Absolutely agree. That behaviour is outrageous. They should be struck off the books! What exactly are they contributing? Damage to the high standards promoted by truly caring and responsible sitters whom I know are out there. The ones I occasionally get to meet and share time with on a handover or on a parallel sit nearby.
Never feel bad about writing the truth. That is everyone’s responsibility both Home Owners and Sitters.
Sitters like that deserve a very short time on Trusted Housesitters. Their attitude and behaviour are self destructive.
Who in their right mind wants to engage such sitters? No one I know.
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“interview”? The sitter is not being hired for a job. You have a conversation
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Absolutely as sitters we are given TRUST before it’s proven. I believe a responsible sitter would find sit with responsibility they will fulfill. Unfortunately there are sitters that accepted sits but don’t fulfill. Then it became an issue.
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No I don’t have a backyard. As a sitter myself I know I can be trusted as I communicate and understand the needs and most owners are flexible with the time to walk the dogs. My Shiba can be nervous so it takes a patient sitter to understand why I stated and asked for 30 min walk. Unfortunately I encountered a sitter apparently is irresponsible. She failed to show up on her scheduled interview and asked for second chance, which I did. I strive to believe sitters are trustworthy as this is how the system can work. It turned out she’s not and that’s my lesson to learn.
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Love that!! I have never had a sitter told me she has detectors to check if there’s an indoor camera. I have never had sitters told me they love walking and no problem with the responsibility until they actually didn’t. But such is life a lesson for me to learn.
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Your perception might not be the reality. Chat or interview or video call whatever it is, let’s be mindful that there are culture and language uses differences. The video call or chat would be just a tool to make sure it’s a good fit for both parties. Nothing more, nothing less. Why “above”?
The system is a reciprocating system that is designed to benefit both in my opinion.
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Absolutely who has time for it..when I got a dog vomit all over the place and no reply after 23 hours, I didn’t feel like I need to justify my checking the camera to see if the dogs were taken to the hospital or what happened…but apparently I was told by a snarky comment of micromanaging…
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I am a sitter too and I never cared about the outdoor camera as we do what we promised or what the sit responsibility is. I really was curious about the time walked after sitter told me dog threw up then 23 hours no reply to my question on how is the dog now…I found that behavior a bit strange. I had to call her out to respond. That’s when I realized this sit is problematic.
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I agree as a pet parent I am also a sitter, I neve had any issues with outdoor camera. This system is established based on trust both ways ..in life we earned trust, on this site, we proved we are trustworthy. Once it’s broken then it’s a learning experience for me.
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As a pet parent and Sitter, I don’t think it’s a good use of anyone’s time to monitor cameras. Bit I had to say in my random notifications I received I have seen sitters who broke the rules or not do as agreed. Don’t think HO is to be blamed for broken trust however that’s discovered.
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Well said…all I wanted is someone to respond to a text inquiry when she told me dog threw up…then 23 hours of no reply..my thoughts went to the camera thinking if she took the dogs to the doctor?
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I have had several sits with outdoor cameras. Which is why I get good reviews. They see me leave with the dog(s), come back, go out again. They know how long I am out, how often I go out. The camera works for me.
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What is a seatbelt camera?
Cameras that detect and take photos of drivers and passengers who are not wearing their seatbelt or are not wearing it correctly. The driver is issued a fine of around $500.
Exactly Huronbase ! I know I have firm evidence of my conscientious diligence. I want to stand out from the crowd.
My last sit the dog was young but a French Bulldog, so breathing issues in the heat. The owners were naturally concerned that a sitter, unused to the delicate breed’s issues, might get it into trouble at the Spanish coast in the spring, when temperatures can vary considerably during each day.
I often left the house at 6.00 am as it was cooler and quieter. The dog was a rescue and had scavenger habits, hoovering up on pavements if it got the chance! I walked him for an hour and a half and did its longest walk then under optimal conditions. The dog loved his walks and every time I put my coat on he was keen to join me on every excursion! The dog’s fitness over 3 weeks’ care became impressive. He was 3 years old so in his prime years. The dog had an air tag so both the owner and I had a record of when it went out for a walk, where it walked and when it returned throughout the day.
Such daily information reassured the Home Owner immediately that the job was being properly done.
Apart from an outstanding review at the end of my sit I also was offered a week’s extension to enjoy the area when the Home Owner returned. This allowed me to fully enjoy Semana Santa processions and visit places I had left unvisited because I wanted to be in the dog’s company.
As I was never to let the dog off its lead, the AirTag wasn’t for any concern of it possibly getting lost.
Like you, I don’t see monitoring of outside activity a threat.
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I agree, I think as a sitter, we do what we agree and are responsible for. Outdoor cameras helped to build trust. It was never a problem for me either.
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If I am only going to be away for a night or two, I use a paid service. I have been using the same company for around ten years, and believe I know the regular carers well. Our arrangement is that, for $50 a visit, they will feed, walk, play ball with, brush my dog and keep him company while checking pot plants, mail, … for 30 to 40 minutes. They visit twice a day, and post photos. They came recently, for the first time since I installed the driveway security camera. We no longer have a lengthy conversation before a sit, and I forgot to mention the camera, but it is out in the open, and a sign on the gate indicates its presence.
All went well, apparently. I came back to a basket of home-grown fruit, and checked the camera record to see which of my neighbours had left it, only to see that the longest visit by the dog minders was five minutes, with three visits less than three minutes. I still don’t know how to react.
To paraphrase: In God I trust, all others I will check up on.
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That’s very disappointing, particularly when it’s paid help.. theft in my book. Behaviour like that is unacceptabl, paid or not.. Deliver what you promise is the way I plan to keep on doing. Be the reliable friend you want to make of the Home Owner in your fair exchange.
I would take this evidence further.. it could be the tip of the iceberg! Untrustworthy behaviour deserves no reward.
Maybe the teacher in me never retired.
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What a sensible attitude! I have outdoor security cameras, which protect me and housesitters. I don’t regularly monitor them but occasionally check if a package was delivered - on longer sits I have dog food delivered so they don’t run out. Even if you don’t have a camera, you may have a security system that shows when someone came in or out. I have discovered in the past that a paid petsitter did not come by and provide insulin to my cat as agreed…and I’ve discovered that a paid petsitter just let my 4 dogs run loose outside instead of taking them out on a leash (a big no-no in my community). But 95% of the time I don’t bother to check anything because I trust people to do what they agreed to do.
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You sound like you are monitoring the sitter via that camera. That is not cool.
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