We are Jay and Taylor. A young couple from North East Florida. I came across this website feeling so optimistic and hopeful with our upcoming trip in October. Upon reading more of the forums, I has started questioning whether it is actually worth it for homeowners/doggie parents. Our biggest concern is our two dogs. A german shepherd/husky mix male and german shep female. They are escape artists with high energy and slight reactivity. We are planning on leaving for at least a month. I have seen so many negative forums from sitters about things like this, as well as not getting paid, âtoo much load/tasksâ, cleanliness, etc.
I guess all im asking is for other owners and or sitters just ease my mind about how this all works? Advise? Tips?
Welcome to the forum @JayTayAdventures
THS works fantastically well when itâs a mutual exchange between host and sitter . A win win for both parties and the pets .
Before joining you need to consider what your sit offers a sitter.
How long your dogs can be left alone for is an important deciding factor for most sitters . Will they have time to explore the area , visit the attractions ? What are the attractions of your area ? Why would a sitter pick your sit over another location? If your dogs are used to someone being at home most of the time , is your home set up for a sitter to work from home ?
Honestly, for your dogsâ sake, donât leave them with strangers for a month the first time ever. Try shorter amounts of times first to see how they react.
And just to clarify, nobody gets paid here on ThS sitters who require that must not have read the rules.
We will be leaving on shorter trip this friday and bringing the dogs. I was thinking about trying the service out but would that be too short notice to find a sitter?
the internet skews negative! a majority of THS experiences are very positive, but people rarely post about those
If you already have your membership, it wouldnât hurt to post this listing and see if someone comes through⊠but yes, it probably is too-short notice to get a sitter for this weekend, unfortunately
sits with complications or difficult pets can certainly be filled by very competent and loving sitters, although your available sitter pool will be more limited than if the pets were a bit easier to manage
a one-month sit in october may also be a challenge to fill as itâs slightly short notice at this point. definitely not impossible, and it could work out â but itâs generally best to post longer-term sits a bit further in advance
THS is a great site, most sitters give wonderful care, and it sounds like it could work well for you but may be better to keep in mind for trips coming up a little further down the lineâŠ
Welcome to THS and to the Forums! Iâm sure it can be a little scary seeing some of the posts hereâŠin addition to friendly and fun chatter, this is often where members come with questions or for support with difficult sits. While it may sometimes feel like all youâre seeing are negative experiences, please know that these tend to be the outliers. Of my 9 sits since joining in January, Iâve not had a single bad oneâŠwhich isnât to say they donât happen, but it does suggest theyâre the exception rather than the rule.
It does sounds like you may have a couple potential & valid concerns about whether THS will be a good fit for you; itâs great that you recognize them & reached out to ask, as that shows youâre realistic & prepared to try to mitigate problems in advance, both for yourself & for your future sitter(s). You donât mention how far off your sit is, but Iâll comment on a couple of my thoughts:
You note your dogs can be escape artists, & that concerns you. First: please, Please, PLEASE be honest about this in your listing. You may get fewer applications, but hopefully theyâll be more experienced sitters, & at least theyâll be prepared. Detail the situations & ways the dogs usually try to get out/away. Sitters arenât miracle workers, but the better informed they are, the better equipped they will be to circumvent potential problems. Second: Are there things you can do ahead of your sit to make it harder for your pups to trick your sitters & get out? Have you considered Airtagging them & sharing the tags with sitters? Can you better secure your yard before your trip? Third: If you just know the possibility of them getting out is going to stress you out for your entire trip, it may be wise to consider if this really is the best solution for you & your pups.
I agree with the previous poster about not doing a month-long sit as your first experience. If at ALL possible, try to arrange a couple 2-3-5d sits ahead of time, just to see how things go. Youâll get a better sense of your stress levels, how the dogs do with strangers, etc. If you canât arrange them via THS, then maybe even try just hiring someone local for doggie daycare or some paid walks while you go out for a spa day or justâŠOUT, for a day to yourself.
