r/RoverPetSitting

This is going to be quite long for background info. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a super bad experience because the dog was very lovely, just nervous. However I’m confused on the client switching up on me after the stay, resulting in a lower review than what I expected.
I just finished a long stay for over a week with a new client. The dog is very sweet but takes a little bit of warming up to as she is a rescue and very anxious. I appreciated how the owner was very detailed with her routine, instructions, details, etc. We had the meet and greet a while back in which she told me her dog was only okay being left alone for 10 minutes, but that they were working their way up.
The day she left we spoke and she gave me some updated instructions. She told me that now her dog was able to stay alone for up to 40 minutes. She did tell me that she pretty much takes her dog everywhere and has a carrier for her.
Rover isn’t my full time job as I also work from home. I gave her all this information and she was totally fine with it. I did tell her in the evenings my dogs would be alone so I would need to check in on them, while I waited for my roommates to get back home. She said she trusted me to take her dog with me to my house.
We had no issues, I felt I was updating her the right amount especially when taking her dog out with me. I checked back on our text messages and due to trying to get her morning routine done, while also rushing to get set up for work, I sometimes did not send her detailed updates during mornings, middays, and evenings. However, I know for a fact she did get at least one daily update and picture a day, sometimes even more than one picture. Checking back at our messages there was only one day we did not text at all.
Towards the end of the stay she texted me that she would like a morning and night time photo every day until her trip ends. Which is totally fine and understandable, plus I was already giving her updates. She was very sad to leave her pup away for that long for the first time so I completely understand and even told her we could FaceTime if she wanted to see her. She never once told me to do so and based off our messages all seemed well.
In her printed out instructions for housekeeping she listed to wash her sheets. We spoke before she left and she told me not to worry about it since she had left me extra sheets. However, it was just an extra set of pillow cases and a duvet cover. Since I stayed for a while I felt it was right to clean up after myself and still wash her sheets.
At my home I was allowing her dog on my bed, but at her home she slept in her crate. I told her that I apologized if I created a bad habit because when we got back to her home her dog would start jumping to get on her bed. After I sent her a picture and told her she said she does the same to her, however she never once said to not let her on the bed. It was miscommunication on both ends but I also should have clarified with her before letting her on her bed. I did tell her it was only a few moments and she still slept overnight in her crate only. Again, this was my bad and I shouldn’t have let her on.
The last day I had let her dog on the bed for a little bit because she kept insisting. She is a small dog and the bed is quite tall. She tried to jump off and got nervous and she tinkled a bit. So of course I cleaned up immediately and washed her sheets, as I was already going to do so anyway. Since she is a nervous dog she is prone to having some nervous accidents.
The owner gets back and I explained everything to her plus talked about how our week went. Everything seemed fine and she didn’t seem too upset about the accident.
Well the day after I get a long text from her that she would like to clear some things up before leaving me a review. First she was asking why her dog was on her bed if she didn’t sleep there, and that I had ruined her comforter. She said it was dry clean only however when I mentioned to her in person I had washed it, and it was in the dryer she didn’t once tell me that. In her instructions to clean her bed sheets she also didn’t explain about the comforter being dry clean only. She said she had to get a new one and would like for me to pay the cost of dry cleaning for her other comforter. I ended up sending her the money and apologized profusely, because I genuinely did not mean to ruin her comforter.
She finally left my review and while it wasn’t bad, I don’t appreciate that she is painting me out to have had stopped communication with her. She is making it seem like she had to beg me for updates, when the door was always open for more questions or being specific about how she would like her updates. I usually go based off what the client wants because some are more laid back and don’t expect constant updates, whereas others do prefer more details about how their pet is doing. I do own up to not having contact with her for one day, but other than that I feel like she was in the loop for most of the time.
My question is, could it be she got upset about the comforter and it resulted in her nitpicking every little thing about how I cared for her dog? I was caught off guard by how she was texting me, especially after our face to face conversation the day she arrived. Nothing seemed wrong and she did not seem to have any questions then.

