We are new to this. Is there a way to connect with sitters without having specific dates for a sit?
No you need dates listed to be able to contact sitters or for sitters to contact you .
You could just create a private sit with fake dates and message sitters with an invite. Just tell them immediately in your message that the dates are fake and why you’re contacting them. Presumably for sitting purposes. If for stuff that’s not kosher, they can report you, of course.
If you’re thinking that it could be a good option to message sitters & see if they’re free for your sit, then it can be a long, fruitless process. Most sitters use THS to travel so their profile location is often different to their target sit area. Was that your thinking behind the question? #moreinfoplease
Sitters have busy lives and will look first at dates for listings in a specific location and types of pets then they read the responsibilities and reviews. It’s a process of selection by sitters who know their own availability and requirements.
If hosts want to chat to sitters why might this be? The chatting begins AFTER a sitter has applied for your listing because they believe you might be a match.
The THS marketing tends to lead hosts to believe that they simply pick from a list of sitters…. but the truth is that hosts must ATTRACT sitters to apply to their Listing. Then the chatting begins…
I wonder if you’d simply like to chat to a sitter to learn about THS perhaps? If you read enough of these threads you’ll gradually learn how it works. That’s what I did. Best wishes.
As Maggie8K said, you could just create a private sit with fake dates (just do a 2 day sit for a year in the future) and message sitters with an invite to discuss a future sit for them.
We sitters can’t reach out if we are already booked for the dates of the sit. If you are seeing a sitter you like and want to coordinate your trip based on their schedule, just invite them and tell them this. If they have already favorited your sit, then you know they already like your sit but just haven’t found dates that work for them.
@townlakenc, welcome to THS and to THS Forum. It’s a great question.
As @Cuttlefish noted, the matchmaking process does not work effectively in the way that you note.
Below are a few weblinks to THS How It Works information. They illustrate typical workflow to create listing; receive applicants; schedule video calls; confirm housesit.
Our only caveat is that the THS content, in URLs below, illustrates process that seems notably optimistic. Someone may perceive that they may choose any of thousands of housesitters or housesitters are guaranteed to want to volunteer to look after your pet(s).
Housesitting requires a fair trade. No housesitters may apply to a listing with unreasonable expectations or undesirable features - there’s plenty of them out there. But good listings (photos, text) and reasonable expectations may receive many applicants.
Good luck
https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360000233725-How-does-it-all-work
https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/how-it-works/find-a-sitter/
https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/sections/360000575198-How-it-works
If you have already done or hosted a sit for them, you can message them through the app or privately (email, text, WhatsApp, etc).
Yes, but it sounds like different circumstances vs. what the OP is asking about.
That is a terrible idea! How would we ever trust anyone if that’s allowed?
Instead, use the system to your advantage. Set your REAL dates, write the profile, post it, then immediately start looking through sitters. You don’t have to accept all sitters who apply. The ball is in your court.
As you all know, sitters can “favorite” sits and get immediate notification when posted. If you’re doing this full-time and/or need to get specific dates, I am sure you are looking at new posted sits daily.
Good luck!
Your approach assumes that the potential hosts have fixed dates for travel. They might be flexible and want to ask specific sitters whether they might be available if so.
And BTW, you and everyone else wouldn’t be involved if the potential hosts sent a private invite.