Boxers for sure! Weimaraner's. In my opinion most motivation of any pup comes from their food drive. ...

A dog will not starve itself. Sprinkling a little Parmesan cheese on top or broth works well. Just check with the owner...

Nervous pups who have been trained for years have accidents upon arrival all the time. I take all of my boarders outside...

I have been boarding for three years on Rover. Most of my clients are repeats. Many of them use my services 3 or more times a year. I have 130 plus five star reviews. My repeat clients have reviewed my services in the past but do not feel the need to review every stay, which I totally understand.

The problem is my reviews grow at a snails pace because I’m often booked for new clients (who tend to review their first stay with us).

How do you encourage loyal clients to review recent stays without bothering them or seeming desperate? I have messaged some in the past asking them for an updated review which works but I hate to do that more than once.

How do you get repeats to review new stays? Any clever ideas to prompt a review? At 130 plus reviews with a healthy client base, does it even matter?

Thank you! I appreciate the input.

I have been only boarding in my home for three years on Rover.

I would invest in extra food and water bowls. When I have multiple stays at a time, especially during holidays, I do not have to remember which bowls belong to which family. (I guess this depends on how many dogs you board at a time).

After my first year, I bought a couple of crates. It’s just easier for me and the clients who crate their dogs.

I have a dog toy box with clearance toys from Petsmart. Dogs who like toys gravitate toward it during meet and greets and I don’t have to keep track of clients toys if they bring them (they usually stay in the clients bag).

I accept puppies but do not use puppy pads. Puppies should be crated when they are not closely supervised. I keep belly bands and diapers on hand for puppies and recent rescues just in case and take them outside every two hours. I have not had any puppies under a year who were not in the process of being crate trained. Ask how potty training is going. If you are open with the client about in home accidents and do not act like they are the worst thing that could possibly happen, you are likely to get honesty from the owner about their dogs potty training progress.

I message the client a day or two before to arrange drop off, see if they have any questions.

I host multiple dogs at a time and most of my Rover clients are repeats so I’m not sure if my two cents is applicable in your situation but hopefully you will find something useful in my two cents. :-)

I totally agree with meeting the potential client outside. They are meeting a total stranger on your turf. Be welcoming and friendly. Introduce yourself and offer a hand shake.

I would add ...

If you are sitting other dogs at the time of the meet and greet put them in another room to keep the chaos at a minimum and avoid any immediate personality conflicts.

I agree with everything above and would add ...

Create a steadfast routine with the dogs in your care if boarding in your home. The dogs appreciate and are comforted by this and will recall the routine on return stays.

I have doggy diapers on hand for recent rescues and puppies just in case.

Supervise dogs even when they are outside even in a fenced yard.

Never feed dogs together ... when I have multiple dogs they are separated for feeding and treats. I keep organic, low salt chicken broth on hand for nervous dogs who refuse to eat.

Never take a dog out off leash. I live in a rural area and owners constantly bring their dogs to me off leash and insist their dog will never run off if I do the same. You simply cannot predict a dogs behavior when they are in a new environment.

Good luck!

Have you considered using a sitter who boards in their own home? I cannot believe you have encountered more than one sitter with such bad manners! And no common sense! I would not use those sitters again. It’s tantamount to stealing in my opinion.

If the accident occurred in the sitters home you can bet they would thoroughly clean it.

Easter should definitely be a holiday. Most schools center spring break around it. They could call it spring holiday rate.

I totally agree. My clients pay for quality. I have a lot of repeats and often hear from new clients about meet and greets with sitters who have totally misrepresented their circumstances. I started at $30 over 2 years ago. Things have definitely changed. Doggy Vacay merger has not been kind.

I assumed there would be sedation involve so I used their vet. I didn't really have another option.

I contacted the owner first, then Rover. She was going to have to go to the vet regardless of what Rover advised. The owner is willing to pay. I find the $250 deductible to be ridiculous after sharing 15% of my earnings for over two years. The dog had to be sedated but I agree it was high.

Go to the bottom of your dashboard page. There is a link to the Rover store. The cards are good for new customers. They include your discount code.

I have the same problem. I do not want to bother repeat stays with requests for a review. I wish Rover would remind clients when they haven't reviewed. I'd probably have double the reviews if I was more aggressive (i.e. annoying:-). Occasionally I'll send a please review message.

I have a lot of repeat clients. I do not discount unless it's a really long stay that applies holiday rate to the entire stay. After two years and great reviews I've thought about raising my rate but don't want to put offend my repeats. If you're good, your clients will return w/out a discount.

My first stay was booked within a week. I think that's more difficult to do than two years ago when I joined. However, I credit my profile with pulling in clients. Make your profile professional, with as many clear pictures as possible. Cleanliness and organization is key.

I would refuse their business or change your cancellation policy to the strictest one.

I completely agree! I think your sitter is being inappropriate. I would find another sitter. They clearly do not have proper boundaries.

A dog broke her nail while playing in my yard with other dogs in my care. It appeared to be painful and I wanted to make sure nothing was broken. I took her to my client's vet and paid the $244 bill. I've never used Rover insurance before. I did read something about claims needing to be over $250. What are my options? I'm a two year sitter making in excess of 15K a year with only five star reviews. The client is a repeat (at least 6 stays). Should I pursue the claim through Rover? The reason I book all stays through Rover, in spite of being asked constantly to book directly, is for financial protection.

Thanks! Any advice or input you can provide is greatly appreciated!

Tonya