Never give your information to someone who you haven't met. Ask them to agree to a meet and greet. If everything goes we...

If the owner can't give any suggestions try not to leave the dog for long timeframes. Treats, small warm places to chill while you're gone, and activities to do. All those things go a long way with that stuff. Also, I'd probably kennel the dog to ensure they're more comfortable and that they don't get into trouble from the anxiety.

I know there's a limit but I don't see why you couldn't deduct it (or at least part of it) from taxes. I deduct 30%ish of my phone bill because I use it for Rover along with a certain amount of office stuff and dog supplies and had no trouble last year. I'll be doing the same with my recent laptop purchase. So yeah, consult first of course but you should be fine claiming it.

If you're doing an in-home stay; do it at their place. If you're doing it in your home or elsewhere, do it there. General rule of thumb is to do the meet at the same place the animal service will take place. Unless its a walk, then its up to you.

Let them pick up their dog but I still wouldn't give them a full refund. You're missing out on other people's bookings because you anticipated watching their animal. It was them who missed their flight and that's not your fault either. Keep at least half the money or whatever you deem reasonable for your time and let Rover know about the incident.

I don't hate PayPal. But I do wish there was another option for payment, especially direct deposit. I lose out on my bank benefits simply because my job can't do DD and PayPal doesn't have that option anywhere either. \

At that point you hadn't accepted the booking entirely so you could archive it and possibly even cancel. I'm not sure what benefit someone has by doing that but if they actually needed a sitter it would be their loss. As long as you made the attempt at reminding them I'd have called Rover within a few days of hearing nothing and asked them to open my calendar availability for that timeframe again.

I personally would never do a sitting or boarding stay without a meet. There's just too much risk even if you don't have other dogs you have their dog and your property to worry about. Skype might give you a good idea about the owner but it won't tell you behavioral stuff you NEED to know about the dog.

It sucks that this owner wasn't able to retain a good sitter (that's not on them). However, they really need to reach out to Rover and make it a priority to schedule a meet even with only one day left.

Treats! Lots and lots of healthy treats (only give a few but use as motivation)!

I do meet and greets but I often forget to schedule them in the app. I haven't noticed changes with my bookings or anything as a result but I'd hope it wouldn't mess with the calendar. Of course, its the best idea to do meets whenever possible but I don't think it would be wise to change settings based on marking them.

Drop-ins are exactly what the title implies. You stop in on your clients and let them out, give them food and water, lots of love and attention, and whatever else the owner asks you to do. Don't be confused when the app says "walk" under the booking though. It's absolutely not a requirement for drop-ins unless an owner asks for one specifically.

I advertise them as being great for senior or smaller dogs but I prefer people to choose the walks so their animals get adequate exercise so I set them at similar rates (but that's just a personal preference).

I'm sorry that your first booking went so bad but I commend you for keeping at it! My mind can't comprehend how on earth this person felt compelled to write you a 1-star review when it sounds like you didn't do anything wrong and it was HER dog that bit you while you were helping her out. Hope you're doing okay.

Have you tried Reaching out to Rover to fix this? I'm unsure if reviews can be removed but with a compelling case like yours I'd hope they could do something for you or at the very least hear you out and warn others of this client. There's a section under "help" for feedback when you contact them so I'd try that if you haven't and explain your case as detailed as you possibly can. Be sure to send them any paperwork medically if you got the bite looked at.

From there, just making your profile look as good as possible is probably your best bet. Make sure your "about me" is detailed, include lots of photos from all the happy animals you've helped with (and your own). and have some friends write some reviews for you that you have helped with beforehand! Probably about half my reviews are from clients that are my co-workers, neighbors, and people I've met outside Rover who were happy to help out. Just be sure to ask them first but since they still count toward your overall rating it should even things out. Lastly, be sure to complete "Rover 101", it's just more training but since its so easy and adds another badge to your profile its a great idea if you haven't completed it.

You don't need to board to succeed here. Things are slow at first for pretty much everyone and even now I'm not a perfect match for every client. Just do what you can. Lower your rates, expand your radius, and do things aside from sitting for awhile to expand your customer base (if you do even one walk for someone and they see how good you are they'll be much more likely to consider you when they need someone for a stay). Rover is definitely "on the side" for most people but if you set realistic expectations you can totally have a great experience here!

I know everything went smoothly and payment was fine since I now have the badge for it but how do I get a copy of this report from rover or what client do they use to obtain them that I can reach out and get a copy? I don't really need it its just nice to have in case I ever need to confirm "yes, I did this." Thanks!

You pay before but then your $ is held safely by Rover until 48 hours after the booking to ensure everything goes smoothly. If anything is unsatisfactory or there's a cancellation either you or your sitter can contact Rover and you can be reimbursed for any shortcomings or cancellations. I've done this several times for bad weather and I've never had issues with the system. Just be sure to ask for your sitter or Rover for help if its getting confusing!

