We’re new to this and this is the first time we’re using this site, hopefully this will be the first of many! I was wondering if some of you could take a look at our listing and provide some feedback, where are we missing the mark? or have we nailed it! ha! I doubt it
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I just took a look, its a good profile. The house looks clean and tidy. Maybe change the main/first photo to one of the kitchen or dogs in the lounge which are more attractive than the garden photo. You don’t need so many photos of the dogs. As there are 3 dogs, consider offering use of your car. Are they well trained, have good recall? Good with other people and other dogs? How long can they be left? Shrewsbury is a desirable area and as you’re walking distance from the town centre you shouldn’t have much problem. The only thing that would put me off personally is that one dog is still a puppy.
I agree with all that @Wildcolonialgirl shared above (with the exception of your sit appearing like it’s not accepting applications…my view shows it as active.) Good luck with finding the best sitter for your sit and welcome to the THS community!!
@Wildcolonialgirl has some great feedback and things I noticed as well. I would be attracted to your kitchen photo first.
Maybe mention if you have a non smoking home, or an office or desk space a person could use.
I think you pretty much nailed it!
Hello, @mikehubbardphot Welcome to the community, it’s lovely to have you here
I just wanted to jump in and let you know that your listing is live and showing as a sitter needed on the site from the 21st of May- to the 4th of June.
I hope that helps and it is great that you are getting help from the community.
On the whole sitters don’t want to ferry other people’s dogs around in their vehicles @mikehubbardphot , especially as this is a barter site with no money exchanged. Most car hire companies say “no animals” so that rules out a lot of international sitters too. TBH if the sitters need a car to make your sit work well & the pets benefit, then you’d be best to offer your car & put them on the insurance
I generally use my own car, but some owners allow use of theirs which is useful for taking dogs out. Speaking for myself I couldn’t fit 3 dogs in the back of my little hatchback.
@mikehubbardphot not all sitters will have a car / or a car suitable for transporting 3 dogs .
Usually, if the dogs can be exercised locally without needing a car then it’s not necessary for owners to provide a car . Although you would still need to make plans for how your pet could be transported to a vet if an emergency arose during the sit .
However if it is necessary to transport the dogs in a car for their daily exercise then homeowner should either provide a car and cover the expenses (fuel costs ) for this undertaking OR
You could ask that the sitter uses their own car ( if suitable) but also ensure that you cover expenses ( fuel & wear and tear ) and for a valet clean for the sitter’s car at the end of the sit . Without this it will seriously restrict the pool of sitters who will be interested/ able to do your sit . Sitters should not be out of pocket for taking care of the pets .
Looking at the gorgeous photos of your dogs in the boot of your car - the car is very muddy - ( as expected after a lovely walk in U.K. countryside - especially after the extreme wet weather the U.K. has experienced this winter . if that was a hire car the sitter would have problems returning it in that state and even if it’s their own car …all their luggage will have to go in there when they return home or off to their next sit if they are full-time sitters.
We love dog sits and have a car but we only select sits where the dogs can be walked from the property without needing a car . We have been offered use of the owners car if an emergency arose and the pets needed to be transported to the vet . Thoughtful owners have also provided seat covers for our car to use if we wished to take the dogs in our car.
If we choose to take the dog out with us for a day trip ( not where they are usually exercised ) which we often do on the weekends , then we don’t expect the owners to cover any expenses for this trip as it’s our choice .
If you are willing to accept sitters that come with their own dog -that could work well. They are more likely to be willing to transport your dogs in their car since their car is already set up to transport a dog and they can all be exercised together.
@mikehubbardphot we do use our own car in the UK to go out with dogs we sit. We like to go walking in different places and exploring the area with the dogs, so it is our personal choice. If we did sits abroad, we might not have a car available.
If your dogs need transporting, it will narrow your pool of candidates. Few sitters will rent a car just to take dogs about. And even folks with cars might not want dogs in their cars and/or lack space for them. Some sitters are nomadic and stuff their cars, for instance.
If you can’t offer your car, maybe be flexible about whether your dogs just stay within walking distance. That would be to your good, if you want a wider pool of candidates.
Personally, I have no problem with well behaved dogs in my own cars and when I’m in the U.S. I often rent cars for my convenience and take sit dogs out in them, too. But if I sit abroad, that’s not happening.
Check your photos- you have got a rpt of the same kitchen shot.
We started here 3 weeks ago and since then have probably edited our profile 20 times every time I spotted great advice from reading the forum threads.
Also you’ve increased the age of the puppy from 1 to 2 years but not the mother’s age which looks odd (presumably she wasn’t 1 year old when she had pups?).
Hello @mikehubbardphot and welcome.
You certainly set a welcoming tone in your listing and your pups are cuties!
My .02 is to do know your own deal breakers for having a thsitter in your home and be prepared to have candid chats with potential sitters to find the best connection and fit.
Some say that the 5 application limit at a time makes for applying for a sit a hurried process, so I would suggest a more concise listing narrative.
The dogs traveling in sitter’s cars will be an interesting topic in your listing.
Your pups seems to get a bit dirty and so a sitter using their fuel and needing to clean their car is an added expense and burden.
I think the picture of the patio with the lights showing the greenery the background would be an eye catching cover photo.
Do read the member code of conduct and terms and conditions on the web site; better before than after…
Reviews are key. They are blind so a fair, reasonable write up is helpful, especially mentioning any concerns; it helps all of us.
There isva 13/14 day time limit to write reviews.