thank you. I have been "Downsized" multiple times, and am sensitive to changes that could be detrimental to my continuation with any business. I don't trust any Corporations anymore.

Where can I buy Rover signs to advertise my services? I noticed that the Rover store no longer has yard signs, car magnet signs, business cards, hats and other promotional materials. Is Rover being taken over by another company and changing the name??
My yard sign is over 3 years old and needs to be replaced.
If there is no longer official business promotional materials to be purchased, do I just go out on my own to name my own business?
Please tell me if Rover is just changing printers, or why these items are not available. I am anxious that my dog sitting business future could be affected. Sincerely, Susan BG

How do I earn Rover "treats"?
I see that the more treats a sitter has, the higher in rankings they appear.
I had just 1 treat for weeks, then recently after I started to get active in the Q & A Community, the treats increased.
Do I get treats for every post? Do I get more points for starting a thread vs. responding?
Somewhere there should be a link to tell me what I should be doing more of to obtain more treats. Please help!

As an experienced sitter, I am just as worried about new clients having access to my personal information, bank account, etc. Rover helps with this by payment going through them (No checking account numbers to strangers), contact information going through Rover, so both client & sitter don't have to give phone number or email address.
I watch dogs in my home as well as visit clients' homes. One client has security cameras all over the house, which doesn't bother me, since I have no intention of doing anything wrong. If you are that concerned, maybe you should invest in security cameras & make sure people that enter are aware that they are being watched. Just a suggestion.
Blessings to you, SusanBG

I used to just charge a flat rate, when I was only walking small dogs. But I have a regular client that has 2 Great Pyrenees Mountain Dogs that I walk together every weekday! Of course I charge more, since they are more of a challenge to control, larger poops & I have to use my weight when they go the same direction at the same time! I love them dearly, but there are few walkers that will take them on as clients, since they literally are HUGE! (The first time I met them, the male jumped up on his hind legs & put his front paws on my shoulders!) That client referred me to a neighbor, who just got an 8week old Vizsla puppy!

Each size/age or special needs will have different challenges, so you need to evaluate your time and effort and be flexible in your prices to adjust for the situation.

I've received the same texts inquiring on behalf of a friend or relative, instructing to contact on specific email. They usually say they saw me on Care.com, but sometimes they don't say, so it could be CraigsList too. Be alert! Those scammers are why Rover is helpful to protect us.

One of my clients has an older boxer/terrier mix that has Cushings. The sweet girl is bloated, always thirsty, incontinent,very hungry, etc. She is on oral medications I just put in her food when she stayed with me. One of the tumors caused her to lose an eye, but she had adjusted. I understand the medicine is expensive, but this sweet old gal has a decent quality of life.

This is a very hard question. Our Tigger had bone cancer and got to the point that he couldn't use one leg anymore & was in pain, even though he tried not to show it. The Vet office was great, knowing he was very food motivated, gave us a jar of treats to feed him until the Morphine took effect. We just kept petting him as we talked to him about how he was such a good boy and said our goodbyes the day before Thanksgiving. We were very Blessed to have him in our lives for as long as we did.

I always do a Meet & Greet in the house and back yard, so the dogs can investigate while we chat. I try to also have my husband & son home to meet as well, so they know the dogs will get plenty of attention and the dogs meet them before the drop off date.

I didn't see an email sent to me. How do I find out if it relates to me in metro Atlanta area?

I got a variation on the same email too! Shannon and Cade, maybe the three of us were contacted because of a certain place we all also advertised. I am also on Care.com and Thumbtack.com. Oh, I am also on LinkedIn.com. Are either of you on Care, Thumbtack or LinkedIn?

I responded by saying that all my business transactions are done through Rover.com and gave them the link to my Rover account, and of course they never proceeded.

I also haven't been with Rover long enough to have a full schedule.
It is really all up to you on how you want to run your own business. I also watch only 2 dogs at a time, and they have to be from the same household! Kudos to you for getting to the point of taking care of regular clients and not taking on new clients. Hey, Doctor offices do it, so why not? Seriously, you are the one that has to manage your time and resources. You also know what your limits are as far as stress level, and what would and would not be a good fit for you. As your title question indicates, there are some sitters that limit themselves to small dogs only. I say there is enough business to go around. Especially when we operate in our own niches. I know there is a sitter on Rover that lives near me, but she specializes in Dachshunds, and another one specializes in small to medium dogs. They found a niche that works for them! I market myself as accepting large and extra large dogs for no additional charge. (Same rate applies to all sizes).

Right now I limit myself to only have 2 dogs from the same household staying here at a time. Yes, I could make more money by watching in my home dogs from multiple households. My fear is that they may fight, and my stress level can't handle that. There are other sitters that watch dogs from multiple households and they work very hard to keep an eye on them & have procedures to reduce conflict. I think that is great, but I don't have the facilities to do what I would want to have dogs from multiple households staying with me. Don't feel like you have to apologize for your policies. You have them for a reason, and it is literally your business.

Hi Deb, As Karen said, this is a forum for Rover sitters and pet owners. You may not realize that we are spread out over many states. I am in Georgia, Karen is in Illinois. Definitely use the filters as Karen said. You can say within a certain # of miles from your address, which will ensure that you are reaching people that would be eligible to meet you.
Yes, many pet sitters here watch cats, and more likely than not will be some in your area. Best Wishes!

I have a Meet & Greet checklist that I use too.
Personally, I think it gives the impression that you take your job seriously and truly care about their dogs.
It looks like you have some great advice here.