Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Diploma
Pet lovers can have their dream job - getting paid to take care of animals.
The Pet Sitting Diploma Course can teach you how to start up your own business in a very short period of time. For a one-off fee and just 15 hours tuition you will be taught everything there is to know about pet care, from pet psychology, grooming and legalities through to what insurance policies you need and more. The Pet Sitting Diploma is suitable for all animal lovers and business entrepreneurs alike.
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Diploma Course
Anyone who loves animals and wants to start their own successful pet sitting business will benefit from this information packed course. The course will teach you everything you need to know about caring for pets, including the legalities and insurances needed. Provide your clients with complete peace of mind when using your services with this industry recognised certification.
Introduction
This is an online course which has been broken down into twenty three manageable and information packed modules, which should take around fifteen hours to complete. The course covers everything you need to know about setting up and running your own successful pet sitting business. During your online studies, you enjoy the convenience of online support and the ability to study using any device with online modules you can access at any time from anywhere. You get to study at your own pace with no schedules, so you can still work full time while preparing to start your own business on the side and in the future. On successful completion of the course, you will need to complete the multiple-choice test, which questions you on things you will have learned throughout the twenty three modules. On passing, you will gain immediate access to your certificate, which you can then download and print.
What You Will Learn
The manageable twenty three modules are designed to teach you everything you need to know when offering pet sitting services, this includes:
- Get an introduction to pet sitting. This includes health and safety and animal welfare, how to approach any animal and why security is so important.
- Learn about safety for you and the pet. Learn about written health and safety policies and when you need one, how to protect yourself and risks involved when it comes to pet sitting.
- Understand the legal requirements involved along with the five zoonotic diseases, the animal boarding act, health and safety at work and the importance of protecting your clients' information.
- Learn more about dog walking. Learn how to build your pack of dogs and signs of dog aggression along with the different types of dog aggression.
- Understand the importance of a pre-service visit, preparing pet information sheets and the documentation needed.
- Learn the five forms you must include in your client packs, how to comply with the Data Protection Act and storing your clients' information and how to use your client packs to increase your profits.
- Identify with day to day pet sitting, including how long you need to allocate for each dog walk, the order you need to use when taking care of each pet and time to set aside between appointments.
- Learn how to transport animals safely.
- Learn more about effective animal handling. You will learn the three step process to minimise stress in animals and when you should and shouldn't approach an animal.
- Learn more about dogs and cats from the different breeds to nutritional requirements.
- Get an understanding of fish. This includes the three groups and breeds. It will teach you the different water temperature requirements, how often water needs to be changed and how to test the water for nitrates.
- Understand how to care for rodents from cage cleaning frequency to breeds and types that you may be asked to care for.
- Learn how to care for rabbits and guinea pigs from their nutritional needs to behavioural traits and more.
- Learn everything you need to know about reptiles including feeding requirements, temperature requirements and behavioural traits.
- Get an understanding on various pet ailments and how to care for them.
- Learn essential pet first aid that you may have to use when offering your services.
- Get valuable information on setting up and running your own successful pet sitting business.
- Learn how to market your business effectively to reach the right target audience.
- Identify pricing and costs.
- Take advantage of the useful troubleshooting section to provide you with guidance and advice for your pet sitting business.
Benefits of the Course
This effective training course provides you with a number of benefits, these include:
- You can use the diploma to improve your career prospects.
- You will be given the information and insight you need to start your own business.
- The course is broken down into manageable modules.
- You study online from anywhere using any device.
- You can study at your own pace with no deadlines to meet.
- Receive online support throughout your studies.
- Industry recognised certificate you can download, print and include in your client information packs.
This course includes
24/7 Student Support
End of course certification
Lifetime access to your course
Compatible with modern devices
- What pet sitting involves
- Health, safety and animal welfare
- The importance of security
- The safest way to approach any animal
- When you need a written health and safety policy in compliance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- How to protect yourself when you're on the job
- The risks involved in pet sitting and dog walking
- How to protect yourself from some serious health concerns you can be affected by through animal contact
- The five Types of Zoonotic Diseases to be on the lookout for
- About the Animal Boarding Act and when you will need to have a licence
- Your legal obligation to protect client information
- About Health and Safety at Work
- Who your true target audience is for your dog walking service
- How to build your pack of dogs
- How to recognise the signs of dog aggression
- The different types of dog aggression
- The purpose of the pre service visit
- How to prepare your pet information sheet
- About creating the right impression
- The documentation required
- The five forms to include in your client information pack
- How to use a client information pack to increase your profits
- How to store client information in compliance with the Data Protection Act
- An example statement to include on your veterinary release form to minimise your vet expenses (may be compulsory for your business insurance policy)
- The time you need to allocate for each dog walk
- The length of time you should leave between appointments
- The order in which to take care of each of the pets you are responsible for
- Insurance vulnerabilities when you include additional services for clients when they are on holiday
- The importance of securing animals during transport
- The safest transportation methods for dogs and cats
- Proper usage of crates for smaller animals
- The danger of cold temperatures to reptiles and how to aid their survival when necessary
- Why tight grasps negatively affect animal behaviour
- When you should and shouldn't handle animals
- A 3-step approach to minimising stress in animals
- Animal handling precautions that gets the animal to come to you rather than you cornering the animal
- The different breeds of dogs and cats
- Nourishment guidelines for feeding dogs and cats
- Precautions with vitamin supplements
- The different types of exercise to stimulate each pet in your care
- The three groups of fish and examples of breeds within each group
- The temperatures to maintain for each type of fish
- The frequency to test water for nitrates
- The frequency of cleaning the water in fish tanks and aquariums
- The best type of habitat to house rodents safely
- How often their cages need to be cleaned
- The safest type of bedding to provide
- The different breeds and types of rodents
- The different breeds of rabbits and guinea pigs
- How to care for young and elderly rabbits and guinea pigs
- The nutrition requirements
- About their behavioural traits
- Why you need to know about reptiles, lizards, snakes and turtles
- Dietary requirements and feeding guidelines
- The temperatures each type of reptile requires
- The behavioural traits of reptiles
- How to approach birds for your first time with them
- The different types of birds you could be caring for
- The best types of bird cages that allow birds to exercise
- What you need to do when letting birds out of their cage
- What viruses pets need to be vaccinated against
- How to care for diabetic pets
- The symptoms of common illnesses and why you need to be aware still of Distemper
- The age kittens and pups should get their primary course of vaccinations
- The essentials to have in your animal first aid kit
- How to stop bleeding from a minor cut
- The risks of choking and how to treat a choking animal
- What to do if a dog suffers from heat stroke
- The length of time it could take for your business to receive its first payment
- When you need to register your business for VAT
- How long you need to keep financial records for
- How to manage your time efficiently
- About tailoring your services to meet the needs of groups of customers
- How to identify what people are already spending on pet care
- The simplest route to starting your own business
- What will drive a prospect to make the hiring decision and become a paying client
- A variety of ways to market your business effectively
- How to use your brand identity to promote your service
- The social media profiles to help you create your online brand
- How to design your business cards in a way that encourages people to keep hold of your information
- What you need to account for when pricing your services
- Pricing for small animals
- Pricing for dog walks
- Incorporating your business costs into your prices
- The difference between your direct costs and indirect costs
- How to determine your start-up costs
- How to maximise your earnings
- How to determine your cost of customer acquisition
- What to do when your business hits a quiet spell
- About making contingency plans
- How to deal with and reduce cancellations
- About scenarios when you may be best to discontinue services with problematic clients
 ID: YDFT67YHJ
                ID: YDFT67YHJ
            of achievement
This certificate is presented to
Your Name
 
