I have noticed that while HO have the ability to specify their dog breed in their home information, a sitter can’t search for a particular breed while looking for a sit. I’m willing to do almost any sit if I’ll be caring for my favorite breed. Would THS consider adding this to the filter options?
Also not sure if this is the correct board for this topic; apologies if so.
I’d love to see this filter. I don’t want to look after American Bully XLs, pit bulls, lap dogs and certain other breeds.
I think we all have our favourite breeds, but logically, if this were available, some listings would not get any views at all, especially if it was a breed none of us have heard of.
The owners of these dogs have paid their membership fees and should expect their listing to have an equal chance of being viewed.
for example, I sat for 2 beautiful EURASIERS, I had never heard of them before, would never have searched for them, if breed search was available. I would have missed out, and so would the owners.
Also a Glen of Imaal Terrier.
I get the appeal of wanting to filter by favourite breed — we all have the ones we’re especially fond of. But I agree with @RedLassie that a feature like this could unintentionally shrink visibility for a lot of owners, especially those with less common breeds.
For what it’s worth, in our 14 years and 155+ sits, we’ve found that the broader our focus, the better the outcome. We still have definite deal breakers and preferred criteria, but we also leave space for the “exception to the rule” — and some of our most memorable sits have come from breeds we’d never have thought to search for.
You might be surprised by what (or who!) you find when you keep the net a little wider.
One of the appeals for me about pet sitting is you can get the chance to try .. before or if you decide to buy your own one day if circumstances change. I still cherish the thought that I will get a full time pet at some point.
I’m so glad I tried such a variety of breeds over the years of caring for dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, chickens et al. They’ve all been fun and good company. Vive la diference!
I think owners also like to see sitters have looked after a range because some breeds require different treatment. My Great Danes had to be fed on a platform so the food wasn’t consumed with lots of air that can cause bloat.
The wider the experience the better. I would think it odd if a sitter just accepted sits with Labs.. although I’m sure they would still be in great demand as it’s such a popular choice of pet!
Not necessarily. Only if you just searched for your favourite breeds.
I have also sat for a breed unknown to me at the time and it was in the listing. It didn’t put me off.
I agree it would be a useful feature for the sake of transparency. I’m with @TheEnglishFlaneur regarding pit bulls and such but I adore most lap dogs.
In fact, I would probably not filter out a particular breed unless too big for me to manage but the breed combined with other information in the listing would certainly be helpful.
What’s the value to a dog owner of a sitter viewing their profile and then finding out the dog is a breed that they would never sit? If I could filter out/exclude the breeds I don’t want to sit that’s better for all parties.
There’s a world of difference between filtering for specific breeds and filtering other breeds out.
It would make more sense to filter by weight. Like dogs under 30 lbs. Dogs over 100 lbs. Because if you are older, you may not want a dog 125 lbs. I sat a mastiff recently and had to wrap the leash around my waist when the Amish went by in their horse driven carriage. The dog went nuts while we were on a walk. One time it was 3, one every 5 minutes like a parade.
This is my point exactly. IF breed selection was available, I would search on Dachshund, Labrador, Spaniel, (others would no doubt search for their own favourites), and owners of Eurasiers, Glen of Imaals, and OneIHaveJustMadeUp would probably not get any applications at all.
It’s a bad business model.
However, if owners put the breed name in their listing title, it would help them immensely to find the ideally matched sitter for them.
A compromise meantime, would be if owners put the breed name in their listing title, it would help them immensely to find the ideally matched sitter for them.
If breed was an available filter it need not be compulsory. so sitters who are open to sitting all types and breeds will still see all results. But, a filter to exclude certain breeds is something that I would use. As it is I have to accept all search results fitting my criteria then read though them, discarding those that have a dog of a breed I have zero interest in sitting.
I don’t see how anyone benefits from me having to view a listing for a dog that I won’t sit.
I completely agree.
I honestly don’t think it would make a difference or at least a significant difference in the number of application not so popular breeds get. I think the number and type of pets filters out more sitters and listings with big numbers and variety of animals still get sitters.
It’s a question of transparency and time saving for everyone.
The more information everyone gets, the better matches for everyone.
@LoveToExplore , I have just voted your proposal. And, yes, this was the right place for your post. Thanks for raising this issue.
Good idea !
If I found a Berger Picard I’d drop everything for the sit.
How about the Admins on here @Jenny do a post encouraging owners of unusual breeds to list them on a thread here, linked to their profile, and we can have direct chats with them with a view to a future sit of those breeds?
That’s a great idea. Personally I’d like to try a new breed to me to take care of.
Is there still such a thing as the kind of dogs I grew up with: MUTTS ?
Yes. I have one and have sat for some. I meet them often, where I live in the U.S. That’s because it’s an area with a strong appetite for adoption / rescues.
Rescuers actually load up found dogs from other states and truck them a considerable distance to my region, because they’d probably be put to sleep where they’re found.
Those types of areas have a relatively low adoption rate. I learned this when I adopted my dog and have since donated money so they can truck more dogs our way and hopefully keep them from being put down. Where they’re rescued, shelters are overrun.
Occasionally, the pet owner and I might both benefit from my viewing a listing for a dog that I normally wouldn’t sit. Not everything is black and white. There might be times I would like to challenge myself and try something different, provided I find a good enough reason to give it a try. (which of course requires me seeing and clicking on the listing) 
How much is that doggie in the window?
This might be a help for those between housesits. I always have withdrawal symptoms leaving a sit so I make sure I’ve got another one ahead to look forward to.
These look like they could fill a gap rather well too.!
Go on, try a new breed!
Then you wouldn’t probably use a filter to exclude particular breeds. Whereas I would, certain breeds would be a red line for me.
