I’ve got a 5 day trip coming up in 10 days and have had no applicants! We have great reviews (and rave reviews for the dog) and the posting has been up for months… and yet, nothing. I boosted it last week… crickets.
Any advice on how to get an applicant or two?
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First, I suggest adding a link to your listing in the forum profile, so we can see it!
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To follow up on @Lassie 's suggestion, here are the instructions: adding link to your profile
You may also want to edit your post (click pencil below what you wrote) to provide location - country & city/town - to allow sitters to easily identify if they can be of any help. Remember, there are people in places all over the world reading this forum 
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Leo looks like a sweetie and your home is lovely too.
You have lots of great information in your listing but maybe you could describe a little more about whether people can leave Leo alone and if so for how long. Also does he like going out in the car, could he tag along on outings.
What time does Leo usually wake up and how long are the 5 walks you take him on roughly.
Those were just a few questions I would have if I was looking at your listing, unfortunately I am in Canada and not heading that way.
Good luck it looks like a great sit.
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Please follow the instructions I provided in the link in my earlier reply. The forum does not allow listings to be directly added to posts. Please delete that from your post. Thank you.
Francine,
Voluntary Forum Moderator
You might add practical information about transportation, e.g., whether you can include use of a car and/or whether a car is needed. (Likely the case.) Car rentals are so expensive right now that they’re often more expensive than a hotel stay in a walkable area.
Also, since the area just got hit with a blizzard, it makes sense to include information about that and any shoveling/plowing issues.
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Your ad is good. One detail that I often find to be lacking is if the walks are necessary pee/p00p walks or just for fun. (A dog sitting site won’t let me use that word?!?!? LOL) It appears that you have a fenced in backyard, so I would be wondering if all the walks were necessities.
And if you didn’t know it, your ad will start to be promoted within a few days of the sit. It gets the Last Minute tag and will gain visibility. One of the problems with the site is simply seeing all the openings out there. For me, if I don’t see the sit when it first posted, I’m probably going to miss it.
Sadly, I’m not too far from you, but I’ll still be on my current sit.
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Thanks for the feedback. We’ve had a number of amazing sitters, many of whom we’re still in contact with, so just wondering if it’s this date.
Will definitely take your feedback into consideration… …I’m starting to panic a bit, lol.
I see from other responses that your dog needs to be walked 5 times a day. That May be one issue….
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Hi Paperboy, From what others have said I would not apply for a sit that said five walks a day. Morning and afternoon/evening should be enough. I would be happy for a dog to be with me all day though, if doing coastal walks or something like that. Good Luck.
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Hi there, I don’t know whether it’s the covid or what ATM, I have posted a sit for end of May, no one seems interested and I’ve not had any applicants…… I’m not panicking as yet as it is still some months away……
Hi @Folder13 I’m not in the UK, so can’t be of any help in doing the sit. However, I did take a look at your listing. As a solo sitter, with you having three dogs, I would wonder whether they can be walked together by one person. Also, an indication of how long - time or distance - their usual walks are would help sitter(s) decide whether they might be a good match for the sit.
As for timing, I do think that many sitters - and I realize not all - are waiting until closer to dates than before. I know that’s the case for me. I’m also primarily looking close to home, so I’m drastically limiting my options. If others are doing the same, then that does reduce the number of sitters who otherwise may have applied in times gone by.
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@Foldor13 , wow, two Agas! How wonderful. I see from what your last sitter wrote that it’s fairly easy to walk all three of your dogs together. You could add this info to your listing. I agree with @Snowbird that people may not be booking that far ahead. It’s great that shops are within walking distance. You might also say that a sitter can get along fine without a car if that’s the case. When I get to the UK that will be a big selling point for me.
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Hi @Snowbird thanks for your reply.
The dogs can be walked by one person, I do their morning walk by myself every morning and my husband often does the afternoon walk by himself, and my husband is away from home several times a year so it’s just me with them then. However we would prefer to have two people sit with them, as it is quite a big old house and us being with the dogs in the house on our own is different to someone who doesn’t know them or the house dealing with everything By themselves.
I will have another look at my listing and explain more about their walks… They are really flexible and I have loads of detail in the info pack that I leave at home, and I always discuss it with potential sitters, but I can see that an indication in the listing might help potential sitters…
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Good plan. It’s more to avoid a potential sitter from passing you by, because of lack of that information.
I’ve updated the listing so hopefully covered everything now!
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@Paperboy415 we have shared your listing across our social channels and and can do so again if necessary … hopefully your boy will find a new best friend very soon.
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I have all of that info in the welcome book. Seems a little excessive for the initial pitch, but I’m willing to try it. Thanks.
This conversation has me glad that my cats don’t need to be walked (and yes, I used to have a cat that went on walks with us). We also used to have outdoor cats that would leave us bird “gifts” on our front porch. How would one describe that practice (both the gift-giving and cleaning up said gift?)
Good luck, @Paperboy415 and @Foldor13!
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Hi @Foldor13
I have had a look at your listing and you have great responses from everyone about the dogs and car.
May I just add my own perspective which you may not want to hear?
Your home looks cosy and lived in but I do like to have space to put my own stuff especially in the kitchen. Perhaps if you put all your essentials away and took replacement photos of the living and kitchen areas to show more space for the sitter.
Your rocking horse looks great but I know that I would trip over it if I got up in the night. Maybe that could be moved too?
I hope that you don’t take offence but other sitters may feel the same as me
Good luck
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