We've used Rover twice and been pleased. Both times the sitter came out to collect the dog and belongings. We had no sense of the living conditions and how dogs are cared for. Is this standard practice?
You have every right to see where your dog is staying. I invite all potential clients over to my house for a Meet & Greet before accepting a job. This is not only so that our dogs can meet and see if they get along, but also it gives owners the opportunity to see where their pup will stay. We talk about the dog and the owner's needs/expectations and get all questions answered. The M&G is a highly recommended first step in the Rover process.
Set something up with your sitter. He/she should be very willing to oblige.
Karen that is exactly how I handle potential clients. I can't imagine not letting someone into my home so that they can have the utmost comfort leaving their pets in my care.
Even though the bulk of my meet and greets take place outside taking the dogs on an introductory walk together, I always invite clients inside at the end if the walk has gone well. If I were leaving my dogs with a new sitter, I'd want to see where they would be staying. Even if you love the sitter, there may be something in their home that will be a deal-breaker. Perhaps their cleanliness leaves something to be desired, or there's a scary ceiling fan or furnace that your dog will hate (one of my client's dogs is terrified of ceiling fans, and she won't go in the bedrooms because of it, which is fine since I try to keep the dogs out of there anyway). If the sitter has pets of their own, you'll want to see how they interact together on the sitter's home turf, since that may be different than how they act on neutral ground.
If you've asked to be shown inside and been denied, I'd be concerned about the reason why. If the sitter simply didn't offer and you didn't ask, I imagine you both were just planning on the other person to bring it up. Some sitters may be happy if a client doesn't ask, not because they have anything to hide, but because if they are watching other dogs, it can be chaotic to coordinate people coming and going for tours, since often the other guest dogs all have to be confined during this process. Even so, I would still expect a sitter to be willing to arrange for you to come by and see their home before agreeing to leave your own dog there, and seeing how they handle the other dogs in their care during what might be a stressful situation will also be valuable information for you to have.
I fully concur. I do not own any dogs, but oftentimes have M&G at my home and explain the primary reasons off the bat. I want the client to be as comfortable as possible leaving their furry family with me, as well as the dog being comfortable and recognizing my home when they return.
As a sitter, I normally do my meet and greets away from the house. I do this for a number of reasons:
[1] Sometimes I have another guest dog in the house that will not be there during their pet's stay and it usually ends up more chaotic than it needs to be.
[2] I like going to dog parks to see how potential clients interact with other dogs in open settings.
[3] I am better able to focus on the Meet & greet rather than everything going on at the house.
During drop off, I usually meet clients outside and bring their dog's items in, then get the dog. If the owner asks to see my home, they are more than welcome to. I normally don't offer and leave that option up to the owner, if they want it.
I don't have anything to hide. If they want to, and ask, they are more than welcome.
As a dog parent, I do ASK to see the sitter's house before approving them, that's just how I am.
I think it's important for a client to see where their dog will be sleeping, playing, eating, etc. If I do a meet and greet, I usually have my dogs in a back room so the clients can explore the home with their dog then we'll have the dogs meet in the backyard on leash. If there is no meet and greet, I always invite the client in to see the place before they leave. I've only had one client not come in to take a look because she was in a rush to get to a prearranged event. I would be concerned if a sitter would not let me see their place and I'd definitely ask to.
I fully concur. I do not own any dogs, but have M&G at my home and explain the primary reasons off the bat. I want the client to be as comfortable as possible leaving their furry family with me, as well as the dog being comfortable in my home when they return. If they opt out, but book I invite in.
