My wife and I have been willing pet lovers for many years. We are now petless, but looking forward to loving and caring for the pets of others as an opportunity to travel, meet new people and stay engaged with life.
We have 3 sits lined up for the summer and are eagerly anticipating each one as a new adventure.
Having said how excited we are about the THS opportunities, I did some research on the forum and used many of the tips there to help select sits that we would be most happy with. Based on sitter feedback, we have been staying away from sits that:
Specify the animal(s) cannot be left alone for more than a few hours and must be left in a closed room with the door closed when the sitters are not there. This sounds like a pet that may not be housebroken or may have tendency to destroy furniture or property. I’m sorry if that’s your dog, but we aren’t animal trainers and we are not keen to contemplate a sit that involves non house trained dogs. Be happy to help you house break a puppy, we’ve done several of those, but sitting an animal that isn’t house trained or house friendly just isn’t what we’re interested in.
We’re looking forward to meeting new friends and animals this summer and planning on a long term sit in the winter of 2022 or spring of 2023.
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Hello @loventhis welcome to our community forum and to TrustedHousesitters and congratulations on having three sits in place for the summer, where will you be sitting and what pets will you be keeping company?
Doing research and managing needs and expectations is so important, applying for the right sit and having clear communication between everyone involved is the key to success, the forum is a great information resource and if you can’t find the answer then ask the question. In addition to the forum there are many great articles on the website blog …
Enjoy connecting with members from around the world and we look forward to sharing in your new THS adventure.
Angela and the Team
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In order of sitting - we’ll be about 3 weeks in Olympia, Washington looking after a dog and a cat, moving later to Alberta to look after an older dog with med needs for about 3 weeks in August and then sitting a dog and a desert tortoise for 2 weeks in Arizona.
In between, we will be visiting some friends and relatives in Canada and also taking our cyclekart to a couple of events between sits. (see cyclekart photo attached). Cyclekarts are also a fun way for us retired folk to have some fun.
Dave & Sherri
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Welcome Davensheri, I’m lookong forward to retiring and being able to housesit as well. I have no pets now either as preparing for the time when i am able to housesit others and currently look after dogs in my own home when people go away, just dogs from one home at a time only so atm have a lovely vizsla we have had a few times before as her parents are off to france for a month.
I was intrigued by your interpretation re dogs who the owners would rsther not be left for a period or who have what I’d call a dog room.
Having had pets for 62 years, many dogs and also show, train, and do dog sports, it has been my experience that the majority of people heavily involved woth dog activities very often prefer their animals.not left for very long periods and also have one or more dog rooms for them. These are highly trained, definitely house-trained, and very well cared for and loved animals. It is often just the way they are looked after as with crating as well.
I completely understand this is not something you are comfortable with. Im afraid i am an owner who will not leave a youngish dog for more than 3 or 4 hours and an oldie who sleeps a lot for maybe 6 hours or so. I am glad you mentioned it as it does give me another way of seeing what interpretation could be made if i said so if i were looking for a sitter at some time in the future .
Hi Davensheri
Welcome. We all have different standards. In my case I would call them comfort zones. My big one is animals do not share my bed. My bed is sacred!
Re pets being left alone in specific rooms. Some of the reason owners put a time limit on is their dog, or animal, is used to a lot of human interaction. I have noticed that this has become more and more important because of Covid. People have spent huge periods of time at home.
Having dog rooms makes sense to me. When I had pets when my family were growing up I always had a dog/child free room in my house. It was the “good” room where I could always guarantee it was clean, tidy and respectable if uninvited visitors appeared. The children were allowed in if they were washed, dressed in their Sunday best and not eating anything. The rest of the house was clean but had a “lived in look”, my mother in laws words. I liked that “look” but the Priest might not have appreciated dogs hairs and sticky sweeties all over his garb.
This is a good reminder to maybe mention in my listing that my dog does sleep on the bed with me (not under the sheets though!). That way sitters will know what to expect.
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All the dogs i care for are in the bed unless the owner states that there is another arrangement. I ask fro a novel…lol…of instructions so I don’t upset the routine .
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