When someone is looking to book a stay, can they go to several people at the same time? And, if you are not selected, how do you know without then contacting the potential client?

Pet parents are encouraged to contact several potential sitters to increase their chances of finding a good match, especially when they are looking last minute. Several times customers have told me they contacted another sitter, only to find their calendars were out of date and they were unavailable.

You will have no way of knowing whether they have booked another sitter except to reach out and ask them. For example: "Dear XXXX, I look forward to the opportunity to meet Fido. Are you still looking for a sitter?"

If the answer is no, I follow up with, "Thank you for letting me know and please don't hesitate to call if you are ever in need of a sitter in the future. Best wishes for safe travels."

They may or may not answer, but you have kept the lines of communication open.

Good luck as you get started with Rover!

Janice -- having been a dog owner looking for a sitter before actually being a Rover sitter gave me a little insight into how this website works. Rover does encourage pet parents to contact at least three [3] sitters, to enhance their chances of getting a positive hit/booking. That said, your best bet as a sitter is a quick answer to their initial message (which also helps with a boost in search rankings), as the longer you wait to reply to that first message, the less likely they are to book with you since someone else may have already responded.

Ideally, an owner who has selected another sitter will message you to let you know, but in my experience that is frequently not the case. I usually send a follow up message after a couple days if a previous message has gone without a response, saying I'd love to meet with them if they are still needing a sitter. Most of the time that will prompt them to send a reply to say they've already found someone or are still looking.

As for last minute stays, don't feel bad for not taking them if you aren't comfortable with it. Plenty of people plan in advance, so even though it may take longer to establish yourself, it's not worth pushing yourself beyond what you are equipped to handle. Once you've had more experience maybe you'll feel more prepared to take last minute clients. You can also require that owners provide a local emergency contact as a back up in case a stay doesn't work out, and I always recommend taking the dog/s for a walk (especially if you have any dogs of your own) even if you don't have time for a M&G before the stay begins. It's so helpful in eliminating most potential conflicts and building trust.

Yes they are able to contact as many sitters as they want, ideally they are looking for a good fit for their dog so they might go to a few Meet and Greets and then select the best candidate to stay with their dog. You can take a last minute booking but I encourage you to do a meet and greet no matter what, just to see if the dog will be comfortable in your home and to make sure it's a good match. For example, I had a customer contact me and she was leaving in 2 days for a business trip. I told her to come over that same day so I can meet her 2 pups but I was very open in my communication. I told her I was going to see if they got along with my dogs and if it was a good match. I met the dogs, they were fine at the meet and greet and the next day she dropped them off. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. Just use your best judgment when meeting a potential client. The last thing you want is to stay with a dog for 7 days and it turns out to be a bad situation.

It's definitely a tough spot to be in as sitters when doggie owners are weighing their options, especially last minute. My schedule is very flexible, so I'm usually able to book last-minute requests if I have an opening. Owners always comment on how grateful they are that my schedule is so flexible. Most owners aren't trying to give you the run-around; they're just trying to figure out which total stranger is best suited to care for their pup. Hang in there and book as many as you feel comfortable with!