@lolrj i don’t even know myself how to use bold and italics on my dumb phone but I shall look into it, I didn’t bring my laptop this trip. That’s the thing though, some of us are still learning, everything. Taking on criticism, no matter how constructive, can be overwhelming and daunting for we older generation, just ask my son I drive him crazy with questions and he tries to explain but I get all upset and then angry and then I give up and fall in an emotional heap. So I’m only saying, forgetting about punctuation and grammar etc, (and I am fanatical on correct grammar sorry) it’s how advice is sometimes written so very harshly on the forum. Those of us trying to learn end up in that heap on the floor.
I just wish people would be kinder with their words sometimes. I’ve been with THS for a very long time and never experienced what I see and read recently. We must also hold the bad sitters to account as well as HO’s and I am seeing far too much where a HO is blamed for the errors of the sitter/s. Enough said from me I think, I’m on that floor
We’re more similar than I thought I have 3 degrees 2 are post grad, but our son treats me as if I’ve got learning difficulties…. he only speaks in algorithms these days
Maggie if you are around Cambridgeshire while you are over here, let me know, I’d love to have a Tea and meet you in person if you are up for it. We are on sits around Cambridgeshire until the end of July if that helps.
Happy sitting
It’s clearly not what was agreed on, it’s that simple, if a sitter agree’s to sit and you the HO state that the Dog/s are not to be left for more than 2-3 hours every other day, it has to be a sitters who are okay with this.
To be honest, if I were a HO, I would contact THS and explain the situation and what are the options here because that’s a long time for even a healthy dog who is used it’s owners going out to work all day long to be left alone.
I am so sorry for you and your beloved Dog that this has happened to you.
Unfortunately, I can’t this time. I accepted this sit before taking a new job and coincidentally moving cross country. I kept my commitment to sit, but need to get back to the U.S. soon. Bummer, because when I originally accepted the sit, I’d planned to piggyback a trip to Scotland, which I fell in love with during a sit last year.
I appreciate the feedback. I have learned I need to be more specific in my ad, not just relying on explaining needs during interviews and give more specifics in writing on how many hours I would like them to be home with the pets. I wasn’t surveilling the sitter until I notice the large time span in the garage notifications a week into my trip. Once I looked at the history, I became very alarmed at the many hours each day the dogs were being left home and called him to discuss it. He told me he was driving for Door Dash. He never informed me of this before I left. I reminded him of my expectations of someone being home with the dogs most of the day and he agreed to be home more. It doesn’t seem to me like that’s happening. I am cutting my trip short and returning home because my Plan B isn’t available.
He is definitely not doing what he agreed to! And he did not say he would be driving for Door Dash. He said he would be filling out applications for internships.
And if that was once a day, that would be fine but as I stated the dogs are left home alone for 12 to 14 hours a day. I clearly specified when interviewing sitters that I was looking for someone who worked from home or could be home with the pets the majority of the time as that is what they are used to. I did not specify an exact amount of hours that should be which in the future I will be more specific in writing. I did clearly stress being home for the dogs was what I was looking for. He said he could do that and he did not say he would be working for Door Dash.
Trusted House Sitter should be about trust and absolute commitment.
When you do a sitting, it should be clear to everyone that you are not absent for 14 hours a day, we don’t even have to discuss this.
The sitter has clearly broken the rules and also seems completely untrustworthy since he is now apparently parking in front of the garage.
Please leave a review mentioning all this, the sitter will certainly never receive another sit, which will be good.
We do have to discuss this though, clear and explicit communication around expectations is a must and would prevent many problems, including this one, from happening.
But also on the specifics, not necessarily: on my current sit the owner very explicitly said as long as the pet gets fed morning and night and somebody is with him overnight nothing else is important. I could be out all bar my 8ish sleeping hours and it wouldn’t be an issue on this particular sit.
I drive him crazy with questions and he tries to explain but I get all upset and then angry and then I give up and fall in an emotional heap. So I’m only saying, forgetting about punctuation and grammar etc, (and I am fanatical on correct grammar sorry) it’s how advice is sometimes written so very harshly on the forum. Those of us trying to learn end up in that heap on the floor.
I’ve been with THS for a very long time and never experienced what I see and read recently. We must also hold the bad sitters to account as well as HO’s and I am seeing far too much where a HO is blamed for the errors of the sitter/s. Enough said from me I think, I’m on that floor 
I have 3 degrees 2 are post grad, but our son treats me as if I’ve got learning difficulties…. he only speaks in algorithms these days 
