Hi all! Amazing site!!! If we knew or if this existed decades back we wouldn’t miss so many traveling we wanted to do. Alas. We found you now:)
Maybe this was discussed already, maybe not, I admit I hastily have to ask this, even though not being completely familiar with platform or all the topics etc. Cut the lss I just breezed through some of HO/sitters discussions and I see how everyone is at ease with the concept. I mean, we get on video, you hop on the whatever, come to us, stay while we comfortably travel etc. but I haven’t seen/read any where about pet’s actual experience of this ordeal. Especially the older pets. We, for example know pretty well our dog. She’s very particular about who she likes, about her home and has a very distinct sense of place, people etc. Most of you would understand what we’re trying to say here. So, how you get the sitter to know your dog, for example? How that works? Because it’s not just a matter of feeding them, walking them etc. What about the stress of being left alone at home with a total stranger? That can hurt and what would then be a point of that trip we would take? Pls share some thoughts/experiences on this. Maybe we’re missing something…Idk. Thanks!
My suggestion is to start reading reviews on profiles of past sits, read comments left by hosts and sitters and listen to their stories. So often you will read a host stating that their pets are shy or nervous or this and that and their minds were put at ease by the wonderful caring nature of a particular sitter. Go through many in different locations and read them. This will give you a much clearer sense of who people are on this site and what their roles are with creating such a wonderful space for the pets, the hosts, the sitters etc. It’s an equal exchange. You need to clearly communicate what it is you need and you also need to make sure your home is clean and tidy and welcoming for a guest to stay with your beloved pet.
If your pet is particularly sensitive to new people it’s about getting a measure of the extent of experience in the screening process. It’s also about taking the time on calls and during handovers to explain routines, likes & dislikes in detail and getting the reassurance that routines will be stuck too. This familiarity is key. We’ve found some dogs can be very resilient to change & new people, other more sensitive but thrive if you stick to routines & show patience and gentleness. We regularly look after a dog (not through THS) who is used to going to grandparents and other sitters regularly. Honestly he couldn’t give two hoots about his owners once they disappear. We stick to his routine rigidly & he loves his time with us.
I have been house sitting for 6 years and in that time, have only encountered one dog who didn’t take to me, mainly because he seemed to only like men. I have actually found older dogs to be more receptive to new people (unless they have previous trauma, in which case, this should be disclosed to the sitter, and any accommodations made). I like to see it as a holiday for the animals too: it is an opportunity for them to spend time with a novel person/ people, to be fussed over and explore new places together, as opposed to an ‘ordeal’.
As the title suggests, there is a level of trust necessary in house sitting, and clear communication is a way to establish this. I, and many other sitters, also try to visit the sit prior to starting, if circumstances allow. This allows the animals to meet you, and see you interacting with their owners, therefore establishing a sense of familiarity prior to the sit.
The majority of pet sitters are animal oriented, and gentle in nature, as well as being sensitive to the individual animal’s needs. Communication is key before and during the sit and if your animals have any specific needs, these should be clearly disclosed beforehand. I would suggest if you are concerned about leaving your pets with a stranger or are going to approach the process with a lack of trust, it may not be the right thing for you. However, I have become friends with many home owners, so they are not strangers for long. In addition, I (and I imagine most home owners) believe that an animal remaining in their own home with a trusted individual is SO much better for their wellbeing than the stress of being left in kennels. House sitting, at its best, should be a worry-free, wonderful experience for animals, sitters and home owners alike.
Welcome to our community!
Many petsitters om THS have had or have Pets. I have had pets for decades, and have a pet that others look after while I am petsitting. I think that is a foundation for many - not only love for animals but personal experience of being responsible for the wellbeing of pets. That is an important foundation in general, and for Pets that somehow have special needs is something one can look for specifically in the role of a host should one wish to.
There are many pets of hosts that have special needs, whether it is dietary, medication or for instance shy pets.
I think most petsitters will use time to let the pet warm up to you on arrival. I would for instance sit down calmly with a cup of tea and let the pet figure me out and approach me when comfortable. Even pets that the owners say are «shy» and «you will hardly see him» warms up pretty quickly when they can decide when to come. For dogs many hosts also invites the sitter to come the day before they leave, share a meal, take the dog for the usual walk together. That can be a good handover and something to consider.
To get a good match it is important to mention these things already in your profile. At the same time - it is a little bit like with kids. A parent can be very protecting and feel that my child needs this and that. And when on scout camp with others then the kid don’t «need» that at all. If one reflect on this, one can also say not «my dog needs this» but «this is the routine we do». And maybe have a door open for the possibility that the dog can be fine (or have a blast!) doing something else for a while.
