It's likely that the second dog is not added to the owner's profile yet. Have them add the second pup to their profile a...

I agree, scam, especially when they ask for your info off of Rover before booking and want to pay for additional things....

I have dogs booking in 2020 already and can't find the Rover holidays for 2020. Are they posted anywhere yet?

As said above, belly bands work great! For little dogs, I make a long shirt out of an old pair of leggings. I cut off a portion that will fit from neck to tail (estimating the girth fit). Then I measure on the dog and cut holes for his arms. When I put it on, I pull it all the way down to cover at least the end of his penis and it works as a belly band. Also, spend a lot of time outside so that there's not much "left in the tank". I have certain (mostly little) dogs that will mark the first day they come to my house and whenever I introduce a new dog.

Right on point, especially the big dog vs. little dogs. I'll take a pitty over a chi any day. :D

Rover will help you find a last minute replacement. I have never had to cancel on a client, but have taken in dogs that have had last minute cancellations and/or the sitter decided that he/she could not care for the dog for whatever reason.

Do a Meet & Greet. Ask what back-up plans the sitter has in place if something happens during the stay. I have back-up sitters that I have met and/or used to care for my dogs. I refer to them when I'm full and they would be my first go-to if something were to happen while I had a client. (Severe sickness/hospitalization, death in the family that required travel, etc).

Also find an alternate sitter that you like to have as a back-up. Ideally, this would be someone that often has a lot of availability. That way if the sitter needs to cancel (or transfer your dog), you would be able to request this person.

For the holidays this year, I'm planning to fly out and visit relatives after my Christmas clients go home. However, should one of my clients be delayed and I need to leave for my flight, I have an alternate sitter that I can transfer to. When my Christmas clients book with me near my vacation days, they are told my travel plans and who my contingency sitter is.

Exactly what I do.

What are the dates that Rover is considering holiday weekends in 2019?

IMO, transportation for emergency vet visits come with caring for the dog. I'm assuming you're boarding or had the client for daycare? However, you can write off the mileage on your taxes.

It really depends on why they are barking. It sounds like they are on high alert because their owners aren't home and are barking at "potential threats": car going by, sound they heard, squirrel, etc.

Start off with closing all the blinds so that they can't see cars passing by, squirrels, etc. Keep the TV or radio throughout the day/night to minimize the random sounds that they may hear and be barking at.

Distract them when they are barking. If they're outside barking, bring them inside to play or for treats.

Finally, ask the owner if there's anything that they do to prevent the barking. Some people use an ultrasonic bark deterrent, though some dogs are super sensitive to them and will go and hide. See what the owner wants you to do.

Some of my dogs tend to be on high alert the first day when my husband travels out of town. So it could be just the first day or two while they get used to you being the one there.

Everything above! When reintroducing the dogs, keep one or both kenneled or behind a solid baby gate until they get used to the being around each other. Then closely supervise all interaction and mediate. Let them sniff a little, praise and redirect/distract to leave each other alone. Repeat....

Dogs naturally have a prey drive and will chase small things that move: balls, toys, other dogs, cats, squirrels, etc. You can divert their attention. You can also train your dog to "Leave It" and to come when called. There are training games that help your dog learn to be patient and not go after whatever it sees.

Do what you can to make your yard safe for your dog: fence or tether. The chasing may mellow out as he/she gets older, but it might not.

Yes. Your puppy should have all their baby teeth in by about 12 weeks. Then at 16-20 weeks old they will lose their baby teeth and will grow their adult teeth in. At about 20 weeks old your dog should have all their adult teeth. The adult teeth are larger and not as sharp as the baby teeth.

Everything above, but I start out with keeping the crate door open and rewarding the dog every time he/she goes in. I also use special treats (duck jerky or bully sticks, Kongs work great too) that they only get when they go into their crate.

I always talk to my clients during the Meet & Greet about medical care should there be an emergency: if there is a specific vet they want me to go to, where the24 hour vet is, what I would do for an emergency (transport and then call them Ford life/limb/eyesight). Some clients have brought up their plan for their senior dogs. If something we're to happen, hopefully you Would be able to get sold of them or an emergency contact.

This fall has been slower, but we were full all summer. It's been nice to have a slower pace. That said, every weekend we have filled up with last-minute bookings, Thamksgiving is full, and Christmas is half booked.

Into the bath they go. Make sure that you mention that they got a bath. Sometimes owners really don't know when it's time. I had a dog that reaped like cigarette smoke every time she came over. I'm Sure that it was something that the owner was nose blind to.

I have received scammy messages. This usually happens after sharing my Rover profile on Craigslist. Usually it's someone's sister, assistant, etc trying to set up dog sitting for an extended period of time...so call this other person at this number.......

Once I followed along, insisting on communication through Rover, asking relevant questions (dog breed, exact dates, location, etc) ..... it came down to that they would purchase a house in my area so that it would be close. My response was a quick synopsis of the current Sellers' Market in my general area (not many houses on the market).

