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Dog slips out of collar/Not a good fit multiple questions?

Sarah B.'s profile image

If you know that you'll never sit for a dog again/it's a bad fit, do you still ask for a review? And at what point do you make it clear that the dog is a bad fit? How would this all play out?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I'm very tired and not naturally great with the etiquette stuff

Main Question: What would you do if a dog (in this case a SUPER energetic australian shepherd constantly slipped out of his collar no matter how much you tighten it (and the owner never brought this up)? It seems to be a playful thing where the dog always comes back... The owner doesn't speak great English and honestly seems like perhaps not the best fit for HIS dog, so I don't even know what's worth asking. He was much calmer on the meet n greet and his personality was NOT explained in this way but honestly I don't even really get the sense that this dog is walked much, if ever. I don't want to create an unnecessarily hostile situation with the owner and risk a bad review; I just want to get through this stay.

The dog is also a BIG barker; it wasn't clear before and the owner did not make this clear in describing his personality. I want to make sure he knows what his dog is like when he's away but I don't want to upset him

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Also, have you ever tried to recommend certain things (more exercise; more mental stimulation through kongs etc)? I really wish I could hint certain things to the owner but I don't want to be obvious or rude.

Sarah B.'s profile image Sarah B.

6 Answers

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Karen R.'s profile image

Let's address your immediate needs first. If the dog is constantly slipping out of his collar, you may want to consider having a harness on hand. You could go out and buy one now for this dog and when it is picked up, explain to the owner that you noticed the dog kept slipping out of his collar and you didn't feel it was a safe situation. Perhaps the owner wasn't aware that a harness is more secure and you could offer to sell it to him. Otherwise, consider it a sitting expense to be taken off your taxes.

As far as recommending activities or the suitability of the breed, it isn't your place. You could mention that the dog seemed to really like certain toys/activities and that you hoped he had those things at home. You have to give the hints about the breed's needs in a very subtle and positive way. Other than that, there isn't much more that you can do about how an owner takes care of his dog.

Don't mention anything about the dog not being a good fit until the owner requests your services again. At that point, you can turn him down for whatever reason. If the owner is going to leave you a review, it should be positive because of all the excellent care you've provided for his dog.

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Thanks for all of your advice! Sometimes owners will talk about using me again at the end of the stay though, and I don't want to lie or give a false impression. He contacted me in the past but had to cancel so I'm pretty sure this would be a fairly frequent thing. Also, often owners want to talk about how their dogs were... I can't really talk about how he was in this environment without making it obvious the dog isn't a good fit Also, do you suggest asking for a review at the end of the stay? Or should I not mention it at all and just let him review if he wants/don't badger him if he doesn't?

Sarah B.'s profile image Sarah B.

I have never asked any client to leave me a review. If they do, they do. If they don't, they don't. I don't ask, hint or remind them. I don't like being asked to do reviews, so I extend that same courtesy to my customers. I don't know how far you are into the stay and whether there's any possibility it will improve as the dog adjusts to your home. However, let's say nothing changes. At pickup if the owner asks about his dog's behavior, mention something like the barking which doesn't reflect on your ability to care for it. Great dog, so much fun, etc., but he was barking all the time. This way you haven't given him a false impression and there is a basis for turning down any future requests.

Karen R.'s profile image Karen R.
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Frances M.'s profile image

I keep extra harnesses. I have a dog who constantly slips out of her collar and from that experience I always keep an extra harness.

I would not ask for a review if I know the dog is causing me trouble and I am not going to watch him again. Hopefully the owner will leave you a review, but I wouldn't ask for one.

I don't usually tell people a dog is not a good fit until they book again. I do tell the owner that the dog barked excessively so when they book again and you don't want to stay with the dog you can tell him that because of his excessive barking you don't think it is a good fit but that you can refer him to Rover Support. Or maybe say that his excessive barking caused your dog to be uncomfortable so you don't think your home is a good fit but I would at least hint it when he picks up his dog so he is not surprised when you don't stay with his dog again.

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Kathleen D.'s profile image

Hi Sarah, I keep harnesses of different sizes on hand. Customers that only use a leash on the collar, I let them know that I will use the one that fits best on their pup/dog for their safety. Usually they "forget" to bring the harness.

Secondly, sometimes the "new dog customer" will be very calm at the meet & greet and "high energy" after being dropped off. Remember, they are in a new home without their Pet Parent and are very nervous, especially with other dogs that already know each other and have become "a pack". I take them for a lot of walks - short and long - to calm them all down. I also give some extra one-on-one time to the new dog. That said, there are some breeds that are breed High Energy. Australian Shepard's need a Lot of exercise to tire and calm them down.

I do agree to not say anything to the owner about their dog. I sometimes do ask new customers for a review so other pet parents know I provide an excellent experience and care of their dog if I want to take their dog again. I probably wouldn't ask a customer for a review that I don't want to take again. This is one of those learning experiences. My goal is to build up my repeat customers. Hope this helps. -Kathleen D.

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Laura R.'s profile image

I'm all for communication with the owner. Especially if they're going to need a sitter in the future, it's only fair that they know what sort of situation hasn't worked in the past so they know what to look for in the future. If you're going to have him for a while longer, you might send the owner a note asking for his advice, something like "I've noticed Cookie loves exercise! In a new environment dogs often need a little extra activity to help them settle in. What are her favorite activities when she's feeling particularly energetic?" That lets him know that she's full of energy and needs more exercise, but also involves him in her care, letting him know that you want to make sure she gets what she needs. If it helps, great. If not, it gives you a way to politely excuse yourself from future sitting requests. When he picks her up and asks how it went, you can mention that despite how much you enjoyed her (doesn't matter if it's true), even with your best efforts to help her relax and settle in, she just didn't seem to be comfortable in your home, and that based on her needs, she might enjoy ___ (a more rural setting, lots of property, another dog, not another dog, etc) instead.

I usually mention that Rover will send a follow up email in a couple days with a link to review, and that I'd appreciate if they took a moment to fill it out, but in the rare instance when I've given feedback like above (I also had a barker who wouldn't let my ex and I sleep past 3am for all 4 nights of his stay) I just omit that part of the pick up. In my case, they didn't leave a review, which was fine. I don't think it would have been negative if they had, because I did all I could for that dog. He got exercise, I sent great pictures of him having a fantastic time, and I was able to let them know that despite all that, he does tend to be a little anxious and barky when they are away, so knowing that, he might be more suited to a place that doesn't share a wall with neighbors.

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Victoria S.'s profile image

get a martingale collar (you can reuse it for other dogs you're watching) and maybe recommend it to the owner. They are not expensive https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Martingale-Collar-Quick-Buckle/dp/B00CZ7I6WK/ref=sr (https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Martin...)14?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1475968250&sr=1-4&keywords=martingale+dog+collar

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Deb A.'s profile image

I agree with Karen's answer. To add another perspective, I've very nicely told two owners their dog (not from Rover) wasn't a good fit: one I explained why and one I did not provide a reason. The one I gave the reasons to was my worst house guest ever (acted very aggressively, among other reasons) and they twisted it and left a fairly negative review that distorted facts and didn't leave an accurate representation. With the one I didn't give a reason, the owner left a somewhat neutral/positive review. Clients don't really want to hear that their fur-kid acted poorly, especially since some behaviors like barking may occur more when with a sitter due to anxiety, When you're building business, you really want to avoid bad reviews. Since Rover will request a review that for you, I'd suggest that you don't ask for the review and follow up because it just more likely could result in a longer discussion about how things went.

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