My Difficult Dog Sitting Experience – Lessons Learned for Homeowners

Owner Questions, Advice & Chat
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Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a recent difficult experience I had with a sitter through TrustedHousesitters, not to just vent, but to offer some important lessons I’ve learned that might help other homeowners protect themselves and their pets.

I have two senior, short-haired miniature dachshunds who are very much part of my family. For our recent trip, we arranged for a sitter through THS. Unfortunately, the experience was far from ideal, and while THS support was polite, there were limitations to what they could do without certain evidence.

Here’s a breakdown of what happened and what I wish I had done differently:

Issues During the Sit:

  • Punctuality and Adherence to Agreement: The sitter arrived 4 hours late on the first day and left 6 hours early on our departure day, citing a desire to avoid driving in the dark. This was despite clear communication of our dates and times, and my emphasis that my dogs are never left alone for more than 2 hours. This early departure meant my dogs were alone for an extended period.

Lack of Communication: I received absolutely no updates, photos, or videos from the sitter during the entire sit. I attempted to message her via SMS, but realized later my international SIM might have caused issues. When I finally reached her through the THS platform, she stated my dogs had barked all night, keeping her and her family awake. This was particularly frustrating as I had informed her about recent disruptions affecting my dogs’ sleep patterns and would have offered solutions if I had known there was an issue.

Concerns about Dog Welfare: My biggest concern arose after our return. Three neighbors independently informed me that the sitter had left my dogs in the backyard in January, with temperatures around -7 celsius, and then had not brought them back into the house. My dogs are short-haired and senior, making them highly vulnerable to such cold. This was particularly upsetting as she later reviewed my dogs negatively, claiming they barked all day, which contradicts leaving them outside for extended periods.

Impact on My Dog’s Health: Upon our return, my dog Willow was uncharacteristically clingy, mopey, and wouldn’t eat. She’s normally energetic and enthusiastic about meals. After a vet visit, she was diagnosed with IMHA (Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia), a condition that can lay dormant until triggered by stress. While I can’t definitively link it to the sit, the timing and Willow’s symptoms were concerning. A month before this she had bloodwork done for surgery to have a few teeth extracted. The tests came back to her being healthy. In such a short period such big changes in her health.

Review and Reporting Issues:

  • The sitter left a 2-star review for my dogs, calling them “bad” and saying they barked all night and day.
  • I had already submitted my initial review (and a subsequent one) before learning about my dogs being left outside, so I couldn’t update or edit my reviews with this critical information.
  • When I reported the incident of my dogs being left in the cold to THS, they stated they needed video evidence and would not accept neighbor testimony. The sitter was given a warning and told her profile would be monitored.
  • Subsequently, the sitter wrote a second review claiming THS had conducted a “formal investigation” on me and that I was “malicious and dishonest.” I reported this immediately, and THS removed her review the same day and issued her another warning.
  • Then again 4 months after the dog sit she wrote another review since her first was removed. This review stated that remedial action was taken on me by THS. And again that portion of her review was removed by THS. Showing me her true colours. I had a gut feeling when I agreed to her sit. Ive learned to now listen to.

Lessons Learned and Advice for Other Homeowners:

Based on this experience, here are my strongest recommendations:

  1. Consider Outdoor Video Surveillance: While I never thought I would need this, I now strongly advise having external video surveillance to monitor the safety and well-being of your pets, especially if they spend time outside. This can provide irrefutable evidence in unfortunate situations.
  2. Maintain Meticulous Records: Keep copies of ALL communications – emails, THS messages, SMS (if applicable). This evidence was crucial in my reports to THS. Document dates, times, and any discrepancies.
  3. Be Prepared for Unforeseen Issues: Even with thorough vetting, bad experiences can happen. Discuss emergency plans, vet contacts, and any specific behaviors or needs of your pets extensively before the sit.
  4. Understand THS’s Evidence Requirements: Be aware that for serious allegations, THS often requires hard evidence like photos or videos. Witness accounts, while important to you, may not be sufficient for their formal investigations.

While THS agents were polite in our interactions, the limitations on what they could do without specific types of evidence were clear. I hope sharing my experience helps other homeowners be better prepared and protect their beloved pets.

Has anyone else had similar experiences or have additional advice to share?

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I’m so sorry this was your first experience it sounds pretty awful, however a few questions from me as a sitter who has sat a mini dachshund in the past that barked all night and I became sleep deprived over 10 days. Dogs behave differently sometimes with sitters. Have you ever left your dogs before this sitter ?