                For completing the
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Diploma
on 21st November 2025
Selena Hurford
Selena Hurford
Course Tutor
 
                Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Head of Academy
 
    Anyone who has an interest in learning more about this subject matter is encouraged to take the course. There are no entry requirements to take the course.
The course is broken down into 23 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although you are free to spend as much or as little time as you feel necessary on each module, simply log in and out of the course at your convenience.
You can study the course any time you like. Simply log in and out of the web based course as often as you require. The course is compatible with all computers, tablet devices and smart phones so you can even study while on the move!
Once you have completed all 23 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 23 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing.
The pass mark for the test is 70%.
If you don’t pass the test first time you will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times you can take the test. All test retakes are included within the price of the course.
You can either use your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Solo cards or PayPal account to pay for the online course. Our site uses the latest SSL encryption to ensure your safety. All payments are handled securely by PayPal.
You can begin the course immediately after your payment has been received. You will create your login details during the checkout process. We will also send you an email confirming your login details.
We estimate that the course will take about 15 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.
Once you have been awarded your certificate it is valid for life. The certificate does not expire or need renewing.
What our students have to say...
I couldn't even put it down once I'd started
 The pet sitting course has been an amazing help to me. I learnt a lot from the course and every module was interesting and full of information.
It's perfect for starting off your own business and even getting you into animal projects and jobs.
I'd recommend to anyone who loves animals and wants to succeed. It covers things I wouldn't even have thought of to be honest. I enjoyed it and finished the full course of twenty three modules within a week because I couldn't even put it down once I'd started reading. The quick tests helped at the end of each module too.
Hannah Dunn - London
The pet sitting course has been an amazing help to me. I learnt a lot from the course and every module was interesting and full of information.
It's perfect for starting off your own business and even getting you into animal projects and jobs.
I'd recommend to anyone who loves animals and wants to succeed. It covers things I wouldn't even have thought of to be honest. I enjoyed it and finished the full course of twenty three modules within a week because I couldn't even put it down once I'd started reading. The quick tests helped at the end of each module too.
Hannah Dunn - London
I look forward to completing many more courses with you shortly
 Fantastic online course. Very informative, easy to follow sessions with a test facility at the end of each session. You can complete this at your own pace any time of day or night, without any pressure and there is even help if you need it with tutors online.
I would highly recommend New Skills Academy to anyone looking to gain a qualification but needs time to complete the course or cannot attend classes. I look forward to completing many more courses with you shortly. A great way of learning new skills, as the name of the company suggests with a recognised qualification.
Thank you New Skills.
Julie Roach – Redditch
Fantastic online course. Very informative, easy to follow sessions with a test facility at the end of each session. You can complete this at your own pace any time of day or night, without any pressure and there is even help if you need it with tutors online.
I would highly recommend New Skills Academy to anyone looking to gain a qualification but needs time to complete the course or cannot attend classes. I look forward to completing many more courses with you shortly. A great way of learning new skills, as the name of the company suggests with a recognised qualification.
Thank you New Skills.
Julie Roach – Redditch
Amazing Service!
 Great Course! Arrived very quickly on the same day I ordered it - Amazing Service! I can't wait to get the certificate at the end so I can show my customers that I have underpinned my knowledge and experience by gaining a qualification that is fully accredited.
It is so important to keep fully up to date with skills and learning since everything is constantly changing i.e. the law, people's requirements and to refresh one's knowledge is paramount in today's challenging job market. We need to be one step in front and a head of our competitors if we are to succeed.
Thank you for helping me achieve this.
Yvonne Watkins, York
Great Course! Arrived very quickly on the same day I ordered it - Amazing Service! I can't wait to get the certificate at the end so I can show my customers that I have underpinned my knowledge and experience by gaining a qualification that is fully accredited.
It is so important to keep fully up to date with skills and learning since everything is constantly changing i.e. the law, people's requirements and to refresh one's knowledge is paramount in today's challenging job market. We need to be one step in front and a head of our competitors if we are to succeed.
Thank you for helping me achieve this.
Yvonne Watkins, York
All I can say is I certainly had nothing to worry about!
 I've been out of the educational loop for the past five years now and was a little worried about starting a new course. All I can say is I certainly had nothing to worry about!
Everything was set out so clearly for me to read and it was one of the most informative courses I've ever taken. I've soaked everything in like a sponge! You can't beat knowing you've got all the information sat waiting for you whenever you need a quick recap.
