I want to say that the sitter can tell you what he want during the call and maybe after he is not like he told. I switch off the lights even when I go in an hotel, not only in my house. That is part of a character
Hello,
In my opinion, it is the petowner who must detail his expectations. If you are worried by nature about important things regarding your pet or your home, it is preferable to note them in the welcome guide. Normally a sitter who has good evaluations will take into account these points of particular attention in order to satisfy the request of the petowner and to obtain a good evaluation.
Also, be as specific as possible in the âresponsibilitiesâ section of your ad.
Having thought about this subject, I think that it would be better to receive and read the welcome guide before giving our agreement. It happened to me to become aware of very demanding instructions and even exceeding the role of a sitter, after giving my agreement, or on site once arrived at petownerâs home.
In my opinion, the âinterviewâ should not be a test of passage with trick questions because we are not professionals paid for this service.
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I agree @Garfield. I would never leave a light on in a room Iâm not using or use heating or cooling excessively, it doesnât matter who is paying the bill. Turning off the light when leaving a room or turning down the heat when Iâm leaving the house are just things I automatically do. I consider myself a guest in someoneâs home and I treat that home (and their utilities) as I treat my own.
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Personally, if the video chat looks like an interrogation, it will put me off.
Once a HO asked me about my professional activity and wanted to know if it was working well. I felt that she wanted to know if I earned a good living !!
I am looking for a smooth experience, relaxing sitting conditions. I am not in need, I have a home. It must be above all a vacation in good company with well-behaved animals in decent and comfortable accommodation that will allow me to discover and visit a new destination.
I understand very well the concerns of leaving your pet and your home to a stranger and I am willing to answer a few questions of course within reason. If your pet or home needs a special skill, itâs worth discussing during the video chat of course. Apart from that you must trust the reviews and the experience of the sitter on THS.
As long as the responsibilities of caring for your animal are clearly defined in the ad, including leaving a clean house and ensuring safety, it seems to me that the deal is rather simple. Especially if we mutually feel that there will be a smooth communication during the stay.
There will always be an element of unknown for both parties that cannot be predicted in advance because thatâs life and it is a free exchange service. This makes a big difference with professional services framed by a legal contract and general conditions of sale.
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That sounds like poorly trained dogs. Please give such information in your listing.
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My dogs are well trained, are the sitter that are not trained. My dogs has defence training, agility and educations. But are strong and big dog.
If they are so agile, why canât your dogs run AROUND people instead of knocking them over?
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Please give such information in your listing. As a sitter, I would get worried.
Is this really ok with clause 5.2.11 in the T&Cs: Terms & Conditions | TrustedHousesitters.com
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I wrote in my profile that they are trained. You have to be worried if the dogs are NOT TRAINED. My dogs are lovely, social and pet lover and they loves to stay close the people.
(edited by Forum team to meet Community Guidelines around being kind and respectful)
I did it 
What? What are u says? Maybe U have to know the breed before judge, right? U
I have not these issue all of my past sitter was very healthy people and most vegetarians. 
No, I do not need to know the breed. Are you saying it is okay for some dogs to knock people over but not others?
That lacks logic.
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I think that the know the Breed is important. Is unlogic what u are saying. A chihuahua is not a Rottweiler.
Again @Thelawyer, why are your well-trained agile dogs not able to swerve to avoid knocking someone over? Regardless of breed, if they were properly trained, it wouldnât be a concern.
Edited to meet posting guidelines
While I understand your perspective, if the HO has written a thorough description, there may not be a need for any questions about the pets.
The more experienced the HOs are, the more details they will (or should) add to their profiles and Welcome Guides.
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50âŚminutesâŚ?
When Iâve arranged a video chat with a sitter, I ask for their email and send them a long description of our dogâs behaviour and routines. Every dog has its quirks and foibles and you never know what might put off a sitter. At least this way there are no surprises.
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Before you even start, please reframe your mind away from âinterviewâ. This is not a job application or interview, far from it. Itâs a video chat to get to know one anothernto see if each is a good fit for the other. Yes, there are questions to be asked but most information can be elicited throufh an easy going conversation about travel plans, pet behaviour, daily routines, non negotiables etc.
As sitters and owners we used to ask a long list of questions that felt a Iot like an inquisition. We soon leaned thatâs not the way to go. Nobody expects (or likes) the Spainish inquisition!
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I canât understand all the animosity expressed about the word âinterview,â especially from people who chose to âapplyâ for a sit in the first place. These two words go hand in hand. Those who âapplyâ to take on the responsibility of caring for a pet expect to meet with the homeowner to discuss the responsibilities and expectations of both parties - which IS what is discussed in an âinterviewâ. The homeowner interviews the sitter, and the sitter interviews the homeowner, and either party can decline to move forward. So again, what is this objection to the word interview??
If THS were to change the word application to ârequest,â - how would it be any different?
As for the comment about sitters volunteering to petsit and not doing it for any personal benefit, I find this nonsense. Of course, they are receiving a benefit. If they were doing it solely out of their desire to be in the company of animals, they wouldnât be paying $$ for an account on THS and would volunteer at their local animal shelters without any cost. Based on your own argument, I shouldnât have to clear my inbox every hour after posting another sit while homeowners in less glamorous locations struggle to find sitters. There are enough seats to go around, so why arenât altruistic sitters responding in the same numbers to callings to âvolunteerâ in places like farmland Nebraska or rural North Dakota in the middle of winter? Here is a clue - they feel those sits present less of a benefit to them. period.
For the sitters who insist their only motivation to petsit is to serve animals, please keep in mind that there are pets in need of care and love in locations other than Hawaii, Florida, and Southern California in the dead of winter and consider applying to volunteer in the places where there are too few applicants. Those pets need love, too, and shouldnât be discriminated against based on their location - they didnât get to choose where they live.
Of course, I am grateful for the excellent sitters we have hosted. They, in turn, have been thankful for being able to stay in my spacious, professionally cleaned home, enjoying the pool, spa, beach gear, bikes, food, drinks, and gourmet kitchen amenities, minutes away from the beach in a resort community with reliably fabulous weather where hotels cost at minimum $500 per night. The only responsibility is a sweet 8 lb dog who doesnât shed and loves everyone and a cat who keeps to herself. In short, they donât feel put upon as some of the sitters on this thread seem to feel about the role they chose for themselves.
This is a win-win situation, so I find it strange that a sitter would view themselves as a sort of Mother Theresa doing Godâs work for the animals and feel insulted that they were being âinterviewedâ (eee gads that word again!!) - despite having âappliedâ for the sit in the first place. Seriously, get over yourselves and accept that THS is simply a barter system in which both parties realize an exchange of benefits.
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