I'm curious what types of problems other sitters encounter during a stay? Many of the dogs that stay here have been urinating. I'm guessing they can smell the other dogs and I can't seem to catch a break with dogs who will not do this in my home.

What are your most difficult problems and how do you handle them?

So we recently had an issue with two dogs staying here. One of them peed on the carpet excessively and neither could not be left alone which was super difficult at nighttime. We tried letting them sleep in the bedroom but they just peed on the carpet in there. They whined and full on barked until 2am. I put our TALL pet gate between the living room and kitchen to keep them on the hardwood the next day, but one of the dogs kept leaping clear over the gate. This wasn't a problem except when I left to run an errand, he ate and tore up our blinds because he jumped the gate. The owner was completely in awe when I told them this because he never chews anything at home.

I know it's completely normal for a dog to be well-behaved at their own home, then experience anxiety and problem behaviors elsewhere, but how do you assess how bad it will be or if it will be an issue. I'm choosing to no longer accept dogs that exhibit marking behavior/urinating in the house. But if the owner doesn't know, how do I prevent this from being an issue, or is this just something that goes with home boarding? Our carpets are in a sad way right now lol and I'd like to prevent further damage to our home.

I'm a rural sitter! I'm a little off the beaten path and it's taken me a while to get some clients since I'm a bit further out, but I've also found that the same customers keep coming back now. I have yet to promote my business locally, but I'm sure that would definitely draw in more clients.

I have been hosting on Rover since January of this year and have also not had any puppy requests. Your best bet would probably be to self promote your Rover profile through social media, local places and places like craigslist saying you specialize in puppy care. Shannon (above) also has excellent suggestions. Vet offices and pet stores are a great idea.

1) My very first meet and greet the owner did not bring the dogs. He wasn't aware he should bring them. So I was not able to see how they behaved, only went on the owners opinions.

2) A very big key thing that I learned is that prior to a meet and greet or stay, to make sure the dogs go to the bathroom BEFORE entering the house as most of them try to mark or go as soon as they enter. It's even good to keep pee pads available for first timers!

3) It's okay to turn away some stays, although I have yet to do so. I need to start doing this if I feel the dog is not a good fit.

I just received a request yesterday for days I was marked unavailable and had to turn down the stay. I'm wondering if people are searching without entering the correct dates. Either way it is unfortunate that this happens. Frustrating for the customer and hurts good sitters search rankings.

When uploading pictures from a rover stay there is an option to make it viewable to the public. There is no option at this time to remove a picture yourself that was posted from a stay. However, you can try contacting Rover Support to discuss having it removed.

Customer Support 888-453-7889

Dog vaccinations are not a requirement. Each sitter determines whether they take in dogs with or without vaccinations. If this is a concern of yours whether your pet will be around other dogs that are not vaccinated, definitely bring this concern up with your potential sitter prior to the stay.

Dogs chew on things for a number of reasons:
1) For puppies, they may be teething and chewing on something feels good
2) As Melissa stated, could be separation anxiety. Dogs will chew on things to calm themselves and even because the item has their owners scent and reminds them of you.
3) And lastly, because well darn it, it's just there and they enjoy chewing on it. Whether it's the fabric, the texture, scent or taste; some dogs just love chewing things.

Melissa's suggestions for prevention are a good rule to follow. Out of sight, out of mind. Scold them if you do catch them exhibiting this behavior, before you're out of socks :)

Thanks for your input, Laura! I definitely agree with the daycare rate or at the very least a "daycare option". It almost seems like it would be better to charge per day as opposed to per night. Perhaps, adding a pickup and drop off time to the stay fees would solve this issue.

Absolutely! Tipping is never expected, but always appreciated.

Rover is awesome, of course! However, as pet sitters we have the answers and best suggestions to help make pet sitting through Rover a better experience. What are some things that you would like Rover to know? Whether it be adding a new feature, make booking stays easier, or even a website function! :)

A typical visit can be about 10-15 minutes if it's just to feed, take them outside, and check in on them. If you are wanting the sitter to spend quality time and play with them 30-60 minutes is reasonable. It is something that varies by sitter though and always best to discuss their procedures and what you personally would like the sitter to do for each visit.

1) Click on CALENDAR from the top four links
2) Click on the start date you are unavailable
3a) Choose " 0 " for the number of dogs you are available to host
3b) If you are unavailable for more than one day, click " Specify End Date"
4) Click Update Availability

Your calendar should now be highlighted in red for the days you are unavailable to sit :)

That's great advice and coincidentally, I actually just went no Amazon yesterday and bought myself one for this purpose! I figured if my nose can't find it, the light probably could :)

I've recently had one of my regulars stay and he never had a problem with peeing & pooping in the house, but I've had more dogs here recently so I assume he could smell them. He peed somewhere in our house and I can't figure out where exactly the smell is coming from. I've washed a spot I think it's originating from, and used " Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor " removal spray from Petco, but to not avail it still smells in our house. Any tips for finding, removing and preventing?

I have a new stay that has been here for two days now. It seems like he's only eaten a very tiny bit of his food yesterday and hasn't touched it today at all, but he is drinking his water. Should I be concerned or inform the owners at all? He's supposed to be here for another day or two. Not acting weird or anything.