score:
0

Should I leave an honest review? [closed]

I had a very bad experience with a sitter who watched my dog. I left a private review that was very thorough and honest and got a personal response right away from rover customer service adressing my concerns. A couple of days later I realized this sitter raised her prices by $10 (we used to be the same price) and she has the same amount of reviews and repeat clients as me in my area so I don't wan't to leave a negative review for my competitor as it may make me look insincere.

At the same time I'm so frustrated because my dog had health problems and I left extremely detailed care instructions and all of his traits and habits based on this meet and greet checklist: https://www.rover.com/blog/meet-greet-checklist/ (https://www.rover.com/blog/meet-greet...) The meet and greet went over smoothly as well even showing her how to give his medication with ease and she seemed confident with it all. However, at least 3 of my requests were not met, one concerning his medication, the other regarding his food, and the third regarding his sleeping arrangement.

She called and texted me multiple times threatening to board him because he bit her and kept barking at her while she tried to put him on a leash. We were 4 states away and this was halfway through our 4 night trip. My dog is not aggressive but if you leave your dogs food out and he gets to it and you try to take it away well yeah, I warned her about that from the beginning but she still fed them in the same room at the same time. He never put up a fight when we would give him his medication, which she claimed he was traumatized from making it "impossible" for her to complete his perscription. He's never been aggressive to any dog ever even if he's attacked and only gets aggressive with humans if they are aggressive towards him which is why we only use positive reinforcement with him.

So I guess my question is should I write a review or leave it alone and let other dogs and owners potentially deal with their own consequences? Some things that were positive about the stay: she sent pictures everyday, she didn't actually board him even though she was "at her wit's end" with him, she was understanding of his accidents due to his UTI and didn't mention it until I asked. There are an abudant amount of sitters in our area and they all either have 5 stars or no reviews yet so I wasn't even sure how that could be possible that I'm the only person with a poor experience in our area but one things for sure I would never ask her again and I doubt she would ever take him in again anyway.

Closed for the following reason the question is answered, right answer was accepted by Natassia E.
close date 2016-02-22 10:20:08

1 Answer

Sort by ยป oldest newest most voted
score:
4

I'm sorry your expectations were not met. However, even from your post, I don't see this situation being as clear cut as you do. Based solely on your post, I see that:

1) Your dog had a variety of very specific needs during this stay,

2) Your dog has a history of aggressive behavior toward humans, particularly in relation to resource guarding, and

3) Your dog was ill and on antibiotics at the time of the stay.

I would consider that perhaps your dog did display unexpected behaviors with the sitter that you don't generally experience with him. In addition to being an insecure, anxious dog (as shown by a history of resource guarding and human-directed aggression) in a new environment with a new person, he was also feeling poorly due to the infection and the medication. I have no trouble believing that a dog who is uncomfortable would be wary of someone he didn't yet trust trying to administer medication. From what you've said, the sitter made a mistake with the food arrangements, but from what you've written, that is the only thing the sitter clearly did wrong, and she admitted to it. You can bet that lesson has been learned. It sounds like there were a lot of specific instructions, and while I understand the importance of finding a sitter who can and will adhere to your itinerary when you have a special needs dog, I also understand how easy it can be to miss a step. I doubt there's a sitter out there who at some point hasn't had a lapse in judgment or forgotten an instruction. Most are just lucky that it turns out alright.

Beyond that, choosing not to administer medication over aggression concerns and considering other housing options (after the dog has already bitten!!) is just good judgment. You seem to dismiss the bite as clearly the sitter's fault, and imply that she should have expected it would happen. Regardless of how thorough of a background you provided her and how much she should have known better, it's not at all fair to blame her for considering her own safety in this situation. Just because she agreed to the stay doesn't mean she needs to endanger herself (and by extension your dog, who could be reported for any and all bites).

As for whether or not you should leave a public review, I don't have a good answer for you. I would recommend mentioning the good along with the bad, and perhaps noting (or at least keeping in mind while you write your review) that your dog is not a simple case and there wouldn't be a lot of sitters capable of managing his set of needs.

Comments

I agree. This was not the usual situation for your dog and his reactions may not be typical. He was ill and in a new environment with a new person. I know I react differently when I'm sick than when I'm 100%. If most of your requirements were met, I don't think the sitter should receive an entirely negative review. Mention the positives (she sent photos and was understanding about his accidents. Include the fact that you left very specific instructions and the sitter attempted to follow them but was unable to do it 100% because the dog was ill. Do no bash the sitter but be honest. I'm sure she did the best she could under the circumstances.