An idea for pet sitters

Hi

I expect many of us have situations where other dog walkers recognise our charges but wonder why a total stranger is walking them. I have also had people asking me for my contact details so that I can pet sit for them. I much prefer all of my arranged sits to be arranged through Trusted House sitters.

I am just wondering how many of my fellow sitters would purchase merchandise with the Trusted houseSitters Logo on? I would certainly be proud to advertise the service and it would stop me having to explain to everyone!

Sali

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I’m not sure if you’re aware that there is a store.

Some sitters have printed off business-type cards with either a link to their profile, or just general THS info printed on it, to share with people they meet while sitting.

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@sali To follow up on Kelownagurl’s comment, here’s a link to accessing the logo:

and the post on how members have created business cards.

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As @Snowbird says there is a post about this and if you follow the link you’ll see my card, with personal details deleted. I had 400 of the printed by Vistaprint (in the UK) and I try to have a few on me wherever I go, also pass them on to family and friends for them to pass to others. Already it’s reaped benefits and two people, other than friends, have signed up. The way things are going I may never have to pay for membership! :joy::rofl:

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@sali I was wondering something along the same lines. When I walk our charges, and we might strike up conversations about the dogs with other dog owners while walking, I always feel the need to clarify ‘it’s not our dog/s, we’re just minding them’ - no idea why I have this need to clarify, but there you go, was wondering if other sitters do the same?

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@botvot It depends. If they say ‘oh, what a beautiful dog’, I just say thank you. :blush: If they ask if they can pet it, then I can rely on ‘oh, sorry but it’s not my dog’ (just in case). :wink: Then I use the opportunity to explain about THS, of course. :slightly_smiling_face:

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We’ve chatted with a lot of folks when out walking the dogs. We will provide information, when asked, about THS. When the dog is interacting with another dog, or small child, we always notify them that we are not the owners, and approach other pets/people with great caution.

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I have a granddaughter who is less than a year old. There are mums who have stopped me because they recognise her but don’t know who I am! I have to explain. It’s nice that they are checking but it’s also mildly strange having to explain I’m grandma!

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We have certainly been in the situation where people recognised the dog we were sitting. One of them was his dog walker!

We might consider buying the THS t-shirts or sweatshirts of they were available in darker colours. I have 2 active outdoorsy boys so we don’t really do white / pale grey as it would get dirty too quickly!

Hi @Debbie great feedback on the store products and it’s not just active boys who don’t suit white I know many an active adults who would appreciate a darker tone … I will feed this back.

Also are there any other products members would like to see in the store? I can’t promise instant stock arrivals but we can certainly look into carrying other highly requested inventory.

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Hi Angela, May I make a few suggestions.
To reflect the image of a quality Company like THS who already have over 100,000 members worldwide and is the number one online House/Petsitting organisation in the UK and is number 3 Worldwide. I think the current image clothing available from THS store does not reflect a Professional organisation. If THS Store were to supply a Quality product ie: short sleeve cotton summer shirts, Polo Shirts, T-shirts, Jumpers, and for the winter months Fleeces, Gillets, Waterproof Jackets and Trousers. I think this would project a more professional image and would last longer. I would suggest that the majority of members would probably be willing to pay a bit more for a quality product which reflects a more professional image (Example British Haulage Company, Eddie Stobart).
With reference to other products I think I have suggested enough for the time being and other members may want to add, the only other thing would be a greater range of colours for the products.

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Another thing which I forgot but has just come to mind is don’t change the logo but have it embroidered on all products and not ironed on, it looks more professional.

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Thank you @crewman I shall certainly pass on your feedback and suggestions …

Regarding product, one of the challenges is finding a good quality supply source, with equal standards of quality control across different countries as it’s more convenient and cost effective for the consumer to manufacture and deliver in country, US for US resident members, UK for UK etc.etc. than ship globally.

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So, we can make and hand out business cards?!? We tell people about
THS al the time and they are always intrigued and want to know more. I want to get on this soon! LeaAnn

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@LeaAnn-Doug Yes and I have added the links below regarding creating business cards… have fun! :slightly_smiling_face:

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I love the business card idea, but in my experience, people are not very observant when it comes to clothing. I sometimes wear a German Shepherd t-shirt while walking my German Shepherds, and STILL people ask what breed they are. I also used to work in a setting in which my profession was clearly marked on my ID tag under my name, and yet everyone always wanted to know, “When is the xyz coming?”

I agree that it’s a bit awkward to be “caught” walking someone else’s dog, though! I encountered several curious neighbors when I took care of my brother’s dog for a week. Obviously the homeowner can’t forewarn everyone who knows the dog, but it would be really nice if people could give a heads up at least to the ones you’re most likely to run into.