Read the Rover Terms of Service section 2.8. Rover can place the dog in foster care and press charges for abandonment and animal cruelty. Call Rover immediately.

Sturdy clothes and practical shoes, dogs will be jumping on you. Khaki pants or jeans with work shirt or polo shirt. Shorts if they aren't too short. Carry dog treats, hand cleaner, and poop bags.

Your business is animal care -- so not really office wear-- but professional.

I'm not sure this will affect your Rover ranking negatively. If an owner tries to contact you for dates you have blocked on your calendar they get this warning message: "These dates are appear unavailable for this sitter." They know they may get declined by you...but so does Rover so I doubt they penalize you.

You can say 'I'm sorry but if you check my availability calendar you can see those dates are booked.' If I can't take a dog for whatever reason I mention they have the option to call Rover support for help placing their dogs and give them the 888 number. Rover support is great and will make you look professional. They have lots of sitters they can call to help an owner, even at the last minute.

I always tell my regular clients to contact me anyway, even if my calendar says we are booked...I will take an extra dog if I can, to keep a faithful client happy. I think that's a good reason someone can request a blocked date.

Yes they are.

Get some eco bug killer. They are safe around people and pets. They use only mint oil or lemongrass oil...it works!!! We use some from Home Depot and OSH. One is called Poison Free and one is called EcoSmart and one is Hotshot Natural. There are others, too, that use herbal oils. The smell isn't bad, either, just a strong herbal smell. They have flying insect and crawling insect sprays, indoors or outdoors. Spray the deck area before you go outside and voila...no flies.

And hose down the deck and lawn first...wherever the dogs go.

Of course! This is your business so run it for your preferences. Just make sure that you make clear in your headline or at least the first sentence that you only do daytime travel to the owner's house. That way you won't get requests that you have to turn down...that would affect your search ranking.

And make sure to explain your rates and your services in your profile. If something is unclear or incomplete, a client will just move on. Add additional services to increase your income: home visits/feeding/sitting...take the dog to the groomer and vet...take the dog to the dog park/dog trail...offer to give the dog a bath/brushout. Give options like half day/full day rates. Even break it down into 20-60 minutes for walking/visiting, etc. How far can you travel? Tell the client where you will be walking their dog..etc, etc.

You must be doing something right if you're already getting bookings. Follow up with them, stay in touch...repeat clients are gold.

Remember a client can only contact you with a formal request through Rover, so put in something like "Please request via overnight booking and I will adjust your quote". You can edit any stay request.

I always say that they have the option to call Rover Customer Support for help placing their dog, and give them the number to call [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]. Rover has lots of sitters they can call to help a dog owner, even at the last minute. We know a couple of sitters because they have used us to sit their pets. I go to their profile, copy and paste the url into a message so the client can copy and paste into their browser...and tell them to say I referred them. I also say I don't know their availability...or if I want to go the extra step I can check the sitter's calendar first for them. I wouldn't refer anyone to a sitter I don't know...leave that to Rover. Believe me, Rover will handle them for you and make you look professional.

No one can send a message without requesting a booking unless they are a past client/sitter.

This is the only forum I'm aware of so if you or anyone has policy question call Rover support, they are great.

I don't see why not, just make sure your headline says walking only. Then in your profile explain how it works. Do you go to their home and pick up the dog and is there a pick-up/drop-off fee? How far can you travel? Do they bring their dog to you for a walk? Where do you walk the dogs and for how long? Is there a dog park you can use? Under your rates and services be sure to list walking rate and pick-up/drop-off rate so the client knows how much would be the total. With Rover, a dog owner can't just contact you, an owner needs to put in a formal request and stay dates, so put in your profile something like this: Please request via overnight booking and I will adjust your quote if necessary. Then adjust their rate according to services requested. I do it this way for daycare, too. Remember to send pics of the dogs on their walks.

It is up to your client to read the Terms and Conditions. They should also read the Faq's for owners. That being said, it is their responsibility...I wouldn't even mention it unless they ask about Rover policy.

Do not use any forms. Those spaces provided by Rover for an owner to fill out online are good enough. Anything else would be in conflict with Rover policy. The rules Rover has in place cover every legal aspect of a stay. And yes, as a sitter you are covered by liability insurance thru Rover as part of your fee....always book thru Rover...always-- so you are protected (and the owner will be grateful too).

Any questions on those miscellaneous non-Rover forms can be discussed during a Meet and Greet. And always refer a client to customer service if they have policy questions you aren't sure of the answer. Don't have a client sign anything, they already have a contract with you and Rover when they book.

