I have only had sits in Europe, and have so far been able to be out all day - 6-8 hours. A possible explanation could be what pietkulp suggests, that many sits go quite quickly, so the listings that linger on are the unpopular ones - for instance rural/ require car, many pets/ tasks and not being able to leave home much.
I would think Venice is such a desirable location that if a listing lingers on it is probably red flags somewhere.
I work remotely and enjoy booking sits to change up my scenery during the week. I don’t mind dogs who need more attention during the week but would avoid those sits over weekends. As others have said, just pass on sits that don’t appeal to you.
I am a solo pet sitter who enjoys having a dog with me 24/7 as long as the dog can go for hikes, ride in a car, and is not reactive to other dogs. I look for sits in the mountains, National Forests where dogs are permitted, or near beaches where I can explore with a dog at my side. I don’t care-for sits in big cities or suburban areas. If I want to sight see I might arrive a day or two early to do so.
It might happen that you can’t find sits that match your needs if you have narrow location parameters. But THS doesn’t require hosts to change their pets’ needs to meet any prospective sitter’s needs. There’s no requirement for X numbers of minimum hours for a sitter to sightsee, etc. Nor does THS guarantee that you’ll find whatever you prefer, even if narrowly drawn.
If you’re not finding what you want, maybe let your membership lapse and see whether you can find sits you want via other platforms or methods.
THS sits obviously work for many people. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be joining or renewing. But no business is a fit for everyone.
Sitters have to be as scrupulous in screening sits and HOs as vice versa. Read the listing carefully and ask questions, especially about things you’re concerned about such as how much time you can be away. Listen to what the HO says and how they say it. Trust your gut and say No if something doesn’t feel right.
I once applied for a sit and asked the HO about public transit to get around town since I wouldn’t have a car. She took great offense and told me that the sit was “not a holiday” and that her home was not a hotel that I’d be paying for so I shouldn’t expect or ask for anything but just be there at her home to do what was needed. I pointed out that the TH home page literally says “ The freedom to travel - Discover free & unique homestays around the world, in exchange for caring for adorable pets” (and I think back at the time this happened the home page message was even more oriented to “free lodging while you travel”). And she still told me I was wrong about how TH worked, that sitters shouldn’t expect anything, and I was a nasty person she’d never want doing a sit for her, because I politely said she was misunderstanding the TH service. She told me that she knew all about it and that I was the one who misunderstood how it worked.
So in all, a bullet dodged not sitting for that gem! It was very early in my tenure here so I really did wonder if this service would work for me. But people like her are outliers.
I am one of the kind of the sitter I enjoy staying 100% with pets. Sometimes I just want a safe place to stay and work and having pets around and caring for them is fine to me. I like staying longer in places I have Visa for that but sometimes just traveling all the time is tiring plus sometimes I need to focus on my work as I ma digital nomad. So those kinda of sit suits me really well. There’s options for everyone just need to find it. Plus some long sits u can also have a conversation with the host maybe they can arrange a person for 1 day for u be able to travel for example
Thanks @Sasafer - not sure that the reply was for us but for the OP perhaps? Totally agree something for everyone. We’re like you and are digital nomads so homebodies a lot of the time. It is as @Garfield says though, a question of choice and should be agreed between both host and sitter at the outset. #somethingforeveryone
Even if one intend to stay home a lot, it is a big difference in whether it is chosen or demanded. That could also influence other parts/ expectations of the sit. As in the example mentioned by @NETime the staying put seems a symptom also on how the host regard sitters and might lead to a whole lot of demands - and at least a hostile attitude in general.
Sitting solo there are also practical issues - even if one prefer to stay at home, there is the need for groceries and other necessities that needs to be solved.
I am a solo sitter and I’ve been with anxiety pets sometimes. In general not more than 2 weeks, and the hosts I had provided everything necessary… I could go out for maximum 3 hours and leave them alone if necessary, but I used to don’t go out more than 1 hour. Even showering they waited for me in front of the door 
When I needed grocery I ordered. And the surrounding area to walk the pets was really nice, beach and pet friendly coffee they could go. It wasn’t like I couldn’t live home. I just couldn’t leave them alone for a long time. But go around 2/3 hours walking them and be at the beach was enough for me for 2 weeks. For solo sitters those kinda of sits can also be nice and manageable specifically is a short period.
Hi sorry Yeah I replied wrong my bad 
Hi @anitadhun1206 I’m not sure from your post whether you are unhappy about the ads that you read or about the way people treat you when you reply to their ads.
I’ve been doing this for a year now -in Europe - and tend to do rural sits, often with multiple animals. So I’m obviously looking at very different ads from you. But I have seen a lot of homeowners expecting sitters to maintain gardens and/or do a lot of work with the animals. And I’ve also seen plenty of people with quite strict demands about their pets’ routines and preferences.
So I don’t think you’re being totally unreasonable here. It does seem that there are plenty of people who will take advantage of us. And if you’re looking specifically at super popular destinations then they can often get away with it. The most easy going and generous hosts don’t have problems finding sitters, so if you’re not at the front of the queue then you’re applying to the ones that are more difficult to deal with.
