Since 1994, Pet Sitters International (PSI) has been the leading educational association for professional pet sitters, built around the mission of “pet-sitting excellence through education.” Their Certified Professional Pet Sitter (CPPS) exam — the only knowledge-assessed exam designed specifically for this profession — tests three core skill areas: Pet Care, Health/Sanitation/Safety, and Business Operations.

This course builds toward that same three-part foundation: species-specific pet care during in-home visits, health and safety protocols, home security and sanitation, dog walking technique and safety, emergency response, and the real business operations (scheduling, contracts, liability) a professional pet sitting or dog walking practice depends on. This course does not grant the official CPPS credential itself, which requires PSI membership — it uses PSI’s knowledge domains as a grounded foundation for real professional competency.