Thank you New Skills Academy, my future can now begin thanks to you! I can't wait to get started!
Kirsty Brookes, Manchester
I've been out of the educational loop for the past five years now and was a little worried about starting a new course. All I can say is I certainly had nothing to worry about!
Everything was set out so clearly for me to read and it was one of the most informative courses I've ever taken. I've soaked everything in like a sponge! You can't beat knowing you've got all the information sat waiting for you whenever you need a quick recap.
Thank you New Skills Academy, my future can now begin thanks to you! I can't wait to get started!
Kirsty Brookes, Manchester
Easy and clear to understand
 My course was the Pet Sitting and Dog Walking course. It is quite an interesting course! It was perfect to learn, and this what I was looking for.
Easy and clear to understand with many helpful pictures, very helpful extra information, very informative. I really enjoyed studying this course. For me it was fun :) I studied when I have had time, which is great for me in addition to my current job.
I hope I can start soon my new career with my newly learned skills. I am so excited. Fully accredited course which is important for me. I will definitely recommend New Skills Academy!
Tamas Fekete - Birmingham
My course was the Pet Sitting and Dog Walking course. It is quite an interesting course! It was perfect to learn, and this what I was looking for.
Easy and clear to understand with many helpful pictures, very helpful extra information, very informative. I really enjoyed studying this course. For me it was fun :) I studied when I have had time, which is great for me in addition to my current job.
I hope I can start soon my new career with my newly learned skills. I am so excited. Fully accredited course which is important for me. I will definitely recommend New Skills Academy!
Tamas Fekete - Birmingham
I would recommend learning with New Skills Academy to anyone
 There are some fantastic courses on offer and they are set out in a simple, easy step by step way to help with home learning. I like how they are set out in small modules with a quiz at the end. It made it easier for me to take on board what I was being taught.
When I needed to contact someone about the course, they responded quickly to my emails and helped me solve my issues. I like that there is no time scale on completing the course so that I can pick up where I left off after a break from learning.
I would recommend learning with New Skills Academy to anyone wanting to improve their skills.
Katherine Andrew - Stockton-on-Tees
There are some fantastic courses on offer and they are set out in a simple, easy step by step way to help with home learning. I like how they are set out in small modules with a quiz at the end. It made it easier for me to take on board what I was being taught.
When I needed to contact someone about the course, they responded quickly to my emails and helped me solve my issues. I like that there is no time scale on completing the course so that I can pick up where I left off after a break from learning.
I would recommend learning with New Skills Academy to anyone wanting to improve their skills.
Katherine Andrew - Stockton-on-Tees
Will definitely be doing another course after this.
 Amazing course, great for people that never have time to go to college or evening classes. So easy to complete online and step by step instructions to help you. Will definitely be doing another course after this.
I'm starting my own business and this course will help me get started as it states all the things I need to know and to be aware of. I can't wait until I have completed this as this will be a new chapter in my life. You have no time limit on this course which is great as I have a very busy life but this course gives you no pressure.
Would recommend this to anyone.
Megan Atkins - Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Amazing course, great for people that never have time to go to college or evening classes. So easy to complete online and step by step instructions to help you. Will definitely be doing another course after this.
I'm starting my own business and this course will help me get started as it states all the things I need to know and to be aware of. I can't wait until I have completed this as this will be a new chapter in my life. You have no time limit on this course which is great as I have a very busy life but this course gives you no pressure.
Would recommend this to anyone.
Megan Atkins - Kirkby-in-Ashfield
I am happy I chose this course
 I am so far really enjoying the course. Information is really well presented and tests a great recap to information covered. I also think the Notes tool is a good addition, however, the saving seems a little unstable so I have lost notes on a couple of the modules.
I figured that I needed to save prior to taking the test, but had selected a picture and as there was no close option, I clicked back and lost the notes I had taken. Apart from that, I am really enjoying the format and am finding the information easy to retain.
Amanda Rolfe - Laurencekirk
I am so far really enjoying the course. Information is really well presented and tests a great recap to information covered. I also think the Notes tool is a good addition, however, the saving seems a little unstable so I have lost notes on a couple of the modules.
I figured that I needed to save prior to taking the test, but had selected a picture and as there was no close option, I clicked back and lost the notes I had taken. Apart from that, I am really enjoying the format and am finding the information easy to retain.
Amanda Rolfe - Laurencekirk
 I found this course packed with interesting and important information. I'm looking to set up as a dog walker and I couldn't do that without the knowledge I now have from taking this course. Highly recommended.                            Corrina Whitman
                                        
