Top 20 Largest Dog Breeds

The Best Housesitting And Pet-sitting Services For Homeowners And Prospective Sitters

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

No vacation is fully booked if you haven't accounted for your home and pets while away. From a broken freezer of spoiled food to a withered vegetable garden, house sitters can prevent disaster from striking while you kick back and relax. The hard part is finding the right one for you — which is where the best house-sitting services come in handy.

House-sitting and pet-sitting platforms connect homeowners with potential caregivers. They're an excellent place for homeowners to meet experienced sitters and vice versa, but that's not all. Many avid travelers are joining the workforce for free boarding in certain destinations — that's why house-sitting has become a common budget travel hack for traveling without the cost of accommodations.

While house-sitters can grant you the peace of mind you need for a truly restful vacation, inviting a stranger you meet online into your home can be very stressful. Using a trusted service can negate some (though not all) of that risk. We poured through the reviews to find the most trusted house-sitting and pet-sitting jobs and services by frequent travelers and caregivers.

The best for free house- and pet-sitting Trustedhousesitters provides options for you, whether you own pets or not. Hillary Grigonis TrustedHousesitters House- and Pet-sitting

Designed with the budget-minded traveler in mind, TrustedHousesitters connects homeowners with travelers who will house- or pet-sit in exchange for a free place to board. Though it has its caveats, it's gained popularity for facilitating a service trade on a safe, regulated platform.

Rather than the traditional paid view of house- and pet-sitting, Trustedhousesitters views the service as an even exchange: watching someone's house and pets in exchange for a free place to stay. That view has garnered the platform a lot of worldwide traffic as a way to travel without paying for a hotel. TrustedHousesitters' global popularity means home and pet owners have a lot of caregivers to choose from. One of the biggest complaints found on the web is for cancellations throwing travel plans awry, but premium members can receive up to $150 per day to cover alternative accommodations or alternative pet-sitting. Both pet parents and sitters are required to pay an annual membership fee.

The best for caregivers of every type Care.Com may not be your first thought when it comes to housesitters, but it's a great platform with a vast user base. Hillary Grigonis Care.Com House and Pet Care

While it's known for being a childcare hub, Care.Com is also a great platform for finding house and pet sitters for your next trip. Caregivers hosted on the site undergo background checks, and the network is easy to use.

While Care.Com is arguably best known for finding childcare, the platform stretches across multiple categories, including house- and pet-sitting. Care.Com's large platform means those looking for care have a wealth of different background-checked caregivers to choose from, allowing home and pet owners more options to find the right sitter. With both web and mobile apps, reviewers also rave about how easy the network is to use. For caregivers, joining requires creating a profile and passing a background check.

The most trusted pet-sitting app Rover is a trusted name amongst pet owners. Hillary Grigonis Rover Pet-sitting and Dog Walking

Rover is a one-stop-shop for everything pet care. It connects pet owners with experienced sitters and walkers who have undergone a background check.

As a large platform connecting pet owners with caregivers, Rover has a large database of pet-lovers available for boarding, house-sitting, pet-sitting, doggy daycare, drop-ins, and dog walking gigs. Unlike some platforms, Rover allows pet owners to choose the caregiver rather than working with a large company that may send a different employee every time. While all care providers must pass a background check, pet owners can narrow down their search using reviews and schedule an in-person meeting ahead of time. After the initial search, the app can handle payments and even deliver photos of your pet while you are away. For pet sitters, Rover's ability to set your own rates after passing the background check and safety quiz is a major perk.

The best for pet-sitting businesses near you Pet Sitters International is a different type of platform, but a useful one for pet owners looking for resources. Hillary Grigonis Pet Sitters International Pet Sitting Certification

Rather than a service platform, Pet Sitters International is a search engine pet owners and certification source for aspirational sitters. If you'd rather find a small business for your pet-sitting needs, this is a great place to get started.

Pet Sitters International isn't a service platform like Rover or Care.Com. Instead, it's an organization that offers training and certification for pet sitters. For pet owners, the organization offers an online database of registered pet sitters. Pet parents can use this tool to find a small business in their area offering pet care. The tool highlights which certifications and training the pet sitter has received, along with details like insurance and types of animals they care for. This search tool can be a big help for pet parents who would prefer to go with a small business with specialized training. Pet care businesses can join by paying a membership fee to access the classes and resources.

The best for cat owners Meowtel offers catsitting from experienced sitters who specialize in cats. Hillary Grigonis Meowtel Cat-sitting

This feline-only cat-sitting platform has thousands of rave reviews from cat lovers. Not only is Meowtel super picky about its sitters, but they are also all insured.

While Meowtel is for cats only, the feline pet-sitting platform has an overwhelming percentage of positive reviews. Because Meowtel caters specifically to cats, the service is designed around these critters, including feeding, litter change, and playtime. All sitters on the platform are insured and pet parents can schedule a meet ahead of time before choosing a pet sitter. Reviewers also say that Meowtel's customer service is quick to respond. The platform only approves around 10% of the pet sitters that apply, but those who make it through the selection process receive complimentary insurance and are able to set their own rates.

What is house sitting?

House-sitters care for your home while you are away. Often, they stay overnight, but in some scenarios, they may simply visit your property regularly — it just depends on your preference. House-sitters keep up with essential tasks like watering plants and checking mailboxes. They often take care of both the home and pets, allowing the pet to stay in a known, comfortable environment rather than boarding at an unfamiliar location.