Maybe an angle could be; «this is our routine with Ella and Sam at home. But when they are at Granma’s!!» 
So be truthful and transparent in your profile. At the same time it is important to know that sitters can and will choose what they want to apply for. Many will not apply if the pet can not be left alone, or if the pet «has to» sleep in the bed/ bedroom with the sitter. You might get applications nevertheless. But the pool of sitters will be smaller. As others have said - it is an equal exchange and it must be worthwhile for both. So it can be good to reflect on what is really a «criteria that has to be met» or «this is what we usually do and we are open to…»
Treat the sitter as one would a friend or a guest and you will probably be good. Welcome!
Ordeal??? Stressedl!!! Total stranger!!! You have totally the wrong idea. Has a total stranger EVER walked through your door and your dog has been all over them for affection and attention??? That’s your sitter!!!
There is no ordeal when someone who loves dogs stays in your home, they haven’t been uprooted to kennels which is when those types of horrible emotions occur. They get to stay in their familiar surroundings, their familiar bed, their familiar smells, all of their familiar toys, everything stays the same, YOU are the only thing that changes, unlike at kennels where all of those things change.
However, instead of an owner being at work, visiting family, friends, hobbies, going to the gym… they have someone who typically has none of those ‘normal’ day to day activities, but instead gives your dog attention, fuss, and unlimited snuggles if they are that sort of dog.
I know it’s scary, but relax. Your dog is great judge of character and SO ARE YOU! Your dog will know-know as soon as your sitter walks through the door whether they are dog-people or not. We personally, stay with the dogs we care for waaaay more than the actual owners will, as they have a normal life… and we don’t.
It sounds like you need a sitter that loves being with your dog most of the time, who will take your dog on outings with them, so focus on that type of sitter when you are going through your applications, rather than someone who perhaps wants to visit big tourist attractions where your dog is not able to go with them. There’s nothing wrong with that sort of sitter if they suit you, but in your case it may help to get the words ordeal and stressed out of your mind.
Here’s a little about us, so you can get into the mind of someone who sits full time. We pet sit because we really miss having pets around, and our son lives overseas so we split our time between 2 countries and so we are unable to have pets because of that… but then we found THS and it fills our need for furry cuddles, it’s brilliant, it fills that void, and we get to travel and see places in a different light when we pet sit. It’s not a vacation, because your time is definitely not your own with dogs, it’s just a different way of living or travelling, it’s loads of fun. The pets we care for aren’t typically that young (and we love the oldies), but imagine getting a fresh set of kittens or puppies every couple of weeks… and it will give you an idea of how enjoyable pet sitting is… it’s brilliant!
Also, we get to visit our family overseas for longer by pet sitting, and also we love the sits that are within an hour or two of our home town too. It’s fantastic, we get to top up our hearts with furry friends, and the people we sit for know their pets will be adored, and we return to MANY of the same pets!
Just imagine being able to give a gift to someone who can’t have pets because of their personal situation, like those that live in certain apartments where they can’t have pets, or like us, who simply miss having furry friends around, and we have plenty of time on our hands to give cuddles, affection, and walks. The dogs we care for don’t have time to miss their owners, because we’re together so much, there’s no time for them to dwell on things. Not every sitter is like that, some naturally like their down-time, there’s no rights nor wrongs, it’s whichever type of sitter suits you. Also we sit as a couple, so any pets get twice as much attention as they would if their owner was single.
You will know-know when you have found the right person, you will read their profile and you will just have an instinct that they are right for you and your dog. You will just KNOW, believe me! If you read a profile and they still feel like a stranger… they aren’t the right fit for you. Go with your gut feeling, it’s not about the number of reviews, it’s about a feeling, an instinct! You will KNOW! Trust your intuition.
Something that stuck with me as I was reading a book in preparation to adopting a puppy was how much dogs pick up their owner’s nervousness (or, conversely, confidence) in regards to strangers, unusual situations, and other animals. So, if you feel uneasy about a stranger staying at your home and taking care of your dog, he’ll feel that too.
Besides the wonderful suggestions and points of view shared by the other members, I’d add that you can start slowly by having a local sitter over for one or two nights, and trying to project optimism that this will work. I also recommend that you meet them beforehand, to help you put your mind at ease.
Hi @AtElla We’re HOs with a rescuedog. What you describe above was pretty much how we felt when we were having the first couple to sit for her. So, I think I totally understand how you are feeling!
In our case, we were very plesantly surprised. We’ve now have sittets twice (6 and 2 weeks). Both times sittets have arrived the night before we left. Both times the sitters connected with our dog very quikcly.
