Hi there
I would be very interested in owners and sitters thoughts on this.
I have a couple of photos of my beloved, elderly whippet on a bed.
The bed is the spare bed in the spare room. He does NOT sleep on my bed.
I have made it clear on my listing that the sitter will be using my bedroom.
It’s my fault that Berkley sleeps on the bed because I’ve let it happen and now he’s nearly 15 my thoughts are let him sleep where he’s comfortable.
I bought him a bed a couple of months ago and he will sleep on it if he can’t get up stairs. However at night he cries so much that I give in.
What should I do?
You can only ensure your listing is accurate with regard to sleeping arrangements.
Personally I have a proviso in my profile that I don’t consider listings where the pets are allowed to sleep on the bed I am using.
If the pet sleeps on another bed in another room It wouldn’t be a problem but I guess you can’t guarantee they won’t come looking for some company during the night 
Some sitter don’t have an issue sleeping with cats or dogs so
as long as there is clear communication between homeowners and sitters there is something to suit everyone out there.
Just give in! 
Your dog is 15. He clearly loves it. And just make sure the sitters know that they’ll be using a different bed. Maybe label the pic with him on the bed as “Berkley on his very own bed” or something. And show a separate pic of your bed, that the sitter will use.
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Hi @Amanda56
I’m not sure I get what your asking about.
Sitter uses your bed.
Your pup sleeps in the spare bed.
Sitter is not letting pup sleep in your bed.
?
Hi there @Amanda56
No need to explain your love for your senior dog. As long as you have made it clear that Berkly is his own dog in his own room and bed do not concern yourself with those that don’t get it.
The right sitter will come.
I recently had a similar experience with 3 dogs who were indoor outdoor dogs who slept in the master.
I had a separate room.
Not to say they didn’t try
But it all worked out and all were happy.
So, let it be.
Best wishes
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Thankyou all. Im going to carry on as I’ve always done.
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No there was a query about B sleeping on spare bed in spare room
Let Berkeley sleep wherever suits you and him. Be clear in your profile that he sleeps in the spare room (and sitters will sleep in the master room). Anyone unhappy with that is not the sitter for you.
He’s an old boy, I wouldnt let him cry because of someone you havent even met!
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@Amanda56 In addition to labeling the picture of your dog’s bed you might want to label the picture of your bed “The bed the sitter will use” so it’s super clear.
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Hi Karen - thanks. I already have.
Nothing wrong with Berkley sleeping on his bed. Label it clearly on your pic that it’s a different bedroom so as not to put off sitters who don’t sleep with dogs.
On a tangent here but some sitters actually don’t mind sleeping with pets. Just make it clear on the listing. Unless homeowners specifically state that dogs and/or cats are not allowed on furniture/bed, all dogs and cats are welcome to sleep with me! 
They even take my husband’s spot sometimes 
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One sitter’s heaven is another’s nightmare
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Exactly, we should only apply for sits that we feel are a good fit for homeowners, pets and sitters.
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Indeed it is.
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Personally, I love it when pets sleep with me! But I understand some sitters don’t like it. Your only obligation is to be transparent and honest, so they can decide if they are ok with it.
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@Amanda56 DO NOT FEEL BAD about your 15 year old and what you have allowed him to do. It is your home, your pet, your rules. If a sitter has an issue with a pet sleeping in the bed, then they should NOT apply for the sit. Just make sure you have all the info in your profile and make sure you reiterate in during the application process.
The wonderful thing about TrustedHousesitters and the platform is that there is always the perfect person for what you need.
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That GSD is not giving up his/her pillow! So sweet.
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If you and your dog are happy with the arrangement, then that’s what matters. If you’ve made it clear in your profile that the sitter is not asked to sleep with your dog, then what your profile is accidentally doing is weeding out those with poor attention to detail, and I think that could be seen as a positive thing. 
If you really want to make it even more clear, you could remove the photo of your dog on a bed, or crop it closely enough that you can’t tell it’s a bed. Then just mention in writing that he sleeps in his own room, on his own bed. That will avoid missing people who just flip through the photos and immediately dismiss your profile because they think they’ll have to sleep with your dog.
I’m a sitter who doesn’t mind the dog or cat or both on the bed with me. But it all depends on the HO’s rules.
Maybe my willingness to have the animal on the bed comes from living in Minnesota for 15 years where I counted on the dogs for some extra warmth when I set the thermostat back to 55 at night!
I’ve mentioned this before on the forum a long time ago. I applied for a sit in New Zealand for 2019, the listing said ‘If you’re not happy for the dogs to sleep in bed with you please don’t apply’. If they’d been big dogs I wouldn’t have but they were two little dogs. I didn’t sleep a wink the first night of the sit as I was like the jam sandwiched between the two dogs, one under the sheets the other on top. After that I got used to it and missed them when I left.
So, as others have said, you just need to make it clear in your listing the sleeping arrangements 