Dog sitter vs animal daycare provider

The differences between dog sitters and animal daycare providers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a dog sitter and an animal daycare provider. Additionally, an animal daycare provider has an average salary of $30,390, which is higher than the $25,532 average annual salary of a dog sitter.

The top three skills for a dog sitter include PET, customer service and dog care. The most important skills for an animal daycare provider are child care, nutritional meals, and CPR.

Dog sitter vs animal daycare provider overview

	Dog Sitter	Animal Daycare Provider
Yearly salary	$25,532	$30,390
Hourly rate	$12.28	$14.61
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	67,682	42,565
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

What does a dog sitter do?

A dog sitter is primarily responsible for taking care of dogs while their owners are away. Their tasks include feeding dogs, taking them to walks or daycares, bathing or cleaning their ears, and providing owners with regular updates. Most dog sitters typically meet with clients beforehand to learn about the dogs and their needs, as some of them may require medicine or particular care. Should there be any problems, a dog sitter must report to the owners right away.

What does an animal daycare provider do?

An animal daycare provider is an individual who deals with animals and provides care to animals whose owners are temporarily unavailable. Animal daycare providers must assist and facilitate activities based on the curriculum set out by the animal daycare facility. They are required to have walks with the animals they are taking care of and should help in cleaning their cages or sleeping area. Animal daycare providers must also ensure that the animals they monitor have adequate food and water.

Dog sitter vs animal daycare provider salary

Dog sitters and animal daycare providers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Dog Sitter	Animal Daycare Provider
Average salary	$25,532	$30,390
Salary range	Between $10,000 And $64,000	Between $19,000 And $46,000
Highest paying City	Warwick, RI	-
Highest paying state	Connecticut	-
Best paying company	CARE	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between dog sitter and animal daycare provider education

There are a few differences between a dog sitter and an animal daycare provider in terms of educational background:

	Dog Sitter	Animal Daycare Provider
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	Texas A&M University - Commerce	University of Pennsylvania

Dog sitter vs animal daycare provider demographics

Here are the differences between dog sitters' and animal daycare providers' demographics:

	Dog Sitter	Animal Daycare Provider
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0%	Male, 6.2% Female, 93.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 2.9% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between dog sitter and animal daycare provider duties and responsibilities

Dog sitter example responsibilities.

Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.
Groom, trim, and clip animals' coats.
Provide smaller services such as cleaning ears, clipping nails, and small scissoring around eyes and paws.
Bath a variety of dog breeds, and provide basic grooming sanitary needs such as clipping nails and cleaning ears.
Maintain professional relationship with pet owners and communicate through email and phone regarding daily pet behavior.
Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.

Animal daycare provider example responsibilities.

Assist children in learning numbers, ABC's and colors.
Teach children basic daily living skills such as washing hands, toileting, ABC's and numbers.
Maintain all safety and health standards as well as ensured up to date training including CPR and first aid.
Administer learning materials, provide one-on-on tutoring and supervise kids during time of play.
Maintain nutritional guidelines consistent with USDA guidelines

Dog sitter vs animal daycare provider skills

Common dog sitter skills

PET, 66%
Customer Service, 20%
Dog Care, 10%
Fresh Water, 1%
Clients Homes, 0%
Child Care, 0%

Common animal daycare provider skills

Child Care, 72%
Nutritional Meals, 13%
CPR, 5%
Social Development, 2%
Quality Care, 1%
Developmental Problems, 1%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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