We’re new to TH and have some newbie jitters about the whole process but hopeful that it’s been a good move for us, in finding reliable trustworthy care of our dog and home while we are traveling. We have two different dates listed on our profile. After a week and a couple days we’ve had one nibble on our date at the end of the summer but no move on our date that is just a month away. I’m nervous that we won’t find anyone suitable. Are there any tips? I have boosted the date. Would appreciate any help you might have to offer.
Hi @barnesofheather - Welcome to Trusted house sitters and also to the forum. I took a look at your listing and it looks good although, if I was you I would make this paragraph more clear with timings rather than “in the afternoon”
“@8am for a walk around the park that is just at the end of our street. He usually pees and poops during his morning walk. He will need to go out again in the afternoon and again before bed”
Often, dogs are happy with a morning and evening walk - then a 5 min wee outing before bed. If by ‘in the afternoon’ you mean 1-3 pm then this could really interrupt the sitters day and means they will not have much time to themselves should they want to have a day out without Finn. You may be better off saying how many hours Finn can be left for.
Also, is there any possibility of the use of a car? - I know it is not always a possibility but it is always a great incentive to be able to offer.
You still have a month so don’t panic yet - good luck
Welcome @barnesofheather and please don’t panic. Finn and your home look wonderful.
I’ve checked your post and, in addition to what @Colin says, I would rearrange your photos and ensure all photos of Finn are at the beginning. You have some duplicates e.g. 2 the same pic of Finn and 2 pics of the bathroom. You say Finn’s afternoon walk is late afternoon, approx what time? How long can he walk for, what is he like with other dogs? More about his personality would be good and how long he can be left at home.
Good luck!
Hi Anna
There is a category for last minute sits–starting in 7 days or less–that would be good to check out. If you are new to the platform, these sorts of jobs can be a good start to getting some reviews. You might also consider applying to local sits. North Carolina has a pretty good amount.
As far as making connections here on the forum with a message like this, you may have some people invite you to apply for their listing, but providing more information upfront would be helpful–when you are available, where you are looking to sit, how long of a sit you are open to, whether you prefer just cats or dogs,etc…
Ultimately, the best bet will be applying for sits directly on THS.
As a reminder, the forum is not the place to promote your services as a sitter or your listing if you’re a pet parent. The TrustedHousesitters site is the place to do that. The forum is meant to be a place where we all can discuss pets, travel, the in’s and out’s of sitting / hosting sitters, and other things we love. If we allow people to promote themselves or their sits here, the forum would become a very different place.
If you want to discuss your sitting services or your pet sit with someone here in the forum, please do so via DM.
Thanks for understanding and helping us keep the forum free from promotion.
Good afternoon, to whom it may concern:
Hope all are well.
Thank you for you response on the “sitters availability “ I am getting familiar with the rules and will reach out to the surrounding areas as suggested.
Thanks again,I am enjoying the new group chats.
Have a wonderful day.
Hi @barnesofheather, the improvements you have made to your listing are great.
What I did want to raise was in relation to your applicant for your second set of dates. Are they at all suitable because, if not, decline them with a message instead of keeping them hanging on.
You might decide to remove those dates and just concentrate on your May dates instead as that is your priority.
Good luck as Finn is a gorgeous pup.
Hi. I’ll just address one thing, which is your first promotional tool - your heading. This is what I see for your thumbnail view when I search on the website, using my laptop:
Look for your listing’s finest feature (besides Finn) that might attract sitters and make sure that’s in your first few words.
@barnesofheather: I agree with @HelloOutThere that photos benefit from captions. What’s obvious to the photo taker may not be obvious to an applicant.
Just be aware that the captions will be viewable only on the app, not on the website. Feel free to test this yourself.
I have seen listings where the caption was on the photo itself. You’d have to do that manually, but almost any image/photo editor can do that, and it’s easy after a little practice.