It seems our dog picked up the concept of sitters quite easily. When the second sitters arrived, she didn’t get nervous at all when we brought our suitcases out of the house, but went to the sitters for some cuddles 
Actually, she now seems to think all new friends who visit us, are there only for her 
We do try to select sitters who seem like a good match for our dog. We also leave special treats for the dog, that she only gets from sitters. She’s super food-motivated, so it works really well to create a positive association to sitters.
As a sitter, I like a proper introduction and to walk the dog together with the owner before they leave.
I have done four dog sits without such a walk. In one case, that was a bit of a problem the first few days. It would have been so much better if the owner had taken more time for that.
That’s soooo true @CatsAndDog , when we start a new sit, we can tell if the pets (but particular dogs) have had a sitter stay in their home before. They know what’s going on when they see our suitcase or a backpack, and they know they simply have a new playmate for while, and they’re good with it, it’s become normal to them, even if it’s only happened once before. They’re so intelligent.
All of us are different, I can understand taking a walk together, there’s no rights nor wrongs either way, but we do the opposite. We prefer to walk the dog after their owner leaves, so the dog can see we are confident and we know what we’re doing. We’ve never asked to walk them alone, it’s just automatically happened that way.
I think we’ve only had 3 owners out of 30+ sits who have taken the dogs on a walk with us, but that was NEEDED with the specific personalities of their gorgeous dogs.
For the first couple of days after we arrive we just let the dog show us their normal route… they always know the way.
Yes, that is nice too!
I remember the somewhat lazy sheepdog in the Cotswolds that snuck past me the first time when I let him off the leash and went back home again 
You can read reviews. We - and most sitters, I think - send regular pet updates via WhatsApp, comprising photos, little videos and messages, giving a good indication of the pet’s experiences during the sit. Most pet parents refer to these updates in their reviews, and also state how happy and healthy their pets were on their return home. All these feedback comments indicate that the pets have been well loved and looked after, so are a good indicator of what you can expect from a sitter.
It actually takes very little time for most dogs - or other animals - to bond with us, and us with them. We’re now on our 40th sit and I can honestly say that if you saw us out and about with them, you wouldn’t know the dogs aren’t ours. Animals seem to instinctively know who really likes them, and they respond to kindness (and food!).
We’ve done sits for rescue dogs, without any problems. We did once agree to do a ‘tester’ sit of a few nights where the thee dogs had particularly sad backgrounds. Spending the first 24 hours with the pet parents allowed them to assess how the dogs were with us. It helped to know about their backgrounds and current issues, so we were prepared and could mindfully tailor our care. This put their minds at ease and we subsequently did a much longer follow-up sit for them, which was really great.
Perform due diligence and choose your sitter wisely, talk to them and assess whether you feel comfortable with each other (this is a 2-way street). If you still have doubts, maybe suggest a short trial sit, as I’ve detailed. If you continue to have very real concerns, then this possibly is not the platform for you.
Plenty of good advice here.
As others have said, the first step is to take the word “ordeal” and anything associated with it out of your mind. If you’re stressed your dog is going to feel something is wrong.
That’s a great way to reinforce a positive attitude in the pets.
Reading the reviews and comments owners have left for sitters, asking questions about your possible concerns, just offering the sit to someone you trust and even a trial sit, as @Happypets have suggested, will help you put your mind at rest.
For the sit to be successful, it’s essential that you are completely transparent about your home, location and the pets’ needs, behaviour and routine.
How does your dog react to strangers who enter your home? Like when you have guests over for the first time, what happens?
Depending on such, you might want to consider how to proceed. Like if your dog has been abused or experienced other trauma, you might need a special sitter. THS isn’t right for everyone or their pets.
Personally, I have a damaged rescue dog and we’d never leave him with a THS sitter, because it would be unfair to him and the sitter. Instead, we pay professionals like his trainer or someone from the shelter where we adopted him, who knew him well during the long stretch when he sat unadopted after being returned.
Our dog is a special case, though. He’s extremely territorial and doesn’t typically react well to strangers in his home. Even when we’ve had animal professionals come to meet him, his reactions have varied with them individually — some folks simply know what they’re doing and some don’t, and our dog decides, not us.
As for where people communicate about the pets’ experiences, that appears in reviews. There are countless ones if you look at sitter profiles.
Hello @AtElla when you join THS and pay the membership fee, you will be able to create a listing for your home and pet info.
What I’m understanding from your post is that your dog may have certain “behaviors.” So be very clear in your description, don’t assume thsitters will get your meaning, say things plainly about pet behaviors so that you get the best sitter will the correct experience for your pets and their behaviors and the home responsibilities.
Good luck!
Hi @AtElla
There’s some very experienced dog sitters on this site with lots of great feedback. Maybe you know your dog prefers male/female or young/old couples or singles. You can specify that your dog prefers xxxx in your listing.