My second sit was in an RV in FL and I was expected to drive the 2 puppies to a dog run, 2 miles away. They gave me a specific cover for my back seat to harness them in and protect my seat. It was my second sit and thought I was expected to do this. Now, I know that this should be spelled out in video chat and I could have refused, though in this case would have gotten a bad review, since they were those types of HOs. But now I am on a sit, 20 sits in, and the dog is reactive. So they decided I would just play fetch or whatever in the backyard. Which I have done on other sits with dogs that could not be walked. But those dogs actually fetched and 20 minutes were exhausted and I did it 3 times a day. This dog really doesnāt fetch. Somewhat plays, for maybe 4 throws. And only in the afternoon. Very reactive, strong pit. And I have done sits with reactive, strong pit mixes, one recently in Atlanta. But I followed my rules, how I handled him and we took very nice long walks in the park every day. I walked him 4 times a day. But this dog has very specific commands. When I did a meet and greet, I mentioned how I walked the other dog and she said no, that they need to keep training her the way they wanted. She didnāt want me walking the dog in the neighborhood. When I mentioned the lack of energy playing, she said I could take her in my car to some arranged sniff spot. I said my car was full of stuff-- true. And I just thought, not my job to take the dog to some remote spot for exercise.
How do you feel about it? I used about $50 worth of gas on my second sit, going back and forth to the dog run every day. No compensation was offered. And then she gave me 4 stars for self sufficiency because their power cord was defective and I didnāt figure it out for a couple of days.
I donāt think we should be required to transport pets for exercise in our cars unless compensated.
You need to ask more questions in the chat and say no if it doesnāt work for you. I certainly wouldnāt be using my car and fuel unless it was an emergency vet visit. If they are asking you to use your car, then they need to pay for a dog walking service that meets their to requirements. Donāt be afraid to refuse a sit, there is always another
I have stopped taking sits that require me to drive for miles to parks and beaches without any offer for petrol. One dog got sick in my car a couple of weeks ago and that was the final straw. The owners were nasty when I mentioned it and didnāt leave me a review. Iām about to get a new car in the summer and I wonāt have any dogs in it at all. Iām tired of all the entitlement.
There was no mention of it when I took the sit. Even with the meet and greet, she said no walks just play in the backyard. As mentoined, I have done that. But this dog is not a fetch dog. It was after I said, she wasnāt really playing fetch, that she said she could set up the sniff spot and take her in my car for this event and walk. So it wasnāt anything that came up until I was already on the sit.
I have never had a dog so bored and not interested in playing. She really wants to exercise. She wants out and about. But too much to go walking.
I have no problem taking dogs to trailheads or parks in my car. I brush dogs daily to reduce shedding, keep paw cleaning supplies in my car, and have a decent, hammock-style seat cover to help contain messes. If taking the dogs in my car was not an option, I would be sure to clarify that beforehand.
IMHO if an HO requires that their dogs be driven somewhere for walking etc they should provide the vehicle and the fuel. This is not the responsibility of the sitter. If a sitter agrees to use their own car then their fuel costs should still be covered.
We never use our own car for such purposes. We try to choose sits where the dogs can be walked from the door. Occasionally weāve done sits where it is mentioned, in the listing, that a car is provided to transport the dogs. Thatās ok too.
Every now and then if we have a little dog who does not shed hair- e.g one of the ādoodleā breeds- we might take them in the passenger footwell- but thatās only if we choose to do so for our own convenience- e g wanting to go out for too long a period to leave the dog at home, or if its somewhere dog friendly.
Our car is always super full when āon the roadā so we donāt have space and also we we donāt want dog hair everywhere. These are the main reasons. But on principle I think the HO should provide the vehicle & fuel for anything related to petsit duties.
Sitters in the UK also need to be aware that the law requires a dog in a car to be restrained (for example with a harness and seatbelt anchor, or in a cage) and even then not in the front passenger seat. This article is helpful.
Just a week. I took the sit since I had a dental appointment in Detroit. And I have sat reactive dogs, but she wouldnāt let me walk the dog, the way I have walked reactive dogs. And she has all these hand signals. I got a couple down. The dog is really sweet otherwise. Just feel guilty not getting her exercise in. But also, I just detailed my car 5 days ago. Not putting any dog in my car.
It is the same law in Ireland. I just did a Meet and Greet where the owner said it was OK to out the dog in the passenger seat when taking him to the park. I reminded her of the law and she seemed to think it didnāt matter. I am not breaking the law and receiving penalty points, a fine or a day in court, for a pet owner.