Are house-sitters safe?

Hiring a house-sitter or pet sitter means trusting this person with your home and your pets. Even when using a large, reputable platform, you must exercise caution when selecting a sitter.

How do you find a safe sitter? Whenever possible, hire someone you know and trust. If that's not an option, use a reputable platform that requires a background check. Look for a sitter with insurance, training, and positive reviews. Interview potential candidates thoroughly, ideally in person or over a video call, and ask for references. Once you have selected a house-sitter, be specific about your home's needs while away.

What are house-sitter requirements?

House-sitting requirements vary based on the platform and the homeowner. At a minimum, you should be prepared to pass a background check. Some platforms require further training, such as passing a safety test. New house-sitters can also expect a challenging first gig since many homeowners are cautious about hiring someone without a positive review or reference. Once hired, homeowners will clarify their exact expectations.

Golden Retriever Loves Sitting Next To Strangers, To Pretend He's Their Dog

A video of a golden retriever with a soft spot for strangers has gone viral on TikTok.

The endearing clip was shared by @joey_how_u_doinn, the TikTok account of a golden retriever, and has amassed over 310,000 views since it was posted on September 24. A message overlaid on the video reads: "My dog's favorite thing is sitting next to strangers and pretending he is their dog."

The clip shows the golden retriever perched next to different people in various settings, from tables to steps, receiving hand strokes and chin scratches. A caption shared with the post simply reads: "Aren't you jelly [jealous] Mom?"

More From Newsweek Vault: The Top Rewards Credit Cards for Pet Owners

The golden retriever's love for strangers comes as no surprise as the breed is known to be "outgoing, trustworthy, and eager-to-please" and "take a joyous and playful approach to life," per the American Kennel Club, the world's largest purebred dog registry.

Stanley Coren is a professor emeritus in the department of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Canada and the author of several books about dogs. In a February 2013 article for Psychology Today, Coren said that "although dogs are happiest when they are in a social situation, the species that they are interacting with is less important than the quality of the interactions."

Coren added, "dogs that have been properly socialized will congenially approach virtually anything that is alive, regardless of its species, and, unless they receive hostile signals, they will attempt to establish a good-natured relationship."

More From Newsweek Vault: Pet Insurance 101: How Much Does It Cost and Is It Worth the Price?

TikTok users were delighted by the golden retriever's antics in the viral post.

More From Newsweek Vault: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review

Jessie said, "That is so fricking cute, he looks so happy," and user Don't follow me, I'm lost wrote: "He's a green flag."

"MY DREAM, he would get sooo many cuddles," posted fi and gangsta_mermaid commented: "It would be an honor to have that handsome guy come and sit with me."

MarylouM noted: "he understands that his assignment in life is to bring joy to many."

CoconutMom915 wrote: "Spreadin the love, good boy."

"Goldens are always making new friends," commented user5838769848984.

"He's just showing you that he got other options so you better treat him right," posted user12345678901234557890.

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

A golden retriever sits on a pier next to a family. A video of a similar dog that loves sitting next to strangers and pretending he is their pet has gone viral on TikTok. A golden retriever sits on a pier next to a family. A video of a similar dog that loves sitting next to strangers and pretending he is their pet has gone viral on TikTok. IStock / Getty Images Plus

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.Com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

'Rover' App Dog Sitter Loses French Bulldog 'Mushie'

LOS ANGELES - Since the day a dog sitter from the Rover app lost their beloved French Bulldog, Mushie, Chris Casey and Gabriella Sidhu have been posting paper flyers with Mushie's photo, asking people to keep an eye out for their beloved dog. "She is a very, very sweet dog, black, big ears, full-grown Frenchie," says Gabriella.

On Tuesday, September 17, Gabriella and Chris dropped off Mushie with a sitter from Rover in North Hollywood. Fourteen minutes later, they received a panicked call.

"She told me that she turned around for a second, and she (Mushie) was off the gate," says Gabriella.

Mushie was spotted roaming the streets of North Hollywood and later in Toluca Lake. When the couple filed a complaint with Rover, they claimed the pet-sitting company offered little assistance.

"They said they weren't going to hire people to come out or get volunteers to come out. It's a matter of us getting ourselves out there, getting the word out, her name out there, her photo," Chris said.

Rover issued the following statement:

"Our hearts go out to Mushie's family, and we join them in hoping for a swift and healthy reunion.

To support the search efforts, we have offered a significant reward for information leading to reuniting Mushie with her family, posted on online pet-finding websites that send alerts directly to local shelters and veterinarians, and reached out to members of our sitter community in the area. The reward and posts will remain active, and our team is ready to assist if anyone has information that helps bring Mushie home.

We have removed the sitter's profile from our platform. The well-being of all members of our community is a top priority for Rover. In the rare event that a safety issue occurs during a booking, our 24/7 Trust and Safety team will conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate action.For additional context, pet parents in the Los Angeles area have made over 1.4 million bookings through Rover, and 98% of reviewed stays have received five stars."

Regarding the statement, Chris says, "A flyer is great; offering a reward is great. But ultimately, who's out there searching? Us. There's no manpower behind it." The couple has been sleeping in their car, refusing to leave the area where Mushie went missing. Gabriella explains, "We've not gone to work, we've not gone home, and it's not a complaint; it's a sacrifice that we'll make for our baby, and we'll keep making it."

If you see Mushie, call 760-960-9272, no questions asked.

---