I agree, Rosie! It is a very thoughtful gesture. Thank you for your reply!

I'm just full of questions today. :)

I just received a request that was priced for 1 dog for 5 days. When I read the message from the owner, she said that she has 1 dog and 2 cats, and one of the cats needs an insulin shot 2x per day. She also requested that I do an overnight trial stay to see if it's a good fit. (Which I have never been asked to do before, but I can understand since she has a cat who requires medication.)

I want to inform her of the correct pricing before I book the stay. In reality it will be 6 days, 1 dog and 2 cats. Normally I don't charge extra for cats since they are pretty easy, but since I have to give one of the cats a shot twice a day I am not sure the correct pricing. Anyone have recommendations on how to proceed? Thank you!

Well first things first, do you need medical attention? If it's a minor wound, clean it very well and bandage it.

If you do need to see a doctor, be aware that Rover's insurance does not cover injuries that happen to the sitter (you).

I would report this incident immediately to Rover. If the owner didn't make you aware of the aggression issues on your first sit, they most likely will not inform other sitters if you choose not to sit this dog again. Rover needs to know. You also need to let your client know of your injury.

I dog sat for a co-worker (before I was sitting with Rover), and her dog was extremely aggressive and they did not tell me. The dog (a German Shepherd) attacked their other dog (a Shih Tzu) and would have killed it had I not jumped on the dog to intervene. I was bit twice in the process of trying to save the dog. It took a very long time to heal, but my injuries were nowhere near the injuries of the other dog. My co-worker was out of town for a few more days, and didn't come home after the incident, so I had to stay with the aggressive dog for a few more nights. (The Shih Tzu was at an emergency clinic.) I felt very unsafe for those two days.

If you feel unsafe with this dog, I would immediately contact Rover and ask them if you can put the dog in a kennel. Or maybe they have a better idea. Do not compromise your safety though! It is not worth it. Good luck.

Congrats on the potential new job! In your situation I would probably wait until after your new job is confirmed before you cancel the stay. A new job can be stressful in the early stages, so I personally wouldn't dog sit while transitioning into a new job. If you do get the job, it sounds like you would give them about a months notice which is plenty of time to find a new sitter. Canceling only negatively impacts your ranking on Rover.com if you do it a week before the stay, I believe.

I've only ever had to cancel on a client once. I felt absolutely terrible, but I had a family situation come up that ranked higher in my book. (My mom was having surgery at the same time as the stay - she lives in a different state and I wanted to be with her.) I gave them plenty of notice to find a new sitter and it didn't negatively effect my ranking.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your potential interview/job!!

Hello! I recently had a 10-day overnight stay with two dogs. Overall, it was a normal stay. They were two sporting dogs (one of which was not very trained well - she was a total spaz on walks haha - I can't even describe it), so they were very high energy and more work than my normal clients. The owner contacted me the day after my last stay and asked me if we could meet up so she could give me a tip - she was very grateful for me taking care of her pups while they were out of the country.

It is a very thoughtful gesture, and I did accidentally undercharge her by quite a bit (I give a discount for stays longer than 7 days and miscalculated the rate - totally my fault and not hers).

Should I accept the tip or would that be tacky? I'm not entirely sure how to reply and would appreciate any sitters feedback with more experience in this area. Thank you so much!

Thank you very much for your response, Deb. I appreciate it!

Karen - thank you for your reply. I do stay at the house when I have a booked stay. It sounds like it is acceptable to feed the dogs dinner, walk them, and leave them to wait for their pup parents to come home. :) I've never had a client come home at such a random time, which is why I asked!

I've been dog sitting for about a year. All of my clients have actually been great so far - knock on wood - only a handful of dogs that weren't trained very well on leash.

The worst client I've ever had was actually a former co-worker (before I got on Rover). Her German Shepherd was extremely aggressive and possessive and she didn't tell me. So when her Shih Tzu jumped on the bed, the German Shepherd lunged at it and had it by the throat - I had to jump on the dog to try to intervene and got bitten in the process. The poor guy needed tubes and stitches, but I really think the German Shepherd would have killed it had I not intervened.

Needless to say - that was the worst client I've ever had. With Rover I am much more careful about the breeds I accept and I ask a ton of questions about aggression, etc. My experience with Rover has been extremely positive!

