u/AmbitiousBenefit2462

Hi all, I’ve been wanting to post this but wasn’t sure how to word it. I’ve also been seeing a lot of questions about reviews and what to do in situations like this.

I recently had a house sitting booking. The meet and greet went really well. I brought my infant son with me (he comes with me to most meet & greets since he’ll likely be with me during stays). The dogs were super sweet, very affectionate, and were even licking him. We had to gently stop them from licking his face, but overall everything seemed great.

When the stay actually started, things changed quickly. I let them out into the yard and one of the dogs started barking intensely and seemed like it might lunge. My son started crying, and I initially tried to stay calm and figure it out. I went inside first and messaged the owner explaining what was happening.

I tried again by sitting outside to see if the dog would settle and approach me, but it didn’t. It would come closer, then back off and start barking again, which made my son cry a second time. At that point I could tell he was genuinely stressed (and he’s usually fine around dogs, we’ve always had dogs in our home).

I immediately messaged the owner that I might not be able to continue the stay. I tried again to get them inside, but one of the dogs was guarding the door and not listening. The other eventually came in after a lot of back and forth, but the second was still very reactive.

At that point I couldn’t safely get them fully settled or kenneled, so I contacted Rover support. They advised me to contact the emergency contact, which I did, and that’s what finally got the owner’s attention.

The owner later messaged saying this “never happens,” and it honestly felt like they assumed I had done something wrong. I explained everything, but there wasn’t much acknowledgment after that. I still got paid for the one night.

Now I’m wondering about reviews. I didn’t leave one for the owner or the dog because I’m still new and didn’t want any backlash. But I keep thinking maybe I should have at least left an honest review for safety reasons so other sitters are aware.

Is it too late to leave one? And what do you all usually do in situations like this?

I just started on Rover last month, so I’m still figuring out what’s considered normal and I’d love some advice from other sitters.

For context, I usually bring my own food/drinks and I also have my 9-month-old son with me during most stays, so I come prepared with all of our things. I always clean up after myself and try to leave the home as I found it (or cleaner).

On my first booking, there were just a couple of spoons in the sink. Before I used anything, I washed those small items so I could use the sink, then made sure everything I used was cleaned and the space was left tidy.

In my current stay, there are more dishes in the sink (not mine). The house also isn’t the cleanest overall and there are gnats around. I don’t feel comfortable washing their dishes this time, but I’m not sure what the expectation is in situations like this.

Would it be wrong to leave everything “as I found it,” or is it generally expected that house sitters also wash dishes that aren’t theirs? I’m trying to figure out where the boundary is between basic respect and going above and beyond.

What do you usually do when you finish a house sit? Any advice on etiquette or boundaries with clients would really help.

I just started on Rover last month, so I’m still figuring out what’s considered normal and I’d love some advice from other sitters.

For context, I usually bring my own food/drinks and I also have my 9-month-old son with me during most stays, so I come prepared with all of our things. I always clean up after myself and try to leave the home as I found it (or cleaner).

On my first booking, there were just a couple of spoons in the sink. Before I used anything, I washed those small items so I could use the sink, then made sure everything I used was cleaned and the space was left tidy.

In my current stay, there are more dishes in the sink (not mine). The house also isn’t the cleanest overall and there are gnats around. I don’t feel comfortable washing their dishes this time, but I’m not sure what the expectation is in situations like this.

Would it be wrong to leave everything “as I found it,” or is it generally expected that house sitters also wash dishes that aren’t theirs? I’m trying to figure out where the boundary is between basic respect and going above and beyond.

What do you usually do when you finish a house sit? Any advice on etiquette or boundaries with clients would really help.