                            I found this course packed with interesting and important information. I'm looking to set up as a dog walker and I couldn't do that without the knowledge I now have from taking this course. Highly recommended.                            Corrina Whitman
                         Really enjoyed this course, portal is very well presented and easy to navigate.  Just the right amount of detail with video and listening options.                            Lisa McGrath
                                        
                            Really enjoyed this course, portal is very well presented and easy to navigate.  Just the right amount of detail with video and listening options.                            Lisa McGrath
                         I really enjoyed doing this course, I found it to be extremely informative and had far more information than I expected.
                                        
                            I really enjoyed doing this course, I found it to be extremely informative and had far more information than I expected. thank you
I look forward to doing more courses in the future Paula Smith
 The knowledge I have now is unbelievable. This course covers ALL basis, even things I hadn't thought about nor even considered before. So much information in every module. The bonus of quick recaps in the middle of each module and a quiz at the end was very beneficial to me as it allowed me to know I was taking in all the information. I'm glad I took the steps and completed the course, I now have the certificate and confidence to start my own business.                            Dionne Morrish
                                        
                            The knowledge I have now is unbelievable. This course covers ALL basis, even things I hadn't thought about nor even considered before. So much information in every module. The bonus of quick recaps in the middle of each module and a quiz at the end was very beneficial to me as it allowed me to know I was taking in all the information. I'm glad I took the steps and completed the course, I now have the certificate and confidence to start my own business.                            Dionne Morrish
                         I enjoyed the course very much.  It was easy enough for me to understand.                            Nicola Elliott
                                        
                            I enjoyed the course very much.  It was easy enough for me to understand.                            Nicola Elliott
                         Great course , lots learned looking forward to doing more courses.                            Iain Bell
                                        
                            Great course , lots learned looking forward to doing more courses.                            Iain Bell
                         Found this course very informative and easy to follow. I took a break for a bit because of covid and found it good to get back into. Has all the information you need and covers all bases in the industry. Looking forward to setting up my business now because of this course                            Ellen Blackah
                                        
                            Found this course very informative and easy to follow. I took a break for a bit because of covid and found it good to get back into. Has all the information you need and covers all bases in the industry. Looking forward to setting up my business now because of this course                            Ellen Blackah
                         I found this course very informative and engaging with loads of helpful tips and advice. The content is set out in an easy to follow way that makes on-line learning a much more pleasant experience than with other providers of similar courses. I found the recap questions a really great way to get my brain in the right frame for answering the questions at the end of each module!                             Maddi Barnes
                                        
                            I found this course very informative and engaging with loads of helpful tips and advice. The content is set out in an easy to follow way that makes on-line learning a much more pleasant experience than with other providers of similar courses. I found the recap questions a really great way to get my brain in the right frame for answering the questions at the end of each module!                             Maddi Barnes
                         The course was very simple to navigate and kept my interest throughout with the variations of how information was presented.                             Jake Smith
                                        
                            The course was very simple to navigate and kept my interest throughout with the variations of how information was presented.                             Jake Smith
                         I found this course fantastic. The price of the course surprised me how affordable it was and how it will truly help me with my new dream job. I have just passed my diploma and I feel amazing, thank you so much for providing this course for me.                             Charlotte Simons
                                        
                            I found this course fantastic. The price of the course surprised me how affordable it was and how it will truly help me with my new dream job. I have just passed my diploma and I feel amazing, thank you so much for providing this course for me.                             Charlotte Simons
                         Very informative course, lots of things that had not even crossed my mind when setting up my business.  Would highly recommend for anyone setting up.                            Zoe Garratt
                                        
                            Very informative course, lots of things that had not even crossed my mind when setting up my business.  Would highly recommend for anyone setting up.                            Zoe Garratt
                         Great course very helpful and informative.                            Nicola Dowling
                                        
                            Great course very helpful and informative.                            Nicola Dowling
                         This course went into details about things that I had not even considered prior to this venture, from running the business to the first aid and care of animals. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.                             kyle Lewis
                                        
                            This course went into details about things that I had not even considered prior to this venture, from running the business to the first aid and care of animals. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.                             kyle Lewis
                         I found the course very helpful and easy to understand, it has given me more knowledge to help with my business and other animals.                            Stacy Walker
                                        