This. There's an option to request photos and as a sitter I always assume this to mean "the owner probably prefers like more than one update." Consider marking it in the future or just flat out ask your sitter to give you daily updates etc.

No its not normal but neither is expecting a sitter to send 10 updates in one day if you don't tell them to. This is why meets and making your expectations of us is just as important as telling us about your animals!

There is an option to request photos and stuff, be sure you do that as that will at least prompt the sitter to send you some form of communication. We are also required to submit a photo and notes at the end of all walks and drop ins so when its that booking I rarely communicate with the owner except at the end (which is probably normal). I'd reach out to your sitter and ask them to be more communicative or even just say that you're checking in on your dog and welcome them to contact you with updates. As much as we love sharing fun dog photos I also try and avoid blowing up owners phone's with photos of their dogs and that might come off as "less" communicative to some.

Some communication is normal, none is problematic. Contact Rover support if you're worried.

I wanted to add that the rate is going to be per dog unless you go on a desktop and edit your prices more specifically (you might be able to do it on mobile but I never saw the options there, its under a drop-down list). Otherwise, yes it charges full rate per dog so I'd be sure to edit that!

I charge an extra fee but it is significantly less than my walking fee. Mainly because through Rover we're walking dogs of all kinds. Even when we meet them first and have optimal gear; having to walk 2 pulling GSDs is going to be more taxing over 2 Havanese dogs or something but you never really know until you get out there with the dogs. I always say charge what you can get away with and what you feel is fair and remember you can always adjust your rates later (submit a price adjustment in the booking itself). As long as you're getting bookings and feel compensated for your time then do what feels right probably.

The Rover app itself can handle most scheduling needs (but it doesn't have time slots, yet) so a digital calendar or notepad can be useful if you have a number of clients. Weather gear, but this has been stated and will vary depending on your climate. I invested in some extra toys, leash, and an adjustable collar with my information on it for stays. I also totally dog proofed my car and added safety gear. I went the extra mile because I always have dogs with me but its totally things you'll want to consider if you plan on traveling with clients. If you're boarding be sure your home is dog-proof and have cleaning supplies!

I'd say the "necessities" are weather gear, a dog bowl (always offer water after walks), treats (opt for allergen free), poop bags, a few toys, and most importantly, a good pair of shoes if you're walking! I cannot emphasize how important that is! Stay safe out there!

Can't say I've forked over any money for anything excessively. I am taking dog classes and am a CPDT (which wasn't free of course) but as its been said, its worth it if you're looking to build a business. One thing I recommend is getting certified in animal first aid/cpr. Again, its not free but its super useful and can be nice to put on a profile. There are some other free, credible training sessions online and in-person if you Google them. The internet is your friend!

What others have said here mostly, Rover support is here to help but so is your sitter so communication is key!

As for the "how" I just wanted to add that there is a button in your chat with the sitter that should say "schedule a meet" and you can input details there. Of course, my view is that of a sitter but I imagine a client can do the same. If not, ask your care provider to schedule one with your specifications and don't forget to include your address (we don't get it until the booking is approved officially). If they don't agree to a meet or they seem wishy-washy I'd recommend looking to a different provider. Most of us are happy to do meets because it benefits everyone!

This too. Exercise always helps!

For every month your puppy is in age, that's about how long they can go without using the bathroom. So 2.5 months is roughly 2 hours. She's going to have to pee and poop more regularly than an adult dog but ensuring that she's in some sort of routine can immensely help. One of my client's dogs used to poop in the home almost daily until her owner started feeding her an hr before she left and ensured she pooped before leaving. There were still bad days of course, but between developing a regular schedule and following her vet's suggestion in adjusting her diet I rarely walk in to any more messes. I'd start there for any puppy or dog who needs to be properly housebroken.

Meanwhile, consider adding a puppy pad to the kennel (get a bigger kennel if she can't get away from where the pad is to sleep, you don't want her lying in a mess). Also if you can't find the time to let her out at the right time or she doesn't poop in the morning, consider hiring a walker or having someone let her out to help you figure out when she's needing to relieve herself and maybe why. Best of luck.

Ask your vet if you haven't done that yet, this should always be the first suggestion especially since its not just dog poo but animal doo, you never know what's in that stuff!

If it doesn't persist past a few weeks I'd say that the dog may have just had a bug and was seeking something to make it feel better. If it persists then go see your vet. Its often a food or dietary issue or sometimes a bug. One of our dogs happens to just "like to eat it" though on walks I don't let her touch it (if you're on a leash its easier to redirect so maybe take them out on a leash and start training them not to). We also started using some treats and a dog-safe meal topping that makes the poop taste awful (and we give it to our other dogs too). This combined with the leash training and cleaning the yard daily has made it nearly impossible for her to do so. Good luck!

Yes, just be super careful on the face and be sure it has no extra fragrances or dyes.

What about if it's an apartment? It would be nice to be compensated for waiting especially if the owner can't let me in but on the other hand it takes me a few minutes to get upstairs and get the dog ready. I never start it till I'm headed down with the dog and I figure that's fair.