I had a holiday sit with 2 dogs, one was 14, lab mix, tried hard, but 10 ft into a trail, fell on a cactus. Took 3 days to get all the prickers out. But he loved going out, and he was a delight. When we played fetch in the house --very big house, so large space to throw something. We would sometimes throw it so he would get it and it made him so happy. Sometimes easier, when young dogs need a lot of exercise and no dog run for them to really run, or backyard for fetch.
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Not at all - I’m very happy to care for elderly dogs, give medication if needed and help them to continue to live their best lives in whatever way works best for them.
Ny only problem would be that I would not be able to lift such a large dog if need be, I stick to small to medium sized breeds.
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It’s good to know that you would care/dog sit a senior dog. I understand that a large breed would be quite a challenge. Our sweet girl is 92 lbs so I will need help when the time comes. I’m lucky that I have family members close by. Also, I would consider having the vet come to our home.
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I don’t avoid senior dogs but I do avoid puppies.
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We’ve had two sits where the elderly dog passed away just days before the sit began, so we’re very aware that we could have been the ones handling that situation during the sit.
So it is something we discuss sensitively in our video calls with hosts before confirming a sit with an elderly pet . The “what ifs ? “ and their wishes and plans if the worst should happen during a sit .
What would put us off is if the host had no plans in place with vets or would be uncontactable during the sit or if the pet needed 24 hour supervision or was incontinent.
This topic was previously discussed on this thread which is very enlightening and IMHO“ a “must read” for all new sitters.
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/lessons-from-sitting-an-old-dog-or-any-animal-i-think
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I have a 13-year-old small dog with kidney disease. He receives the following:
• STRICT prescription kidney care diet
• Fed four times a day
• Salmon oil & thyroid medication with two of the four meals
• One hour daily walk
My dog is doing EXCEPTIONALLY WELL because of this diet and is healthy as long as his care is followed exactly. The moment a sitter improvises, ignores instructions, or “treats” him, they put his life at risk. I make this crystal clear to them.
I have had three THS sitters cancel right before the sit because they suddenly decided his care was too much “work” and “worry.” If sitters think following written instructions and not feeding unauthorized food is too stressful, they should not have accepted the sit in the first place. They received very negative reviews accordingly.
Be upfront about your dog’s medical needs, be firm about boundaries, and offer a tip at the end of the sit if it is completed well. I let my sitters know ahead of time that I always offer a performance-based tip, with different tiers based on the following:
• The sitter’s communication with me
• How closely the sitter follows my instructions
• My dog’s health when I return (is he just as healthy as when I left him, or healthier?)
I take my dog to the vet for a medical checkup right before each sit as it provides documented proof of his health in case anything unusual happens. I started doing this after a former sitter accused me of leaving my dog sick in her care. It later turned out he was experiencing early kidney disease symptoms that we didn’t yet know about. That situation upset me enough that I now schedule vet checkups within 48 hours of each sitter arriving.
Good Homeowner - THS doesn’t let you leave a review if a sit is cancelled so presumably your negative reviews were for paid sitters. And these are the people you tip too - you seem to think of them as employees? I wouldn’t consider the lack of freedom imposed by having to feed a dog 4 times a day a fair exchange on an unpaid housesit and agree it’s more appropriate as a paid job.
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How did you review THS sitters who cancelled? You can only review sits that have actually taken place. Please don’t encourage the earning of tips on this platform, it’s a mutual exchange with no money changing hands & that’s a key part of its appeal for members. All of whom pay the same fees BTW! Your very specific requirements sound more appropriate for a paid sitter that you can pay (& tip) according to their performance as your employee. #wordtothewise
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If your dog is 13 and has kidney disease,
- how can you expect him to be healthier as a consequence of the care the sitter has provided?
- Would you hold them responsible if his health declined?
Funny you chose to mention all this on this thread. My answer to @emmieo is I don’t necessarily avoid looking after a senior pet, in fact I have cared for seniors cats and I just love them but, in every case, the owners have been aware of the possibility of a sudden decline in health or even death and a plan of action was discussed.
In your case, my answer is no, I would not care for a senior dog whose owner seems to think that his health is entirely in my hands. And I don’t mind feeding him 4 times a day, keeping a strict diet or even the possibility of having to be 24/7 by his side, should it be necessary.
Going back to @emmieo’s question, I would say that some sitters avoid senior dogs, especially if they are big and difficult to handle but, in the vast majority of cases, reasonable expectations on the host’s part and a friendly attitude go a long way.
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I strongly encourage and highly suggest tipping a sitter, especially on THS. I started doing this after three cancellations, and once I began letting sitters know upfront that a tip was possible, I haven’t had a single cancellation since. It’s a huge motivator.
I tip THS sitters who stay in my home for more than 8 days (my vacations are always at least that long). My minimum tip is $125 and it increases from there based on their performance & overall care as I explained previously!
Sitters also tend to communicate far better when there’s a tip involved 
I’m going to start a new thread regarding this topic. Would love to get other THS sitters and homeowners opinions on this besides just yours.
@GoodHomeOwner If you encourage Tips, especially performance based ones as you describe, then you are going against the whole ethos of THS. The THS concept is based on a mutual and fair exchange of Services based on trust with no money involved. If you start tipping, and even vary the amount according to Performance, you turn this friendly exchange of equals into a staff/worker dynanic where the sitter is encouraged to ‘perform’ for rewards.
I’m all for earning money sitting, especially now with so much experience, but then I’d go about it differently. I’d join Rover or another paid platform or create my own sitting business. But at the moment the THS model suits our travelling Lifestyle. From the way you describe your own sit I think it should be a paid sit anyway.
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As a sitter, I have no interest in tips, because it changes the dynamics toward more of an employer-employee one. That’s not what THS is for.
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I myself don’t. As long as I have all the info I need, a vet contact and things to look for if the pet has symptoms. What to look for. I have had sits where o e pet was deaf and blind, others who are on meds, eye drops and one that has a joint issue. I love taking care of them as they need more TLC. Rarely if ever would I turn a sit down due to a pet with health issues. I even have had people take me to their vets and introduce me. Just in case there is an emergency.
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Hi everyone,
Just a quick note to say the discussion seems to be drifting away from the original topic raised by the OP.
Please can we steer the conversation back to the original question? If you’d like to explore some of the side points being raised, feel free to start a new thread so they can get the attention they deserve.
Thank you!
Jenny
I’m on a return sit with two elderly dogs, whilst we were away the oldest dog had a medical crisis and nearly died, he was brought back from the brink. He’s lost weight but is just as happy pottering about on the beach, still fully continent using the dog flap and loves his big evening dinner. Every day is a blessing. And the HOs or ourselves never know if any photo I send is the last photo of course.
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Aw @BonnyinBrighton he’s a sweetheart. I’m so glad you’re there with him, giving him some lovely days 
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We wouldn’t avoid a sit with an elderly dog (or cat). We have cared for a number of older pets on sits, including some who were deaf or blind or had some mobility issues. We have some regular repeat sits where the pets are now older and slower than when we first met them, and have developed medical conditions.
We also do sits for young active dogs. My younger son said earlier today that it’s nice to sit for older pets as a change of pace from the lively, full on ones!
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