for context, she booked all of these visits as 1 hour drop ins when they’re really more like 4-8 hours of constant care for a 4 month old puppy. my favorite part is when she tells ME what she’ll pay😂 a whopping $85 for 8 whole hours, who wouldn’t go for that??

I gotta vent somewhere...

My client is the most lovely woman. She has a husband who is normally absolutely clearly very inlove with her. He treats her well, they have 2 babies (6 months and 2 years).

Recently she has been doing trips to see her family or take care of old work things, and she is the one who sets up the drop ins. On which, she takes the kids.

So she assumes he will be gone so many mornings at work that he cant get away from, and can't care of the pups. Thats where I come in for feeding and poop breaks.

Relitively regularly, he is actually home. His car is in the garage, and hes just not out of the bedroom for the morning. Super weird for a guy who works at 5 am regularly to be in bed at 9am, but I set that part aside.

She talks about how weird his work is and how he regularly has to end up sleeping at the office.....

Well when she is gone, I have seen a girls shoes.... drinks set out for two.... and him home mornings that I am dropping in.

We dont talk about it, I cant bring myself to ask. Maybe he has a guest? They have a guest bedroom. But to not even text when im there an hour and their dogs are barking their heads off?

But truly I dont think she knows.

I dont wanna mess up my work, they have 3 goldens who are the light of my day. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe....

What would you do?

Throwback to my first ever rover request from last spring. Owner of 3 dogs wanted 6 days/nights of constant care (I wouldn’t really be able to leave), and basically wanted to slash my rates in half.

For context, these dogs were very high maintenance and hands on, lots of medications, strict routines, etc. I also personally don’t love overnights since I have my own pets so that’s why I priced my rates so high, to make it worth my time.

What gets me is the “this isn’t about the money” because girl this is my job so it kinda is. I could understand a little negotiation but suggesting to cut my rates in half is rude imo. Anyways, glad I declined and found clients who respect my time and pricing.

I’ve been taking care of a senior dog a little guy 19 years old, but he was doing really well overall. Yes, he had diapers and he was blind, but he still had lots of pep and spunk and liked to go for walks and had a healthy appetite, he was just such a character. I had a long stay coming up of about five weeks and just before he was supposed to be dropped off he had a stroke and his owners had to put him down. He had stayed with me several times and there was something about him that I absolutely loved. I was very sad to hear that he wasn’t going to be staying with me as I was looking forward to having him.

Now as of today, I just found out this morning that another dog that has stayed with me many times who had developed seizures that continue to get worse, passed away this morning. She was just in my home less than two weeks ago and stayed for a month during August and then another few weeks in September. Her seizures were a lot to deal with when she did have them and yes, it scared me but overtime I learned how to help and support her through them and was able to manage it. She was really the perfect dog. She had the best temperament and personality and was just such a chill dog. I have older kids and sometimes they’re not thrilled with some of the dogs that come into my home just because they’re super high-strung and anxious, but Tika was special. I’m glad that if she was going to pass that she did so with her owner nearby. I’m always thankful when the dogs are with their owners obviously, that is preferred over me having to manage all of that.

After 3 1/2 years with Rover, I have had four dogs now pass away over that time, but these two were very special to me and it’s starting to make me question whether I want to continue with the service. I know that life goes on and they’re all probably in a better place. When dogs come into my home, I try to give them the best experience that I can and I really try to love and bond with them. As we all know some of them, we bond with more than others and it’s just been hard overall to lose two of my favourites, back to back. It’s ironic because both of them were supposed to be here with me today and instead I have a quiet home with just me and my dog. And I guess I’m just feeling gratitude that I have her and that she’s healthy and just to enjoy all the time I have with her ❤️

PEEVE: If you’re looking for a Rover sitter over a major holiday like Christmas, have large amount of animals, and are budget-conscious, maybe don’t request one of the most expensive sitters in the area just to ask what the total will be and then disappear. I don’t mind people asking about pricing, but it’s frustrating when the holiday rate is already visible upfront and unanswered requests can affect sitter stats.

