Although Pits do have a bad reputation, I have boarded multiple pitbulls from different owners and had no trouble with them. They are just like any other breed, and many times it all comes down to how they were raised and how their owners trained them. As for the pitbulls I watched, they were all non barkers, never snapped or bit, listened to commands, and got along with other dogs just fine. The best way to know if you are planning to watch a pitbull, or any other dog for the matter, is to spend time with them during the meet and greet before their stay. If you are watching other dogs or have other dogs during their stay, it's also a good idea to introduce the dogs as well on common ground during the M&G to make sure they get along. It's best to ask the dog owner upfront if the dog has had any tendencies of aggression, tends to have separation anxiety, gets along with people, gets along with other dogs, and etc. It could also be a good idea if you would like to take extra precaution to have a second meet and greet at your home to make sure they are comfortable there as well. If the dog does happen to snap or show signs of stress, they are most likely having separation anxiety or aren't used to their new surroundings. If the dog shows aggression , make sure to give them a lot of space and let them decide when they start to feel comfortable.

Hello Shane, I was wondering how do you add the additional fee charge for "after hours" when client's don't pick up their dogs before 10? I would like to do something similar but Rover does not allow me to add any additional fees unless I do an extended booking where the owner must accept .

Unfortunately, I do have this problem quite often as well.

Many times I get owners from different cities who aren't familiar with my area and do not accurately know how long it will take them to get to my home. However, I live right by a mall so I tend to like to do my meet and greets there. That can give the client an idea of how long on average it will take for transportation time so they can better prepare their trip to your home on drop off and pick up days. During the meet and greet time, such as Shane W. mentioned, I would go over specific times with the owner and send them a friendly reminder the day or night before their drop off or pick up day of the time they are supposed to meet you. For example, "I look forward to seeing you and (dogs name here) tomorrow! Are we still set for 10 AM?" Or something along those lines. This just gives the owner an extra reminder of the time you agreed to.

I agree with other sitters above. I appreciate Rover trying to make sitters more aware on what they are actually being rated on (ex: the number you are listed as when searching for sitters). However, I do feel when I was able to review the rates I felt they were inaccurate. Many times I will get clients who do not follow my requirements before booking, or will send me a book request and never respond back once I book them and send them a message so I end up having to archive it. I also give a card to all of my clients after their dog's stay or check in and kindly ask if they could leave me a review. Many times they will never leave one at all, or will message me saying they will leave one but don't still. I also get other requests to watch a dog that goes over my capacity even when I list that I am not available to watch dogs on my calendar. This really hurts my scores and overall does not help me with knowing how to improve. I feel the ratings should be based on more specifics. If it's possible, I would like Rover to set up a way where sitters cannot request a booking with you unless they meet the requirements. I also had a low rate for my repeat clients, even though I have not received any requests for a repeat client because they do not need a sitter at this time. I feel personally this should not negatively affect my scores when owners are the ones who are in charge of repeats. Overall, I believe that Rover needs to improve their rating scores for sitters.

Hey Leslie, I have the same situation happen to me quite often, Unfortunately, I believe some people like Shane W. had mentioned do not read all of your description, or they are simply searching for dog sitters in their area and are only paying attention to that. When I get a dog request that does not fit my requirements listed on my page, I will simply ask the owner in the conversation if they meet the requirements (ex: Does your dog happen to be spayed?). When they reply back I will typically tell them that I unfortunately can't watch them for so and so reasons. Or, you can also discuss these types of issues at the meet and greet and deny a request if you need to with listing your reason for denial.