Why doesn't Rover let Sitters share info about dogs?

Because Rover is in the business of making money. Facilitating the sharing of information about dogs' behavior is not in Rover's best interest. Unless a dog is violent or dangerously aggressive or the owner is crooked or otherwise perverse/dangerous, Rover has no motivation to assist the sitters who use its platform. Remember, we are all independent contractors and don't work for Rover. Rover would assume that, eventually, there will be a sitter out there who can deal with a problematic dog. So, yes, the owner will continue to try out new sitters and may find one who can deal with the dog adequately.

I've been in that boat as well. I used to get really angry about it, but now I've taken the "Be prepared for anything" motto. I have crates set up in my home and the dogs area always crated if I cannot watch them (If I have to leave the house). I have belly bands/reusable diapers for the dogs who mark/have accidents often and baby gates to keep dogs separated that hump or bother the other dogs. I have a crate in my living room that's the "time out" crate, so if someone is getting too worked up they can hang out in there until they chill out. I always make sure to feed the dogs in their crates so there is no chance for a fight over food/stealing food. I test them with toys and food when they first get to me to see if they're a resource guarder.

It sounds like a lot, but now that it's all in place, it has made my life and the lives of the owners/dogs SO much easier. I only have a fraction of the problems I used to have, and with a solution handy I don't get so upset about a dog who marks :)

I do also feel like it's a 3-point problem as well. The dog, the sitter, the owner all have a hand in any problem. The dog may be a jerk, the owner may gloss over or hide issues, or the sitter may not be diligent. The dog may also exhibit behaviors in the sitter's home that they would never do in their home, so the owner honestly doesn't know that they are there. I see that a LOT with the dogs who have never been boarded before. They come to expect certain things, and when those certain things don't happen some dogs don't take it well. Or they want to see if they can push boundaries with a new person. Or they're just so convinced their owner is never coming back they are beside themselves and freaking out.

Maybe we could start a facebook page or something for rover sitters, by city. That way we can beware of certain dogs. I also had this issue. Owner said dog is fine in the bathroom with her bed. I even put her rawhide in their with her. Nope. She tore up my entire door. I ended up running into a sitter at the park. She had 7 random dogs so I figured she was one. Found out the dog has issues with 4 other sitters in the past and was very popular in the sitter community. I do think its crucial that we know to beware of a certain dog. Especially when its constant. I used to think that was what the reviews were for when Rover would ask me to review a dog. I dont even take the time anymore because if they were useful Rover would ban that person who has over 20 bad reviews of their dog.

At some point a dog owner would disagree with a sitter's depiction. Then Rover would have to arbitrate claims of slander or vindictiveness, "taking sides."

There's a lot of gray area involved. For example, some sitters [apparently] take the dog owner's assessment as verified truth (and then proceed to leave the dog unattended -- complaining that the room was destroyed). I've always believed you don't trust a dog until that trust has been earned. So, while there might be truth to a dog being problematic, it wouldn't surprise me if some of the worst examples don't involve the sitter's contribution. (Too much freedom, unverified trust, not taking proactive steps like gating the dog in a safe area after seeing it pee -- to minimize the "everywhere" complaint that would be applied to the dog's reputation if sitters could publish reviews of their guests.).

Rover's Terms of Service (9.7) explicitly states sitters are entirely responsible for damage to their property. There is no "unless the pet owner misrepresented...." So, IMO, that calls into question how a dog could pee "everywhere." Maybe it wasn't the dog's exclusive fault.

I don't think my view on this topic is particularly popular here. But, that's how I look at it.

I agree! I have had about 10 doggie guests in my home until I had one recently booked for three nights. I had to call her owners not even three hours after she got dropped off to come get her. I was told she is left alone all day while they are at work, so if she was left alone, it would be no problem - that dog completely scratched up and damaged my bedroom door and chewed part of the door frame. I am not going to get reimbursed for that, but it left me paranoid now. The first thing I did was see if there was anywhere on Rover where sitters can talk and compare stories and maybe give their own experience on dogs they have cared for. It's too bad Rover doesn't encourage communication and exchange between their care givers.