Another time I looked up the phone number and it was a mobile phone in Alabama. I responded that I don't offer my services in Alabama, but that if they are in my area I would be happy to arrange a Meet & Greet through Rover.

I require vaccination records at drop-off or before. At the M&G I ask about vaccinations and let them know that I'll need a copy. There are several reasons I do this:

1. All the dogs at my house need to be vaccinated: regular, age-appropriate vaccinations & Bordatella
2. So I know if there is a dog that is susceptible to anything (puppies not had all of their shots, etc). Useful if anyone were to become sick at my place or within 10 days of leaving my house.
3. If something were to happen, I would have their vaccination information on hand. Dog bites another dog or person (animal control requires proof of vaccinations for any human-dog bite), injury that requires vet visit, etc.

I average about 1 mile per 30 minute walk as well. Though I do have some dogs that are super high-energy. I've taught these dogs how to run while I bike. Then I guide the dog to a comfortable pace for both of us, stopping 1-2 times for a water break. Bike-runs I average 3-4 miles in 30 minutes. Of course, if you're going to ask a walker to bike with your dog, it's a very good idea to make sure that they are experienced in doing so.

Rover has not yet created a way for owner requests to be archived except by the sitter. Hopefully this is a glitch that will be fixed in the future. I have the same problem (several requests sitting in the pending because I was looking for sitters for an upcoming road trip). I guess we could ask the sitter to archive the request?

8-9pm is the latest I allow clients to pick up, unless it is discussed before hand or special circumstances like a flight delays. Even then most clients would prefer to extend the stay by a day than pick-up at 11pm.

Keeping her informed that you may be a little late for dinner, is best. If she's waiting to see when you were there, it may make her more nervous when you don't show up for 30 minutes.

When you're done with each visit, send her good pictures of her dogs happy and cared for. Give a brief update of how the visit went: dogs were fed and ate well, everyone went potty and poop outside, cleaned up a mess in the hall, left everyone free-roaming/crated, made sure the doors were locked, etc.

All you can do is give a little extra care with updates and stay professional. Some people need a little more time to trust.

It's not as easy as avoiding certain breeds. It comes down to their individual personality, background, and training. You can have an aggressive dog that, in the right situation with the right person, is an awesome dog. (Someone that knows the dog's triggers and can pre-empt the situation.) There are certain types of aggression that I can handle and others that I cannot. Food/toy aggression is easily managed for me. Aggression towards kids or small dogs, cannot be accommodated at my house.

Dogs that I take extra cautions with caring for are nervous dogs and fear-biters. It is hard to predict what will trigger them when. A dog that did great a Meet & Greet can still decide that you're a stranger....or maybe has a fear of boots that you didn't know about (on a snowy day).

VERY good advise. I require a minimum of 2 Meet & Greets in their home, unless things go VERY well the first time.

I have 2 regular doggie guests that are very high energy (a Boxer pup and Fox Terrier pup), both of them about 1.5 years old. They will run and tumble all, day, long with whoever is up to it. I will usually separate and crate them twice a day to make them take a naptime. Will also kennel one or both as needed when they get to be too crazy.

Another tactic that I find works, especially for food motivated dogs, is having a treat session. I call all the dogs over to me and start handing out little treat bites for the dogs that will sit. It refocuses their attention for a few minutes to something other than their best buddy.

After treats, I will introduce a tug toy or go play fetch with them. A day full of play usually means a good night's sleep for everyone!

Very much so. Other dogs don't know what to think about the heavy breathing/wheezing. I have an English Bulldog today and a Great Dane that has been with us for almost 2 weeks now. He didn't know what to make of this little, fat dog, that breathes heavy all of the time and it made him anxious.

My Boston Terriers will sometimes have reverse sneezing episodes. Brachiocephalic (flat-faced) dogs are more prone to it than other breeds. Try pinching your nose slightly and taking in a breath through your nose. The space is so small that the nostrils cave in. This is what happens with reverse sneezing. To help my BTs, we cover their nostrils until they take a breath through their mouth. As long as it resolves itself within a few minutes, they're okay.

The English Bulldog I am caring for has severe stenotic nares which make breathing difficult when he gets excited. Once the difficult breathing starts, it's takes a long time to get back under control. ...it perpetuates itself, like a reverse sneeze.

Owner says that it is completely normal and that he will breathe normal after laying down for awhile or going to sleep. Tongue is NOT purple, but it was intermittently at the Meet & Greet. Truthfully, if he were my dog, he would be in surgery for stenotic nares correction, but he's not so I'm looking for ways to help him breathe better that I can do at home.

As long as the owner communicates their intention with drop-off and pick-up, I'm usually very flexible. Generally, before 8am and after 9pm should be communicated in advance. I always ask clients for a timeframe of when they plan to drop off and pick up so that I can plan my day accordingly.

In person at pick-up, via mail afterwards. If it's for walks or drop-ins, in an envelope with their name where they will find it (by the leash, dog foid, etc).

That doesn't make sense. I'm not seeing any stars on my reviews, though they are all verified stays through Rover....although it used to show the stars.