Just FYI - I contacted Rover regarding this and there IS a way to get your pet-parent a refund using the website. If you click "Cancel this Stay" on the booking page, you're given a list of options of why you're canceling. One option is "dates changed" and then you can explain in the comments that the dog is being picked up early. Rover will take it from there and issue the refund, but the rest of the booking will stay as-is. Pretty easy!

My dog does this too, only out of fear. I've found it helpful to try and distract him. Bring along treats and see if you can get his attention (sit and make eye contact with you) and if he does, reward him. It also helps if you're able to step in front of him to block his gaze. It can get tedious, but oftentimes I have to stop on the side of the street, stand in front of my dog, make him sit, and keep his gaze blocked until the other dog passes by.

From what I've read, yes it is safe. There are tips for how much to dilute the vinegar based on the dog's weight. Generally it's 1/2 cup vinegar to 2 cups water, then calculate it based on how much you need to cover the dog. Spray and/or use a cloth to rub it on. Also a decent holistic flea preventative.

My dog has a tendency to always follow commands, even when I'm giving them to someone else! If calling them by name isn't working, get closer to the puppy you're commanding and try to get their eye contact before the command, putting your back to the older dog. If they don't have a tendency to bite, you can also gently tap their nose when scolding. If the other dog still thinks he's getting scolded, make it a point to separate the dogs, give the behaving one some pats or a treat, and use soothing tones. Don't leave the behaving one alone because he might think he did something wrong, so after giving a treat, etc, let the dogs back in the same room together. Over time these tactics combined with using their names should eventually work - it may just take a while to sink in, especially for a young pup!

My mom's husky is very jumpy, and as you can imagine the bigger she got as she grew, the more it hurt! Our best bet was, every time she jumps, we'd turn our backs. It actually helps quite a bit. Then of course training to sit and having treats on hand is always a good idea. Here's what I would do in steps:

Dog starts to jump, turn your back and say "down!" or "no!" If dog keeps jumping, keep back turned and walk away. Ignore until she stops! Once she calms, praise and reward.

Hope this helps!

I know how to extend a stay, but what about if a pet parent decides to pick their dog up a day early? Is there any way to retroactively change the payment so the owner gets a partial refund for the night the dog ended up not staying?

I've had pet parents tip me when they pick up their dog. Not really something I would like to add on as a sitter even if I had the option, as I feel it's up to the owner and they shouldn't feel obligated to tip. So for that reason cash tips make the most sense. You can always keep a record of the tips somewhere other than on Rover, if you want to know exactly how much each person has paid. Probably a good idea to have a payment record off of Rover anyways for taxes and safe keeping :)

First off - have you clarified with the customer what the price is for 2 days without overnights? If it's the same as a 2-night stay, you can do the following:

On the page where your conversations with this customer are, there is an "extend stay" link on the left side. Click that and you should be able to up it to two nights. Just make sure the customer is clear that "2 nights" actually means 2 days and it's the same price. If it's a completely different price and you need to set a new rate, you may need to contact Rover Support since this customer already paid for the one overnight, so I don't think you can adjust the rates retroactively.

It seems that even when I mark my calendar as unavailable, or if I book my maximum # of dogs thus making me unavailable, that I still show up in search results for those dates. I'm getting tons of requests for dates that I can't do, and it makes me feel bad having to turn down so many customers simply because Rover isn't actually keeping my calendar in mind.

Is anyone else having this problem? I assume that it's on Rover's end and I'm NOT supposed to show up when I'm unavailable. Is it also a possibility that people just find me and put in dates without checking my availability? I don't really know how it works.

Great ideas! Thanks!

I LOVE the idea and decided I was gonna do it when I first signed up for Rover. Not only is a great perk for pet-parents who are deciding on a sitter, but it's a way to show your appreciation that the pet-parents trusted you with their baby! Here are some tips that I've found helpful when putting a goodie bag together:

As you mentioned, treats all depend on the dog's diet and allergies, etc. Ask the pet-parents what their dog usually eats for treats, and if it's not too expensive, buy some to throw in the bag.

A printed picture of the dog's stay is a wonderful idea! Not gonna lie, I didn't think of it until you said it, but I will definitely steal that idea!

Keep up the rapport with some good marketing - include a little note saying thank you, perhaps with a little description of how great their dog was. Then end it with a friendly reminder to post a review for you if they were satisfied with their dog's stay.

Of course, try to keep the cost low! If you can, buy little toys/treats in bulk so that you have your "generic" goodie bag, but then you can modify it slightly depending on the dog's specific preferences and needs.

I'm still new to Rover, so it's a method that needs some real-life testing so to speak, but I think it's a good way to set you apart from other sitters and may even increase your chances of getting more good reviews and repeat customers! Good luck!

I'm making up a "supply list" or sorts for pet-parents when they're packing for their dog's stay. I have the essentials - food, treats, toys, bed, leash/harness - do any of you sitters have anything to add to the list based on previous dogs that you've sat for?

Judith - did you end up getting these badges posted, and if so, how long did it take you? I'm in the same boat - did background check and Rover training last week and I still haven't gotten my badges or heard anything.

I believe that the holiday rate does default to the days/weekend surrounding that day as well, but it's up to you when you want to charge it. This is something I would discuss with the owner, and maybe see if you can come to an agreement on price. I see that, like me, you're new to the Rover community. Honestly, because you're just starting out, my best advice is to not worry too much about sticking to the holiday rate the whole time. If you negotiate with the owner, maybe you'll increase your chances of a booking/return customer. Perhaps you can tell the owner that Rover does count the holiday rate for surrounding days, but you're happy to give the normal rate on 1 or 2 etc. (your choice) of the days - especially if the owner is looking for a long stay and you can give a break like "book 3 holiday rate days, get 1 normal rate." If you do decide to adjust the rate down on the surrounding days, you can do this in the specific booking. Hope this helps and good luck!

It sounds like there might be a glitch where the computer is marking you as "repeat customers only" instead of totally away. I would call Rover Customer Support ([Edit: Rover’s contact options have changed. Visit the Rover Help Center at https://support.rover.com/ to find the phone number, help articles, or chat with the team]) to see if they can fix this for you.