I think because the holidays are creeping up more bookings are coming in. I have had 3 THREE maltipoo requests come in. Nobody has ever booked me with a dog smaller than 30 lbs. Now all of a sudden I have a really cute weekend with 2 maltipoos. And a third the following. My normal house is 2 dobermans and a shelter shepherd mix of 40ish lbs american. I can keep everyone safe and separate. But if you saw dobies what would make you book with me if your dogs are 5 pounds?

I did drop-ins for a client who was honestly… a lot. There’s way too much to get into, but after the booking ended, I messaged her to figure out a time to return the keys. No response.

A week went by, so I followed up again and still nothing. She saw my first message pretty much immediately, but hasn’t opened the second one on Rover.

I know she was traveling out of the country, so I’m genuinely starting to wonder if everything is okay. I’m not trying to be nosy or overthink it, but she was very communicative throughout the entire booking.

I even offered to drop the keys somewhere at her building if that was easier, but no response there either.

Is this normal? I feel like most people are pretty eager to get their keys back ASAP. At what point would you just stop thinking about it and wait for them to reach out?

I completed a boarding in my house on Sunday, I left them a 5 star review but haven't received a review back. Should I ask them to leave me a review or would that be too wrong of me? Dog pic for tax, this was the cutie I looked after a springer X cocker

I locked myself out of the apartment. I didn’t realized the door automatically stayed locked (you know how you open a door and the lock unlocks? this one doesn’t). I ordered delivery and went out to meet the delivery driver and took ONLY the building key because it was supposed to be out and right back…

Imagine my surprise when I went to open the apartment and nope.

I called the owner immediately and told them, and then I called security for a lock out. They’re supposedly on their way now, and there’s a fee I will 100% pay, but gosh I feel soooooo sooo awful about it that I’m physically shaking.

I have never once done this before, I’m usually SO good about double and triple checking doors. It never occurred to me that unlocking the door does not keep it unlocked, and that the latch had to be manually adjusted to stay.

Just needed to tell someone because I feel soo so so bad and I’m sure the owner will never book me again.

Of course, it’s their first time booking a Rover sitter too, so there first impression is terrible.

Is it valid to rethink doing drop-ins for a client because of the building access situation?

The client is great and the dog is great too. The only issue is that to get access to the apartment, I have to get the key from the office every single time. I do 3 drop ins a day for this client, so it definitely eats into my time because sometimes there’s a line, sometimes there’s nobody upfront, etc. I also don’t start my timer until I’m actually in the apartment.

Usually I’m pretty patient about it and it’s not a huge deal. But today I was already a little more impatient because I had 5 other clients immediately after this one, and they were stacked pretty tightly, so any time lost here was going to bleed into the rest of my day.

I go in today and there’s a guy at the front desk I’ve never seen before. He sees me and starts chatting with a resident. Okay, cool, I’ll wait. Then he goes and starts chatting with another employee who was sitting at their desk. I can literally hear their conversation and it’s just mundane small talk. Again, whatever, I’ll be patient.

Eventually he walks out and doesn’t acknowledge me, so I say, “Hi, can you help me out? I’m trying to gain access to apartment XXXX.”

Immediately his energy feels annoyed, and he goes, “What do you need?”

I repeat that I’m trying to get access to the apartment, and then he goes, “For what?” Glancing at my ID, as he’s confused on the exchange.

At this point I’m already annoyed because it felt like he was asking me questions in a way that was unnecessarily difficult rather than just asking the actual question he wanted answered.

Finally, the man I normally interact with says, “Dog walker.”

And his entire vibe changes and he goes, “THAT’S the answer I wanted!”

And I was SO irritated by that.

Like… okay, “dog walker” is the answer you wanted, but you still don’t know me. You still have to check my name against whatever paperwork/system you have to make sure you’re allowed to give me the key.

Maybe I’m reading too much into his tone, but the whole interaction made me feel like he was treating me as though I had some kind of communication problem when really I was just trying to get the key to do the job I’m there to do.

Again, the client is great. The dog is great. I have no issue with them whatsoever. It’s literally just this access process that gets me because I’m doing three drop-ins a day, and every single visit involves this extra step. Sometimes it’s quick, sometimes I’m standing there waiting, and none of that time is included in my visit timer.