I always get an e-mail asking me to rate my the stay at around 10am, so I have always assumed that is when the stay technically ends. Generally they come back in the evening of the stay's last day, but it's never been a big deal.

However, my current stay is supposed to end on the 27th. They told me that they get back at 1AM, so I just assumed they got back at 1AM on the 27th. Come to find out it is 1AM on the 28th ...

This does put me in a semi-awkward position. In this instance, would you ask them to pay for another day? Or just leave it as is?

I'm also curious when clients book if it says when the stay technically ends.

I'm trying to find an answer on Rover's FAQ, but I can't seem to find one. Thank you so much!

I always leave a goodie bag and a thank you note, but I never ask for a review. The goody bag is always appreciated, and I always get a 5-star review. :)

Dog/house sitting includes drop-ins. On your profile you state how frequently you can provide potty breaks. (I check on dogs I am house sitting for every 2-4 hours, for example.)

This is an included service in your dog sitting rate - drop-ins and walks are not a separate fee when you are dog sitting. It's an all-inclusive rate. I hope this helps!

It's been almost a year since this situation happened, but as I have been house sitting more and more, I keep thinking about it, and wondered if I handled the situation correctly, and if anyone has had a similar traumatizing experience ...

About a year ago, before I signed up for Rover, I was house sitting for a weekend for a co-worker. She had a young german shepherd mix and a little, older Bolognese. On my first night there, everything was calm and quiet, until the small dog jumped on the bed. The german shepherd immediately lurched at the small dog and grabbed it by the neck. It was not playful at all, and I instantly realized this and jumped on the shepherd to get it off the little dog. The larger dog would have killed the smaller dog had I not intervened. After about a minute of me trying to get the dog to let go, it finally did. Not before it bit me twice, though.

I locked the large dog up and she proceeded to whine all night, while the little dog scurried off and wouldn't let me near him. I slept on the floor with some cheese, hoping that he would come close for me to see the damage ... He finally did in the morning, and I immediately drove him to a clinic that was open on a Saturday, after calling the family to inform them what happened. I stayed with him for a few hours, until they said I should go home as he was in surgery.

I had to go back to the terrible dog that almost killed the small dog and bit me, which I wasn't thrilled about. The family came back the next day and was extremely mad at me, even though they were the ones who didn't inform me that the dog had any aggression issues at all. I haven't spoken to them since, but I now have a fear of german shepherds that I did not have before. (I did hear that they gave the Bolognese to an elderly couple - they still have the german shepherd.)

What do you even do in this situation? Could I have handled it better? I love dogs and I love dog sitting, but I am absolutely terrified that this could happen again.

Thank you!

For all my Rover stays, food was never mentioned, so I always just bring my own meals. I think it should be a given that you will use their dishes, as long as you clean them and return them to the correct spot. (Who's going to pack their own silverware, dishes, pots and pans?)

However, I am currently housesitting for a family that went above and beyond for me. They even asked me what kind of foods and drinks I like. When I told them that I would bring my own meals, they said, "No, seriously. Tell us what you want." I told them a few things I liked, and they stocked the fridge for me. I was so nice and so appreciated!

Hi there! I have an upcoming stay with two dogs for two weeks. The owners have asked me to take both dogs to daycare twice each week, for a total of 4 drop-offs and 4 pick-ups.

Is this a normal request? I am a bit nervous driving two dogs in my new-ish car, as all dogs act differently in cars. I am also curious as to what Rover's policy is on this, as I'm sure it's a huge liability and their insurance most likely doesn't cover it. Also, should there be an extra cost for this service if Rover does allow it?

If anyone has experience with this, it would be so appreciated. Thank you!

This is a bit late of a response, but I had to chime in as I'm also a Colorado resident. It can be scary to see a handgun when you're not expecting it, but if the dog owner took the right steps, it should make you feel more relived, if anything!

The Title 18 you quoted is correct for all normal citizens, but I am assuming the dog owner has his concealed carry permit. It is illegal in most states (including Colorado) to conceal a gun under clothing if you do not have this permit. Not anyone can get their concealed carry permit. You must go through training and extensive background checks to qualify.

Sorry for the long answer, but I hope this helps to put you at ease!