  1. Can I ask if you had a video chat with your sitter prior to choosing them? This would’ve been a crucial part of the process for establishing important aspects of the sit. As sitters we never confirm a sit until after this stage of the process. 1/2 the time to date we’ve declined after the discussion as not a good match.
  2. Did you discuss during the video chat leaving/arriving arrangements? Often a sitter has timings important for arriving or getting to the next sit/location so a HO can agree to arrange a neighbour to be on hand if the hours are too long to leave the pet. We’ve got a sit coming up where we leave on the airplane the HOs arrive home on- so it’s a 4/5 hour gap which a neighbour will cover. But importantly we discussed and found a mutually happy solution. Again the video chat is all important for these things.
  3. Your SIM would’ve shown up as unrecognised- I ignore these numbers as typically they’re cold calls/scams. You’ve learnt something here… btw ESIMs allow you to keep your own mobile number.
  4. Did the sitter agree to only leaving your dogs the 2 hours at a time? This sounds more like a paid sit than a balanced THS sit as the sitter wouldn’t be able to explore the area at all? Again this needed to be discussed and also maybe arrange for neighbours to help so that the sitter could go out for 4 hours maybe?
    I don’t want to overload you and no blaming here just a few pointers for the future maybe as I’m only speculating about what may/may not have been agreed. Good luck with your next sitter.
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I can very much understand your concern, and that you describe it in a factual way is good.

To me it seems like these things would not have happened with an experienced sitter with many 5* reviews, but ofc I can be wrong and there is a possibility that some members (hosts and sitters) manage to go under the radar, so the speak, and getting good reviews they don’t deserve.

Some of the things the sitter is said to have done is unsettling to me, and I can’t help but to think that the dogs might have been put outside because they barked, which in such a case would be horrible. But I’ll try not to jump to conclusions.

@BonnyinBrighton has good insights to try to investigate what happened and what could be learning points for the future.

I always discuss exact times for arrival and departure, and couldn’t dream of not following that agreement unless something happened, but even so I would notify the host. So far I’ve never had to alter agreements on times, luckily.

Having several ways of contact is a good idea. I usually use WhatsApp in addition to THS and also phone, e-mail. WhatsApp for the everyday messages, I document things important to our agreement by THS message (because WhatsApp messages can be deleted by other party) and would use phone, e-mail for urgent messages or if I wasn’t read or answered in WhatsApp.

I hope the sitters previous hosts left honest and factual reviews also, although she could have behaved differently or not being found out. At the same time keeping in mind that there could be different opinions on what was agreed.

Did you have a videocall and discuss timing, expectations of communication during sit and such?What kind of sitter was this. Was it an experienced sitter with good reviews?

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The issue with a foreign SIM number is that as a sitter I’d probably not accept a WhatsApp message if I didn’t recognise the number or have it in my contacts. The HO could’ve sent the new number via THS messages or updated the Welcome Guide perhaps or contacted a neighbour to let the sitter know the new contact number. All of these are good learning points I think.
I’ve just noticed that it was a family sitting… so the dogs might’ve reacted to the increased activity/noise/conversation levels compared to the owners but again just speculating…..

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Can anyone answer this question for me. The OP states that the sitter wrote another review 4 months after the first one and it sounds like it was also posted. I thought you only have so many days to write a review. Also if you can write a 2nd review wouldn’t that cancel out blind reviews.

My question to the OP. You stated the barking kept her and her family up. How many were on this sit? What were the ages of the kids if there were any.
Are your dogs stressed from young kids? Leaving 6 hours early. Did you tell her what time you are arriving home and just assumed she will wait till you arrive as you are a new host and assumed that’s how it works. If the sitter was not new she should have discussed with you departure time with you before you left for your trip. If driving late a night was a problem maybe offering her to stay another night was a solution. Sorry your first experience was not a good one.

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We can only write one review each @Seniorsitter. What I believe the OP is referring to as “another review” is actually the response to her review. The OP successfully had the sitter’s original response removed thereby opening it up again for the sitter to respond 4 months later.

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I feel very sorry for you @shelleybean. I do believe you have raised your difficult dog sitting experience before on the Forum but have documented it more this time around.

I wonder whether this sitter (and family) were your only applicants and rather than not get a sitter and have to pay to board your dogs or use a paid sitter, you chose them with perhaps some concerns.

It’s not clear whether you had a video chat with the sitter prior to you both confirming the sit. If not, hopefully you have learnt to do this now for future sits.

I am also interested as to whether you provide a comprehensive Welcome Guide or similar document for your sitter well before the commencement of the sit. Reading Point 3 in Lessons Learned makes me think perhaps you don’t. Sitters can’t be expected to remember everything they are told verbally. It is up to the owner to provide clear, comprehensive written information on all aspects of a sit so that sitters can do their very best.

A response to a review can be written at any time. Where you successfully had one response removed from under your review of the sitter, this then allowed her to write another one 4 months later.

I do hope Willow is back to her normal happy self and that going forward, your next sitters will restore your faith in THS.

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Thank you for explaining that.

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The key thing is actually to listen to your gut — don’t leave your pets or home with someone (or accept a sit) if you’re getting bad signals as a host (or sitter). Everyone should have fallback plans, so they’re not stuck last minute, too.

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This!!

Gut feelings are intuition yells.

We had a lady we had to cancel the sit the day of (and lose all of our flights/hotel/etc) because she said she wanted to keep our then three pets locked in the bathroom!!! When confronted she said she didn’t mean they’d be locked away all day.

