good thoughts! I will implement those changes. Question? Since I have had 5 applicants and none worked out, will I continue to receive new ones? I’m hoping that I’m not cut off at 5 unsuccessful 
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You’re welcome! I couldn’t sit by and not say something. It’s all true. Annie
And you set the standards for outstanding sitters!
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I think you need to decline those you don’t want and it will open up the spare slots again. Loving the MAS (mutual appreciation society) votes between you @FJLOVER & @AnnieNai - what a team 
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Hi @FJLOVER @Carla_C is offline and as @Cuttlefish says, once you decline those applications which are not the right fit, you will open up your listing to other sitter applicants until you find the right sitter for Jazz and you lovely home.
There is no limit to the amount of applications you can receive.
Hi @FJLOVER, I’ve just clicked on your listing and it is showing 1 applicant BUT it also has the “Low Applications” badge so you either need to tweak your listing to put it up as “New” again or boost it if your membership allows this as it will not be catching sitters attention. @Angela_L may also be able to help you by promoting it on other social media with your permission.
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Thanks. I have done some editing lately. And I declined the one remaining applicant as we had already agreed on that. Thanks for the social media thought but I don’t use FB or any of those. Too scary 
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Yes, do perhaps ask for the reason. You absolutely have a right to do so!
I could not and would not cancel last minute, unless it was literally life or death.
For example, right now there us a huge and still ongoing leak at my flat since this morning, from above and it is also hugely flooding the floor below. But i could not compromise my commitment to my HOs. So I still went to my house sit (and will remain) and am dealing with it all remotely and it’s been a huge stress and strain, but i felt it is my duty.
So i am here at my sit and kind friends have been helping me back at home and i am eternally grateful. Given a choice I’d rather be at my home dealing with all this.
Most Sitters should not bail out unless for dire reasons and HO’s, please be compassionate for if there is a dire need. I’d be mortified if i had to bail out on a sit, but, it would be made 10 times worse, if the HO was not able to put themselves in my position and understand if I did with huge regret and with no other choice.
I can’t imagine any sitter would bail out just because a better sit is offered or other trivial reasons. And where they have bailed out for any trivial reason, I am sure that is incredibly rare. And then you can raise it as an issue, based on that information. Good sitter care enormously about their reliable reputation.
So do ask why they bail if they do HOs and let us all be more accountable and also more understanding. I have only been house sitting since October and I am still learning myself. I sit solo and am extremely conscientious and have good friends and back up when needed. I always have a back up person available and identified for each sit, in case of illness or emergencies especially since these covid times…
Good wishes to all and i hope things improve for you FJLOVER, and for all.
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“ This topic is beginning to change direction from cancellation to pausing. We will be moving those topics from now one”
I don’t think these comments should be moved. Members are just trying to explain why they think sitters are more frequently pulling out of sits after their forced hasty applications. It’s very relevant to the current discussion.
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Hello, @Animal_lover Debbie is not currently online, It is a valid question to ask why things are moved to other topics.
I think the point is that it is fine to add anything that you think may contribute to the original post about sitters cancelling, including if you feel the 5 pausing may be a contributing factor amongst other things.
It is only then when certain posts start talking about all issues and aspects of the 5 pausing that have nothing to do with the original topic, these need to be moved to the appropriate thread as they are talking about it in a much broader aspect which is irrelevant to this thread. It is then best placed where others can see, like it if they choose and the Product Team can view it for feedback.
This is common practice for any topic that goes off of the original thread. To help keep everything clearer for the whole community and to make sure that the original poster gets the help and advice they need.
Best wishes Carla
@FJLOVER
We are very experienced seasoned housesitters who have many repeat sits.
We know and love Maine, so I took a peek at your listing and your reviews, and saw nothing amiss.
Maybe it’s the length of time that is putting people off or some sitters just do this for a place to holiday from, and are not willing to walk an active dog as much. (We love dog walking ourselves!).
Whatever may have caused another cancellation, we are sorry it has happened. Some folk are feeling the pinch and flights are more expensive, so that might be the reason.
But a sitter once having agreed to a sit should not cancel unless for illness or a very serious reason, and if booked THS team needs to be involved to open the sit back up.
Hoping you get a wonderful trustworthy sitter soon!
Rose & Michael
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Thank you. Speaking of off-putting, one of the sitters that cancelled was very upset that we had sent him the THS Agreement Form, modified for our circumstances. We have always used that form for each sit, as it puts in writing the obligations of each party. We have never had an applicant object before or since his cancellation, but I’m curious about the protocol of the use of this document . I see a discussion back in Oct 2021 that it is no longer used by most and perhaps that is why he cancelled as he indicated that we were going off of the concept of THS.
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I can’t speak as to why your sitter canceled, but I can say I’ve completed 13 sits in the last year and a half and I have never had anybody send me that form or honestly even heard of it until I just read your post. I can’t speak to whether it would turn me off or not because I don’t have any knowledge of what actually is in the document. I can say it’s very likely the sitter maybe in a similar situation to me, and had never seen something like that before.
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another form @FJLOVER mentions to know about that is coming our way, as both a HO and Sitter; we have a sit/stay coming up (fun wording).
The first was a HO checklist that I would not have known to expect as a HO.
I feel I have combed over the forum and web site to prepare and missed these forms…?
As a general observation, I used THS sitters for 3 years prior to COVID at which point I took a 2 year break. Coming back to the site I experienced a completely different vibe which seems to be illustrated by the sit ‘save’ feature! I currently have 70+ potential sitters who have saved my sit, but only 10 or so actual applicants over 2 availabilities, (I had a verbal agreement, so cancelled others only to have the main sitter vanish, at which point I had to start over). Very frustrating and stressful to say the least!! In my view, there seems to have been a massive influx of digital nomads with committment issues - not a good omen for my future sit opportunities.
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I am not a fan of the 5 applicant cut off but as a sitter I would never cancel a sit once we committed to it. I have applied for a sit in a rush but have always explained the cut-off issue to the HO and have withdrawn applications before any commitment if the sit turns out not to be suitable. I hate doing even that and before the 5 applicant cut off never did it. Unfortunately it now seems the only way to be able to be considered for a sit.
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As a new HO/sitter - I took a look at your listing. As a sitter, I would not seek out this sit as it is too long of a commitment for me but there are plenty of sitters who do like the long stays.
I don’t think I would be comfy with the off-leash requirement, though if the duration worked, I might apply to discuss the off-leash requirement for clarification.
The work from home/security sentence makes me go hhmmmmm…?
Hope it helps.
Your pup is beautiful!
and your home seems just fine.
We have sat for years and have never been asked to fill one of these in. Our agreement to THS rules and values is when we accept the sit and we are background checked.
I have to say, if we were sent one, @FJLOVER I wouldn’t know what to think. Our many many 5* reviews and repeats, should speak for themselves.
But to be honest, we have never been sent one, or seen one, as our video call, due diligence on both sides etc, has been enough, and we have always left as friends rather than it be a business type agreement.
So maybe ask the person that backed out if this was the case?