I agree! I sit a few dogs who have been trained professionally and the owners are so glad they did it. They now have a roster of amazing tricks and behaviors they are equipped to deal with!

I've had clients reach out about booking a few months in advance and honestly I'm not sure I will be available for those dates. I just make sure that my calendar for the next few weeks is correct otherwise you won't show up in most searches.

It's unlikely in my experience that owners will reach out 3 months in advance unless it's a long holiday. Every booking I've had has been a last minute trip, or something of that nature.

I would suggest looking into obedience classes and getting a professional trainer to give you some advice. It seems like you've tried most the positive reinforcement methods, and it's important to train this behavior out (if possible) as early as possible. Doggy classes can be amazing for that! It seems like your pup thinks he is in charge, and you need to teach him that you are the one in charge. It's possible the reason is something you never even thought of!

Check out what is available in your area and I wish you luck!

Agree with Erica - a helpful tactic is to stay calm, don't make a big deal about coming and going. Maybe try it a few times. Go out for 10 minutes and come back without making a big deal, you need to make it seem like it isn't super exciting and not to escalate the dog's excitement.

Having them go into their bed, as well, or a place to calm down is really helpful as well. Good luck!

A good question to ask as well is "Does your dog have any quirks?"

This has been SO helpful for me as what is normal to a dog owner is not normal to you. Just make sure you do a meet and greet as soon as possible, and be thorough with the information you ask.

Show enthusiam, responsibility, flexibility, be prompt. :)

This is the best thing to do for sure.

Hey! Welcome!

Give it time!! No one reached out to me for a few months after I joined and now I receive lots of requests. :)

Get lots of testimonials, and set your preferences to be a bit more broad. In my experience (though I haven't done too many sits) it seems to work better by chatting with your prospective clients once they reach out about specifics.

Lower rates for the first few times, as well. Good luck!

You should for sure try again on neutral territory. Introduce them on the sidewalk, leashed. If it doesn't go well - you can still try again. You need to show leadership and that the dogs are not in charge. Sometimes it just isn't a good fit, and after a few meetings and trying again you will know that. :)

I have it listed on my resume under other skills and experience, it just says Freelance Dog Boarder through Rover. :)

My favorite way to tire out puppy energy is running (although I know that is not always an option). I once sat an 80lb boxer that was very sweet, but pushy and energetic in the home and the only way we could get it out was to go for a short run.

Sometimes you need to suck up the rain and just get out there - it isn't the MOST pleasant but can be kind of fun! I would just try to keep your energy calm, keep him distracted, maybe some training? Is he food motivated? Sometimes you can get that energy out by some mental stimulation.

If there is a specific behavior you are unsure of how to deal with - maybe try to reach out to the owners and ask if they have a tactic that works or if that behavior is normal to them. I always ask my clients before we book "Does your dog have any quirks?" because what may seem normal to them is not normal for you.

Best of luck!

Just be honest. It doesn't help anyone for you to continue to sit a dog that is not a good fit. It would be best for the owners to find a better fit, and to relieve your anxiety around the dog. Dogs can sense when the energy is off and if you have your guard up that could also be weirding out your dogs on top of it.

Just let the owners know :).

Hey there! I had the same experience with my rescue - she was potty-shy for a lack of a better way to put it. We would do the same thing, she hardly ever went. Didn't poop for like.. 36 hours when we first took her home!

Just be patient. I experienced this identical issue and with persistence your pup will clue in that you're only going out to pee. I would suggest if you're trying to train her that it's only a pee break, continue to take her out to the same spot and if she doesn't pee then she's lost her chance. Something I've experienced with training this is that if you go for a walk instead - they might learn that if they don't pee they get to stay out for longer and it turns into a walk instead of a pee.

Give it some time - every dog is different and it might just take some patience for her to make the connection. Good luck!

Oh no! Tricky situation.

I would maybe start by trying to associate the crate with good things. She obviously is afraid, or anxious while in there. What you can do is some basic crate training tactics and with A LOT of persistence and patience. Keeping the door open, you're going to want to tempt her into going in there and showing her there is nothing to be afraid of. Toys, treats, cover the crate with a blanket so it is more like a den. Work on getting her to go in there slowly on her own, with lots and lots of rewards. Verbal praise, pets, whatever shows her it was good behaviour. Over time, work on her going in, and close the door but don't lock it shut. You need to show her it's her space and that it's safe for her.

I remember my rescue DID NOT WANT to go in there, and frequently peed while in the crate. We used this method and one day out of the blue after a month or so...she just walked in one day. We were amazed! PATIENCE!!! Don't get frustrated if it isn't working right away and I wish you all the best of luck!

Interesting!!

