I tried doing a search on this topic but couldn’t find a discussion. I’m considering joining but wondering about how this works. It seems like this service is as great for owners as is it for sitters.
We have a dog who likes company. He’s very friendly, loves to snuggle if he has the opportunity but isn’t that needy. He loves to know someone is in the house and he won’t be left alone too long. When a sitter comes do they just feed the dog, walk them and then leave the house to explore the city on their own? I can see the appeal for people who like to travel and can get a free house stay but wondering how much they will actually be around. What is the level of care that I should expect for my pet?
Our total priority is to look after your pet, and we would intend to have the pet with us as much as possible. If this is a dog, and the dog is capable then they would accompany us on our outings, whether by car or not.
However, there would be times when they would have to be left, as I assume you do also but rest assured, I’m pretty confident that all sisters would give your pet the utmost priority.
Welcome @Vickiesa when you join you can put in your listing the amount of time that your dog can be left alone.
Sounds like you sit would be perfect for sitters who work from home . There are many of these on THS .
Can your dog be taken out with the sitter ? You can list dog friendly places which the sitter can visit with your dog in your listing .
If your dog can’t be left alone at all - you could consider arranging someone to be with your dog on one day in the week ( paid sitter/ neighbour/ family ) so that the sitter can go and explore the city but be with your dog the rest of the time .
Hi @Vickiesa and welcome.
If you decide to join ensure you make your expectations clear in the listing and I am sure you will attract the perfect sitter.
I would want to know if your dog travels well in the car or on public transport. Does it prefer to be on or off lead. Where does it sleep and a general idea of it’s routine. What are it’s fitness levels and how does it react to people and other dogs away from the home.
Personally we tend to apply for sits where the dog is happy to be out and about with us for most of the day but we prefer the more rural sits when dogs are involved. We find country dogs don’t enjoy being on a lead in the more built up areas of towns and cities. The only time we tend to leave them alone is to go food shopping or for a meal and that isn’t every day.
Sitters and homeowner expectations can vary so when you receive applications make sure you have a conversation about expectations to ensure you get a good match.
Hello @Vickiesa and a warm welcome to the Community Forum
As @Hallt64 mentioned, our total priority is looking after your pet. We personally love to spend all of our time with the dog/s and we love to give them a “mini holiday’ of their own whilst their parents are away!
As @Silversitters mentions, can your dog be taken out with the sitter/s? We love to take any dog/s that we are caring for out and about with us. It also gives the dog/s great mental stimulation as well as the exercise.
For reference if you are a member, once your listing is completed you can also add your TrustedHousesitters profile on to your Forum profile by following the attached link, should you wish. This will then enable others to offer you helpful advice and feedback and will also give your listing extra exposure!
If you are unsure how to do this, or if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask, we are all more than happy to help.
Also, remember you can use the spyglass symbol at the top of the page next to the TrustedHousesitters logo and search for any questions that you may have as they have most likely already been answered on here and of course if not then please just ask!
I have attached a thread below, it would be great if you could join in with this as we think you could offer great feedback and your input would be a great addition
Not being rude, but it’s a bit like asking if all the residents of a small town are all the same.
There are thousands of Sitters on this site. And just like with any other group of people, they represent a wide range of experiences, temperaments, and all other characteristics.
That said, if you are clear in your post about your expectations, the people for whom your kind of sit isn’t suitable probably won’t respond.
The ones who do? Read the reviews they’ve gotten.
If prior Home Owners give kudos for the kind of thoughtful pet care the sitter gave - that’s probably your best indication.
MOST of the sitters in this system are considerate people who will give your pup time, affection, care if they decide to do your sit.
And not everyone takes a sit to do sight-seeing.
We have done tons of sits of all kinds. With a wide variety of animals (and sits with no animals!)
We’ve taken a sit to get over jetlag and pretty much did nothing for almost a week! But we would probably not take a sit if the listing said the home is remote, and yet the HO didn’t want their pet(s) left along for more than 1-2 hours. That’s not reasonable for most sitters. Especially since you’re not paying for your pet & home to be cared for. Remember, THS works because it’s a win-win.
Whatever your situation, just be honest and clear: there are going to be sitters who want exactly what you’re offering!
Hi @Vickiesa. You set the expectations here for sitters in your listing. Let them know what you’ll expect during the sit.
As to your concern that sitters are more interested in the location than your pets then there may be some like that but most of us sitters are animal lovers. i recently did a sit where one of the cats had 2 fits and another was ill. While the owner told me i could continue with my plans to travel to barcelona an hour and a half away (each way) I cancelled my plans to make sure both cats were ok.
You determine the level of care by writing a clear profile and sharing the responsibilities of the sitter. You can confirm that when doing interviews, which most (maybe all?) homeowners do. Lots of sitters are working remotely and are “home” a lot - I often choose those so I know they will be “home” with my cat more than others out exploring all day. Basically, its up to you, since if you are clear, sitters not in agreement with the responsibilities shouldn’t apply.
When you ask for a sitter, in the responsibilities section, a homeowner list what needs to be done and when.
Feeding times ,
walks, let in and out, medication, rooms they are allowed in, where they sleep, how long the pet can be left alone. etc.
A sitter should only apply if they can arrange the things they want to do around the pets’ schedule. Also a sitter has to realize that if the the pet is ill , the dog hasn’t done it’s business yet, or the cat didn’t come inside when it usually does then you will have to change your plans just like you would do if it was your home and pet.
You set the expectations and let those that agree apply. When your expectations are clear in your profile responsibilities and you confirm that requirement in your phone/video interview (most homeowners do), your desires are clear and a sitter should be clear about it.
Some sitters telework and are available a lot for extra attention for pets while others prefer to be out and about more. At least with dog sits, a sitter can explore and take the pup along.
