Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words!
Great advice to move the medication administration experience to the âMy Experienceâ section. Thank you!
Hi,
Just to throw in my 2 pennothâŚ
âyou may get to a point where you withdraw an application if the host doesnât respond within 72 or 48 hours but youâre not there yet.â
I canât say I agree in any degree with the sentiment of âyouâre not there yetâ !
Fast forward (past background/ venting) to my last paragraph.
Background/venting âŚ
I have been on TH for 3 to 4 years now and absolutely love it. I have built up all five star reviews and now Iâm fairly confident when I apply that I will stand a good chance of being accepted.
Obviously, I was a newbie once. We all have to start somewhere.
My advice is to put effort into your application . In my view, the application is even more closely read than your profile will be.
My applications are always personalised.
I read the profile/job/ RESPONSIBILITIES several times so I understand exactly what Iâm applying for.
I then ask questions, which HOâs have always acknowledged and appreciated as evidence of my real interest in the animals and the house.
I like to know what the average day will look like; e.g. can I walk a dog without a lead and without transport?
In essence, are there proper walking routes starting from their home; isolated from traffic and thus safe for unleashed dogs.
At least half of the dogs I walk (all of them adorable) are not well lead trained. Consequently, Itâs me being taken for a walk and the dog is almost throttling itself. Not a happy place for either of us and not what I want as a dog sitting experience.
I close the application by respectfully requesting a confirmation that they have received my application and additionally an approximate timescale of when they will choose a sitter. The vast majority answer almost immediately and give me a time scale.
As time has gone on I realise that a very small minority of HOâs donât answer and are inconsiderate; either waiting for more applications or ⌠well, Iâm not sure - just canât be bothered perhaps.
Twice recently I have withdrawn my application after 3 days. I donât give any reason why; either because Iâm not moved to put any more effort into this transaction or perhaps because what I say will be passive aggressive.
On both these occasions, the HOâs contacted me to apologise for not responding sooner.
Their reasons (BOTH of them exactly the same) they had been away and had only just seen my application. They had been out of the country.
The first of these excuses is frankly rubbish (itâs a lie actually) as I had a âreadâ stamp within hours/ a day of my application being sent.
The second - does anyone leave the country without the means of digital communication, or travel to an overseas district with absolutely no comms? Call me cynical 
Again BOTH of the HOâs asked me whether I would still be interested, but I declined, siting a lack of courtesy communication as a red flag to me.
Last para
So - donât feel bad about withdrawing any applications if you have heard nothing within an acceptable time. In my view the HO is being very inconsiderate AND this applies across all applications and is immaterial regardless of whether you are a regular sitter or new to TH.
Please donât feel as a newbie sitter that they are doing you a favour. TH is completely two way - a win-win situation .
Both parties have to act with consideration and respect. Both parties should both expect and have a positive experience.
With your profile, which is excellent, you will soon get plenty of applications accepted, within reasonable timescales by considerate and respectful homeowners.
End of minor rant
3 Likes
Excellent advice-filled and much appreciated rant! 
I will definitely submit future applications with questions that are not answered. As someone that has used other sharing platforms (Airbnb, HomeAway, etc..) I meticulously study the listing, photos and reviews and I (perhaps falsely) assume others do the same on this platform. Kindly asking for an acknowledgment of the application and a timeframe for decision is a great idea. No response, in my opinion, is a response. While I do understand HOs may be in the process of collecting applications for review, I donât think itâs too much to ask for a quick âThank you for your application. We are reviewing several application and intend to make a decision by X dateâ isnât too much to ask. Thank you again!