Hi All! We are in the midst of finalizing an international adoption in Thailand. Our adoption agency recently told us we have confirmed travel dates to pick up our 7 year old son soon!
We have plans to go for a few weeks early September and so our dog, Finn, will be home for an extended time. Finn is a 2 year old Schnauzer mix who loves all people and all dogs! We have 3 kiddos already at home and we think Finn thinks he’s just one of the pack. 
Very sweet and well-mannered, Finn likes to play as much as you’re willing, fetch, and simply be next to you. He takes naps in his crate when you leave the house and sleeps in his crate at night. We are nervous to board him for such an extended time so we have a posting on the main list for a long term sit. Is it usually best to invite sitters from your local area when its a long term sit so their life isn’t disrupted as much or could we still find sitters from all over? Do we still have a chance to find someone willing to do a 2-3 week long sit when its so close to our travel dates? Thanks so much! Stephen and Christine
@GrodekFamily Congratulations on the addition to your family! What a lucky boy!
I took a look at your listing and, as an experienced sitter, a red flag for me would be that your photos are real estate listing photos (the MLS note in the corner and the lock box on the door are dead give aways). You may want to exchange them for “real”, up to date photos, adding photos of the sitting areas and any work spaces.
Hi @GrodekFamily , welcome and congratulations! I would suggest inviting people who are a 2-7 hour drive away. You also might want to consider new sitters as long as you are happy with their profiles and references and after you have had a video chat. I agree with @PetSitterBug , that it would be much better to have actual pictures of your home as it looks right now. Offering use of a car may also attract more applicants. Best of luck!
Hi @GrodekFamily. Congrats on the up-coming adoption! He is a very lucky boy indeed, and your whole family will benefit from him being part of your family. Your home and grounds look lovely, and Finn is such a cutie! Just look at those big, soulful eyes.
Sorry I’m already busy, as I would love a sit in your neck of the woods.
Best wishes!
@PetSitterBug thanks for the advice - we replaced them with photos from today and will probably a few more. Thanks!
@GrodekFamily Looks so much better with the real photos.
You may want to add more information under Location about the area, what is there to do, if there are restaurants, shopping nearby, cultural and nature activities, etc. You’ve really got to sell your listing to potential sitters.
Thank you so much! We have updated our photos and added more information about our location. We will look at more sitters within that driving range as well - thanks for the insight!
@PetSitterBug thanks so much for the tips! We just added more info on our location and things to do in the area. Hopefully these changes will help us find a sitter soon!
We found a sitter! He is available the entire time and we’re breathing a huge sigh of relief knowing Finn will be taken care of while we are away. Thanks all for helping us through our first THS request!
That’s wonderful news @GrodekFamily and thank you so much for giving us an update. It won’t be long before Finn is welcoming your new 7 year old into the pack! Please don’t be a stranger to the forum and do come back with an update. All the best, Vanessa and the team