I’ve been pet sitting on Rover for 2 years. Last week, I booked recurring walks with a white German Shepherd. This is actually my first time booking weekly walks. I’m usually booked for house sitting. Anywho, I’m not sure when the owner’s workday starts, but I know she gets home at 5 PM. The walks are scheduled M/W/F at 2 PM.

Well, over the last week and few days here in North Carolina, it has been between about 85 and 95° F practically from morning until sunset — of course, feeling like 10 to 20° higher than that.

So because this 3yo dog has separation anxiety, the owner leaves him outside while they’re at work. She has a cage for him inside, but he has high energy, it’s a bit bent up, and he’s figured out how to force himself out of it without the door unlatching. I witnessed it during the meet & greet. She also sent me a picture she took when she came home to one of her rooms torn up (pillows, blankets, pee pads, anything with stuffing).

She doesn’t have insurance which could be one reason why she hasn’t gotten him anxiety meds to help with that. But I feel so bad having to leave this hot, panting dog back out in this heat shortly after a hot walk. One of her rooms barely has furniture in it! Literally a massage table, a bench if I remember correctly, and pieces of an insulated dog house she plans on giving away with the box it came in.

Maybe I’m not thinking realistically, but there is enough space in the living room to bring those things out there and at least give that dog the room to rest and play in with cool air. Am I unreasonable for thinking that way? If that’s not an option, can we at least give this poor furry boy some CBD gummies?! I will buy them myself!

Not sure if I’m venting or seeking advice on how to move forward with this, but it’s going to be so hot, and I’m about to leave in a bit to walk him again, and I just had to talk to people who would understand. I feel like he also thinks that I don’t care about leaving him in this heat, but I really do! 😫 When we turn around to go back home, I can tell by how much faster he walks that he’s excited to go back inside. Just to be left outside again. 😔

Also, with some of the other sturdy kennels I’ve seen for medium/large dogs at some of my other clients’ homes…. I’m just struggling to find a good reason why the dog is still outside.

I had a booking that I needed to cancel because of safety concerns with the cat. The cat was hissing, making it extremely difficult for me to safely enter the home and even complete the basic care routine.

After the second visit, I contacted Rover Support immediately because I wanted to handle everything properly.

It took more than two hours just to get through the initial support process. After asking me basically one question, they told me they couldn't help and that I needed to contact Trust & Safety instead.

They also told me that they had already forwarded all the information to Trust & Safety, so all I needed to do was call and they would be able to help me.

So I called.

Trust & Safety had none of the information.

I had to explain the entire situation all over again from the beginning. I was already stressed from what had happened during the visits, and having to repeatedly explain everything became so frustrating that I eventually hung up.

After I calmed down, I reminded myself that I still needed to get this resolved, so I called again.

And yes — I had to repeat everything AGAIN.

By that point, I had reached my emotional limit. I started crying during the call and couldn't even finish the conversation, so I had to hang up again.

I then contacted Rover Support and explained what had happened. They told me they would escalate the case to Trust & Safety and that I did not need to call anymore. Someone would contact me.

Okay. So I waited.

The entire afternoon passed.

Nobody contacted me.

I reached out through the app again.

This time? No response at all.

I also tried going through the cancellation process myself. There was an option saying that Rover Support was needed, and I specifically didn't want to simply hit "cancel" because I wanted the pet owner to receive a full refund, including the visit I had already completed. I was trying to make sure the owner wasn't financially affected by a cancellation I was requesting because I no longer felt I could safely complete the booking.

By the end of the day, I had received absolutely no help from Rover.

The next day, I finally received an email asking me additional questions. I answered them.

And then...

They disappeared again.

It is now the third day since I originally submitted this request, and the issue is STILL not resolved.

I called again today.

Guess what?

I had to explain everything all over again.

And the most ridiculous part is that even after all of this, the person I spoke with STILL couldn't help me. Apparently, I now have to wait until the case is actually assigned to an agent before anyone can do anything.

Three days.

Multiple chats.

Multiple phone calls.

Repeating the same story over and over.

Being transferred between Support and Trust & Safety.

Crying on the phone because I was already overwhelmed.

And the booking still isn't resolved.

Throughout this entire process, the main thing I've felt is helpless.