That is tough for you and the dog. I am currently on a sit with a very reactive dog who barks non-stop on walks. But I have to take him for 3 walks a day. I spend the whole walk apologizing to people. Luckily itās only for a few days. These kind of sits make me grateful for all the other sits where the dogs were well-trained.
I should say, that I have taken dogs in my car ā first I always took my own dog in my car, but also on sits. Aside from the one where it was expected. Since I move my daughter in and out of her campus apt May and Aug, I have taken the dog I have sat ā has always been a small dog so far, which then stays in the apt while we move stuff. It has worked out, the HOs know. And running errands. I took one, through Costco, through Walmart. But this is a big dog, I just detailed, my car is full of stuff. So I donāt want to. I have played fetch with other dogs on sits, not an issue. This one just isnāt that interested. She creates party boxes. She fills it with balls, treats, tapes it up ā one was quite big, with a huge bone, and there is one for each evening. The dog tears it up. I clean that up. There are so many toys here.
My Atlanta sit was like that. I did 4 walks. One, a long one to a park that was a mile away. And when we got to the park, there were dogs. Dogs off leash, running to us. He was a big pit mix. I would hold the leash wrapped around my hand around the leash, close to his neck so he had no running start, otherwise, he would pull me. This way, he could only jump up. And I managed. But the owners all knew. They said not in this neighborhood.
(apologies for being off topic but this is related) @hellocat is it also a requirement (as it is in England) in Ireland for dogs, when they are out and about, to have a tag with the owner contact details on, even when they are microchipped? It would be whoever is walking them (the sitter) who would get fined - when I am on a dog sit I have spare tags with me, saying ācontact sitterā and my mobile number.
DianeS I donāt think it is required because I am amazed that most sits I am on, the dog has no tag with contact details - just a collar.
I worked for a rescue and we often got lost pets who were microchipped in another country, with no phone number to contact the owners.
That is a brilliant idea to put tags on the dogs with the sitterās number. I havenāt lost a dog yet but itās my great fear that one day I may lose one or it might escape. In that case, there is no point having the phone number of the owners - they will probably be abroad. My car boot currently has dog toys, poo bags, extra leads, towels, blankets, water bowls, kitchen towels, baby wipes, dog treatsā¦ I always travel with all these essential bits for the sits! Now I will add the tags!! I am right beside a pet store here, so Iāll go over in the morning to get them, Thanks for that great tip!
You always have the option to say, "No. Iām sorry that this sit will not work for me. Thanks for considering me, " during the āinterviewā (Yes, I know that term is a source of debate of lateā¦).
You have 50% of the upper hand here. An odd statement to be sure. The point is that you can turn down the sit any time for any reason (or no reason) before you commit.
Ask a lot of qās and, if you need to think about the details, ask if you can get back to the HO within a certain amount of time (A day or a few hoursā¦just not so long that you leave them hanging for an unreasonable amount of time).
Whilst I agree itās important to safely secure dogs in cars just to clarify that what you describe is actually the Highway Code which is not a law, more of a code of practice sanctioned by the government: āif an unrestrained dog is deemed to have contributed to an accident, the driver could face consequences, including a fine and points on their licenseā. So just having an unrestrained dog in the car is not breaking the law.
@hellocat tags are a legal requirement but a lot of dog owners donāt know this. Iām surprised their vet doesnāt let them know. A couple of my HOs werenāt aware when I asked them if their dogs wear tags and quickly got them one.
@BJane interesting - the RAC, Halfords and Autoexpress web pages all start off mentioning the law. Iād far rather be cautious and restrain them, although if a dog only has a collar and not a harness Iām less likely to take them in the car (mine or the HOs)
Again .. Iām not arguing against any of these things, I often do them myself with a dog in the car if Iām travelling many miles but Iām sure Halfords have an interest in selling dog restraints and Halfords and Autoexpress websites have to find things to write about on their sites.
I think thereās often a recourse to āitās the lawā and actually itās not the law in the UK itās just an advisory. The way you chose to proceed is up to you, of course.
Going back to the original question āHow do you feel about itā, we never put pets in our car , unless there is an emergency.
We have carried out a few sittings where the HO has insured their car for us if we need to walk the dogs further afield. On a few occasions, we have been provided with 2 fully insured cars, one for the dogs and one for us sightseeing on our own.
We do leave their cars cleaned and with a full tank of fuel