Hello,
My name is Katavia and I am new to TH and this great community. However I am not new to dog sitting (I come from Rover). I started my profile in May and just booked my first sit after several no’s and no responses. While I am excited for my first sit, I do want to know what are some questions sitters can ask the HO? I want to make sure I come prepared with questions to ask for my first sit. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you 
Welcome @Tavia. It really will depend on the level of detail already in the listing. Read it thoroughly and then you can prepare your questions depending on what is important to you. All sitters have their own preferences and what is a deal breaker for me may be acceptable to other sitters.
Also read any previous reviews from sitters.
Your question has been asked many times and has been discussed at great length. You can use the spyglass at the top of the page to search for those topics.
Good Luck
I agree with @Twitcher. One of the things that most owners leave out of their listing is how long the dogs can be left once walked. I never ask this question first on a video call but towards the end.
Have you found that question more useful than say asking about the pet’s (pets’) daily routine? I’ve asked the routine question, but never how long they can be left. My first host did volunteer it when we chatted, though.
So far, I’ve used the routine question and just did the math to figure out how long a pet(s) can be left for, and it’s worked fine. But maybe there’s something I’m missing.
Welcome @Tavia and well done on getting your first THS sit .
It sounds as if you have already confirmed the sit ?
If so have you received and read the Welcome Guide ?
Read the Welcome Guide , does it have all the important information you will need - address, details for the emergency contact , wi-fi code , vet contact details , pets routine ( feeding , play , exercise, how long they can be left alone for )
Have you asked what time the hosts would like you to arrive and depart ? Will any third parties be coming to the home while you are there ( cleaners , gardeners )
Do they have any internal or external cameras ?
What arrangements have they made to pay vet bills in case of emergency?
How often do they want updates ?
Many sitters ask about all these prior to confirming a sit, because it could be a deal breaker . You can suggest a phone or video call .
Your question was addressed to @Smiley but I would like to share my experience.
I talked with a host who was new to THS they had a lovely listing . The listing said that their dog wakes at 7 , is fed and then walked for 30mins at 8 and then walked and fed again at 5 . When I asked the question “how long can they be left alone for “ ? The host replied that if there was an emergency, their dog could be left alone for 1 hour but no more and not regularly!!!
The information was not in the listing and not forthcoming until we asked the direct question.
Based on this information we withdrew our application for the sit . We work from home, love taking dogs with us on walks and if they are well behaved to pub friendly tourist attractions and cafes ( and pubs in U.K. ) . However the expectation to NEVER leave the dog alone , is not a good match for us .
I checked the listing a couple of months later to see if they had gotten a sitter. I saw that they had a review from an experienced sitter with previously all 5 star glowing reviews for pet care.
The sit had been a disaster for both parties ( and the dog ) with the sitter being accused of abandoning the dog and the sitter accusing the host of micromanaging and unreasonable demands. I assume (from what was written in both reviews ) that before the sit started neither party had thought to discuss the time that the dog could be left alone for .
We now ask this every time . Always before we accept a sit.
When reading the listing:
Are there enough details? Sleeping arrangements, bathroom access, Wi-Fi, location, pet behavior?
What’s the tone? Do you feel treated as equal guests – or more like “you do the job, we’re off”?
Do the homeowners actually apply to you as well? If not, that’s a red flag.
Look closely at the photos. Is the place tidy or messy, cluttered, grimy?
Are important things missing? For example: sleeping arrangements, walk times, how long the pets can be left alone?
Are there pictures of the bathroom, toilet, and the bedroom you’ll be sleeping in? Are they clean or gross?
During the video call, make sure to ask directly:
Travel dates:
When exactly are you leaving – and when are you coming back? (Ask for exact times!)
About the dog:
How long can the dog be left alone? (Less than 4 hours is usually a red flag – this should be a mutual exchange, and you should also have time to enjoy things together.)
Can the dog join you in a beer garden or other places – or is it reactive or aggressive?
Does the dog need medication?
Any allergies or food sensitivities?
Do accidents happen in the house (e.g., peeing)?
Where does the dog sleep at night?
Is it allowed on the bed or couch?
How is it with other dogs – friendly, scared, aggressive?
Can it go off-leash or does it always have to stay on?
General:
How do they speak to you? Are you treated as equals?
Do the homeowners also “apply” to you? If not, red flag.
Are there any cameras in the house? (Indoor cameras are against THS rules.)
Will anyone come into the house during the sit (gardener, cleaner, handyman)?
What happens in case of emergencies – vet visit, something breaking?
Will you get the Welcome Guide in time?
Is there petty cash for minor expenses? (You shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket.)
Can you tell where the house is? City, neighborhood, anything specific?
Is it doable without a car or would you be completely isolated?
Is there info about public transport, supermarkets, cafés, etc.?
Will there be enough food for the dog?
Wi-Fi: any info on speed and reliability?
Are you allowed to use the kitchen, washing machine, and other appliances?
Any info on heating or AC? (Important for winter or summer sits.)
