That was their choice to have children though, although some parents will dump their children off with others and go without them too 
And some people choose to include the responsibility of caring for someone else’s pets and home as part of their vacation and there is nothing wrong with that.
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Fully agree and that’s why we do housesitting.
@CatsAndDog Thank you for raising this important point and for including the screenshot of what a host sees.
I have experienced this ( at application stage ) when asking how long can your “ very easy” dog be left for , since you didn’t mention it in your listing ? The puzzled owner replied when I created the listing I selected the option can’t be left alone ever - they didn’t know sitters don’t see that part - and why would they know that ?
There are too many occasions where this confusion has been caused by the lack of clarity of the THS platform and not the host trying to mislead or withhold information.
Resulting in a bad sit for host, sitter and possibly pets.
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I suppose owners can get a view of their listing like it is shown on the site.
Or is it the same duplication of versions as with the confused programming that has two different urls for the sitter’s preview, where one shows the calendar and the other doesn’t?
Welcome @shortyi3.
Yes unfortunately you should have checked how long the dogs were ok to be left before accepting the sit. I only cat sit but still ask how log they are ok on their own and when to feed them.
If the hot water is not working then I’d be messaging the HO to agree to cover the costs of somebody to fix it. I actually had a hot water value blow on my first sit this year. I had no hot water or underfloor heating when it was rather cool overnight. I contacted the HO and they advised me of a service to fix it. The HO had left money for an emergency so I could pay the contractor from this.
Hope you get it sorted asap
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I wouldn’t. I inferred that this came to OP’s mind when being left with no hot water. Being new to THS and having found it doesn’t match the “free vacation” publicity, OP started to wonder what other things could go wrong.
Gosh, I’m so sorry this sit is not what you expected.
I use THS for holiday accommodation.
If you had joined back in 2016 when I did, there would have been no question about whether you were on holiday or not, because the positioning was ‘airbnb for animal lovers’.
Unfortunately, now the brand positioning is murky and many HOs think this is just free pet care, rather than understanding their responsibility they have as host creating a good experience for their sitters who are guests in their home.
That said, you learn the rules and culture of a platform as you go.
I use THS as holiday accommodation, and always make sure I understand pet care and needs, let the HO know I’ll be out and about during the day (if they have a life, too, this is never a problem!) and other Qs. These days I also ask if the house will be clean on arrival, because I’ve been to some filthy houses (discovered I have a dust allergy via THS) - which NEVER would have happened a few years ago when there were more premium homes and people on the platform.
If it doubt, never hesitate to contact THS - they are brilliant at sorting out issues quickly, and will enforce their Ts & Cs.
And remember - you can list all the facts of your stay in the review - be sure to do so, so that other sitters on holiday know to avoid this listing.
I hope you can enjoy the rest of your time with your hubby, even if you can only head out 3 hours a day. 
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You’re correct they should check it @pietkuip ! And no, this info doesn’t show on the HO’s preview either. But I still think they’re not trying to hide information from sitters in these cases.
But now that you mentioned this, HO’s listing preview on the app does show the whole pet section of the welcome guide, when clicking the picture of the pet. So that’s one place, where HO’s might think they’re sharing info on their listing, but actually aren’t, as I’ve been told that’s not visible for sitters 
@Silversitters Yes, I really don’t understand, why can’t THS be more clear on these things. I would’t be hard!
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It’s all a learning curve and then we adjust ourselves accordingly. I arrived on my first sit (5 days) not even knowing what time I was needed until on the last day! Needless to say it’s been a top question ever since!
I don’t have a car so good transport is a must for me. I choose sits that will have a pet I will enjoy and a reasonable distance from what I want to see. Yes, absolutely it’s a holiday for me (definition of holiday meaning time off work or a break from the usual routine) I’m presently in Liverpool and seen loads of sights. I adjust myself to do things around the dog because that’s what I’ve agreed to do.
I learnt a lot from the forum: when you have your video chat or phone call you make sure it’s an equal exchange that you can agree on.
Best wishes for your future sits.
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Yes we do sits as holidays but if there is a dog we check whether the dog can come out with us and choose locations where we can get to and enjoy trips out for shorter periods 3-4 hours maximum without the dog. We choose cat sits where we want to spend more time outside the house during the day.
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You raise a good point, the sitters could take the dog with them which would negate the 3 hour left alone time-frame.
That is what we almost always do whilst housesitting, except for a very few occasions.
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We always check we’re allowed to take them in the car and out and about. In one case, because the dog was nervous we were only allowed to take them out further afield for walks but not to anywhere busy. We enjoy having a dog with us and actually I am put off if they aren’t allowed to come with us- as spending time with the dog both inside and outside the house is part of the enjoyment of THS sits.
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@shortyi3, great advice here, both for future sits and for the present situation.
Summarizing a bit and adding my own POV, I would say
- For this sitting, make the most of it. The owner may not be aware of the fact that you were not informed of the dog’s needs so it is worth raising this point and trying to make some kind of arrangement. As others have suggested, day care, walker, some HO’s friends or neighbor to give a helping hand… It would not work on a daily basis but could give you some extra time for sightseeing. This could be in the interest of both parties. But please beware that even if you were willing to pay for that extra care, the owner must know and approve it, otherwise you would be breaking the third party policy.
- Regarding future sittings, there’s plenty of advice here. I would just add: don’t get discouraged you can still use your membership to have wonderful vacations if you plan ahead and get all relevant questions answered in time. Yes, cats would be a better option most of the time but you still have to ask how long they can be left alone and figure out if feeding time, letting them out and in, medication and all responsibilities really let you that amount of time free. Sometimes the way the listing is written is a bit blurred. They may say the pet can be left alone for x hours but there’s no such amount of time between walks, feeding… With cats that do not have free access outside/back inside, you may find that it’s not easy to get the cat back and you are (perhaps) required to be in the premises when the cats are out. That said, you may also find dogs who are used to being alone for a long time. It’s worth asking. I’ve sat for dogs (4 different sittings) who could be left for periods of 8 hours or more, occasionally, even 12. They either had free access to the garden or used potty pads.
Best wishes and enjoy your anniversary.
Edited for accuracy.
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I don’t usually regard a sit as my vacation. I work remotely and don’t take that much time off. It is very rare that I leave for a whole day to go sightseeing, and I would never do that while looking after a dog (I don’t generally leave them for more than 4-5 hours, even if the owners say I can). Maybe with cats, but even they don’t like being left alone all day. I do want to make the pets happy, and love spending time with them, so sightseeing is not my top priority while pet sitting.
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Doggy does not have a watch, but doggy has feelings!
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Many cats don’t mind that at all. Many pets just sleep a large part of the day.
@Newpetlover Which part of the T&Cs is the owner not following ?
The cats I have met all preferred some company.
Just because the dogs get fed in the morning then the evening it doesn’t mean they do not need any attention or let out inbetween these times. A person who knows dogs and are used to looking after dogs would understand this without asking the owners. I would suggest if the pet sit is being used as a tourist holiday chose cat sits but make sure the cat has access to outside eg. a cat flap.
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