I love animals and this would be an ideal job for me. I was wondering how to get started if you have not had professional experience in this field.
I didn't have any professional experience before joining Rover. I've owned dogs for a number of years and cared for various animals (domestic and wild) throughout my life. I spent a good deal of time interacting with animals, and, being a researcher at heart, I consumed all the information I could find about training and behavior, but I never did any formal work in the field.
As everyone else has said, you need a lot of dedication for this job. It's a lot of work, even if you love dogs, and it's very different from owning dogs or just hanging out with a friend's pets. At times it can be really stressful (there are only so many nights in a row a person can stand to be woken up at 3 am, and only so much whining/barking/howling a person can take). But if you're the kind of person who can handle the stress and still provide great care for other people's pets, then by all means, give it a try. Dog sitting is at times far more difficult than my other job, but despite that I love it so much more.
Hi Laura that was good advice thank you. It,s really hard when you don,t get hardly any clients . From Dawn
Hi, Diane,
You do not need to have professional experience in the field to be a Rover sitter. You DO need dedication, organizational and communication skills, and a safe, caring environment in which to welcome your guests.
Rover has excellent advice on becoming a sitter and will guide you through the whole process.
Good luck!
I don't have professional experience, and I would wager a lot of sitters on rover don't either. You just have to love dogs and be willing to put in the effort and work to care for them. Read everything on rover.com about caring for dogs. Owning and loving a dog is not the same thing as caring for them, however, so make sure you want to accept the responsibilities that come with sitting other people's dogs. Go ahead and apply, it can't hurt. Include in your profile any experience you may have had with dogs - owning, sitting other dogs, etc. Have you kept dogs/animals for friends in the past? They can write testimonials for you.
Fill out your profile as completely as possible. Include photos of your home, yard, and neighborhood so owners can see where their dog will be living. Once you are approved, read the sitter's handbook and apply for badges as you become more qualified. Take a look at profiles of other sitters in your area to determine average rates, then price yourself slightly lower until you get some clients. It will take some time, especially if there are lots of sitters in your area.
There isn't a specific degree, certification or prerequisite to using this site as a sitter, aside from being 18. You will find all types of people on this site offering their services: some are extremely experienced and have been doing this for years, others have only worked with animals in a medical setting and not pet sitting, others have zero experience aside from owning or loving dogs themselves. I think being 18 is the only real requirement.
There are many things that you will learn about what you like and don't like, as well as what you can tolerate in a furry guest in your home (or in their own home). That said, this line of work probably isn't for everyone - and I would recommend not quitting your job to do Rover right away. While there are some people that can absolutely live off of their Rover funds and make a living that way, I don't know that any one type of experience on Rover is "typical" - and much like any other service, there are great months where business is booming and others that you might not even get a request.
There are many things that help Rover sitters be more successful: e.g., having patience with new dogs that might be suffering from separation anxiety while their parents are away, handling the cold well while they wait for their guest pup to go potty, knowing the right questions to ask at a meet and greet (if they even do them at all, as some don't).
As for me, I quickly learned that I loved this line of work. I do have a career outside of Rover, but as my boyfriend said, "it's great that you get paid to do something you would probably do for free!". If you are interested, your best bet will be to take the plunge: join & offer your services. You'll learn most of it as you go along, and that's also probably the best way to figure out if this is for you!
So, join, fill out your profile and add some pictures!
Best of luck with all of your future endeavors!