At one point, I even started doubting myself and wondering whether I should have reported the situation at all. I caught myself thinking, Maybe I should have just kept going and finished the booking.

And that is honestly the part that bothers me the most.

A sitter should never be made to feel that continuing a service they don't feel safe completing would have been easier than asking Rover for help.

I've been under unnecessary stress for three days because something that should have been handled quickly has been left hanging.

I am not asking Rover to solve some incredibly complicated problem.

I just need the remaining services canceled and the cat owner fully refunded.

I genuinely do not understand why that has been so difficult.

I don't want to have to be 'on' and responding to people during my upcoming 5 day break but I don't want to ruin my 1st place spot (it's ok if I fall a few spots but I don't want to be invisible after).
Will it make a material difference if I set myself completely away vs not accepting from new clients for those days? Or should I just toggle it on and off alternating days or something?

I've already told my regulars and marked the calendar. I will also add it to my profile tagline which I see ppl often do.

Ugh, I just want to unplug and not be punished.

I’m a relatively new sitter. I went to a meet and greet today with a potential new client. It’s going well and I’m petting the cat who is very friendly and wants affection, when she tells me he has fleas and just got treatment at the vet recently. Honestly, when she first said it, I was a little taken aback she hadn’t disclosed it sooner.

Like an idiot, I accepted the sit and said I would change my clothes after, but on further thinking I’m having serious second thoughts as I have my own animals and other clients.

How would y’all deal with this? I know I seriously messed up here. Thanks in advance 😭

Update: I contacted the owner and explained I was cancelling and why. I contacted Rover support and they cancelled on my behalf. They were pretty vague on how this may affect my Rover stats. Thank you all so much for the input, you really helped my decision making.

Has anyone experienced doing a booking with an owner who just never responded or provided feedback after a sitting?

I recently sat for two kitties and I haven’t heard back from their owner, no thank you, feedback on my profile or tip. I’ve had owners not tip or leave a review before, this is fine, but I’ve never had one just not say anything at all after the booking was over. Part of me almost got worried something may have happened but I’ve chalked it up to her just forgetting or being busy. Just strange!

Hi everyone
I had a booking (boarding) end August 16th at 2pm. I was expecting the money to begin pending yesterday August 18th, but as of today, the 19th, still nothing
When do you normally get paid? It’s $700 and tbh, I really need the money as soon as possible 😅

I have a pretty full schedule. By pretty full I mean I don’t even really have time to myself anymore but I can’t afford to not work so I try to enjoy even if it’s an hour or two of free time. I have a regular client who I’ve been sitting for for almost 2 years now. Every single sit she books with me she asks “can you stop by at certain time? we changed a couple things for the dog’s schedules” and this client loves to talk. I will be at the door with my hand on the knob for 3 hours saying goodbye type of talk. I feel like they’re unnecessary little stop by’s because the “things” that change in the schedules is always “oh we add a tea spoon of broth now” or “we don’t put puppy pads down anymore” or last time it was “we switched food”. And the exact. Same. Routine. Respectfully unless you switched medications I don’t NEED to use my only free time to swing by to see how Debarkus likes his new food or what new color Kong he has. I don’t need to see how Debarkus got a new water bowl and you now put it 2 inches over from where it originally was at. Again, if it’s any change in meds, I’ll 100% be there no questions asked. But it’s always little things that could be written down on notes, not needing me physically there for, and I’m getting a bit annoyed of it at this point. Opinions? Do you have a client like this as well?

A client has messaged me to ask if I would water their plants during a weeklong dog sit. He said he would leave $100 cash if I agree (I won’t see them before the sit begins in three days). Is this against Rover ToS? I know I can add an additional charge on the booking, but then Rover will take their 15% (Tier 2), right?

We got a client earlier this month that quickly rose to top 3, possibly top dog of all time. Today, her owner lost her job and texted she won’t need us anymore as a result.

I was already emotional today for unrelated reasons and if this ain’t just the dang cherry on top. 😂😭💔

You ever have those dogs that you lowkey hope the owner will one day say, “I realized it’s not a good fit, want to keep him/her?” This was that dog for me. Didn’t help that the owner would say she’s not sure the dog is happy at her house like she is at mine; I was always thinking to myself, “You could just leave her with meeee” 😂

She reminds me in a lot of ways like my late soul dog, and she and I bonded almost immediately, too.

