How much would you pay for a neighbor kid to dog sit?

[battlemaiden]

My son watched our neighbor's dog this weekend. He fed, watered, and walked three to four times each day.

 

I would do it for free, but my son is trying to get "paying work" and my neighbor is being sweet to encourage his entrepenuerial (I think I mangled that word) spirit.

 

He is 10yo. She paid him $20, which I said was too much and he would have to return some it, but I really don't know what the going rate is.

 

Can I get some suggestions? Thanks so much.

[SonshineLearner]

I have to pay $18 to take my dog somewhere where they walk him once a day for $5 extra (for walking/playing with him 25 minutes) and I have to give him an extra vaccine, which I hate to do. SO, I'm taking it that they've paid boarding and are happy to get 2 days for only $20, in their own house!

 

Carrie:-)

Edited October 20, 2008 by NayfiesMama
I didn't spell a word correctly:-)

[Jean in Newcastle]

If he walked the dog 3 or 4 times a day, I'd say that $20 is a steal for your neighbor. My dc cat-sit my neighbor's cat and pays them $10 for the week but that is food, water and litter-box cleaning. It is not walking them (I'm assuming that the walking is at least around the block and includes pooper-scooping if necessary?). My other neighbor boards dogs for a living and charges $50 a day per dog (and that rate is on the cheaper side of what is available).

[Herding Cats in NC]

I have to pay $18 to take my dog somewhere where they walk him once a day for $5 extra (for walking/playing with him 25 minutes) and I have to give him an extra vaccine, which I hate to do. SO, I'm taking it that they've paid boarding and are happy to get 2 days for only $20, in their own house!

 

Carrie:-)

 

 

:iagree: Let your ds keep all the money - he earned it & saved your neighbor money at the same time.

[Starr]

I paid the neighbor girl $20.00 and bought her Mom who did the driving a large bag of chocolates for a week of cat sitting. I want her to say yes the next time I need her!

[Danestress]

I'm thinking that "weekend" means part of Friday and Sunday, all of Saturday. So that's at least 5 or 6 visits, right? Including walks and play time?

 

I'd consider that a steal if I were your neighbor! And I think it's a great compliment to your son that she trusted him.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

I paid the neighbor boys $20 for 2.5 days of dogsitting, and all they had to do was feed her, make sure her water dish was full, and let her out in the morning/in in the evening. $20 is a nice, round figure...plus there were two of them so I thought they could easily split it. Boarding the dog would have been $30/day.

I also liked that the boys were over at the house, anybody who thought we were out of town would have seen the dog in sometimes, out others. And all my mail was on the kitchen table.

[gardening momma]

I don't know how good of a comparison this is, but I used to housesit for a family. They had 3 dogs and 2 cats. I stayed at their house while they were gone, and I replenished food & water and cleaned litter boxes. I didn't have to walk the dogs, as it was out in the country & they had a dog door (might have been a dog walk out there, can't remember). This was about 10+ years ago. They paid me $10 a day. And I got to eat their food & watch premium tv channels. It was a good job. :001_smile:

[Kris]

My son watched our neighbor's dog this weekend. He fed, watered, and walked three to four times each day.

 

I would do it for free, but my son is trying to get "paying work" and my neighbor is being sweet to encourage his entrepenuerial (I think I mangled that word) spirit.

 

He is 10yo. She paid him $20, which I said was too much and he would have to return some it, but I really don't know what the going rate is.

 

Can I get some suggestions? Thanks so much.

 

I haven't read the other responses.

 

Our neighbors used to pay my son about $10 a day to dog-sit. The first time they did this, they were gone for almost a week and when he came home with $50 I told him that was too much and he had to go take it back! :lol:

 

He said he had already told them it was too much, and they insisted. Okay then! :)

[lynn]

Sounds like your son did a great job and they neighbors really appreciated it. So paying ds what they felt the job was worth is what he should be paid.

[Crissy]

Your neighbor got a bargin, and your son was a responsible, helpful boy.

Let him keep the money, mom. :)

[Chris in VA]

Another vote for letting him keep the money (guilt-free).

