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Where Do You Sleep?

I have a house sitting stay where I was given the master bedroom and master bath. I was told that the dogs slept with them in their bed (husband and wife), so they'd like me to sleep in their bed while they're away. One of the dogs has been having a difficult time sleeping lately though, so occasionally they have slept on the couch and warned me that I might need to one or two nights. I don't feel comfortable sleeping in someone else's bed. It's fine when it's the guest room, but not the master bedroom. So, I've just been sleeping on the couch in lieu of their bedroom. I tried to let them know my preference, but they seemed pretty set on me sleeping in their bed. It probably wouldn't be a big deal to most, but they are pretty particular and I'm pretty sure they have cameras.
So, for those who do House Sitting, and even those who do not, what are your thoughts on sleeping in the master bedroom? The dogs still pile in on me on the couch, so we still sleep together.

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Cari C.

I prefer the guest room myself, but I always defer to the client/owner wishes. On my first house sitting assignment they said I could sleep in the master bedroom because their 2 senior dogs slept in the room and it would be less stress on the dogs. My last several gigs I've been in the guest bedroom. It is just up to what the owners want, and the key thing is to keep the dogs comfortable and in their normal routine.

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Carly H.

I've only house sat a handful of times and the clients usually tell me to sleep wherever I'm most comfortable (guest or master bedroom) and just to leave the doors ajar so the dog can decide where he's most comfortable. What makes me feel less weird about it is bringing my own pillow! Even in the guest room it feels odd to use the owner's pillows, so when I bring my own all beds feel less personal and more like a hotel.

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Good suggestion.

Moureene T.

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Mary C.

Hi Moureene:

I do house sit, and yes, I do prefer a guest room to sleep in! But a few clients have me sleep in the master bedroom (the dogs sleep with them also) and it feels weird to me too! I have done it because I want the dogs to feel as normal as possible while their pet parents are gone. I try to think of it as a bonding experience, as the dogs seem to get over the "first day jitters" once we have slept in the master bedroom together.

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Moureene T.

I've been mulling this over and have decided to use this as a growing experience. We are independent contractors and do get to set our own perimeters. The experience needs to be comfortable for both dog and sitter. Dogs can easily tell if a person is uncomfortable.
This, together with the fact that I'm not comfortable makes me feel that a room (or sofa), other than the master bedroom will be one of the things that Iake known as a preference. This way, if it's that important to the family, they know to fond another sitter. Ever learning...

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That's what I do. Learn from each experience what I do or don't feel comfortable with, and use that knowledge to determine whether future jobs are right for me. And depending on the issue, I'll modify my profile accordingly. Once I was asked to use shock collars. Never again!

Julie A.

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Where Do You Sleep?

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