Walked up to Griffith Observatory yesterday, almost 5 miles, up and down through the end of the Santa Monica mountains. Took the bus back. Even the dog had enough of adventure. Great when you can get on the bus with dogs. When I think back to that second sit, it cost me almost $40 in gas going to and from the dog run the HO wanted me to go to. On my last sit, there was no way the dog was getting into my car. It was partial husky and shedding its winter coat. I could have made a blanket with all the fur it shed.
Though on one sit, loved the dog, I did take it in my own car to the beach, not far, but in traffic and heat. It had never been to this dog beach, where I had taken my own dog, while I stayed for 2 months, during my dog’s last months. The dog was so happy to be on dog beach in Long beach, CA.
@CreatureCuddler I totally agree that HOs are more and more expecting sitters to be professional cleaners and gardeners. I’ve neen sitting full time for 3 years now and the HOs that leave little thank you gifts and are appreciative of the service provided are becoming fewer and owners that treat me like an unpaid servant are becoming more common. But I just don’t return to those. As regards a vehicle, I don’t think sitters should expect one but nor should it be expected that a sitter will take dogs out in their own car every day.
We don’t leave our car for sitters but say in the listing that we provide a back seat protector (which we clean before the sit) and a small cordless vacuum. We’re in a rural area with plenty of walks to do from the house so sitters don’t have to drive somewhere to do them. But we choose sitters who do want to go hiking with our dog, who loves that. I think it behooves owners who expect their dog to be transported in the sitter’s vehicle to at the very least provide a good seat cover and leave money for them to use a powerful hoover at a gas station.
I take dogs hiking. On my second sit, in an RV in FL, I was expected to take them to the dog park everyday and they gave me a seat protector, but no gas money. I even took them twice a day sometimes since we were in an RV park. It cost me about $40 in gas for the time I was there, but no money was given. I did take one of favorite sit dogs quite a ways to a dog beach in CA because I wanted to take the dog to the beach. Also, I wanted to go for a swim. And I transported one of my early sits because I was going to be away – the HOs knew I was moving my daughter’s stuff out of apt and into summer storage. So the dog came with, hung out in her apt etc. It was a shedding long hair chihuahua, but so cute. And I brought its bed so it stayed in the bed. I just don’t like the expectation that I should take a dog in my car. If so, there should be sufficient gas money. I think you giving them a seat protector, plus gas money and money for the vacuum is unusual.
We don’t give them gas money since taking our dog places in their car is totally optional. But I agree that if it’s a stipulation, the HO should pay for gas. It seems like something a sitter should ask about during a pre-confirmation call.
As a sitter I have noticed the equivalent to this in HO’s asking for insane expectations. Only leave the house every now and again for a maximum of two hours, walk dog 5 times a day plus mow the lawn and Tend to the pool which you can not use, pay $600 a month in “rent” because their house is “so nice”… I could go on. I’m not sure what’s going on but this sitter you zoomed with sounds quite brash in the way they came at this. Broaching the car subject in advance and respectfully would have been a better choice maybe? I do think sitters are arming themselves with a list of questions because they are really being taken advantage of now. It sounds like HO’s are too!
It didn’t occur to me, as it was my second sit, I arrived, it was expected of me. Now, I applied for a month long sit and in the description it says there are some parks 15 minute drive. Are they providing a vehicle or gas money? I will find out.