dog is let out in yard not walked but 3 hours(visits) per day doesnt seem like enuf company for animal whose owner is gone 10 days & no one sleeping there
Hi, Julie. I believe that 3 visits per day is pretty typical for owners looking for drop-in visits. How much you charge will vary depending on where you live. I would suggest looking at what other sitters in your area are charging for drop-in visits and choose something average or a little less (maybe $3 less) if you are looking to build your clientele. If you are not comfortable with only visiting pets, perhaps you should only offer overnight stays and tell the client you've mentioned that you may not be the best fit for their family. The longest drop-in visit request I've ever received was for a total of 21 days. The dogs did well for this length of time. You have to consider that a lot of owners are probably at work for a large portion of the day, so the dogs are most likely used to having alone time. If you do decide to take this booking, during the meet & greet you can ask about activities that the dogs like to do to keep them busy, such as treat-filled toys that they may like.
3 or 4 visits a day is usually what pet owners in my area are looking for. For many sitters, the rate for 3 or 4 visits is approx. the same as the rate for 24 hours of house sitting care. I consider this as well as my availability when I agree to these types of arrangements, meaning my price for 3 visits likely would not be higher than house sitting for 24 hours.
Depending on my availability, I'll offer to spend extra time with their dog(s) staying there for much more than just an hour during the day (if schedule allows), which means less driving back&forth and builds a stronger relationship with the dog & owner. If I offer extended time with their dog(s), I also ask about house privileges such as kitchen use & internet access while I'm there.