I am currently on a repeat dogsit set up outside of TrustedHousesitters after the homeowner texted asking if I’d come back. However, when I got here we set it up as an official sit. (Although it had to be for future dates because for some reason, it won’t let us do the dates that I’m here. )
Before I came, I had asked them if there was any way that they could have someone let out the dog one day so I could go meet a friend from home who now lives on the island. (A 9 hour plane journey away from home.). They said they would try to find somebody. A couple days before I came, I asked if I would be able to go meet my friend and they said their regular person was busy but they would try to find someone else. I said it was no big deal if they couldn’t and that the dog was my number one priority. They did find somebody and it all worked out. I dropped the dog off at their friend’s house in the morning and she dropped the dog off back here about 15 minutes before I got here. I was gone about 11.5 hours.
The next day, she asked how it went and I told her everything worked out just fine. I asked out of curiosity what is the longest they leave the dog alone. Their response was asking what I had in mind and that it made her “squirm”after having left him all day yesterday. (Remember, he was with a family and only alone for about 15 minutes.) I told her I didn’t have anything in mind and that I was just curious. (Although I did have something in mind.). She stated that they he is usually never left alone minus a swim or dinner out or maybe they go to an event once a month but he’s never alone for more than 3 hours. I figured I would not be able to meet my friend again.
But then I got to thinking (stewing) about it and it does seem unreasonable that they would expect me to not leave the dog alone. I also checked their listing again and they have that the dog can be left alone up to 4 hours. Last time I was here, they were fine with me going and doing things. There was no mention of not leaving the dog alone before I came here or even until asked them how long they leave the dog alone before.
I would like to meet with my friend again. They want me to meet them at a beach an hour away. It is a 2 Hour drive for them. The beaches where I am at are not nearly as nice as the beaches where we would meet. I did forget my beach dress in her car so I would like to get it back. Although it’s not a big deal if I don’t. I would leave at 6:30 am drive there, stay 2 or 3 hours then come back. Normally, dog sleeps most of the day except when I bring him to the beach or dog park.
I don’t want a bad review. But I also would like to experience this beach which is ranked among the top. I would limit my away to 4-5 hours. They have a doorbell cam. So do I go?
I don’t understand why you didn’t know how long you could leave the dog for when this is a repeat sit and, as you say, it says in the listing that the dog could be left for 4 hours so, if you had read that properly you wouldn’t have to have asked the question.
You asked the owner if you could go and meet your friend for a day and the owner went out of her way to find someone to look after the dog so you could do that. I can understand she might ‘squirm’ when you asked how long she left the dog for as she would be thinking you might go off for hours. No matter that the dog will be sleeping.
You say the dog is your priority, and that should always be the case.
In my opinion, no you don’t go off again to meet your friend unless you have cleared it with the owner, but it doesn’t sound like she would be willing to allow you. You will risk getting a bad review if you go against her wishes and it would be unlikely you’d be invited back.
OP, your line of questioning also confuses me, as does the lack of clarity on if the dog can be left alone. You’ve done the sit before; you know what’s up.
personally, I’d just ask the friend to come a bit closer and meet up at a bad beach. Most important part is seeing each other, is it not?
Make it work with the time outlined in the listing.
And to be honest. If someone asks me questions they already have the answers to and have lived it, it annoys me to no end (my partner does that all the time ).
Your mentioning the doorbell cam gives me pause. It suggests that you’re thinking of doing something that you probably shouldn’t be doing and you’re worried that they’ll see you breaking their rules ?
Fully aware that I could be wrong there ^.
The dog is the priority. Going against the dog’s needs & owners rules is a VERY bad idea. Period.
It doesn’t matter if the dog is sleeping, knitting or plotting masterful plans …..You’ve been advised of the conditions. It is your responsibility fo meet them no matter what you “want”.
If that beach is so important to you, your should have discussed ways to visit before you committed to the sit.
I do realize they went out of their way to set something up for the day. I told them they didn’t have to but they did. As for not knowing how long I could be gone….Last time I came here it was ok if I went places and left the dog alone. This time, nothing was said about it until I asked. They seem to not want me to not leave the dog alone at all. If that is the case, they should have said so in advance. Or put it in their profile. Don’t you think?
As for not being asked back…I had already decided after my 3rd day here to not come back. (Unrelated issue involving roaches and spiders and ants)
I think the sum total of your and the host’s vacillations suggests a need to revise a common refrain here about the “importance of good communications” to “importance of good HONEST communications”.
You keep saying ‘it’s not a big deal’ if you don’t get to do these activities, but then follow it up by indicating you plan to do it regardless, even if it means going out of your way or being dishonest about it…and then executing some mental gymnastics for why you should go ahead, including ‘I wasn’t going to sit for them again anyway.’
As others have pointed out: it sounds like you already know the answer to your question. You should stick to the agreed schedule for the sit, & next time be sure to ask these questions up-front or add days onto your trip to accommodate activities that can’t be done with the pet. Springing discretionary schedule changes & absences on your host once the sit begins puts them on the spot, causing stress & messing with the pet’s habits, which pretty much defeats the point of scheduling in-home care.
(Edited to correct a misunderstanding of a portion of the OP’s description.)
Well if it says in the listing you can leave the dog for up to 4 hours they should allow that. Another option might be to take the dog with you if that’s feasible? I often do that. Obviously you’d have to ask permission
If the listing said four hours, then I would’ve adhered to that. It doesn’t make sense why you needed to ask again.
Or if you didn’t discuss at the outset how long you could leave the dog, you should do that now with the host, who seems to have made accommodations so you could leave for 11.5 hours. It would be a pain for a host to arrange things while traveling, so that’s an imposition, IMO. And I say that as a sitter.
All the other framing about the nice beach, the sit having spiders, etc., seems forced to make the argument that you should get to leave the dog and go meet your friend/go to the nice beach. That doesn’t seem fair to the dog or the host.
This. After the sit is over you can go stay with your friends for a day and experience the nice beach.
As others have said it doesn’t sound like you understood the expectations before agreeing to the sit. It’s not for you to decide how HO live with their dogs, it is completely your responsibility to understand what that is before you accept the sit. I would not leave the dog, I think the HO were nice to arrange a day out for you to meet your friends (why didn’t you go to the fabulous beach that day?)
).