Our forum has so much knowledge and experience, I thought we could share some of that with members who are new to THS.
What are your top 3 do’s and don’ts for people just starting their THS journey?
Think back to when you first started, what do know now that would’ve come in handy back then?
Have a great day!!!
Communication: don’t be put off asking owners questions. It’s not rude, clarification helps avoid potential problems.
exchange contact details as the messaging service via THS isn’t always reliable. (Sorry THS but it’s true)
read listings carefully and only do tasks that you are comfortable with and as such, inform owners so both parties are clear.
You don’t have to apply for just one sit at a time, if you see more than one suitable sit, apply for them.
Don’t guess, if unsure, always ask.
Don’t ignore red flags or that gut feeling.
• Always have a backup plan, no matter whether sitter or host. Along with upholding boundaries, this is part of agency and self-care. And if you’re a host, you’re responsible for leaving your pets with good caretakers. Better to pay for care or skip a trip rather than go against your gut.
• Try to show grace and flexibility, because these are voluntary exchanges, not paid jobs. You’re not hiring a house cleaner. And you’re staying at someone’s home, not an Airbnb or hotel. Have reasonable expectations and be mutually considerate. If you’re hosting a sitter, don’t expect them to live in dirty conditions. That is not hospitable.
• Don’t do sits if you don’t actually want to hang out with pets and take care of them. And if you’re a host, remember that your routines at home don’t necessarily leave sitters enough freedom or enough incentive to pay to travel to your location and care for your pets and home. Try to put yourself in the other person’s place and be flexible within reason.
read these forums for a minimum 24 hours….
take notes and create a realistic plan
do your absolute best
don’t be entitled
don’t be selfish
be kind to the pets
Don’t take a sit on a whim. Be sure you’re going to keep your commitment. I see too many PP on the forum advertising last minutes sits because someone canceled. Easy to use the excuse you are sick but if you have a chronic illness that does not improve in a few days then this site is not for you. Canceling hurts the rest of us as PP may decide this is a flakey site and leave. Not fair to the PP who has tickets out of the country to cause them stress and frustration.
Remember the pets come first.
Stick to your agreed amount time out of the house.
Agree with all of the above.
Do: Put time, energy, and thought into creating a great profile. Get and use photos of you with pets, use other sitters great profiles as examples
Do: Write a proper application letter, describing why you are a good fit.
Do: Respond to messages ASAP to show you are a good and prompt communicator
Don’t: Be afraid to apply for appropriate sits outside your local area, even when new.
Don’t: Commit to more than you can reasonably handle. Start with one or two pets only.
Don’t: Be afraid to say no, not a good match, after receiving more information