I think most of all, itâs just important for you to assess your situation and dogsâ temperaments & needs before you proceed. Be realistic about your expectations, & above all be honest with both yourself & your potential sitters in your listing & application interviews. THS could be the greatest solution ever, & there are some wonderful experienced sitters here who do it for all kinds of reasons. Or, it may also just be that it isnât the best solution for you right now, without a bit more thought & prep work.
@JayTayAdventures
Lots of good suggestions - Iâd only add that you have to read the reviews of sitters by HOs for whom theyâve sat, look back at the sit listings to see if they were âchallengingâ sits. I know that all sitters had to start with a HO âtaking a chanceâ on them, but as you describe your sit and for a whole month, look for sitters who have demonstrated competence and success.
What do you mean by âslightly reactiveâ? âReactiveâ in what way, and to what? As I sitter, those are details I would want to know from the get-go.
As said by others - forum is where many come if thereâs a problem. All my sits have been nice, and from my reviews it seems all my hosts have been happy, too.
When it comes to the sit, it is important that THS is about mutual exchanges between equal partners. The sit needs to be a «good exchange» for both. Reactiveness needs to be described in the listing IMO - how it takes form, and how it is handled. This will ensure that you get the right applicants for your sit, that can handle it (and so it is disclosed before sit so you avoid a cancellation later because they didnât know). You donât need many applicants - you need one good match. Aggressive animals are something else, and they are not allowed on THS re. the terms:
« 5.2.11. not have any inherently dangerous pets (such as venomous snakes or constrictors, primates, wolves or wolf hybrids, non-domesticated cats, alligators), banned dog breeds, or any animal with a history of attacks on pets or people;»
Iâve sat dogs that needs to be walked on distance from other dogs, and it has worked well. It has been smaller dogs, so it would ofc require more of strenght/ experience for a larger dog. Anyway, it is in everybodys best interest to get a sit that works well, as in a worst case scenario the dog could be at risk if it is in a more serious conflict. One option could also be to have a dogwalker as well as a sitter if that could be a better setup. It is all about making it work well for everybody involved.
Thatâs a good suggestion, @Garfield â as are your other thoughts. For the OP, another thing you might consider is suggesting that your sit may be more suitable for couples (assuming thereâs room), as that helps with strong/reactive dogs on walks â or if one does manage to do an Escape-O, thereâs a second sitter to help manage logistics etc.
This forum and other online sources is where folks land when theyâve encountered problems. Hardly anyone comes here to laud their latest great experience. So use this forum to get a sense of what might go wrong and heed the advice about vetting sitters who apply.
Also consider whatâs your alternative pet care options and how they collapse with THS. For us, the risks associated with THS are common to having any pet/housesitter. Paid sitters, whether pro or some neighborhood or friendâs kid, and kenneling services involve similar and greater risks. THS sitters, OTOH, are reviewed by the community and lean overwhelmingly toward true animal lovers, especially when theyâve accumulated a fair number of sits.
No lie, I think two high-energy large breed, âslightlyâ reactive dogs who are âescape artistâ sounds like a disaster in the making.
Some things, might be things you could work on or figure out â like âescape artists.â If there is a hole in the fence, or some other way theyâve escaped in the past, a collar versus a harness, for instance, then you could try fixing the problem before you go away.
If your neighborâs dogs or your neighbors could be endangered by your dogs, a sitter wonât work either. Bear in mind that this is an exchange. Dangerous pets are not permitted.
That said, there are many, many sitters and itâs not impossible you could find a good match. However, you are the one vetting people. THS accepts anyone who wants to join and can pass a background check (in the US only). So youâd need to find someone with a proven track record with big dogs who wants your particular sit, is available for the month, and is willing to do it in exchange for housing with no compensation. Thatâs a tall order. Youâd have to judge if someone is getting in over their skiis.
Many sitters have experience with high energy pets. Does your location have an area such as trails, or places where the dogs can run free or get that energy out. Described how you prevent the dogs from escaping. Where do you walk them to avoid other dogs to prevent altercations?
