You’re quite right. Most would give this one a swerve as would I have done had this been declared upfront.
The sit listing stated 3 walks per day which I thought was perfectly reasonable. It’s the rota which states 5.
The scheduled rota even includes specific times for when the cat and dog must be brushed throughout the day. Even exactly which time to give a Dentastix etc. There’s even a specific time on the rota for when the dish-rack is to go in the sink! It’s very OTT!
I’m going to actually message membership services and ask if they’ll consider adding a section for a HO/PP to record any behavioural issues. This feels very sneakily done when this ought to have been clearly stated in the ad for full disclosure/transparency. I can at least ask them and certainly, I’ll be forewarning other sitters as to what they might be getting themselves embroiled in in the review.
With a spirit of generosity it might be that the HO is simply sharing what the pets’ usual schedule is so that it’s informational rather than it being ‘instructional’. I volunteer alongside high functioning adults very much on the autistic spectrum and they run their lives in a very precisely scheduled manner. This is purely speculation but I’m just offering a different perspective. I worked in special education for 40 years….
You’re quite right. It is a different website I meant a section within the listing itself to state any behavioural issues for sitters to be made aware of.
Good to be reminded of those different subcategories in the review. I’m so glad THS have incorporated that.
I suspect you could be right and this had actually occurred to me as a possibility. Who knows though is the actual reality!
I agree.
We should all endeavour to be generous-spirited but there are also those of us who are equally discombobulated and stressed when receiving such rigid instructions. I personally find it quite overwhelming and stressful. It feels like the person is viewing this as an employer - employee type set up which is of course not the case. That’s the essence of what I’m saying. Plus, I’ve had two nights of heavily broken sleep due to this dog and likely more ahead therefore I’m not currently feeling in my most forgiving frame of mind. It’ll all be over soon and a short segment in a much bigger chapter.
Some of us are tourists and some are travelers. Many are enjoying the freedom of work from home from anywhere. Each have a different approach to their specific needs. The key is to find the sit that best matches your personal needs.
For example if you’re sitting in a location and have a list of must see and do in a particular time frame, the requirements of the HO and pet must match to accommodate that.
A person who works from home or has no time pressure has more options such as longer sits.
Personally I know what I can do, won’t do, need and want. I look for the right sit for me.
Start by identifying what suits you best and that will help you narrow things down to those that will work best for you and help you to ask better questions in your screening applications and interviews.
I agree with you that we all have very different requirements. No two sitters will be the same of course.
I have quite a fine-tuned list of questions now that I always ask before agreeing to a sit.
The essence of my point is that the arrangement I had discussed and agreed to prior to confirming the booking has changed considerably once locked in. I don’t think anybody would particularly appreciate that.
I think everything has been said now as far as my point goes and I’m going to grit it out now for the remainder of the sit. Thanks for sharing your insights.
I don’t have any experience yet, so trying to understand. If the sit listing stated 3 walks per day, what will happen if you ignore the prescription and only do 3 that were advertised?
I think a lot of common sense is needed for pet sitting (which is bad news for a lot of people).
For example, we regularly walked the dogs we were sitting for 6-8 miles, it would be foolish to do that multiple times per day. Also, you need to consider the dogs age, breed, fitness, capabilty - this is where common sense come in.
Most pet owners would and should be over the moon if the pets are well looked after and well exercised, especially if that means more exercise than they currently get. Most pets won’t complain at that.
If they want three walks then you commit to three walks @igorsf if you accept that sit, although most dogs don’t actually need three a day. A pee break yes but not a walk. Fit, healthy working dogs have one decent walk a day and then a 10/15 minute leg stretch and pee breaks depending on their age. Also as @Hallt64 says, exercise routines vary from breed and age & fitness too.
I will do. I feel obliged to also mention the Alexa belting out various pet-related instructions throughout the day. The notes were more than sufficient.
That’s a new one for me, I must admit! Thankfully, I’ve been able to turn them off.
I now started a ridiculously easy pet sit in Cambridge. Two dogs, chickens, and a spider.
The spider does not need anything at all !
The chickens, I only need to collect the eggs and make sure they won’t escape.
The dogs are most of the time asleep. I only need to feed them twice a day. They do not really require company. Just a daily walk of about 15 minutes in the nearby park. And leave them out in the garden now and then.
The spider is in a terrarium. I was offered to hold him, but declined, afraid that I might shudder and drop it
I almost cycled all the way to Cambridge, but not quite before dark, and told the HOs on Saturday that I would spend the night in Newmarket and continue in the morning. Then they came and picked me up by car! And brought me yesterday to my bike so that I could bring it to Cambridge. (I had said that I could take the train to Newmarket, but they would not listen to that!)
My main “task” here seems to be to eat the food they bought for me
I had my first encounter with this Alexa reminders. It is annoying and a bit loud. Mostly unnecessary. Apparently this is just how it’s done as the pet is conditioned and gets restless when it’s about to go off. The poor thing gets frantic with anticipation.
Pavlov’s theory proven correct once again, and again, and again…
It’s very OTT!
… glad you have made it to the U.K. did you cycle to Cambridge ?
Is the spider actually a pet or a third party on the sit ?