                            I found the course very helpful and easy to understand, it has given me more knowledge to help with my business and other animals.                            Stacy Walker
                        Pet lovers can have their dream job - getting paid to take care of animals.
The Pet Sitting Diploma Course can teach you how to start up your own business in a very short period of time. For a one-off fee and just 15 hours tuition you will be taught everything there is to know about pet care, from pet psychology, grooming and legalities through to what insurance policies you need and more. The Pet Sitting Diploma is suitable for all animal lovers and business entrepreneurs alike.
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Diploma Course
Anyone who loves animals and wants to start their own successful pet sitting business will benefit from this information packed course. The course will teach you everything you need to know about caring for pets, including the legalities and insurances needed. Provide your clients with complete peace of mind when using your services with this industry recognised certification.
Introduction
This is an online course which has been broken down into twenty three manageable and information packed modules, which should take around fifteen hours to complete. The course covers everything you need to know about setting up and running your own successful pet sitting business. During your online studies, you enjoy the convenience of online support and the ability to study using any device with online modules you can access at any time from anywhere. You get to study at your own pace with no schedules, so you can still work full time while preparing to start your own business on the side and in the future. On successful completion of the course, you will need to complete the multiple-choice test, which questions you on things you will have learned throughout the twenty three modules. On passing, you will gain immediate access to your certificate, which you can then download and print.
What You Will Learn
The manageable twenty three modules are designed to teach you everything you need to know when offering pet sitting services, this includes:
- Get an introduction to pet sitting. This includes health and safety and animal welfare, how to approach any animal and why security is so important.
- Learn about safety for you and the pet. Learn about written health and safety policies and when you need one, how to protect yourself and risks involved when it comes to pet sitting.
- Understand the legal requirements involved along with the five zoonotic diseases, the animal boarding act, health and safety at work and the importance of protecting your clients' information.
- Learn more about dog walking. Learn how to build your pack of dogs and signs of dog aggression along with the different types of dog aggression.
- Understand the importance of a pre-service visit, preparing pet information sheets and the documentation needed.
- Learn the five forms you must include in your client packs, how to comply with the Data Protection Act and storing your clients' information and how to use your client packs to increase your profits.
- Identify with day to day pet sitting, including how long you need to allocate for each dog walk, the order you need to use when taking care of each pet and time to set aside between appointments.
- Learn how to transport animals safely.
- Learn more about effective animal handling. You will learn the three step process to minimise stress in animals and when you should and shouldn't approach an animal.
- Learn more about dogs and cats from the different breeds to nutritional requirements.
- Get an understanding of fish. This includes the three groups and breeds. It will teach you the different water temperature requirements, how often water needs to be changed and how to test the water for nitrates.
- Understand how to care for rodents from cage cleaning frequency to breeds and types that you may be asked to care for.
- Learn how to care for rabbits and guinea pigs from their nutritional needs to behavioural traits and more.
- Learn everything you need to know about reptiles including feeding requirements, temperature requirements and behavioural traits.
- Get an understanding on various pet ailments and how to care for them.
- Learn essential pet first aid that you may have to use when offering your services.
- Get valuable information on setting up and running your own successful pet sitting business.
- Learn how to market your business effectively to reach the right target audience.
- Identify pricing and costs.
- Take advantage of the useful troubleshooting section to provide you with guidance and advice for your pet sitting business.
Benefits of the Course
This effective training course provides you with a number of benefits, these include:
- You can use the diploma to improve your career prospects.
- You will be given the information and insight you need to start your own business.
- The course is broken down into manageable modules.
- You study online from anywhere using any device.
- You can study at your own pace with no deadlines to meet.
- Receive online support throughout your studies.
- Industry recognised certificate you can download, print and include in your client information packs.
This course includes
24/7 Student Support
End of course certification
Lifetime access to your course
Compatible with modern devices
- What pet sitting involves
- Health, safety and animal welfare
- The importance of security
- The safest way to approach any animal
- When you need a written health and safety policy in compliance with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- How to protect yourself when you're on the job
- The risks involved in pet sitting and dog walking
- How to protect yourself from some serious health concerns you can be affected by through animal contact
- The five Types of Zoonotic Diseases to be on the lookout for
- About the Animal Boarding Act and when you will need to have a licence
- Your legal obligation to protect client information
- About Health and Safety at Work
- Who your true target audience is for your dog walking service
- How to build your pack of dogs
- How to recognise the signs of dog aggression
- The different types of dog aggression
- The purpose of the pre service visit
- How to prepare your pet information sheet
- About creating the right impression
- The documentation required
- The five forms to include in your client information pack
- How to use a client information pack to increase your profits
- How to store client information in compliance with the Data Protection Act
- An example statement to include on your veterinary release form to minimise your vet expenses (may be compulsory for your business insurance policy)
- The time you need to allocate for each dog walk
- The length of time you should leave between appointments
- The order in which to take care of each of the pets you are responsible for
- Insurance vulnerabilities when you include additional services for clients when they are on holiday
- The importance of securing animals during transport
- The safest transportation methods for dogs and cats
- Proper usage of crates for smaller animals
- The danger of cold temperatures to reptiles and how to aid their survival when necessary
- Why tight grasps negatively affect animal behaviour
- When you should and shouldn't handle animals
- A 3-step approach to minimising stress in animals
- Animal handling precautions that gets the animal to come to you rather than you cornering the animal
- The different breeds of dogs and cats
- Nourishment guidelines for feeding dogs and cats
- Precautions with vitamin supplements
- The different types of exercise to stimulate each pet in your care
- The three groups of fish and examples of breeds within each group
- The temperatures to maintain for each type of fish
- The frequency to test water for nitrates
- The frequency of cleaning the water in fish tanks and aquariums
- The best type of habitat to house rodents safely
- How often their cages need to be cleaned
- The safest type of bedding to provide
- The different breeds and types of rodents
- The different breeds of rabbits and guinea pigs
- How to care for young and elderly rabbits and guinea pigs
- The nutrition requirements
- About their behavioural traits
- Why you need to know about reptiles, lizards, snakes and turtles
- Dietary requirements and feeding guidelines
- The temperatures each type of reptile requires
- The behavioural traits of reptiles
- How to approach birds for your first time with them
- The different types of birds you could be caring for
- The best types of bird cages that allow birds to exercise
- What you need to do when letting birds out of their cage
- What viruses pets need to be vaccinated against
- How to care for diabetic pets
- The symptoms of common illnesses and why you need to be aware still of Distemper
- The age kittens and pups should get their primary course of vaccinations
- The essentials to have in your animal first aid kit
- How to stop bleeding from a minor cut
- The risks of choking and how to treat a choking animal
- What to do if a dog suffers from heat stroke
- The length of time it could take for your business to receive its first payment
- When you need to register your business for VAT
- How long you need to keep financial records for
- How to manage your time efficiently
- About tailoring your services to meet the needs of groups of customers
- How to identify what people are already spending on pet care
- The simplest route to starting your own business
- What will drive a prospect to make the hiring decision and become a paying client
- A variety of ways to market your business effectively
- How to use your brand identity to promote your service
- The social media profiles to help you create your online brand
- How to design your business cards in a way that encourages people to keep hold of your information
- What you need to account for when pricing your services
- Pricing for small animals
- Pricing for dog walks
- Incorporating your business costs into your prices
- The difference between your direct costs and indirect costs
- How to determine your start-up costs
- How to maximise your earnings
- How to determine your cost of customer acquisition
- What to do when your business hits a quiet spell
- About making contingency plans
- How to deal with and reduce cancellations
- About scenarios when you may be best to discontinue services with problematic clients
 ID: YDFT67YHJ
                ID: YDFT67YHJ
            of achievement
This certificate is presented to
Your Name
 
