Thanks @Silversitters I’ve done that now. There is a box for it but I just noticed that it is not shown on the listing. She can be left for around four hours at a time, happy to snooze until you return!
Thankyou for all your help. x
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Unfortunately updating your calendar around your personal diary is a lot of work. Because it’s an unpaid service I think it’s a lot to expect sitters to do this. Although I can appreciate why it would be frustrating from HO perspective, but it’s a lot of admin, and most people apply for sits as and when they want to do them so the calendar doesn’t feel all that relevant to sitters.
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Hi @Andrea13 … that date is an overnight it seems.
Rather than perks…is there anyway you can extend your time away?
For an overnight, as a home host, I would ask a friend. The cleaning/prep before inviting a thsitter would not be worth it for me.
Good luck!
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Greetings @Andrea13,
One night is tough. It would most likely be someone local.
You are better off just paying someone to stay at your home or consider doggy day care/hotel.
I hope you get lucky though! Best of luck with your event!
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It is also not worth it for me as a sitter. Maybe some local sitter could be enticed if a nice free dinner was delivered at the sit, or perks like that. The HO would need to sugar the offer.
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@HelloOutThere @TravelMan @pietkuip thanks for your feedback and suggestions. When I first listed this sit I invited several local sitters including a one I know who is happy to do a short stay and work remotely, some of whom were not available and some not really local but just using a parent’s address because a locality is required by the site. I then invited some from London, suggesting that they came the day before, be provided with transport to and from the station five miles away, with supper provided and me still here until I leave the next day. Also no joy. I haven’t put those potential perks on the listing only in invitations. I can’t extend my days away for a variety of reasons. I am going to sound out a couple of friends who may help and if that draws a blank will have to find a paid sitter. It’s not that I’m a skinflint but I my budget is limited. Thanks again for your support. Andrea
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Hi @Andrea13 now that I know it’s a mid week sit for just one night I am going to contradict my first suggestion and usual advice and say -
- send out invitations !
specifically to local NEW sitters who do not have any reviews yet-
this sit could be great for them to get started and start building up reviews .
A one day mid week sit won’t be suitable for most sitters who are either looking to work from home or for a holiday but for a new local sitter just starting out on THS this could be perfect .
Obviously use due diligence and once they have made contact have a conversation with them . If possible even meet up with them to decide if they are suitable.
All sitters started out with no reviews and most of us got our first sit(s) with local owners .
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Hi Andrea13.
Hvae just seen your posting. Keeping the calendar up to date is difficult. It would look like a long confusing list if I went in and marked off every day i am not available. I don’t usually do very short sits a long way from home, however I have done some, if they have either tied in with another sit I am doing not far away, or a folk ferstival I am attending somewhere, I have visited Shaftsbury and it is lovely, so if a short sit tied in with a vist to Swanage, where I visit couple of times a year for example, i would consider it. Frequently my calendar may say available but I would not be for many locations. If for example I am in the south west, I would not then travel up to Norfolk or Scotland the next day. But if offered a sit where I am in the South West then it may be possible. I have also accepted approx. 20% of sits, where owners have contacted me with an invite. Good Luck.
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Hi @Visit thanks for your response. I understand all you are saying and in the past I have been lucky with short stays from folk for whom it works. I know it’s a lottery.
As for the calendar I think it should be removed from the site as it’s obviously no use to anyone and is misleading for pet parents.
I have taken these dates down now as a good friend who knows Pippin well has offered to take her for a sleepover.
Enjoy your summer of sits.
Andrea
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Hi Andrea,
Many thanks for your reply… Yes, calendar is difficult, as you have to put in dates you are available. It would be extremely fiddly to keep editing, as you find dates you cannot do. I actually did a two week sit in Mere a couple of years back not far from you, so if dates had worked out then could easily have tagged a couple of days in Shaftsbury onto that, if dates had worked out. I did visit Shaftsbury a couple of times then. It can very much depend where you are at the time. I turn down many, as will not sit for six large dogs for example.
Take Care,
With all Best Wishes,
Alison
Is there any update to the calendar issue? I’ve just spent over an hour trying to update my sitter calendar!! And then more time spent trying to view my own calendar! What a load of rubbish!
Now I can view my own calendar, my unavailability is shown as a normal calendar (black text on a white background) there isn’t any cross through or red on the dates! The ‘available’ dates show as highlighted in green, but this isn’t until later in the year. So at first glance it looks as though I am available when I’m not. What do hosts see when looking at sitters calendars?
No, @Tallbird all they can see are the THS sit dates blocked out (but the colourway sort of infers the reverse of the reality even with that use 
) and that’s your lot! No “real life” or “other sits” can be added to the calendar. #chocolateteapotspringstomind
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Hi Tallbird, I have just looked at several house sitter’s calendars and none have dates highlighted in green which I thought meant available. There are crosses through dates which I assume are booked and most are just normal, which I think is unavailable but not booked.
I haven’t been able to find a sitter since I wrote the original post four months ago, even for a longer sit with more notice.
But I have found another site which is only for sitters who wish to sit in the UK. Now that makes the chances of finding someone much better.
I might cancel my subscription to THS when it is due.
Sorry, but you’re right the calendar is useless.
Andrea
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