Hello I am a sitter and would never deny an owner the right to come inside my house. I have the Owner over for meet and greets and require that their dog come inside off leash and interact with the other dogs and see how they do. I stay right next to them and take control if aggression starts and have never had an issue. If the dog does well they get to book with me. Now once booked I do not allow the client inside during the drop off and pick up simply because of the chaos and potential fights it can start and I have had clients in the past just open the door when they are ready to go letting all the other dogs out before I can get them leashed up. Some have even opened my door when they arrive because they see me inside leashing the dogs and just assume they can come in. So to avoid runaways and fights I meet the Owner at their car for drop offs and pick ups it is easier for both parties and faster. If the sitter you are using does not require meet and greets and/or does not show you where the dogs will be staying move on to a different sitter. Not requiring a meet and greet can put your dog in potential danger because they may have an aggressive dog arrive after yours and not realize it getting your dog bitten. Not to mention they could end up with a dog with major tick flea and other issues that could be transferred to your dog. I hope this helps.
fleas and ticks? ohhh this is why i vet verry carefully when first contacted i ask alot of questions before even booking a meet and greet one of the first questions is your dog fully vaccinated? is your dog on a flea/tick regimen? if no to any of these they have to be done before i allow a m&g
Back before I was a sitter, when I asked to go inside a Rover sitter's home he explained to me that when their owner's scent is at a place, the dog is more anxious because they are constantly wondering when you will be back. This guy seemed very knowledgeable and capable and I left my dog with him several times with no issues. When I started sitting, I took his advice and have not invited owners in. The couple of times I was asked, of course I said yes, but I did notice these dogs waiting by the door for the majority of the time they were with me, as opposed to the ones I met outside who accepted my place as their new home for the time. It would be wonderful if more people were aware of this so that owner's didn't feel (understandably) suspicious about not being invited in! I think it helps that I have very clear photos of my home and good reviews, so potential clients have no reason to think I'm hiding anything and can trust that I am doing what is best for the doggies :)
This is EXACTLY what I tell my parents. It makes anxiety worse for those little ones with separation issues. I have watched a bunch of dogs and have never had a separation anxiety issue because of it.
I invite all my clients to a meet and greet in which their dogs are invited to roam the home and property, I also have them pick up inside the house. You have every right to see where you pet will be sleeping, eating and spending time. I would ask for a tour of the house, and if they decline it may be time to consider another sitter.
As a sitter, I schedule the meet and greet at my home, and I invite the "parents" inside. They can see where their fur babies will be staying, and any other people or animals that will be there. They can see how the interaction goes, and tell right away if their furbaby will be comfortable. I've had a sitter do this to me, not have me come in, that is, and I could hear many other dogs inside when I came to pick my baby up. It made me feel very uncomfortable. It is your right to be able to see where your four legged child will be staying, and feel comfortable in knowing the conditions of the home and surroundings that they will be staying in.
I always have a meet and greet in my home and yard. For drop off and pick ups I meet them out side. WHY? because I have a house full of dogs, BARKING dogs, excited ready to meet the newbie. Out of respect for my neighbors I try to keep the barking down. I have found the best way is for us to do all our good byes outside and bring the new pup inside with just me. If a customer insist on coming in of course, then they can see why meeting outside is a better idea. I hope that makes sense. Happy sitting!
No no no, that is not standard practice. I can't speculate as to the reasons why you would not be invited in but I would be questioning that as well. I do meet and greets in my home. As a Sitter and owner of a not too people friendly dog,( he takes time to warm up to people, thankfully is great with other animals) it is a huge ordeal to have visitors in my home, but I explain him ahead of time and we manage. I would never ask someone to leave their pet without a home visit first, and if they don't ask, I offer. I'd ask..."Booboo has stayed with you x amount of times and I've never even been inside, can I see where he has all this fun without me?" haha. But seriously, I would want to see. If they decline....may be time to look for a new sitter.
No that is not good, you should always know where your dogs are staying. The sitter should either work from your house or let you see the place the dogs will be staying.
NONONONO. Ditto comment above and ... You wouldn't take them to a kennel without checking out the cleanliness and safety of the business? I would report this information to Rover right away.I don't want to schedule this sitter for my pets, so please report it.
I am a sitter ,I am transparent about that sort of thing and think most caring owners would want to see where there pet would be staying.I encourage it.I ask about flea and tick protection and vaccines and get to talk to the owners for a bit.I agree with above.Sorry you have encountered this.