No you do have to pay, I think it is $25 now, by it was $10 a few years ago.

They might be wondering how you would get their dogs to the vet in case of emergency. I drive and I have had clients offer their car exactly once. It was framed as if there is an emergency, the dog kennels were in their car already, so I should take it.

They might be wondering how you would get their dogs to the vet in case of emergency. I drive and I have had clients offer their care exactly once. It was framed as if there is an emergency, the dog kennels were in their car already, so I should take it.

I don't offer boarding myself by when I worked in a kennel we absolutely encouraged an overnight before a week+ stay. It is a great way to make sure the dog will do well for a longer stay. You most certainly should charge for it, at your normal rate, no less! If the client balks at paying the normal rate for a trial stay, they were going to be terrible clients anyway so count yourself as having dodged a bullet.

They way to combat this is to set your cancellation policy to strict. It defaults to moderate which gives the client until noon the day before the booking to cancel with a full refund. This is pretty unfair especially in the situation you have mentioned. Strict lets them cancel up to a week before the booking starts for a refund. Another thing to consider is that the client needs to cancel the booking if it is their choice, not you. If you cancel for them, the client will not be charged.

To offer an automatic discounted rate for additional dogs you will go to edit your profile->rates->click the small link that says "additional rates" under each service. If you are already booked but want to change the price, you can modify the booking in the upcoming inbox. At the bottom is a place to change the rate. If the booking has already started, or it won't let you modify(i don't do boarding but this is how it works for other services), call rover support and they will help you out to change the rate.

Oh and I find that it is easier to navigate on the website than in the app for the rate changes!

Did your neighbor report the attack to animal control? That would be my first step and then perhaps court for the vet bills, though you may need a lawyer for that .

This is possible, but not every sitter on Rover would be willing. I'd recommend contacting a few sitters and letting them know what you have written here. If they are usually available last minute and would be willing to work with you, then move on to a meet and greet. It might be a good idea to have the sitter you pick for emergencies come to give your dogs walks or play time every so often so they are excited to see the sitter in case of an emergency. Ask your sitter if they have a back up plan, for example if a regular client contacts me I have a few sitters' links they I can send if I am unavailable. Another thing to consider is having a key ready. A lockbox is a good choice, because the sitter can easily enter your home and you can contact a back up sitter and get them in your house if needed!

I would say that is an odd practice to have a blanket policy for all dogs. Maybe she means for the first few hours so they can't get up to mischief and learn the rules of the house? Trainers recommended keeping dogs on a leash when they are pups and learning or if you are trying to break bad habits, so it wouldn't strike me as an unusual request from an owner.

Male dogs are neutered and not spayed. Sometimes male dogs are sterilized, much like a vasectomy in men, instead of removing the testicles. If you are taking someone's word that he is fixed, I'd get him checked by a vet asap! If the dog is neutered there will be no visible testicles, just a little pouch of skin. Humping will continue after neutering, especially if they are neutered after they have gotten into the habit of humping.

Definitely contact Rover support. I have had it happen before where the messages I was sending to my rover client would end up at someone else's cell phone( the number rover had assigned to the client) and they had no idea what I was talking about. I wasn't able to communicate with the client because for every message I sent I'd get 2 or 3 back "stop texting me"

You won't really be subject to these rules unless you are operating a licensed facility! It's possible to get a license and board more than 3 dogs through rover, but I think the cost wouldn't be worth it.

There are very specific rules in Colorado about pet care facilities and you do need to be licensed to board more than 3 dogs at a time and to transport dogs. You do not need to be licensed to walk dogs or to do drop in visits or to board less than 3 dogs. Try this link:

https://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/Gener...

One issue that I, as a sitter, have had with the app is that the map does not display when I receive a request. It displays about 1 in 10 times, since the app was updated a few months ago. I've reached out to Rover support about this but nothing has changed.

I have a full calendar, but I focus on daily dog walks. I keep my availability updated, but I have to turn down clients when I already have bookings and their home is on the other side of my service area. I could accept another client, just not one that is 4 miles away from my other walks. The map not displaying just makes it even harder for me to determine whether I am able to accept the booking and leads to me declining right off the bat, especially when the booking is pretty last minute. I might turn down last minute bookings from new clients because my schedule is too full to get to a meet and greet, even though I am available for the dates they need.

Rover completes a background check on each sitter. This doesn't guarantee they are trustworthy though! When you reach out about booking with a sitter, they should offer or agree to a meet and greet. I like to do meet and greets in the client's home, but if you are worried, you can meet at a park or somewhere public. As a sitter, I'd still need to go to your home and meet your dog there, as well as seeing where you keep your supplies so I don't need to snoop around. Meet with your potential sitter and trust your gut. Sometimes you just don't mesh well and you know it won't work out.

