as the ongoing costs of running a pet sitting business. You’ll also come face to face with the necessity of getting your bills paid, and get some suggestions to ensure your clients pay in a timely fashion. Finally, we'll explore the importance of writing a business plan to set a road map for success and help you convince lenders that your new business is a solid investment.

You’ll discover that pet sitting doesn’t have to be just feeding and watering the cat or dog. As a pet sitter, you are perfectly positioned to add other services. This can include grooming for the animals you look after, cutting their nails, and brushing their teeth. Then there are services such as dog walking, puppy care and training, pet taxi, home sitting, and even poop scooping. You’ll also learn that there are other species to look after, each requiring their own expertise.

Jeff Grognet

Jeff Grognet has been a companion animal veterinarian for 25 years. He was a pioneer in the field of veterinary assistant teaching, developing his first course almost 20 years ago. The overwhelming success of his veterinary receptionist/assistant ... Read more

Read Jeff Grognet's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.

If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.

What people are saying about our courses

This was my first time taking a course online. I truly recommend anyone who is interested in doing this please go for it. This course was very helpful and gave me much motivation to move forward with my pet sitting business. The instructor, Jeff, was very helpful with any questions, comments and concerns that were presented.

Verified Student

I feel much more confident and prepared for my new career in pet sitting
after taking this course. Topics that never entered my mind were addressed
and will help me become successful. I already registered my new company
name, have my first potential new customer. I am working on joining
an association and obtaining insurance. Best of all, I will be following my
heart and working with animals. Thank you very much, Dr. Jeff!

Verified Student

I really enjoyed this course and plan to use this information to begin a pet sitting business. I liked the way the course was organized, starting with the care of pets and then dealing with the business end last. If the order was reversed, I might have felt overwhelmed! The reading supplement will provide more opportunities to focus on areas of interest. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of information and the eloquence of the presentation! Thank you for a great experience.

Verified Student

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The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Start your Own Pet Sitting Business you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

Ready to get started?

Enrol Now

Our Values

Learn At Your Own Pace

We believe in personalised learning. That's why we provide all the tools and support you need to succeed at your own pace. With flexible learning, you'll stay motivated and retain more information. Plus, you can balance your studies with work and family commitments to make your dreams a reality.

We Won't Break The Bank

Education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. That's why we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with payments plans for just $25 per week. Investing in your future is a smart choice and doesn’t have to break the bank.

Industry-Led Courses

There's no better way to learn than from experts with years of experience in your field. That's why each of our 200+ industry-led courses are designed to give you a real-life perspective on your industry. With our expert mentors, you'll learn from people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and who are passionate about sharing it with you.

Get The Personal Support You Deserve

At Vibe Learning, we're real people who are dedicated to providing you with personal support every step of the way. Our industry experts are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about sharing their expertise with you. With their guidance, you'll gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge to help you succeed.

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Start your Own Pet Sitting Business

$599

$389AUD

Save 35%

Healthy, Successful, Weightloss

Now Only

$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
3727 Students

Discover how to establish a healthy approach to successful weight loss and weight maintenance for a lifetime.

Do you want to lose weight and keep it off? Now you can! In this comprehensive course, you'll discover how to establish a healthy approach to weight loss and weight maintenance. You'll master how to set and achieve weight-loss and weight-maintenance goals that make sense for you.

Naturally, we'll begin with a discussion of the role of food in weight loss and weight maintenance. But we'll talk about far more than calories. From understanding food composition, portion sizes, and preparation methods, to meal composition and meal timing, you'll learn food basics—and beyond! You'll discover how to eat out without jeopardising your weight loss or disappointing your taste buds. We'll also discuss the basics of planning and preparing meals at home, and uncover tips and tricks for navigating the social elements of eating.

You may already appreciate that exercise is part of successful weight loss and weight maintenance. You may even know the differences between cardiorespiratory exercise, strength training, and lifestyle activity. We'll review these terms, and more important, discuss how to find exercise and activity that's enjoyable and helps you meet your weight-loss and weight-maintenance goals. You'll also discover how to take exercise to the next level and uncover thought patterns that negatively affect exercise and activity. Then we'll identify ways to overcome the challenges to regular exercise and activity.

We'll determine the role of hydration in weight loss and explore how to overcome obstacles to good hydration. You'll see how your thoughts affect your weight and evaluate the role of body image, emotional eating, and more in your own life. We'll examine how important sleep is in weight loss, and you'll learn how to get better sleep and cope effectively with sleeplessness.

We'll also probe the effects of stress on the body relative to weight and how to apply stress management techniques for weight loss and weight maintenance. You'll determine how other factors that affect weight, like genetics, pregnancy, menopause, aging, and cravings may be affecting your weight loss efforts—and learn practical strategies you can use to minimise their effects.

And since you don't want to lose weight only to gain it back again, we'll determine the differences between weight loss and weight maintenance, and see how to master the obstacles to weight maintenance. By the end of this course, you'll know how to set appropriate and effective goals for eating, exercise, and many other elements that affect your weight. You'll have the skills you need to lose weight and keep it off for a lifetime!

You guessed it! This course is going to help you lose weight and keep it off by teaching you healthy, proven techniques for weight loss that you can personalize and begin using immediately. In this first lesson, you'll take a crucial step toward your weight-loss goals by keeping a record of what you eat and drink. We'll explore how easy it is to weigh and measure your food in order to track calories and portion size. You'll also learn to distinguish between low-fat and high-fat food preparation methods (a great skill to have when you're eating out). And you'll discover how to use your hands to guesstimate and manage portion sizes when you just don't have the option to weigh and measure your food.

