Agreed. I'd like to charge more for last minute bookings, as I also like to plan ahead. Saying something to address this your profile is a good idea. Although not everyone reads profiles, and some clients get turned off when there seems to be "hidden fees." Fingers crossed Rover will add this.

Having the dog board for a night to have a test run is a good idea! I'll consider this tip!

I've experienced this as well. Most recently it was for a dog I was told was dog-friendly and then at drop-off they said he wasn't and wanted me to keep him in my own dog's crate for the entire stay because, in their words, "didn't want to see blood shed" with the other dogs I was boarding. He cried and barked for the first three hours. I couldn't let him roam the house because I had two other dogs boarding, plus my own. I told the owner it wasn't working out because he was very stressed and did not want to be in the crate. They were understanding, and made plans to pick him up within hours of contacting them.

Like someone mentioned, owners do get offended if you say anything negative about their dog, even if it's the truth. Make the reason for denying future stays about the dogs best interest. He was stressed at your house, never felt comfortable being there, and you don't want him to be stressed out during his stay. Try to keep things as positive and light as possible.

For another dog that I could tell wouldn't work out for boarding, I offered to do a house sit. I didn't mention I felt boarding would not be right for the dog. I just asked if they preferred a house sit. Luckily, they did.

You can control if he gets refunded the entire amount or half, but you don't have to if you feel you should be paid half since you've dedicated your time at your house waiting for the dog. If you do want half refunded, explain your cancellation policy to him. The stay has technically begun by Rover's standards, so he'll be refunded half. Even though the dog isn't there yet, you're dedicating your time being at your house waiting for him. If he wants to be a repeat client, it may be beneficial to you in getting future bookings with him, to give him a full refund but explain that typically he'd be getting half because the stay has begun, but since this is his first time (or whatever reason you want to give) you'll negate it this time.

I was in a situation where the stay had begun but got cancelled and because I choose to cancel it, I told Rover Support to refund the entire amount, rather than half, and they did.

I have done drop-ins while a household member was present, and haven't had any issues with it so far. knock on wood Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. Your safety comes first.

Right now, I keep track of my miles. I'm starting to track my income by documenting per month the type of sit, name of pet client, dates of the sit, and total profit made per sit. Is there any info I'm missing? I board dogs in my home and buy items for them, such as poop bags and cleaning solutions. Can I deduct expenses like bills for the part of the house that is mainly used for dog boarding? For items to be deducted, do I keep the receipts?

Any tips on an efficient way to keep track of your income and deductions or what can be deducted when using your home and other items to board is much appreciated.