And I sometimes find myself wondering why people don’t just ask their family or friends to take care of their precious pets. That’s what I, and everybody in my family, always does. Maybe their expectations are too high for their friends to cope with?
So I always read the ads very carefully and look for any red flags. And I’m quite strict with myself about not applying for anything where there is any suggestion that it’s not going to be a pleasant sit.
The other thing I do is make sure that my profile is going to discourage anybody who wants too much. I try to make it clear that I am a mature adult and travelling around in my own vehicle with plenty of other options. No need to be confrontational, just setting their expectations appropriately. I don’t want to ever appear like I need the sit, like I don’t have other options.
And when I apply to a sit I always follow a pretty simple formula:
This takes the initiative away from them, or scares them off. The ones who reply are the ones that are willing to let me take charge, not the kind of people that insist on doing everything their own way.
This gets me plenty of the right kind of sit for me. Most of the homeowners I deal with are lovely people and quite reasonable.
I’m currently on a long-term sit with two quite needy dogs and some very spoilt cats, and they do take more time and attention than I really want to give. I also do various favours for the homeowners that would be against the terms of service if I wanted to complain, eg this morning I collected their friends from the airport (in their car) and dropped them off at home. On the other hand I’m in a lovely house, enjoying the Spanish sunshine, and I can’t really complain about being buried under affectionate animals whenever I sit on the couch in front of the fire in the evenings.
I knew what I was getting into, and the homeowners have been completely reasonable. We’ve reached an agreement that works for both of us, because there’s goodwill on both sides and because we were all upfront with each other.
That’s all you can do! And if you can’t find a sit that fits your lifestyle then that’s not really a criticism of you, homeowners in general, or THS. It’s just the way the world is, and we have to do our best with it.
All the best in your adventures!
I ask right upfront how many hours the pet can be left alone. I do work 100% remotely so I am there 9 to 5 M to F. But I do not want to be severely restricted. Also, when they treat me like an employee at the phone call or Zoom meeting and are taking up way too much time, I say – okay, well you have my REFs (which are stellar). Then they look utterly shocked, and we usually end the interview. Of course I never hear back, but it’s my way of pushing back on this idea that we are all dying to pet sit for everyone!
“they treat me as if I were an employee looking for a job and not as an equal partner with whom we help each other fifty-fifty.”
Yes this has been my experience with about 1/2 of my sits. Like wanting me to come days early to get to know their animal or see if they trust me, yet when I ask to stay the last night of the sit I they act imposed upon. Also not even talking to me like a real person. With my last sit, she called every other day for 6 weeks and when she asked how I was, I would just mention something quick and simple about myself but that would be totally ignored and only answer to her questions “like about the area and how I liked it” would be acknowledged. From now on, I have a list of all questions they need to answer and I also look for interpersonal skills, how and how long they take to communicate with me even before the sit etc.
I realized that I was accepting less respect than I should and how that is not good for me and no sit is worth me acting or being less than. I have noticed more warmth and equality for someone I can meet in a grocery store chitchatting with.
I’ve never seen a sit where sitters are asked to stay home all day. You can usually leave dogs for up to 4 hours if you can’t take them out with you. Cats can normally be left for longer. But if you do want to go out all day, every day, maybe petsitting isn’t for you, as the wellbeing of the pets should be your priority.
Easy! Do not apply for a sit that wants a slave.
There are many listings that mention the sitter should stay put. But many enough of sits where one doesn’t - so easy to avoid. I guess if one is new one can feel it as normal or required - but this is a matching service we pay to be members of, so it is ok (and well adviced in my opinion) to be choosy and know ones worth. Sitters are paying members also.
I have completed 30+ sits and only in 3 or 4 I have been asked to not leave the dogs alone for longer than 4 or 5 hours. I don’t even need that on a regular basis.
You say
but I have only read a few listings that suggest you should spend most of the time with the pets (dogs) but most of those say you can take them with you. I just ignore them, not just because the pet is going to absorb all my attention, which depending on the place might be OK for me, but because I find it more difficult to accurately know how the dogs will behave with me and if they don’t behave well, then it won’t be a fair exchange for me. Nor would it feel fair if the tone of the listing is bossy, even if tasks seem reasonable.
On the other hand, I have chosen to spend most of the time with the pets in most of my sits because I really bond with them and enjoy their company. I am happy to see them happy.
IMO, it’s all about choice.
I live in a hamlet in the Yorkshire Wolds which is within 40 minutes of York, the east coast, the North Yorks Moors, Beverley, the Howardian Hills and Castle Howard to name but a few of our local attractions. We advertise this as a selling point in our listing. All we ask is that sitters do not leave our dogs unattended for more than six hours. It’s part of the trade off between us and our sitters.
I agree. I have noticed a seeming rise in the number of HO who appear to be looking for unpaid labour as opposed to a house and dog sitter. It is completely ridiculous to suggest that a dog can’t be left alone…does the HO never go out, go to work, go to the supermarket, doctor, etc. I have also noticed that many sits with vast lists of restrictions often have low applications. Funny, that!
Do you not find it faintly offensive that these HO appear to expect sitters to be unpaid lackeys? I do.