Teresa, you can include those expenses if you choose to itemize your deductions.

No, to provide services you must be 18 and pass a background check. The person whose name is on the profile needs to provide the pet care. You could check with potential clients to see if they are comfortable with your daughter accompanying you when visiting their pets.

That is a reasonable holiday rate! Mine is $10 higher than normal for overnights and $3 higher for each drop in, plus the normal rate of $5 per extra pet. Honestly you could probably charge more for Christmas and still be booked. I have to decline more bookings than I accept.

I think samples of high quality dog food (like a freeze dried raw food), natural or fancy treats and supplement samples in a goody bag are a good idea. Don't be offended if your client doesn't want them though! Some dogs are sensitive and some owners are too. I'd make sure the samples are actual packets of sample size and not just a full size pack you broke up into ziploc baggies.

I only take dogs when the owner has suggested it,and I have spent enough time with the dog to know it will respond to me. I have experience supervising large groups of dogs so I feel comfortable bringing one dog I am sitting to the park. However, before I had worked in a kennel I would never have taken a client's dog to an off leash park. There are a ton of risks involved and if you are new to petsitting, I wouldn't take the chance! I'm not sure what Rover's official policy is on the dog park; I'm not actually sure they have one or can make one considering we are independent contractors. However, insurance providers may prohibit letting dogs under your care off leash.

As a sitter, I am understanding when a client wants to meet&greet multiple sitters and does not choose me. I am really appreciative of a message letting me know, so that I can archive the request. If the sitter is waiting on you to confirm the booking and hasn't archived the request, then their calendar will be marked unavailable for the dates of the request. So the sitter who is upset may have lost a booking or even two bookings because you did not let her know in a timely manner.

Always do a meet and greet before booking any drop ins, house sitting,boarding,or walks! That way you can address any care instructions up front, you can see how the dog and owner behave, and you can get a key from your client. I do not like for clients to hide keys for me. I either keep a key or have them use a lockbox. The owner shouldn't think a meet and greet is too much trouble; you are a stranger going into their house to care for their pet! It is a red flag if an owner will not do a meet and greet before booking. On the other hand, I understand that emergency situations happen, but if a request is more than 24 hours away, I insist on a meet and greet first.

How old is she and how much exercise does she get? A lab/husky mix is gonna figure out most kennels. She probably needs to walk at least 3 miles per day, more if she is less than two years old. A heavy duty plastic crate may be harder for her to break out. 30 minutes of exercise and 5 to 10 minutes of training before going in the crate could help her settle down. A tired dog is a well behaved dog!

Have you tried an experienced groomer? If he is nipping, can you muzzle him? Can several people restrain him at once? I suggest a groomer because they have special restraints for dogs and clip nails all day. But if the vet can't do it and a groomer can't do it, then your only option may be anesthesia. :( After you have them trimmed, walking your dog on concrete can help keep them short.

As far as I understand, this is true. I have my clients list all pets and they don't give me any trouble when I tell them this reason. To list pets other than dogs you will list the species(cat, rabbit, etc) in the breed box. One way to make sure you aren't surprised by extra pets is to do a meet and greet before accepting any booking. Sometimes you will be contacted by a client who hasn't finished their profile and it's not cause to be alarmed, just remind them to add the additional pets before you book. If they hassle you about that, I would decline the booking.

Any pictures you have of the dog printed and put in an inexpensive frame would mean a lot! I think a card is enough but if you want to get something, a small (nontoxic) plant is a good way to go. Better than flowers that will fade quickly, in my opinion.

It is ultimately up to you and the owner to decide. If two dogs can be walked at the same time, I'll walk them both together during one booking. If they needed separate 30 minute walks, that would be two different bookings. For drop-ins that don't involve a walk, 30 mins is generally enough for up to 3 or 4 dogs depending on the type of care they need. It is up to you to set your pricing structure and decide if you want to offer 45 minute or hour long visits as well and how much you want to charge for them. The standard walk/drop in on Rover is 30 minutes. During the meet and greet you can clarify with the owner about how much care the dogs need, if they need to be walked or fed separately, and if they need you to stay longer than 30 minutes. Then you can adjust the price in the booking accordingly.

What a great question! Because I have my own pets, I like to pamper them with lots of attention after a long house sit, and they return the favor. I think it's easier to care for pets when I have cultivated a strong bond with them, but I do miss them! If I really adore a dog during our first booking, I make sure to mention it to the owners so they will book with me again. I have a couple of dogs I walk daily and a few more three to four times a week, so that keeps me busy with dogs that are always excited to see me. I take lots of pictures, for the owners, of course, but also for me! And my friends who live vicariously through me petting all the pets! :)