On your dashboard tab it's now called "Promote your Rover business and earn more money"

1: Choose your code...create your custom code here. 2: Share your code. You will now have your own code (yourcode20) and website (http://www.rover.com/sit/yourcode (www.rover.com/sit/yourcode)) to put on business cards and social media. 3: A new client will go to your website, they will enter your code when booking and if this is their first booking with Rover they get the discount covered by Rover.

Are you sure you're on your dashboard tab because the Facebook button to click on is right there under "Promote your Rover business..."

You need to have an active Facebook account first and be logged into it.

You will also need your promo code to post. If you don't have one yet you should create one that you can use. Gotta have it to get your clients that discount.

I agree that the profile must be complete. And write down everything about you, your house, your family and your pets...the more information the better. If anything is unclear a client will just move on. Do you have lots and lots of photos? Get a couple of testimonials. Put in the first sentence or first paragraph something about your care that will make you stand out or make someone want to click on you out of curiosity. I know my dog loves kids and dogs and so I would prefer to book her at a home with kids and dogs so don't worry about that kind of stuff...someone will like you, so make sure they know enough about you to make the decision. I agree with posting on Craigslist but make sure that they can only contact you by signing up through Rover. And carrying business cards is a good idea. If you are out with the dogs and strike up a conversation with other dog owners, give them your card. I have done this at the carwash, sidewalk restaurant, etc. there are lots of places to run into other people with dogs. Make sure to create your promo code and include it on your card and social sites like CL and FB. Gotta get your clients that discount! Don't worry, Rover is catching on big time, someone will find your profile. Question: why is it hard to look at other sitter profiles? That should be pretty easy.

Create your custom code and url, include them on your card. A client will go directly to your online profile without having to search. From there they can check out your info/photos. They use your discount promo code if they are new to Rover. You can order cards from Rover.

Sure, it's ok to build a rapport with a new client over the phone. But to book a stay and the client doesn't follow the online signup steps properly, and I can't clear things up or don't want to offend them (since they are probably new to Rover), I suggest that they call Rover support and I give them the 888 number. If they need someone to walk them thru the process, Rover will, and get the booking. Shawna is right, always book thru Rover, they got your back. If this is a previous client who booked thru Rover, they shouldn't be calling you and should know better. Always say they need to book thru Rover --that their dog is covered for vet insurance is a great reason that they'll understand.

I wouldn't turn away an owner with their dog at my doorstep if they were a regular client. I would tell them that the booking isn't confirmed yet. I agree, a client can confirm and pay immediately, but they don't have to necessarily log in. You or the client call Rover Support and they'll do it over the phone. They have the credit card number. Always call Rover support, they are great. With a new client don't let them leave without finalizing. I agree about the insurance.

Booking through Rover is already a contract. Have them read Terms and Conditions. It spells everything out. Never sign anything. Explain that Rover covers every legal aspect of a stay so anything else would be in conflict with Rover policy. They can even enter care instructions through Rover so there is no need for any extra paperwork exchange with the client at all.

Don't be afraid to raise your rates if you are busy. If a customer notices, just offer them a discount for their next stay but let them know that their rate will increase after that. Play it by ear, not all customers will even say anything. If they complain but they book alot, it will be worth it to discount for them just to keep them with you, but put a time frame on it, say 6 months or something. Let them know that your expenses are going up, they should understand that. Some customers just always ask for a discount, I use to give them one automatically but know that we are busy, not so much. We raised our rate several times the first year and it seems like we got more business after an increase...crazy! We have been at the same rate for a year now but I have still increased the income by no longer offering reduced weekly rate, lowering the discount for a second dog, and raising the holiday rate. Just check the other sitters in the area to stay competitive.

Yes, Deb A. is correct, a Meet and Greet does not always predict a dog's behavior. Just always be prepared for any type of dog or situation. We have had some dogs that were pretty aggressive in their play and one or two that were just bullies. We have a way to separate dogs if we need to. Because we don't have a spare room, we bought a doggie corral that we use just inside the back door. We prop open the back door if they need in and out privileges...when they want in they go right into the corral. Or we can let the dogs outside separately if we need to avoid a problem. It's more work to keep dogs separated but this is your business, after all. The corral also works for dogs that are not housetrained, or if they need to eat alone, or to just escape from the other dogs if they are the nervous type.

I have some clients who are very thoughtful and always call if they are running late and they always apologize. Then there are the ones who show up hours late, they say they are sorry but it happens again and again. This is normal. When you are in the business of customer service, you just learn to deal with all types. The customer is the one paying you...do anything to keep them happy.

If they put in another request, just tell them you're not available. No confrontation this way. And you won't be lying. They don't have to know the real reason why you're unavailable to watch their dog. Be sure to rate the dog with Rover, though, so that other sitters know the real deal and will be prepared to handle this dog. And if I can't take a dog, I always tell the owner if they want to they can call Rover Support for help placing their dog.