We cancelled then and there. She said the quiet part out loud and the loud part louder.

Lesson learned.

If the shoe doesn’t fit don’t force yourself to wear it.

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That’s scary. Sorry you had to cancel your vacation but good thing you found that out before you left. I would report her. She should not be on the platform. She clearly does not like animals and is looking for a free place to stay.

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My comment was for Ckone above.

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I’m so sorry this happened to you and I hope your pets are well.

Did ths remove said person from the platform?

I ask because some people see ths ads and think, “oh free stays!” Instead of “what a cool mutual agreement, I care for cute pets and I get to go somewhere comfy while I travel!”

Folks in the first category shouldn’t be sitting for listings where animal care is required (I say this because we have seen the odd pet-less home once in a blue seeking a sitter.) Pet endangerment goes against everything THS stands for.

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I didn’t report her, sadly it was before blind reviews. A lot of folks (me included) let things slip then to not have their listings or profiles tarnished for retaliation.

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Yes, thank you. That’s exactly right. That was what i meant.

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This sounds like a terrible experience. I’m so sorry you (and your pets) had to go through it!

While there are unfortunately some less-than-worthy sitters who don’t take the commitment as seriously as they should, there are lots of great ones out here as well!!

I hope that the lessons learned have the result that external cameras are never again necessary.

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Horrible experience for your dogs, for sure.

I just wonder why none of the neighbors did anything to ensure your dogs’ safety? 3 neighbors were aware of your dogs out in the cold?

My next door neighbor has a dachshund, and if he was left outside in the cold, I would wonder what was going on.

I would call my neighbor on the phone, knock on my neighbor’s door to talk to him, and/or collect the dog if needed and take him into my warm home.

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I’m sorry you had a bad experience and that THS wasn’t much help. It sounds like the sit would have been a difficult one given that these are senior dogs who can’t be left alone for more than 2 hours. That alone might make THS not the best choice as sitters don’t get paid and are doing this in exchange for travel accomodations. Many sitters have to work and want to explore the areas so most wouldn’t take your sit.

I’m not sure how helpful your takeaways are. (1) No sitter wants to be “surveilled.” Why would they? Most sitters will tolderate outdoor cameras which are allowed but usually they are there because they homeowner wants them for security – not to watch the sitter. Even if THS had accepted your evidence based on the neighbor’s observation, the most they would have done is to suspend the account. A strongly worded review will probably do as much to warn other homeowners and is your best course of action in this situation.
(2) Records are important, but what’s even more important is to make sure all communication on both sides is clear before the sit and make sure your sitters have a great site history. If there are any less than 5 star reviews, ask about them to get an idea of what happened and what was learned.
(3) Unforseen events can always happen. In this case one of the unforeseen events was that you weren’t able to recieve communication for a while. Imagine how that would feel to a sitter! So maybe setting up alternative means of communication or thinking of another person the sitter can contact if they can’t reach you. As a practical matter, your neighbors should have had a way to communicate with you so they could have warned you about the conditions.

Most people aren’t planning for “formal investigations.” I sit for fun. I stay at lovely homes in places where I want to be and enjoy the company of great pets. I have requirements as well – cleanliness, pet behavior that is as described so I know what to expect, a comfortable bed, a working kitchen, etc. If I felt a homeowner was already planning for some disasterous aftermath, I wouldn’t take the sit.

Setting up all of these criteria, won’t help you to find the right sitter, and that’s what you need. Not contingency plans for later complaints. You can’t risk it.

I have cats now. Our last dog wouldn’t have had the temperament for Trusted Housesitters. She lived to a ripe old age and the last couple of years we had her, we didn’t travel much, but sometimes we had to so we went to a kennel. Even finding the “right” kennel was difficult. I know you paid for membership but membership really just entitles you to the service of the exchange, the services themselves are free, and a free service may not be enough for your dogs.

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Also want to add that I understand the THS policy of not revising reviews, but sometimes the consequences are not good. One takeaway is probably to wait at least few days and make sure everything really is okay before writing a review. We would all benefit from doing that.

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I’m sorry to hear of your experience. This certainly seems like this sitter and your sit were not a good match . There are hundred of great sits happening every day . There are thousands of sitters who would never ever do that.

We are sitters who have completed 30+ sits , we would never abandon pets or leave dogs out in the cold . We sometimes have extended our stay if hosts were delayed getting home. We have many offers of repeat sits . We are also very selective about which sits we apply for . For example we won’t apply for a sit where the pet can’t be left alone for more than 2 -3 hours.

Your post is addressed to owners and so I will add to this to other hosts reading this .
Hosts need to be very selective too - Amongst the applications you receive Look for sitters with a good history of reviews, (maybe even repeat sits ) experience with your breed of pet or with similar behaviours ( such as reactive, nervous , anxious etc ) and for their motivation to want to do your sit ( visiting family in the area, working from home , cycling , hiking etc ) If anything doesn’t match what you are looking for it’s best to pass and look for another sitter or alternative care of your pets .

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