I have a sit posted for October. I know it’s early, however it’s in the off season when most people don’t travel.
Last year we posted a sit for end of September and we didn’t post until late June/early July and had a hard time finding a sitter. Normally, we have no problem. So, might just be time of year.
As a sitter, I recommend posting your dates as soon as you know them, especially for the longer stays. I typically do only longer sits. If you haven’t bought your flights yet, be up front about that in your posting and mention that precise dates can be flexible. Often I’ve passed over a sit because of a one- or two- day misalignment (direct flights from my city to other major cities only go three times a week), and if I know the HO is flexible we can have a call and discuss what dates work best for each. I am already booking well into 2026. I plan my travel first, and then see what sits are available in those locations (if I can’t find a sit, I stay in a hotel). So if another HO was proactive and posted their home first, I’m going to book them before I ever saw your listing. I have never backed out on a sit and have been blessed to never have an emergency that forced me to do so.
Also do consider inviting sitters. I’ve seen rumors, not backed by any data, that invitations supposedly don’t work. I’ve gotten LOTS of sits through invites. As a sitter it makes me feel great when a homeowner feels I’ll be a good match for their pet and these invites have prompted me to consider sits I might not otherwise have noticed. Good communication is key. I’ve been invited to a sit over the winter holidays and I know I can’t commit yet - so I said so. The HO is willing to wait until August for me to make a decision, and we won’t make it a confirmed sit on the site until then. But if they had waited until August to post their listing, I would likely have made other plans already.
It occurs to me that maybe THS could consider a “soft commitment” option on the site for sits that are, say, six months or more out. I’d be more than happy to make a soft commitment to sites for, say, summer 2026 and then make it a firm commitment (or not) six months in advance. Six months is plenty of time for an HO to find a replacement if needed, and “penciling in” a date and location makes it so much easier to plan travel for those who do it frequently.