                For completing the
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking Diploma
on 21st November 2025
Selena Hurford
Selena Hurford
Course Tutor
 
                Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Head of Academy
 
    Anyone who has an interest in learning more about this subject matter is encouraged to take the course. There are no entry requirements to take the course.
The course is broken down into 23 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although you are free to spend as much or as little time as you feel necessary on each module, simply log in and out of the course at your convenience.
You can study the course any time you like. Simply log in and out of the web based course as often as you require. The course is compatible with all computers, tablet devices and smart phones so you can even study while on the move!
Once you have completed all 23 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 23 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing.
The pass mark for the test is 70%.
If you don’t pass the test first time you will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times you can take the test. All test retakes are included within the price of the course.
You can either use your Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Solo cards or PayPal account to pay for the online course. Our site uses the latest SSL encryption to ensure your safety. All payments are handled securely by PayPal.
You can begin the course immediately after your payment has been received. You will create your login details during the checkout process. We will also send you an email confirming your login details.
We estimate that the course will take about 15 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.
Once you have been awarded your certificate it is valid for life. The certificate does not expire or need renewing.
What our students have to say...
I couldn't even put it down once I'd started
 The pet sitting course has been an amazing help to me. I learnt a lot from the course and every module was interesting and full of information.
It's perfect for starting off your own business and even getting you into animal projects and jobs.
I'd recommend to anyone who loves animals and wants to succeed. It covers things I wouldn't even have thought of to be honest. I enjoyed it and finished the full course of twenty three modules within a week because I couldn't even put it down once I'd started reading. The quick tests helped at the end of each module too.
Hannah Dunn - London
The pet sitting course has been an amazing help to me. I learnt a lot from the course and every module was interesting and full of information.
It's perfect for starting off your own business and even getting you into animal projects and jobs.
I'd recommend to anyone who loves animals and wants to succeed. It covers things I wouldn't even have thought of to be honest. I enjoyed it and finished the full course of twenty three modules within a week because I couldn't even put it down once I'd started reading. The quick tests helped at the end of each module too.
Hannah Dunn - London
I look forward to completing many more courses with you shortly
 Fantastic online course. Very informative, easy to follow sessions with a test facility at the end of each session. You can complete this at your own pace any time of day or night, without any pressure and there is even help if you need it with tutors online.
I would highly recommend New Skills Academy to anyone looking to gain a qualification but needs time to complete the course or cannot attend classes. I look forward to completing many more courses with you shortly. A great way of learning new skills, as the name of the company suggests with a recognised qualification.
Thank you New Skills.
Julie Roach – Redditch
Fantastic online course. Very informative, easy to follow sessions with a test facility at the end of each session. You can complete this at your own pace any time of day or night, without any pressure and there is even help if you need it with tutors online.
I would highly recommend New Skills Academy to anyone looking to gain a qualification but needs time to complete the course or cannot attend classes. I look forward to completing many more courses with you shortly. A great way of learning new skills, as the name of the company suggests with a recognised qualification.
Thank you New Skills.
Julie Roach – Redditch
Amazing Service!
 Great Course! Arrived very quickly on the same day I ordered it - Amazing Service! I can't wait to get the certificate at the end so I can show my customers that I have underpinned my knowledge and experience by gaining a qualification that is fully accredited.
It is so important to keep fully up to date with skills and learning since everything is constantly changing i.e. the law, people's requirements and to refresh one's knowledge is paramount in today's challenging job market. We need to be one step in front and a head of our competitors if we are to succeed.
Thank you for helping me achieve this.
Yvonne Watkins, York
Great Course! Arrived very quickly on the same day I ordered it - Amazing Service! I can't wait to get the certificate at the end so I can show my customers that I have underpinned my knowledge and experience by gaining a qualification that is fully accredited.
It is so important to keep fully up to date with skills and learning since everything is constantly changing i.e. the law, people's requirements and to refresh one's knowledge is paramount in today's challenging job market. We need to be one step in front and a head of our competitors if we are to succeed.
Thank you for helping me achieve this.
Yvonne Watkins, York
All I can say is I certainly had nothing to worry about!
 I've been out of the educational loop for the past five years now and was a little worried about starting a new course. All I can say is I certainly had nothing to worry about!
Everything was set out so clearly for me to read and it was one of the most informative courses I've ever taken. I've soaked everything in like a sponge! You can't beat knowing you've got all the information sat waiting for you whenever you need a quick recap.
