Is there any way to search for sitters who have specified dates they are available, e.g. they have the green available status in their calendar?
(Edited listing link to reflect correctly in forum profile)
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The closest thing to that is individually looking at a sitterâs calendar, but most sitters donât bother using the calendar at all. Most sits are filled by hosts posting their sits with dates and sitters applying.
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The calendar function is just simply unmanageable for sitters to use. The only âusefulâ thing it does is auto-fill dates the sitters has booked sits, and even then it could be off, as it doesnât account for travel days or potential pre-sit days if the HO doesnât book them as part of the official sit.
It is impossible for sitters to fill out/update âavailableâ dates where one might be willing to accept a sit.
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No, and honestly you also usually donât know where sitters want to go, so the best plan is to post your sit dates and wait for applications from interested sitters.
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Do any sitters use the availability calendar (?)- I know that we donât as itâs not user friendly if you have a complex life outside of THS. This isnât how THS works in any case. HOs donât search for available sitters. This is wrong thinking and OFTEN comes up so I wonder what THS can do to disabuse HOs of this wrong impression. Can I ask where you got this impression from as new HOs please? It might help THS adjust their messagingâŚ..
The BASICS: HOs post a listing, then sitters see a listing that matches location AND dates that appeal to them. Contact is made.
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A sitter has built a application/website with that functionality. Since it is not allowed for sitters to post their availability feel free to send me a message and I will share it with you.
Also the link in your profile is not correct, I can help you fix that.
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Is there any point in that?
I think THS makes it pretty clear as to how things work. When we posted as new HOs 4 years ago there was no confusion in our minds as to the process.
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I wrote my comment based on reading 100s of HO queries over a period of 18 mths. There must be something wrong to explain why quite so many new HOs come to the Forum with the same misunderstanding. The assertion that you didnât misunderstand however doesnât in any way change my perception.
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@gchampagne, interesting graphic. It seems easy to imagine how new Pet Parents may be confused by the displayed language ⌠create your listing, choose your sitter, travel worry free. Some Pet parents may perceive that the text âreview sitter applications âŚâ applies after âchoose your sitterâ.
This all seems like an own goal by THS. Clearer language could save Pet Parents a significant amount of confusion and THS Forum a great deal of repetitive volunteer support.
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You missed the obvious in big bold letters at the top:: Our pet sitters reach out to you. 
I really donât understand how it can be misinterpreted. And Iâm aware that this has been discussed at length here. Thatâs why I decided to chime in. To understand why this seems confusing.
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Many people donât read or comprehend well and they just proceed however they think things âshouldâ work, according to their own preferences.
Note: We often see posts here and on the Facebook groups, where people say they donât know where to begin. Yet so many others of us figured out such basics by searching / reading.
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I get that itâs not the normal way THS works. This isnât âFree âRoverâ Free âRoverâ, send unpaid labor right over!â 
BUT as Iâve described in multiple threads, there are valid use cases for HOs to reach out directly to sitters asking if they might be available â so I for one would like to see this calendar functionality work in a useful manner, while also seeing a feature allowing Sitters to opt out of unsolicited sit invites as well.
Home owners can in fact search for available sitters.
I have done so myself.
Then I create a private listing and invite them. They are the sole applicant, I then confirm.
Not sure what led you to believe home owners donât or canât search for sitters.
You can search for them & send invites but the calendar is misleading as it doesnât show real availability only booked THS sits. Sitters canât log holidays/other platforms sits/work etc onto it. if itâs worked for you thatâs brilliant if rare. #luckypunt
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Well indeed they can search and invite sitters - but itâs a bit of low reward exercise as the majority simply arenât âavailableâ despite the calendar indicating they are. I suppose if youâre desperate then youâll try anything⌠sitters just donât bother with the availability calendar so it looks like everyone is available apart from THS bookings. Well it might surprise a few HOs to know that sitters are getting on with their own interesting and complex lives which certainly arenât being documented on these calendars.
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