I agree, I've been in some uncomfortable situations before (was greeted by a client's husband in his underwear once!) but I recognize that I am the visitor unless I am house sitting. If you'd like to know ahead of time for safety reasons I'd definitely bring it up at the meet & greet.

Hi, I recently took a break from Rover while doing other work and upon returning raised my prices significantly. Since then almost every new client I've gotten has tried to haggle with me or hire me outside of the Rover platform. I do charge more than most in my area, but still less than other pet sitting companies. Does anyone else find it difficult to explain your prices when other sitters are charging $25/night for house sitting? I also get asked how much of percentage Rover takes and when I tell them 20% they balk. I feel pressured in m&g's now to defend myself and convince people to go through Rover. Is anyone else experiencing this and how do you deal with it?

I started out house sitting at $40 and upped it to $45 at the beginning of this year even though most sitters in my area charge around $25. I offer 24 hr service aside from my daily walks and errands, potty breaks at least every 4 hours unless discussed otherwise with owner. Don't sell yourself short as it is a lot of work moving your life to a new home for usually a week at a time. If you get a few good reviews and repeat clients, depending on the area you are in you will most likely have people willing to pay more for this 24 hr service. Also, look at pet sitting company rates in your area, most of mine are around $70 - 80 a night for only 12-13 hr service, additional fees with walks during the day, etc. I've still had a steady stream of clients with my higher rate... You could state what you offer in your profile and why you are worth more. Or set your services to strictly overnight and charge for drop-ins or walks during the day... Like others have said it's really up to you what you offer.

But I wouldn't go forward with it if they still seem fishy after some conversation.

Sometimes I get a one sentence inquiry. If they're new they might not know what to say initially. If their request makes you uncomfortable, and I see how it could, you can and describe your protocol - how all of your bookings and communication need to be done through Rover.

I've gotten a few requests from people who just signed up to Rover that day. Usually they have short inquiring messages, and sometimes they have asked about services through the next few months. If there are no pictures and very few details you could always ask for some. I just say that I see that they've just signed up and might not have had time, but it helps us sitters understand their needs better when they fill out more of their profile. I also tell clients that want long-term walks that it works better for me to have them book weekly or every two weeks in terms of payment and scheduling, but that I will keep their time slot open to do so for however long they want.

Hi,

I am currently walking a puppy and a dog new to it's owners who is young and still being trained. I wonder how much effort I should put into training during my walks versus just getting some energy out of these dogs. They are both very active and I worry that if I spend too much time trying to get them to heel and walk properly they will just be frustrated and not get the exercise they need. Does anyone else have experience with this? They are both great dogs and I don't want to set them back in their training either.