I’ve only used Trusted House Sitters once and had a wonderful sitter. I’m planning a trip next February 2025 and no one has shown any interest yet. Is it too early to post?
Hi there! Hmm, it might be a bit early yet, but some sitters also book many months or even a year in advance - I have! If you post the link to your sit in your bio, I’m happy to give it a read for you and suggest any possible improvements if you think that might help?
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I hope the link works.
Removed generic ‘preview’ link and added added listing link to members forum profile
Hello @Annette_Carolida Thank you for joining the forum to get some help and advice. It’s lovely to have you here.
The link you tried to share for your THS listing was not your personal THS link (it just goes to a generic preview page)
No worries at all as I am on hand to help 
I have added your correct listing link to your forum profile. Please click on your user name and you will see the link. As a new forum user, it won’t yet hyperlink your listing, but you can copy and paste the link into a browser and other members can also view it that way and give you some helpful tips!
Anything else let me know.
Carla
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In general I would say that it’s still very, very early to think about Feb’25 sits, except if you’re posting a long sit (e.g. a few months) for which you want to secure someone now
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No, it’s not too early to post, we’ve got three sits organised for 2025 so far, in January, March, and June 2025. As we like to plan ahead for certain locations near where our family lives.
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Great, it worked, thanks for sharing the link. Here are my suggestions for you:
1: Title.
Your title doesn’t need to mention that you are seeking a dog and house sitter, as everyone viewing your listing is already a sitter and knows what they’re here for. Instead, try a title that attracts attention and lets sitters know why they should sit for you. E.g: “Enjoy the relaxing, quaint village of Leduc with my dogs.”
2: profile pictures matter - a picture of a random room in your home won’t do much to stop sitters from scrolling straight past your listing. Instead, try a more striking image that acts as click bait and showcases what’s on offer (e.g: the picture of the birds on the lake, or the nice image of nature in your town). Think about what would make you stop and click on an advert.
3: Intro:
Your opening sentence should ideally hook readers, and again clearly define what is on offer. Starting with “my name is… and my job is… etc” doesn’t help a reader immediately understand why they should choose you. It’s good idea to start with a strong opener such as “Do you want to experience a relaxing stay in a peaceful village that offers picturesque walks, nature and small village life?” Then this is the sit for you! Hi, I’m (name) and I’m looking for somebody who’s happy to keep my dogs company in this quaint Canadian town" - etc.
3: You provide lovely info about the town and area, but nothing about your home. Can you briefly describe your home to help sitters get a better sense of what do expect?
4: Responsibilities:
This section is far too long and detailed, and a lot of it can be saved for your welcome guide instead. You need to make your listing be evenly skewed - If a sitter sees not much info in the home and location section about why they should sit for you, and LOTS of info about the responsibilities, your listing will likely remain unsuccessful. As a sitter, I need to clearly and simply understand tasks rather than be given essays and backstories. E.g:
- Feed dogs morning and evening, and give treats
- Walk dogs twice daily morning and afternoon for up to 20 minutes per walk
- water plants & collect mail
Ideally looking for somebody who:
- can handle reactive dogs, as one of my dogs can be reactive on walks to other dogs
- happy for my dogs to sleep in the bed with you
- Happy to not leave them for long periods
Hope that helps!
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Hi Carla, thank you. How do I copy and paste my actual listing? Is it just what I see when I login?
Thank you so much for your detailed suggestions and for taking the time to help me 
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Great advice from @Nagy26.
It’s early but not too early. I would just leave the listing up and see what happens. If you know your dates, then all good. We have booked sitters as early as 8-9 months out and also as near as a few weeks and last minute replacements a week out In another instance. There’s no hard and fast rule and people plan differently.
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No problem, glad I could help! 
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I’ve made some changes. I also notice that the format has changed somewhat from when I originally posted. Thank you again for your suggestions.
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Thank you!
It’s not too early to post, but it’s way too early to start worrying! Many sitters don’t plan more than a couple of months out except for long sits.
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Hi @Annette_Carolida I’ve just taken a look at your listing and can see you have made some of the suggested changes and your listing reads very well! & I like all the points.
Another suggestion- you mention in two places not to leave the dogs for too long. But ‘too long’ is subjective. Could you give a time range e.g no more than 3/4 hours?
The only thing that would really put me off is that your dogs sleep in the bed with you. For us that’s a no go especially if by ‘in bed’ you mean under the covers with you. But ofcourse that’s very personal & some sitters don’t mind at all- so its good you mention that point upfront so those that don’t like won’t apply.
Also your dates are almost a year away.
Re- dates- Many sitters, ourselves included, would not be looking for sits in 2025 till a lot nearer the time. So absolutely no need to worry at this point. And some sitters do like to book ahead so be patient and your perfect sitter will appear at some point!
Good to know - thank you!
Thank you! I made the changes that you suggested. Thank you for those. And also, it’s good to know that I don’t need to panic yet, since I’m not leaving until next February. But… at the same time, I hope someone will want to come to Alberta in the middle of winter…brrrrrr… It was somewhat mild but we did have a nasty cold snap (-50) Thank you again.
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@Annette_Carolida, I think it’s way too early to panic, but you probably should have a backup plan as you get closer. Alberta in the winter walking two large dogs, one of whom is reactive, and possibly shoveling snow, will be too much for a lot of sitters. You might find one who lives within a short drive who will do it for the review.
Things you could do to make your sit more attractive in winter:
- You’re very near Edmonton Airport, I’d point that out.
- Offer to pick them up at the airport and the use of your car
- Arrange for snow shovelling/snowblowing
- Consider offering to hire a dog walker
If you’re willing to do any of these, mention it prominently in your introduction. Maybe even mention the availability of a car in your title.
Your listing currently mentions mostly things to do that are summer things. No one is going to actually enjoy walking the dogs in the park when the temps are below zero, and obviously no one is going to be watching the ducks and geese there or golfing at that time of year. For this sit, mention things like great local restaurants within a short drive, the movie theater, anything that is going to be happening in Edmonton at that time – maybe museums? Ice sculptures? If you have photos of how beautiful the area looks in winter, add those.
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I think it is a little early for a sit of this duration. Generally I would only commit that far out for a longer sit in a location I would like to go. That said, you are near my son’s hockey team and if they were playing during that time and it would be okay if he joined me I would check it out.
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Thank you mam1996t. Let me know if you’d like to meet and see what you think.