u/Lovedd1

Idk how else to put it. But it's like they reach out about requests outside of your service. For example if you don't do a certain service (training/house sitting) well then they want the favor of you recommending someone (I don't like vouching for others work if I haven't seen it so I really hate that request while I understand it's normal).

Asking you to get extra food for their dogs. Expecting you to supply treats during the stay. Asking if you can go by their house and get packages/ bring trash cans out (unpaid as a favor). Asking not just if you would rehome/take in their dog but if you'll ask your circle if they will. I offer pet taxi and regulars have asked for help getting their children to school. Asking people to spend time with their elderly parents who will be in the house too...

I even read about someone saying an owner asked them if they wanted a roommate and if their daughter could stay with her.

I get we do a gig but it just feels like people are increasingly asking for favors (unpaid work) and increasingly those favors have little to do with pet care. Am I the only one getting this?

Edit to add: I am not house sitting or doing drop ins when being requested to go by their house to bring in packages or the trash. This is when I'm boarding their pet in my own home and I'm being asked to make a trip from my house to theirs while the pet is already in my care at my house.

Sweet, strong but a little self conscious, awkward but endearing. Total golden retriever type

Does anyone also ride this seesaw? Sometimes I see the news and current events and it feels like surely somethings are changing for the worse. But then I think again and say well when was America/the world great? Especially for us. I always persevere because I feel I must. There's always going to be ups and downs I'm just having a hard time moving past all the pilling up "downs" right now.

I'm tired of sitting. I cut back on house sitting which was perfect but I'm tired of word of mouth referrals just calling me out of the blue expecting a full dissertation on my services and pricing while they ramble for an hour about their pets and their specific needs just to balk when I want $25-$35 for a half hour.

I'm tired of people who reach out then never respond again after I spend the time combing my schedule to see if I can fit them.

I'm tired of doing all that, having the meet and greet booked and then afterwards being cancelled on because they don't need me anymore .

I'm tired of doing all that, not cancelling and then still having them want to haggle the price.

I'm tired of dogs who cry if I'm not touching them, dogs who demand whine/bark, who wake up at 5am demanding food, who won't settle at night, who bark at every little thing, at pet parents who want you reachable 24/7.

I'm tired of juggling communication for sits I'm doing, sits that are upcoming and sits that people want to book in the future all at the same time.

I'm tired of last minute same day requests. Of people not seeing the value in my work, of people looking down on me and treating their animals better than they feel I deserve to be treated.

I'm tired!

>For example, last week I visited the website for a cancer support group. According to Disconnect, when I clicked a button on a form that said I was a cancer patient or a survivor, the website sent TikTok my email address along with those details. A women's health company sent TikTok data when I looked at fertility tests. A mental health organisation pinged TikTok when I indicated I'm looking for a crisis counsellor. Websites that use.... send data about every single visitor, so it doesn't matter if you don't have a TikTok account.

A TikTok spokesperson says, essentially, that this isn't TikTok's responsibility. They say websites are required to abide by privacy laws and tell you about their data practices. TikTok says websites are prohibited from sharing certain kinds of sensitive information, such as health data. And the company says it takes proactive steps to alert websites that share anything inappropriate.

I just found out the Aveda shampoo I use is too gentle to remove the chlorine. My Locs are already bleached and the chlorine buildup is not doing me any favors.

I ordered a set called Malibu just wondering if there's anything better for our hair or bleached hair in my case.

Have you guys been noticing this? Dead internet theory feels more and more real each day. I'm slowly disengaging from social media because it's all ragebait and it's hard to tell what's real and what's fake. How convincing AI is becoming and how easy people are believing it is concerning me. These hate videos are getting tens of thousands of likes and shares.

I did a week long house sitting for them before. The air mattress was not ideal but I could manage for a week. After the sit they asked me if those arrangements were okay. I said yes because again for a week it was doable. Now they want me to come back for a month and idk how to tell them politely I can't sleep on an air mattress for a month. (Especially after they explicitly asked after the last sitting of the air mattress was ok and I said yes).

I hate to come across as an inconvenience and I know if me sleeping in their bed is a dealbreaker they have at least 4 mo to find someone else to do it. I'd like the money but if I miss it that's okay. Id prefer to do the job and communicate nicely about it though.

Just curious how you guys feel when owners bring all their kids and their spouse with their dogs to a meet and greet?

I have my own dog and my house is pretty small. It gets crowded really fast and then it's hard to talk to the parents trying to actively parent their children, argue amongst themselves and control their dog. It's so busy it makes me way more anxious than normal meet and greets.

And I honestly hate when both adults come because both will almost always give me completely different instructions then argue in front of me about them.

It drives me up the wall!! People say they don't want their pet to be miserable on medication and need the medicine all the time but they're miserable without it! Me nor the dog can sleep with all night licking!

That's it that's the post. Just one more night after tonight.

It's the quickest way for me to burn out :(!

Overbearing owners, incredibly clingy pets, uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, surprise cameras! trying to live as a ghost in their space as to not make too much of a mess that needs cleaning. 😮‍💨

And then people want to say $120 a night for 2 pets is too much as they leave for their 3 week multi country vacation.

I get so tired of being "the help".