To Sit or Not to Sit- Plus Some Other Stuff

Let me start off with the other stuff. The biggest thing happened on Tuesday. It was Hans' birthday. He feels he's growing old, whereas I have to keep reminding him that I was once mistaken for his mother (long story involving a very stupid Starbucks Barista). I hope he enjoyed a very nice day. I did the best I could by making him pancakes for breakfast and surprising him with cupcakes at work. Unfortunately work could have been better that day, but I think he had a good day anyway.

Other than that, there's not much going on. We're having a little get-to-know-your-neighbors party on Saturday, and I'm hoping we have quite a few neighbors show up. I'll have to let you know how it goes.

Really, though, the point of this blog is to get some opinions. Lately, I've been considering adding pet sitting / dog walking as one of the services I offer. I've almost decided to pass on the option at this point, but there's a lot to think about. Pet sitting would stay busy during my typical slow seasons (beginning of summer, back to school, etc.) but it would also be busiest during the holidays, and, honestly, I enjoy having holidays off. It would require slightly longer hours, but I think I could handle that. Plus, Hans could work with / for me if needed, and that would bring in some extra cash for us. I think I'd enjoy just basic dog walking more, but I'm not in the best market for that. People who'd hire a dog walker would more than likely take their dogs to day care instead. Otherwise, a lot of people leave their dogs in backyards or come home during their lunches. Then again, it probably wouldn't hurt anything to try it.

Something else I'd been considering had been offering an in-home training where I'd come in everyday and train your dog while you're at work. You know, kind of like a dog walking / training service. Of course, I'd have to charge more for that, and I'm not exactly sure how I'd price it. Should I price it as one flat rate or should I charge per session? An on-leash course would probably take about 3 weeks, and an off-leash about 4 weeks, but what about the dogs that take longer? Right now, training is guaranteed, and I keep coming no matter how long it takes. What would I do if I were going out every day though? Oh, and do I keep it limited to a certain area, or do I travel like I do now?

GRRR! I need some advice! Any help is appreciated. Thanks!