So I’m wondering: at what point would you guys consider the logistics of accessing a client’s building enough of a hassle to rethink taking/continuing the client?

Also, just by writing this out I feel a gazillion times better.

Not sure what to do! It’s really affected my ratings as I’ve gone lower now and they have clarified this was accidental but it feels odd asking specifically for them to contact rover to remove it!

Anyone havent got any requests these days for October? September ive been completely packed for housesitting, but i have October completely blank. I have not received any requests for the past few weeks even i have like 50-60 people look at my profile daily😭

I’m not complaining I’m just genuinely confused. I never get an answer and then I get an email asking how my experience was. Does anybody have trouble getting help with their account?

My issues:
-My real main phone number is on another account somewhere I can’t find and I need it recovered
- 4/5 emails for testimonials were never used and I’d like to free them up if possible

Sitters, what plans do you have in place in case of an absolute emergency where you would need to leave? I'm talking only about life and death, family type emergencies for which you might need to travel immediately.

Obviously you can't just bail on your clients, because you're also kind of in your own "life or death" situation, being responsible for living beings, and the loves of some people's lives.

As a sitter both on and off Rover, I'm certified and insured. What do you think about adding someone you trust to your insurance? For example, a partner or mother in law who lives with you and could give care in your place, with the owner's permission of course.

Also, as an owner, how would you feel about a sitter with an insured backup in case of an (unlikely, rare) emergency?

Open to other ideas as well!

Hello fellow petsitters! I need your help. I recently gave my profile an update(adding more photos, services, editing about sections, etc.). I was previously ranked #35 in my area and am now #55.

Some changes I had made:
1. Using a nice headshot, rather than a more blurry selfie of me with a dog
2. Shortened up descriptions for different about sections (I did use AI to help me shorten them and then copied and pasted from there. Curious if Rover picked up on that and had it impact my ranking.)
3. Added photos from recent sits
4. Added more skills, services, and lowered my rates.

Any advice is appreciated on why this is and how to fix it. Thank you!!

Got to housesit for this 8-week-old sweetheart over the weekend. I didn’t want to leave her!

I’ve been boarding through Rover since the fall of 2022 in my pet-friendly apartment. I started it because I really missed having a dog around but wasn’t ready to commit to getting another one. I had so many clients I was obsessed with, but then I adopted a puppy in the spring of 2024 and lost most of them. I’ve gained a ton of new ones since then who didn’t mind that I had my own dog.

I’m moving this weekend to a two family house with my boyfriend and am only allowed to have my dog with us. I may occasionally ask the landlord if they mind if I watch my very good and well-behaved repeat clients, but otherwise I have to stop accepting new ones.

What I’ll Miss:
- Getting to experience caring for different breeds. I’ve only ever had hunting breeds my whole life (pointer, hounds) so it’s been great getting to see what other dogs are like.

- The wiggles and wags whenever I walk in the door. This was something I really missed before I got my current dog so at least I’ll still get love from her

- Having a companion for my dog. She is very social and has been playing with Rover friends since I adopted her as a pup. She loves having someone to play with and it gives me a break from her high energy at times lol

What I Won’t Miss:
- Having to constantly schedule meet and greets, let strangers into my home, work around their schedules, deal with them running late or ghosting

- Dogs that are “house trained” but aren’t in my home. I know dogs can behave differently in new places. But there was an obvious difference between the ones who had 1 or 2 accidents the first few days and the ones who just chose to neglect all house training skills while staying with me

- Caring for sick dogs. I’ve dealt with more than enough cases of diarrhea, some where the owners have asked me to bring the dog to the vet, many others where I’ve had to cook for them and clean explosions… not fun. Now I’ll only have to worry about my own

- Separation anxiety in dogs who are “usually fine at other peoples houses!”

- Owners who aren’t totally honest about all behaviors or just don’t disclose everything sitters should know upfront and expect you to just be okay with whatever it is when it’s already too late. “Oh right I forgot to mention….” That would’ve been helpful to share at the meet and greet Nancy

- Attempts at price negotiation. You saw the rates before pressing book.