Anyway. Share your sad stories and commiserate with me 😭

I want to start wearing eyeliner while I’m working so I can feel more like myself, but I’m worried about the potential reaction of my regular clients. Has anyone else dealt with this? I already have multiple nose piercings so it’s not like it’s a shock to anyone that I’m kind of alternative. I guess I could only wear it while dealing with new clients and dress the same for my old ones. So far most of my clients have been from wealthier neighborhoods and I do think standing out may be a liability. I feel like heavy eye makeup or stylish clothes are in-your-face in a way that my septum piercing isn’t.

Anyone else here walking as their primary or only service? I’ve been dog walking for 2 years, full time booked for the last year or more. The last 6 months I’ve been averaging around 20,000 steps. I work basically 7 days a week. Weekdays are my primary working days, weekends slower but still go out. Saturdays can be somewhat busy and Sunday sometimes only have 1 walk. I’m pretty sore, and constantly tired. I work as much as I can to pay my bills and put some aside. I love the dogs and enjoy working for myself, but damn. I question the sustainability of this work all the time.

I was thinking doing housesitting could be the solution. But my one Housesitting client I have is 2 large dogs, only books a couple nights on the weekend and leaves me even more exhausted. The cat market is pretty dominated here. I don’t know if group walks are the answer.

Any other full time walkers find a way to make this sustainable? Feel free to comment as well if you’re just exhausted with me 🙃

A client booked a 16 night boarding next month but had to cancel due to a family emergency. They messaged back and said “I feel bad that was a good chunk of cash you were expecting. If you have a venmo or similar I would like to send you a bit as a thank you.”

I’m not sure if I should accept their generosity. Is it okay to do? This would have been their second booking with me. What would you guys do? Accept the generosity?

(Yes I know about getting flagged for certain words).

Hi! I mostly sit cat clients and have dealt with my fair share of escape artists, but never ones as speedy as this little guy. All of my past clients have been adults/seniors, and this is my first kitten (<1yr) sit. The owner has me dropping in once a day to refill his automatic feeder, top off his water, scoop the litter, and play. He’s super sweet!

But, the owner definitely may have downplayed how much of an escape artist he actually is. He nearly leapt out the apartment door into the hallway today (my first drop in), and all is well - I caught him before he hit the ground and did inform the owner as she said he’s walked into the hallway in the past when she’s opened the door - and asked for tips that have worked for her in the past. Leaving the apartment isn’t an issue, as I just throw treats toward the back room and it distracts him for long enough. But what has worked for y’all in cases like this? I usually wedge myself between the door and wall and use body language to get the cat to move back, but little man can jump HIGH and FAR. Thank you in advance!

So I have been walking a lovely girl for about 6 months now. She’s the sweetest, loves pets more than anything and is totally fine around everyone, until she sees a dog. After that, she’s barking at everyone, jumping, pulling, scaring some people, it’s almost impossible to walk her after that. I have a reactive dog myself and have walked others. Most of the time I can distract, deter, and calm them down. But I can’t find something that works with her. She is not food or toy driven, at all. She only really eats one kind of treat and on walks she isn’t even interested in those, so there’s no distracting. For the most part we can deter, but it’s been so nice out lately(aside from all the rain) more dogs are out when we are walking, so it’s become more of an issue. After she sees a dog, I cannot calm her down. I try to sit her down, take a beat, offer treats & pets, nothing. Even if she eventually calms down, once we start walking she’s instantly agitated again. I’ve talked to her mom about it and she works with her. She takes treats and listens better from her mom, but she won’t from me, which I get, my pup is like that as well. However, that means the tricks her mom uses, don’t work for me. I want to be able to help her, especially bc lately there’s been times she’s become more reactive after an incident. Like we run into a dog on our walk, the next day we get to the same spot and she starts barking and pulling. She really is the sweetest girl, she just gets scared. If anyone has any advice, please!!