YES. We need access to dog and owner reviews (similar to Uber/Lyft as others have already suggested). If owners can view ratings and stories on sitter profiles, we should be given the same opportunity to make informed decisions about who we invite into our homes. Usually a meet and greet is enough, but testimonials would even better prepare sitters.

I would specifically like insights to be shared about experiences with owners (good and bad). I have a 5 star rating and have watched over 40 dogs in a six month period. I have had nothing but great interactions with owners, and only a few minor incidents with poorly behaved dogs. On Sunday, I had my first terrible experience that left me reeling.

An owner came to pick up his dog after a stay and recorded a video of me on his cell phone, without my consent and on my property, during the entire duration of the pick up. It was bizarre, inexplicable and left me feeling beyond uncomfortable and stunned.

I called Rover Support to report the incident and get advice on what I, or Rover, could do to educate the owner that this was inappropriate. I was also looking for support from Rover to stand behind me as one of their sitters. The representative was sympathetic and agreed this was "peculiar behavior," but didn't offer me any real support at all. I asked if they would consider contacting the owner directly and ask him to explain his actions. Rover Support refused, stating it would only escalate the situation/problem. They also said if I wanted to discuss my discomfort and question the video, I would need to contact the owner myself.

Rover Support also told me to have better judgment during future meet and greets. I didn't appreciate that "advice," as that is Rover pointing the blame finger at me. I wrote a one star review of the stay, detailing my entire experience with the owner and dog. I sincerely hope Rover finds a way to make my testimonial available to other sitters in our area. I don't want this to happen to me again, or anybody else.

Yes, I wish we could, to warn other sitters. Is it against any rules if we did do that, like on here or somewhere else?

I just had a dog stay with me 2 days ago and he was terrible! The owner wasn't able to make a meet and greet work due to work schedule, but I figured it'd be fine since it was only for 1 night. As soon as they came to my house his dog peed on my front door, while still on the leash, in the owner's hand. And only then did he tell me that he'd had another sitter tell him that his dog liked to mark his territory all over the house because there was a dog living there. I have a dog too, so...Aside from that, he said the dog was house broken and not aggressive at all. I let the dog out every house or so and even then he peed all over my laundry room. I had to put him in a crate at night so he wouldn't pee on anything and he got very aggressive when I tried putting him in there. I had to have my boyfriend do it and the dog even snapped at him. Now I'm kind of debating if I even want to be a sitter anymore after that experience...

To be honest, my dog is a completely different animal when he's not with me. I honestly don't even know who he is with other people. I've heard different things from different people.
Some say he is timid and misses me terribly, not eating, etc., others say he's the life of the party.

I always assume "the worst" when it comes to housebreaking or separation anxiety. I now have 6 dogs (plus my 3) at my home and I tell the owner they must be properly kennel trained for their safety at night and in the rare times I have to leave. I agree with the private shared reviews! I had a few dogs a couple of months ago that were adults, probably 6 or 8, that marked all over my house. I ended up having to pen them off in a smaller playpen with other like size dogs, they tried to attack me when I reprimanded them for peeing and tried to usher them outside. It's hard because I feel like if I was honest with the owner they would think I'm not letting their dogs out enough, when in reality I'm letting them out every 30 minutes during their first day here. And the "reprimanding" was a sharp "NO", then ushering them to the back door.

I feel like you as a customer are rated on Uber or Lyft, so why is Rover any different? Luckily I feel like most small damages created by my tenants are typically paid by the owner. Example - your dog ate my pillow, comforter, scratched my door and I need paint...

One thing I will 100% not tolerate are dangerous dogs. I have a big black mouth cur/pit mix and he is very well behaved. if your dog consistently demonstrated dominate or aggressive behavior I immediately call Rover and let them know what's going on.