Are tasks like trash, mail, and watering plants mentioned?
Red flags:
Hosts take days to reply, delay sharing information, or respond rudely
They don’t leave reviews for previous sitters – or leave bad ones
They have no reviews at all (depends)
If past sits show no feedback (only visible in the app, not on desktop!)
They speak negatively about former sitters
They say things like “We’ll explain that when you get here.” – Never accept that.
Indoor cameras, no matter the reason
I don’t understand what this means. Can you explain please?
I also think asking how long a dog can be left alone is an important question. It may be a dog with high anxiety which is not mentioned in the PP profile but after I ask the question they could say no more than three hours as the dog may start chewing things up. I would pass on that sit.
I’ll start asking. I think I’ve gotten away with not asking, because I’m a couch potato and telecommuter, so I don’t leave much. Plus, I usually take dogs with me.
We all have our top questions that individually mean the most to us. Before I apply to a sit I not only read what sitters wrote about the PP but then click on their page and see how that PP reviewed them. Did they mark them down for ridiculous reasons, do they sound like entitled people, do they sound too picky. I prefer easy going kind and welcoming hosts. Do they sound like nice human beings. Ones that don’t think of sitters as unpaid staff. I want to feel comfortable in their home. I also ask them if they have a credit card on file at the vet’s office if they will be out of the country especially. TH says the sitter should pay for the vet bill but I refuse to put out hundreds or even thousands of dollars out of my pocket. Vet bills are very expensive in the US. It is their pet not mine. And honestly I have no idea if I would have problems being reimbursed by people I hardly know. I am a free sitter. They should be responsible PP and have a credit card on file. I would not take the pet to the vet before talking to them or their emergency contact. How long a pet can be left alone is an important question to me. The feeding question as well. If I have to feed the pet three times a day and in the afternoon, how can I go sightseeing. I don’t ask these questions as I am interviewing but have a natural conversation with them and these questions will appear in the conversation. The pictures of the house is important to me. I don’t like clutter or keeping animals crated so wouldn’t apply to those sits. A weird pet peeve of mine is a bed not neatly made in pictures. It doesn’t feel clean to me. We all have our things.
You already have experience as a pet sitter which is good and can probably see red flags for you personally. I wish you enjoyable experiences here. You always have the forum to ask or vent about anything on a sit.
It sounds like you already booked the sit and I am sure it is very exciting for you to get started on this adventure.
Previous posters already covered a lot of the most important pieces of information you want to know but one thing I would add --especially if you looking to book multiple sits back to back–is not to assume you can leave any time the day the sit ends.
If I am applying to a sit that ends the same day as one I have already booked starts, I let the host know in my application message that I would need to leave by X time at the latest. This is helpful information for them to know right off the bat.
If I still don’t have anything booked for when a sit is scheduled to end, I ask the host if they would prefer we stayed until any particular time and if it was necessary to leave some time in the morning, would that be okay?
I find most hosts are flexible with departure times and it is rare for them to want a sitter to stay until they get back. But depending on the animal’s needs and their travel schedule, they may prefer you stay until at least X time. So it is a good thing to discuss so everyone is on the same page.
Handover arrangements and dates/timings is crucial and often left until just before the sit because the HO makes assumptions about sitter flexibility.
Well, the are many homeowners out there — they have competition too, and they should also “apply” to us in a way. When we choose a sit, I expect the homeowners to actually want us as sitters and to make an effort, by presenting themselves accordingly.
Welcome to forum @Tavia !
You’ve had loads of great advice.
My impression is that most sits go well - but when they don’t, it seems that many times there were red flags early on that the sitter ignored. Not to say it is the sitters «fault», it is more I think because they are so happy to get a sit, they need to get a sit somehow and/ or they are eager to please the host and make things work.
So my advice would be to also take a step back and think things through if you get that iffy feeling.
I am very particular and choosy when it comes to which sits I apply for - and main factor I look for is the host. Is the host friendly and hospitable, reasonable expectations for a free and voluntary sitter, does the host regard me an equal partner and want me to have a nice stay?
This has served me well so far. And ofc read on forum. It is so much to learn here!
This is one of the first questions I ask.
Sounds like you dodged a bullet there! Well done!
I don’t think I’ve ever asked a pet’s routine as that is normally covered in the listings. I don’t think the pets’ routines vary greatly, generally fed in the morning and evening with a walk or two if a dog. If more than 2 dog walks I would probably not accept the sit.
Lots of great advice here.
For now, make sure you have:
The Welcome Guide may contain the rest of the information in this list, but sometimes it does not.
@Seniorsitter I’m with you on the bed front. A messy bed is an extreme turn off for me. It smacks of lack of care towards the sitter. If the HO can’t be bothered to make the bed up nicely for the photos which are on their listing for all to see, Its hard to imagine they’d make an effort to prepare properly for the actual sit! Its a sign of respect to show a welcoming bed. Same goes for the rest of the house- messy and/or cluttered rooms - i just scroll on.