Hello all,
I understand and very much appreciate the guidance regarding third parties not being able to enter the property during a sit and wondered if this included dog walkers that the HO would be keeping on for the duration of the sit and would have access to the property. I suspect it is so they don’t lose the service of the walker, or to keep the routine as close as possible for animals during the sit, but just wondered how this fits with the third party policy? Thank you.
Hi @anon80172330. The Third Party Policy states in part:
If they have arrangements in place for people such as cleaners, gardeners and maybe even maintenance people to come in periodically to complete tasks or help maintain the home, then this is allowed. If there are any arrangements in place this must be shared with a sitter (for example “gardener comes in once a week for 2 hours”) before confirming the sit. The pet parent should stipulate the potential for any third parties to be present during a sit by putting that information in their listing.
As long as the dog walker’s schedule was discussed and agreed to prior to confirmation of the sit, and the sitter’s ok with it, dog walkers coming and going is ok.
Does the dog walker have their own key or code to enter the property on their own?
Thank you @Karen_E, this is good to know. I don’t know for certain but presumably the dog walker will have a key and let themselves into the property.
You’ll need to ask the home owner….
We have done a couple of sits where the dogs had a dog walker (group hike) or pick up for doggy day care. The walkers let themselves in when picking up and dropping off and it worked well.
Unfortunately the dog who went to daycare really wasn’t keen on going so we felt bad for her but it wasn’t our call to change the routine. The other dog had her walking schedule reduced from 3 x’s a week to 1 when we were there and she appeared miffed when they didn’t turn up as she would lie by the front door at the regular time excited to go which was nice to see.
I just completed a regular sit and the dog walker comes at 8.30 am 5 days a week, she lets herself in, picks up Casey and off they go … This in a permanent arrangement, mutually agreed by all parties which I am perfectly happy with. Casey loves her, it’s his routine and we have great chats, the dog walker and I . 
… and Casey of course.
I just wondered if this was allowed according to the third party policy, as it’s the home owner who wants to do it.
That’s great, thanks for letting me know! I wondered how/ if it would fit with the third party policy, but it seems as though it is perfectly acceptable if both parties are in prior agreement.
I totally appreciate not wanting to change the dog’s routine! So sweet that the other dog noticed the change of routine when their walking schedule was reduced. Dogs do seem very sensitive to changes to their usual routine (especially when food or walkies are concerned!)
We have had this situation only once, the dog walker would come twice a week and didn’t have a key. It was great fun for the dog and gave us a bit of flexibility for those days (the dog was under 1 and needed a lot of attention).
I have a question about an Owner having a roommate…there’s a sit in Oahu listed and she mentions a roommate…
Hi @Cristy … having a room-mate who is on the premises during the house sit is against the third party guidelines. If you want to direct message me the link or some more information so that I can identify this listing, I will get the team to reach out and advise. Many thanks, Vanessa
I agree. To me there is quite a difference between a dog walker collecting a pet to maintain their regular routine compared with family and/or friends popping in with access to a home during a sit. I would absolutely not take a sit which thought the latter was OK but would (and have) had dog walkers ringing the doorbell to take an excited puppy off for a day of fun and, in the words of the carer, spending time with his doggy daycare ‘besties’.