You've established a food record to help you keep tabs on what you're eating and drinking. Now it's time to figure out how what you eat relates to your body. Today you'll discover how body type relates to health and weight management, and you'll use interactive tools to calculate your body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and personal daily calorie estimation. With all of this information in hand, you'll be ready to develop your own SMART goals for weight loss and weight maintenance—goals that are sensible, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-oriented.

Now that you've learned how to develop SMART goals, it's time to delve into the finer details of food composition, meal planning, and meal timing. In this lesson, you'll find out what's in the food you're eating and how to use that information to plan meals and snacks that support your weight-loss goals. You'll also learn how to time meals so that you're less hungry between meals—and have more energy!

Time to get motivated to move! Today you'll learn the differences between cardiorespiratory exercise, strength training, and lifestyle activity. You'll also find out why and how much of each type of exercise supports weight management. We'll talk about easy ways to make exercise work when you don't have a lot of extra time, and we'll explore the common (but frustrating!) obstacles to exercise. By the end of the lesson, you'll be developing your own SMART exercise goals.

Water plays a role in countless body functions, including weight loss. Increasing water intake can be an inexpensive, easy way to maximize fat metabolism, slow digestion, and discourage your appetite! In this lesson, we'll discuss the role of water in weight management. You'll learn how much water is enough, and discover how to determine how much water you lose during exercise. You'll also uncover tips and tricks for overcoming obstacles to good hydration.

Stress has a variety of negative effects on weight management. The hormones your body releases when you feel stressed wreak havoc on your appetite, encourage the storage of abdominal fat, and ramp up the formation of fat. Today we'll unravel the influences of stress on weight, and you'll discover how to use stress management techniques to minimize or even eliminate the effects of stress. Because eating to self-nurture is a challenge for many people, we'll spend some time examining the connection between food and love, and we'll talk about how to self-nurture without sacrificing your weight-management goals.

Are your thoughts getting in the way of reaching your SMART goals? In this lesson, you'll discover how emotional eating and the way you think about your body affect your ability to follow through on healthy choices. We'll talk about 10 cognitive traps to watch out for, and you'll learn 10 cognitive tools you can use to overcome unhelpful thought patterns. As you discover more about motives, you'll see how you can put them to work to reach your weight-management goals.

A good night's sleep is a crucial part of your successful weight-management plan. Today you'll learn how sleep deprivation interferes with metabolism, encourages cravings, and increases your appetite. We'll problem-solve for ways to get more sleep, and we'll discuss how you can stay on track with your SMART goals even when you haven't had enough rest.

Eating out can make maintaining or losing weight so much more challenging. But, actually, with preparation and some strategies for making healthy food choices, you'll find that eating out doesn't have to wreak havoc with your SMART goals. In this lesson, you'll begin by learning how to stick with your SMART goals when you're eating out. After that, we'll explore how to make preparing food at home easy, quick, and healthy for you and your family. Then, we'll wrap things up by discussing techniques you can use to keep your SMART goals in focus, even in social situations.

Whether you're an exercise newbie or a seasoned athlete, you need to change up your exercise routine from time to time. In this lesson, you'll discover how and why to do just that! You'll see how FITT principles, cross-training, exercise lite, and other techniques can help you develop and improve your workouts. Because your thoughts affect your actions and feelings, too, you'll learn how to become your own cheerleader in ways that make exercise easier, more effective, and fun.

Do you suspect your genes are making it hard for you to lose weight? Have you noticed changes in your body as you've gotten older, had a baby, or entered perimenopause? In this lesson, you'll learn how genetics and life changes can affect weight management, and you'll discover how to successfully manage your weight during these life stages. You'll also discover when and how to satisfy food cravings without abandoning your SMART weight-management goals—and when and how to enjoy the high-calorie foods you really love!

In this lesson, we'll discuss methods for determining your personal ideal weight, and we'll explore how to shift from weight loss to weight maintenance once you've achieved it. Maintaining weight can be a lot easier than losing it if you get into the maintenance mindset, so we'll talk about the importance of using self-monitoring and self-motivation tools to stay aware and enthusiastic about the choices you're making that influence your weight. You'll learn how to put your assertive communication tools to work in the social situations you're likely to encounter, and you'll discover how seeing things differently once you're in the maintenance mindset can make it easier to stick with your SMART weight-management goals. And because scientific research is constantly changing, you'll learn the basics of evaluating research. When the next diet craze hits, you'll be able to determine if it's right for you. By the end of this lesson—and this course—you'll have the know-how to help you enjoy weight loss for a lifetime.

Donna Acosta

Donna Acosta, RD, is a registered dietitian and nutrition educator. Her clinical expertise is in weight management, diabetes nutrition care, and cardiac rehabilitation management. Donna also has many years' experience teaching cooking classes, whi... Read more

Read Donna Acosta's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

What people are saying about our courses

“I’ve tried many diets throughout the years but have never received guidance from a registered dietician. Donna’s class covers all aspects of weight loss and weight maintenance and contains practical tools to assist students in reaching goals. Donna is a motivating, caring instructor and I thoroughly enjoyed the course!”

Verified Student

“I loved this course! Not only was Donna informed but she was sincere. She always answered our questions and gave suggestions. She was kind in her words and extremely supportive. I would recommend this course without a doubt.”

Verified Student

“I have been a dieter for about 15 years or so and thought that I knew all there was to know about every diet and weight loss plan there was…In this course, I learned more and more!! Totally enjoyed this class!”

Verified Student

See More Reviews

The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Healthy, Successful, Weightloss you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

Ready to get started?

Enrol Now