Thank you New Skills Academy, my future can now begin thanks to you! I can't wait to get started!
Kirsty Brookes, Manchester
I've been out of the educational loop for the past five years now and was a little worried about starting a new course. All I can say is I certainly had nothing to worry about!
Everything was set out so clearly for me to read and it was one of the most informative courses I've ever taken. I've soaked everything in like a sponge! You can't beat knowing you've got all the information sat waiting for you whenever you need a quick recap.
Thank you New Skills Academy, my future can now begin thanks to you! I can't wait to get started!
Kirsty Brookes, Manchester
Easy and clear to understand
 My course was the Pet Sitting and Dog Walking course. It is quite an interesting course! It was perfect to learn, and this what I was looking for.
Easy and clear to understand with many helpful pictures, very helpful extra information, very informative. I really enjoyed studying this course. For me it was fun :) I studied when I have had time, which is great for me in addition to my current job.
I hope I can start soon my new career with my newly learned skills. I am so excited. Fully accredited course which is important for me. I will definitely recommend New Skills Academy!
Tamas Fekete - Birmingham
My course was the Pet Sitting and Dog Walking course. It is quite an interesting course! It was perfect to learn, and this what I was looking for.
Easy and clear to understand with many helpful pictures, very helpful extra information, very informative. I really enjoyed studying this course. For me it was fun :) I studied when I have had time, which is great for me in addition to my current job.
I hope I can start soon my new career with my newly learned skills. I am so excited. Fully accredited course which is important for me. I will definitely recommend New Skills Academy!
Tamas Fekete - Birmingham
I would recommend learning with New Skills Academy to anyone
 There are some fantastic courses on offer and they are set out in a simple, easy step by step way to help with home learning. I like how they are set out in small modules with a quiz at the end. It made it easier for me to take on board what I was being taught.
When I needed to contact someone about the course, they responded quickly to my emails and helped me solve my issues. I like that there is no time scale on completing the course so that I can pick up where I left off after a break from learning.
I would recommend learning with New Skills Academy to anyone wanting to improve their skills.
Katherine Andrew - Stockton-on-Tees
There are some fantastic courses on offer and they are set out in a simple, easy step by step way to help with home learning. I like how they are set out in small modules with a quiz at the end. It made it easier for me to take on board what I was being taught.
When I needed to contact someone about the course, they responded quickly to my emails and helped me solve my issues. I like that there is no time scale on completing the course so that I can pick up where I left off after a break from learning.
I would recommend learning with New Skills Academy to anyone wanting to improve their skills.
Katherine Andrew - Stockton-on-Tees
Will definitely be doing another course after this.
 Amazing course, great for people that never have time to go to college or evening classes. So easy to complete online and step by step instructions to help you. Will definitely be doing another course after this.
I'm starting my own business and this course will help me get started as it states all the things I need to know and to be aware of. I can't wait until I have completed this as this will be a new chapter in my life. You have no time limit on this course which is great as I have a very busy life but this course gives you no pressure.
Would recommend this to anyone.
Megan Atkins - Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Amazing course, great for people that never have time to go to college or evening classes. So easy to complete online and step by step instructions to help you. Will definitely be doing another course after this.
I'm starting my own business and this course will help me get started as it states all the things I need to know and to be aware of. I can't wait until I have completed this as this will be a new chapter in my life. You have no time limit on this course which is great as I have a very busy life but this course gives you no pressure.
Would recommend this to anyone.
Megan Atkins - Kirkby-in-Ashfield
I am happy I chose this course
 I am so far really enjoying the course. Information is really well presented and tests a great recap to information covered. I also think the Notes tool is a good addition, however, the saving seems a little unstable so I have lost notes on a couple of the modules.
I figured that I needed to save prior to taking the test, but had selected a picture and as there was no close option, I clicked back and lost the notes I had taken. Apart from that, I am really enjoying the format and am finding the information easy to retain.
Amanda Rolfe - Laurencekirk
I am so far really enjoying the course. Information is really well presented and tests a great recap to information covered. I also think the Notes tool is a good addition, however, the saving seems a little unstable so I have lost notes on a couple of the modules.
I figured that I needed to save prior to taking the test, but had selected a picture and as there was no close option, I clicked back and lost the notes I had taken. Apart from that, I am really enjoying the format and am finding the information easy to retain.
Amanda Rolfe - Laurencekirk
 I found this course packed with interesting and important information. I'm looking to set up as a dog walker and I couldn't do that without the knowledge I now have from taking this course. Highly recommended.                            Corrina Whitman
                                        