 

I am currently trying to get a dog walking job. 5 days a week, 11:30-4:30, 8 20- minute walks a day. $1600 a month.

 

Makes $20 for all your son did sound like a bargain, doesn't it?

[Tracey in TX]

I pay $100 for a week to keep our dog at a friend's house. It's easier for them than having child come to our home. $10/day is reasonable.

[Carrie12345]

We pay $40/day for our two beasts to be kenneled. The owners are family friends, so that is with a discount and the comfort of knowing our dogs are given extra attention while we're gone. We also wind up paying a ton in gas, since they're not local.

 

If my guys were well-behaved (I should say well-trained, huh?) I would *love* the chance to pay a neighbor child $20. And I would probably pay much more than that.

Unfortunately, my guys are about 90lb each and leash pullers. It would have to be a weight-lifting neighbor child.

 

Your ds earned his pay!:001_smile:

[Carrie12345]

I wanted to add-

 

I started babysitting at 12/13. I never set a wage for myself, content to earn whatever my employers saw fit (or could afford.) There were times when my mother was very unhappy about what she felt was overpayment. When I would try to decline some of the money, my employers would get upset. I stopped resisting because it really became uncomfortable. I was a good sitter, and people wanted me to be eager to sit again.

 

The value of a service is hard to base on age. As a parent, looking back, I now understand the incredible value of being able to score a responsible babysitter on New Year's Eve, or one who can come over last minute and stay until 2am. 15 or 24, that's worth a ton!

 

Being able to find someone trustworthy and responsible to pet sit is very valuable, and your neighbors are obviously happy with your son's services.

 

If it's a matter of not being comfortable with a 10-year-old *having $20, I would go ahead and have him put a portion in the bank or do something else with it that isn't frivolous. But he is certainly not taking advantage or being overpaid.

[bettyandbob]

My dd is almost 11 and has been pet sitting for 2 years. She gets $5/visit. So, if she has to go to the house twice a day when the family is away that is $10/day. That is for people who have small caged pets and a cat. It's a lot of work with different meal and supplement regimens and lots of different litter boxes to clean every day.

 

She dog walks $5/30 min walk. This includes picking up after the dog and changing water.

 

She is bringing a lot of money for a 10 yo, but she is extremely attentive the animals' needs. They get loving care from her, not anticeptic service. The neighbors that rely on her appreciate that their pets get that kind of attention. She is cheaper than kenneling and she is cheaper than "professional" dog walkers in my area.

 

I'd let your ds keep the money. I'd emphasize doing a quality job and good work ethic so he makes sure he's worth the money. Your ds might consider taking a pet first aid class to show committment and value to his customers.

[abbeyej]

Your neighbor paid fairly. Let your son keep what he earned! :)

[Scarlett]

Another vote to let him keep it. I pay my neighbor's 10dd $5 a day to feed our dog and check her water. We keep the dog on a stake with long leash (she digs out of our fenced yard) so the neighbor girl also lets her off the leash and plays with her a bit. The girl only has to walk across the street once or twice a day.

 

If I take my dog to the kennel it is a huge hassle and costs $12 per day. I can't pick her up on Sunday at all (oh, they would give me the privilege for extra $20). So if I take her Friday morning and pick her up early Monday morning that is $36....plus I have to lug her crate out to my car and haul her across town. So for less than half the cost the neighbor girl saves me a lot of trouble.

 

Let your boy keep the money.

[momofkhm]

My son watched our neighbor's dog this weekend. He fed, watered, and walked three to four times each day.

 

I would do it for free, but my son is trying to get "paying work" and my neighbor is being sweet to encourage his entrepenuerial (I think I mangled that word) spirit.

 

He is 10yo. She paid him $20, which I said was too much and he would have to return some it, but I really don't know what the going rate is.

 

Can I get some suggestions? Thanks so much.

 

Another vote to let him keep the money. Here it costs me $26 each per day to board the dogs. And that's not the most expensive place around here. If it's a neighbor who only has to walk the street, I'd pay $5-10 a day.