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Kennel attendant vs dog sitter

The differences between kennel attendants and dog sitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a kennel attendant and a dog sitter. Additionally, a kennel attendant has an average salary of $26,373, which is higher than the $25,532 average annual salary of a dog sitter.

The top three skills for a kennel attendant include PET, animal handling and facility laundry. The most important skills for a dog sitter are PET, customer service, and dog care.

Kennel attendant vs dog sitter overview

Kennel AttendantDog Sitter
Yearly salary$26,373$25,532
Hourly rate$12.68$12.28
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs72,23967,682
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age3232
Years of experience33

What does a kennel attendant do?

A kennel attendant is responsible for the daily care of boarded dogs and kennel maintenance. Some of the duties that you will perform will include cleaning cages, scheduling boarding appointments, and monitoring the behavior of these dogs. In addition, it is your responsibility to clean spilled food and animal waste and to dispose of trash on time. Other duties include walking animals if required, ensuring that the animals are always comfortable, and evacuating them when an emergency arises.

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.

Kennel attendant vs dog sitter salary

Kennel attendants and dog sitters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Kennel AttendantDog Sitter
Average salary$26,373$25,532
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $34,000Between $10,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City-Warwick, RI
Highest paying state-Connecticut
Best paying company-CARE
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between kennel attendant and dog sitter education

There are a few differences between a kennel attendant and a dog sitter in terms of educational background:

Kennel AttendantDog Sitter
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorMedical Assisting ServicesPsychology
Most common collegeVermont Technical CollegeTexas A&M University - Commerce

Kennel attendant vs dog sitter demographics

Here are the differences between kennel attendants' and dog sitters' demographics:

Kennel AttendantDog Sitter
Average age3232
Gender ratioMale, 20.8% Female, 79.2%Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%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%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between kennel attendant and dog sitter duties and responsibilities

Kennel attendant example responsibilities.

  • Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
  • Train to give dogs baths, brushing out coats, scissoring, and toenails.
  • Perform animal grooming duties such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, etc.
  • Experience in the use of specialize equipment such as cage washers, autoclaves and animal transport vehicles.
  • Assist owner in preforming body clips and bathing/drying dogs and cats, preform all grooming tasks including clipper skills except scissoring.
  • Operate cage/bottle washers, autoclaves and bedding dispensing/disposal equipment.
  • Show more

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.

Kennel attendant vs dog sitter skills

Common kennel attendant skills
  • PET, 39%
  • Animal Handling, 10%
  • Facility Laundry, 8%
  • Animal Hospital, 5%
  • Animal Restraint, 4%
  • Administer Medications, 4%
Common dog sitter skills
  • PET, 66%
  • Customer Service, 20%
  • Dog Care, 10%
  • Fresh Water, 1%
  • Clients Homes, 0%
  • Child Care, 0%

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