                            I found this course packed with interesting and important information. I'm looking to set up as a dog walker and I couldn't do that without the knowledge I now have from taking this course. Highly recommended.                            Corrina Whitman
                         Really enjoyed this course, portal is very well presented and easy to navigate.  Just the right amount of detail with video and listening options.                            Lisa McGrath
                                        
                            Really enjoyed this course, portal is very well presented and easy to navigate.  Just the right amount of detail with video and listening options.                            Lisa McGrath
                         I really enjoyed doing this course, I found it to be extremely informative and had far more information than I expected.
                                        
                            I really enjoyed doing this course, I found it to be extremely informative and had far more information than I expected. thank you
I look forward to doing more courses in the future Paula Smith
 The knowledge I have now is unbelievable. This course covers ALL basis, even things I hadn't thought about nor even considered before. So much information in every module. The bonus of quick recaps in the middle of each module and a quiz at the end was very beneficial to me as it allowed me to know I was taking in all the information. I'm glad I took the steps and completed the course, I now have the certificate and confidence to start my own business.                            Dionne Morrish
                                        
                            The knowledge I have now is unbelievable. This course covers ALL basis, even things I hadn't thought about nor even considered before. So much information in every module. The bonus of quick recaps in the middle of each module and a quiz at the end was very beneficial to me as it allowed me to know I was taking in all the information. I'm glad I took the steps and completed the course, I now have the certificate and confidence to start my own business.                            Dionne Morrish
                         I enjoyed the course very much.  It was easy enough for me to understand.                            Nicola Elliott
                                        
                            I enjoyed the course very much.  It was easy enough for me to understand.                            Nicola Elliott
                         Great course , lots learned looking forward to doing more courses.                            Iain Bell
                                        
                            Great course , lots learned looking forward to doing more courses.                            Iain Bell
                         Found this course very informative and easy to follow. I took a break for a bit because of covid and found it good to get back into. Has all the information you need and covers all bases in the industry. Looking forward to setting up my business now because of this course                            Ellen Blackah
                                        
                            Found this course very informative and easy to follow. I took a break for a bit because of covid and found it good to get back into. Has all the information you need and covers all bases in the industry. Looking forward to setting up my business now because of this course                            Ellen Blackah
                         I found this course very informative and engaging with loads of helpful tips and advice. The content is set out in an easy to follow way that makes on-line learning a much more pleasant experience than with other providers of similar courses. I found the recap questions a really great way to get my brain in the right frame for answering the questions at the end of each module!                             Maddi Barnes
                                        
                            I found this course very informative and engaging with loads of helpful tips and advice. The content is set out in an easy to follow way that makes on-line learning a much more pleasant experience than with other providers of similar courses. I found the recap questions a really great way to get my brain in the right frame for answering the questions at the end of each module!                             Maddi Barnes
                         The course was very simple to navigate and kept my interest throughout with the variations of how information was presented.                             Jake Smith
                                        
                            The course was very simple to navigate and kept my interest throughout with the variations of how information was presented.                             Jake Smith
                         I found this course fantastic. The price of the course surprised me how affordable it was and how it will truly help me with my new dream job. I have just passed my diploma and I feel amazing, thank you so much for providing this course for me.                             Charlotte Simons
                                        
                            I found this course fantastic. The price of the course surprised me how affordable it was and how it will truly help me with my new dream job. I have just passed my diploma and I feel amazing, thank you so much for providing this course for me.                             Charlotte Simons
                         Very informative course, lots of things that had not even crossed my mind when setting up my business.  Would highly recommend for anyone setting up.                            Zoe Garratt
                                        
                            Very informative course, lots of things that had not even crossed my mind when setting up my business.  Would highly recommend for anyone setting up.                            Zoe Garratt
                         Great course very helpful and informative.                            Nicola Dowling
                                        
                            Great course very helpful and informative.                            Nicola Dowling
                         This course went into details about things that I had not even considered prior to this venture, from running the business to the first aid and care of animals. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.                             kyle Lewis
                                        
                            This course went into details about things that I had not even considered prior to this venture, from running the business to the first aid and care of animals. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.                             kyle Lewis
                         I found the course very helpful and easy to understand, it has given me more knowledge to help with my business and other animals.                            Stacy Walker
                                        
                            I found the course very helpful and easy to understand, it has given me more knowledge to help with my business and other animals.                            Stacy Walker
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                                                                    Very interesting and helpful course. I ve learned a lot of interesting things about make up and the tutorials were very helpful and easy to understand. I really reccomend this course for everyone who is passionate about make up and wish to develop their skills and make a career from their hobby.
Nicoleta Lucaci
 
                                                                    This is a great course for any level of knowledge. Very easy to navigate, great practical tasks and explanations are very clear. You can revise any module with no problem. The test wasn’t too hard if you completed every module. It may be handy to make some notes before you start. Overall I'm very happy with my choice. Thank you New skills for my New skills :)
Julia Bobkova
 
                                                                    Fantastic course! Well-presented and challenging with frequent assessments. I feel a serious sense of accomplishment having not studied for over 30 years! Videos that accompany each module are carefully thought out and informative. Am so impressed with this course, have now signed up for 3 other courses and recommending New Skills Academy to everyone!
Marva Hudson
 
                                                                    The course was clearly set out with helpful end of week tests which built my knowledge. Being dyslexic I found the course was set out in an easy to understand way. I was able to pass the test on my first attempt. The downloaded pdf are a useful resource that you can keep forever. Looking forward to the next course
Ross Dunsten
 
                                                                    This course is a great way to brush up on my rusty excel skills, I recommend this course to anyone looking for something to do during lockdown, it's easy to use and talks you through each stage step by step. It has given me the confidence I need to further my career.
Georgia Darke
 
                                                                    Excellent course, well explained and easy to understand. The course can be done at my own pace and is available on various devices. The layout of the course was excellent and the notes options is very good. The content is perfect and well structured, making it easy to understand and follow. I will definitely be taking more courses in the future.
Luis Costa
 
                                                                    I am a doctor. This course is well organized, covering all areas of CBT. The videos and practical tips are very helpful. All the modules are arranged with good explanations and examples. Also each module consists of quick test and assignment which enables you to gain knowledge. Finally I would like to thank the New Skills Academy team.
Dr. M. Arshad
 
                                                                    Omg im so excited, over joyed and all the good stuff that comes to mind! Wonderful experience doing lessons with New Skills Academy. I look foward to doing more courses with them. I hope this will encourage others to come on board and refresh your minds or to learn something new, it's a win win situation. I want to thank New Skills Academy so much for making this as simple as possible for me.
Shari Anderson
 
 
         
 
                     
 
                                 
 
                 
                                 
                 
                