Anyone else not having any applications?
A number of other hosts have posted here experiencing the same issue as you @lallstom. Use the spyglass to search or scroll down the Owner Questions thread where you have posted this.
It is a month sit in a rural environment and you state a car is essential. That eliminates many that travel with no vehicle. If you offer a car you will have a better chance of attracting applicants. It doesn’t sound like there is public transportation near you.
Read that wrong, the sit is for a few short days. That can be worse.
I think in your particular case, there’s a couple of things that could be preventing your listing from getting applicants. So do not take this the wrong way, I just hope it helps.
You’ve ticked to say “Jessie needs a total of 2 hours walking per day”, that’s the precise wording of it, however:
2 hours is a lot of walking for a 10 year old dog that has joint problems, and a huge amount of walking for a human 7 days per week with it looking hilly.
Some sitters would rule themselves out feeling they don’t match your needs. So perhaps a 45 minute walk twice per day plus a loo break would do? Only you know your pet, or even 1 hour per day to open up your audience even more.
Also, you class it as VERY rural. Some will class VERY rural as being isolated and remote, with no shops within a reasonable car journey, which sitters find incredibly hard for basic food shopping, so a lot just won’t apply.
However, I can see villages in one of your images (I’ve also been to Denbigh before). If there is the odd food shop within say 20 mins by car, then change tweak the wording of very rural, I wouldn’t even use rural, as some don’t understand what it actually means. Instead replace rural with words like scenic, picturesque, amazing views, etc. Some think just the word rural on it’s own means isolated, so I’d avoid it, so it’s not lost in translation.
Also, I’d swap the word obedient for well-behaved, you will sound warmer as a person, because people sit for those they warm to.
Your title has “very rural”, 'hill", and “obedient” in it, so all three could be putting sitters off, and not many would have heard of Moel Fammau unless they live locally. So instead of:
“Very rural house on the hill leading to moel fammau . Very easy obedient dog”
Try something like:
“Pretty Garden with Beautiful Scenic Views, and a Well Behaved Dog.”
Looks like a nice sit but there are a lot of asks for short sits and 3 pets plus an obligatory car. Short sits are not being filled as THS wants a booking fee off the sitter of £9, can you offer to pay that for them? You have a few other blockers that you could remove. The 2 hours a day walking is a lot. (we have 5 working labs and they only walk 45 mins a day plus pee breaks and time in the garden). Can you reduce that time to an hour and then chat with sitters about the routine? You want someone to arrive in a specific hour time frame for a 2 night sit, can you change that to TBD (albeit you have applicants for that one)? Where is the closest shop/pub/cafe as that adds interest for the sitter? Could you get groceries delivered and pick the sitter up from a nearby train or bus station and. make that work? Could you lend them a car? What is there to do near you other than the many walks? All these things will help attract more sitters and open up your pool of applicants. Put yourself in the shoes of the sitter and think "why would this person want to come and look after my animals for free?’ and add the attractive points to your sit. Hope this all helps & best of luck. #sittweaks
Thanks everyone I will do some alterations But our dog is used to 2 one hour walks despite her joint problems , 2 years ago it was 4 hours walking a day ! We enjoy walking !
It maybe possible to leave a car , I will think about that one.
Thankyou all
@lallstom As you have May/June 2027 dates advertised, the 2 hours daily walking could well change by then depending on your dog’s health issues.
Pets sleeping in bed is a no go for me, besides everything else that was mentioned.
I don’t see a month sit, the op has 3 sets of dates, the first is in reviewing, no applicants for a short November sit and 1 applicant for next summer. I don’t see any reason to be concerned
That’s what I said in the post just underneath my first. I said I read it wrong.
Hi Iailstom, I certainly would not be put off by two hour walks etc. Earlier in the year I was walking a 14 year old that required two hours a day. Frequently walked longer as we would go walking over Dartmoor, which also has rough terrain in places. So, quite often out for several hours although we did have breaks. The previous year I was walking a 15 year old ans also in the Dartmoor area and again a couple of days out for several hours. They were always alert and eager. If any signs of not, I would have stopped and then turned back. But younger dogs I have walked all day with, if in scenic locations such as long coast paths to explore etc. There are lots of people who enjoy walking and would be happy with a doggy companion, for two hour walks or more.
Thanks for that . It depends on the dog and what they are used to . Our house is ideal for someone who loves walking on the hills , not so much if you like a flat walk with a dog on lead .
I’m with @Visit here, we wouldn’t be put off by 2 hours walks, hills or rural. This is the sort of sit we might well apply for if the dates worked for us.