u/Sitters_4_Critters

I walk a neighbor’s dogs occasionally and they have a cat that doesn’t appreciate me coming into its home.

The first time I arrived, I ignored the cat and tried to get the dog’s leash. The cat was behind me and sunk its claws into my calf. It was quite painful but I didn’t make a sound and I didn’t move. I waited until the cat moved away.

I managed to go multiple times without incident, but a couple of days ago I went at an earlier time than usual and the cat did the same thing shortly after I walked into the home. This time the are scratches and bruises on either side of my calf. (I would add pictures but that option is greyed out.)

I never try to pet this cat and the only interaction is slow blinks from a distance (seems to help a little).

I am no longer afraid of the cat but I am getting a bit tired of this behavior. If the cat was a border collie or cattle dog I’d understand the behavior better.

Thoughts?

I’m new to pet sitting for strangers for money and I’m not sure if I have too many boundaries to do this.

I’m an experienced dog person, including training a Doberman for search and rescue and having an aggressive GSD foster dog.

I’ve had a couple of requests that I’ve turned down. One person wanted me to board their son’s dog for two months (possible longer). They were paying very little and looking at it as more of a long-term foster situation. I declined as it was too restrictive, too little compensation and very uncertain end date.

I applied with a dog walking business that an acquaintance works for, but the overnights are for 14-hours without being allowed to leave for food and they require you to start at 6pm exactly. They only pay the equivalent of four hours of minimum for the 14-hours of house arrest. I work remotely and starting at 6pm is cutting it close with traffic as I have a designated work window.

I didn’t say no and let them know if they get a 12-hour request starting at 8pm that’s more doable. I think we both knew it wasn’t the best match as they price things so that everyone chooses the 14-hour option. I doubt they will call me, which is fine.

I am work on creating a website and business cards but I’ve gotten two requests so far:

(1) a same-day request for multiple 60 min walks per day for an unspayed female Presa Canario. The walks would all be that week. The profile said that the dog was not good with other dogs, cats and unknown with kids. I was intrigued but this is not a dog I would take last minute for my safety and the safety of other people and dogs. I’d need to do a pretty extensive behavioral assessment before I’d assume the liability on this one.

I let the owner know that a dog like theirs required a meet and greet/advanced planning. They were willing to do the first walk as a meet and greet but I didn’t want to chance it with a dog like this as they were looking for 6-8 walks starting the next day.

(2) a request for a tiny fluffy dog for the holiday weekend. I was available and very interested, but the details specified going out in the yard with the dog every 1-2 hours and playing with the dog everyone 2-3 hours (in addition to other requirements). Additionally, they wanted the dog to go out in the yard through a doggie door at night. We have coyotes in our area.

I told the person I was uncomfortable allowing a dog of that size to go out in the yard at night through the doggie door due to the coyotes. They were surprised that I was concerned.

I also mentioned the request was for constant care and would necessitate a higher rate. They were surprised and decided we weren’t a good match.

I’m in the process of joining PSI and signing up for insurance through Business Insurers of the Carolinas. I’ve already done a master course in canine aggression and I’m enrolled in Suzanne clothier’s Treat Retreat certification course.

I plan to do additional training on resource guarding and separation anxiety. I think I’d prefer to do more of a pet sit and train or walk and train type situation in the long run rather than just regular pet sitting/dog walking.

I feel good about the boundaries I’ve set so far, but I’m a tad concerned I’m too picky to make this work. Those of you who have been doing this for a while, what are your thoughts and experiences.

Thanks. 🙏

[edited to remove a dollar amount as I learned that might violate the rules of this sub. Apologies for the transgression.]

Today I got a Housesitting request for a very adorable small dog. I was excited and logged into my account right away to check the details and respond to the owner.

The owner had detailed instructions for the care of the dog. I very much appreciated the detailed instructions and let the owner know as much.

However, the instructions advised that the dog had access to the yard at night through a doggie door. I let the owner know I was not comfortable with that given the prevalence of coyotes in our area.

The owner also specified that the sitter needs to go out to the yard with the dog every one to two hours and play with the dog every two to three hours. I advised the owner that this would be constant care and would require a higher rate.

They thanked me for responding quickly and decided to go with a different sitter, which I completely understand.

I’m new to Rover, do these issues come up a lot? I’d love to hear about other sitters’ experiences.

Thanks!🙏

I just joined Rover. I was excited to get my first booking request. Yay! But the request was for the same-day (and everyday this week).

My profile is set for at least 3 days notice for new clients. I specify in my profile that I require a meet and greet.

I immediately replied to the dog owner and let them know I require a meet and greet. They said they thought the first walk (today would be the meet and greet.

I considered it briefly, but the dog’s profile indicated the dog was not good with other dogs and cats. If this was a small dog, maybe, but it was very large and powerful. I declined and archived.

If I had agreed to use the first walk in the booking as the M&G, would I have been able to decline the rest of the booking if I felt uncomfortable after the meet and greet?

I think the M&G should occur multiple days before the potential booking to allow the sitter to decline and give the owner time to find a different walker/sitter.

Thoughts, insights and experiences with similar situations would be appreciated. 🙏