How do you handle multiple bookings?

I can have up to ten pups at a time. I let my customers know when I have a full house. Your profile states how many dogs you are willing to take, so its no surprise if you have multiple dogs in your home. With being a pet sitter you will have your regular customers who will get how it works. People cant expect you to only sit their dogs and if they do you should charge them more.

I'm new to the pet sitting business for others. I have two lab/chow/miniature collies, and two declawed cats. If I pet sit others in my home, I let the owners know of my own personal pets. They all get along with each others and are very attached. There is no territorial boundaries, not even when it comes to food!!! They eat, sleep, and go outdoors together on my deck. They watch out for one another and for others that visit. I have no problems thus far, and because I'm here 24-7 I don't see problems arising. I'm safety conscious, and my dogs are trained in verbal commands and sign language. Once I start sitting new pets, I would like to surprise the owners by a new trick, command or some other surprise that the owners don't have time to teach.

One of the first questions that I ask a pet owner is whether their dog is comfortable around others. If not, I often see that as a red flag. There are many dogs who are simply independent and prefer to spend more time with the sitter rather than other pets. But I won't sit any dogs that show aggression towards other pets which is my ground rule. Violent dogs need to be monitored extremely closely and must be walked properly to avoid any possible altercations. You can either commit to watching only their dog or deny their stay request in the chance you might be contacted for a last minute booking at the same time.

At this point, nearly all my clients are repeat customers, and many of them are familiar with the other dogs I watch frequently, as they follow along on my facebook page and instagram account. I only take 2 dogs at a time, so I always let my clients know which dog, if any, will also be around. Pretty much all of my regulars can mix and match well. Sometimes knowing which dogs their dog will be playing with during their stay helps the owners feel more comfortable, since many of them are big fans of our other guests.

Generally, even though it's mentioned on my profile, I don't assume that new clients are aware of my policies regarding multiple dogs, so I feel it's good business practice to let them know if I'll be hosting other guests during their dog's stay. The more I can walk them through the process, the more comfortable they are, and the greater the chances for a successful booking and stay.

*I'll preface this by saying that I don't often double book because I'm not 100% comfortable with it.

I DO get permission from the client. All my clients fill out paperwork prior to their first stay, and I have a section that allows them to indicate their preference for double booking. The vast majority of my clients are comfortable with it, but I have a few that aren't. Additionally, when I do consider double booking, I require all the dogs to meet before hand so we can be somewhat assured that everyone is going to get along.