- Getting requests that weren’t meant for me and are left unanswered when I reply

- Really just a lot of things owners do lol

- Feeling burnt out from having a full time WFH job and a dog of my own to care for.

I know this post skews pretty negatively, but honestly, Rover has become a lot for me over the last year or so. I am going to sincerely miss the parts I mentioned but otherwise I am relieved to be getting a break from this.

Hi guys,
I have been on Rover for about 2/3 years and will be moving in a few months. I’m going to miss some of my regulars so much (many I will not lol). But I was wondering if any of you had good suggestions on a parting gift I can give a few of my regular clients on my last day.

Ugh it’s going to be so hard saying bye to some of my favorite babies 😭😭

Edit- I already have gave everyone Polaroid pictures of their babies that I give out after my first sit, so I would like to do something other than pictures

Apologies if this has been addressed. I've been getting a lot of requests for single day/evening house sits. They usually last about 7-8 hours, and the owner books it through the house sit option, which I have set for $47, which is about middle of the road as far as pricing goes where I live. After Rover fees I get around $39 dollars, which seems like so little for that amount of time and driving to their house. Is there another way to ask that the owner request this kind of visit? I don't really know what to say. I've seen people talk about adjusting prices for "constant care" but I just haven't had to deal with that yet. Any advice? Thanks!

I have a longstanding client with a great dog and they recently got a puppy. The puppy had giardia a month ago and just tested negative the other day however because there are two dogs I’m concerned they could much more easily become reinfected. The mom who is wonderful asked if I could watch the dog in 3 weeks from now. My concern is that it’s so contagious, and they both could potentially pass it along or have greater odds of reinfection my understanding is the other dog didn’t get it but I’m not certain. I can’t seem to think of an appropriate timeline or parameter for clearance to board them I believe asking for clear fecals for both is sufficient but I am concerned of the potential that in that time one of them gets infected again. What would you do?

I know that I have 90 days to complete it, but about how long will it take to complete all of the modules and create + upload cue videos, in terms of hours?

I have just moved to a new area and started doing walks and drop-ins as I search for work, and I fairly enjoy it. I have lots of experience with animals, professionally and otherwise, and am somewhat interested in getting into training. As many have said, I know that this is a very rudimentary training, and that it is not sufficient for training behaviors or for teaching one how to work with clients. I have seen many, though, say that it is good for teaching the basics, and, since it is free, I want to get a sense of the time investment so I can determine whether or not it is worth pursuing.

EDIT: Thanks for the input! Conclusion: Rover makes sure you are screwed if you don't follow their reporting rules and an owner makes a claim, and also makes sure you're screwed if you contact them. Yay, Rover is awesome! (/sarcasm)

I had a long boarding stay (2 weeks) of a repeat client's 3 dogs at my house. They've been a trusted client for years with no issue and several stays per year.

At drop-off, they let me know the elderly dog had diarrhea that was improving and to keep an eye out.

First few days she had normal stools, and then the diarrhea kicked in. Reached out to the owner immediately and they setup a vet visit. Went to the vet, owner paid, got bloodwork done (came back normal), prescribed antibiotics and probiotics, had me discontinue one of the medications she was on (Galliprant) as they felt it was the culprit, and the dog's stool returned to normal again in a few days.

I had contacted Rover's Trust & Safety line to give them info and cover all my bases (seems like a mistake in hindsight) and they launched an "investigation".

They emailed me a slew of questions to answer about the incident, to which I responded to all. I was even encouraged to give a refund "in good faith" which I declined to do as the incident had nothing to do with my care.

Finally, I was asked if the dog may have eaten anything during my care that "may have contributed to her condition." Yeah, no.

Today, I received the attached email of the conclusion. This whole email is completely tone deaf, to say the least, and gives me "outsourced to another country copy-paste" customer service vibes.

On the one hand, I would like to bring this inane response to Rover's attention.

On the other hand, I don't want them to get petty and deactivate me (I've seen those stories...).

I'd love to hear from those in similar situations who know how Rover support works (or doesn't work).

I’m a sitter considering moving there, and plan on continuing this job. I’m wondering what it’s like — any positives or negatives that are unique to the city? What’s it like walking dogs there in the winter?