I agree with Walt. If the client doesn't want to do the meet and greet then that is a potentially unsafe environment for everyone if they want to book without it. I would stress the importance of the meet and greet and if they still don't want to do it, I wouldn't book with them.

Could be for sure! I think giving it more than 3 days would be a good idea to judge if it's the breed or if he just needs some time. :)

He definitely isn't a lost cause! It is possible he just needs some time to open up. When I rescued my pup, she didn't want to eat, or play but after a few months was playing fetch, and tug of war and acting just like a regular dog! Just continue to work on building trust and give it time.

All they need is lots of love and patience. Hope this helps!

Boundaries are really important - especially right at the beginning.

I know it's super hard when they are so cute but you can't break. You will seriously thank yourself when your pup is a little bit older and has a really great grasp on boundaries - even waiting for permission to get into bed with you. It doesn't mean that you can't have your pup in bed with you for snuggle time it just means that your dog will know who is the leader in the home and will not just go ahead without you giving permission first. :)

I would suggest crate training until your dog is comfortable in there - it's also important for your dog to have a space of their own to lounge in. That way there is a clear, established boundary.

Good luck!

Rover may also send you requests even though your calendar shows as unavailable just in case you may be available for what the client is requesting without it affecting your search rates :) It's also a good opportunity to tell that person you are unavailable but to reach out in the future for other bookings.

I don't think that this is possible upon initial request - but you can always go in and adjust the booking price to include the drop ins that are not listed and clarify in the chat how many per day on which day. :) As long as you are getting everything written down and keeping track that is the best way to go about that from my experience!

How is your partner feeding him? Is it from his hand or from a bowl? Maybe try putting the food down in front of him and letting him take his time going to it. I've had some dogs not eat from me right away, but warm up after some time.

Remember to be patient - sometimes it takes some time for these things to change. It's possible that something changed with your pup and he just needs a little time to warm back up. :)

That is definitely a question for the individual sitter. Look for sitters who have shots listed as a service they are qualified to administer. Hope this helps!

If you're able to still dogsit at your current address, I would change it once I've moved in. Hope this helps!

Hi Leanne! I'm so sorry to hear you are in this predicament. That's a tough call.

On one hand you did know ahead of time that this man had suffered from a stroke and although he may have been home full time, may not have been the best choice to sit your puppy that requires a lot of care and attention.

On the other hand, you did not know that he would verbally abuse your pup or use methods of negative reinforcement that you do not agree with. If I were in your position, I would confront this man and tell him that I will not be hiring him in the future to dogsit, and am displeased with the methods used. It's hard to prove anything because it's all he said she said, but I would try to negotiate the pay to a lesser amount.

If it's possible to have your neighbor in on the meeting, maybe that might be beneficial, as well. :) Was this booked through Rover? If so - Rover support helpline offers lots of insight into tricky situations and they might have something helpful to say, as well.

I hope everything works out and am so sorry your puppy was not treated like they deserved to be.

Hi Laura! Yes you can do this in your calendar. If you click on that respective day in the calendar you can choose which services you are offering on that day. :)

Is the dog biting it's toes, as well? That is usually a tell-tale sign that the dog has an allergy. Usually if it is environmental, it gets on the paws outside walking and then the dog will scratch somewhere spreading the allergen to the skin wherever they itched. Typically they might be uncomfortable and are going to a space that feels safe to scratch or itch (I've seen many dogs do this). It could also be a food allergy, as Lenka said.

I would suggest your room mate calls the vet to see what the problem is. It is also possible to soak the dog's paws in warm water and baking soda to get off any allergens and maybe stop the spread of it to the skin if that is the problem - this was very effective with my dog who had some pretty bad allergies and was getting rashes on her skin from scratching and spreading it around.

Hope this helps!

It's up to you to keep them organized! Utilize the google calendar sync which will add in upcoming stays and even pending booking requests for you. :) Unfortunately there aren't as many functions as we'd hope for in the APP just yet for these kinds of things but ultimately Rover is just a platform for us to freelance through and it's up to you to keep yourself on top of it! Hope this helps.

That would be amazing! But, unfortunately not so. As long as you're setting the time up in the chat with the client and get it all written - it's up to us to time manage!

In my experience - people who are looking for dog boarding or sitting are *usually* last minute, and they aren't phased by the booking fee. If you've got a pet, and you need a sitter, and we're here to provide that - clients don't really care about the booking fee. :)

Something could have happened while you were away - a friend of mine has a cat and dog who coexist together okay most of the time but on occasion she will swat him in the face and he barks at her causing tension between them.

I would try some training tactics with her by rewarding her for being calm and quiet and not barking around the cat. Try to slowly introduce the cat into the space and if your dog remains quiet and does not exhibit that behavior - reward that. Eventually with time and patience, the barking might stop. :)

I do agree that the platform and market is somewhat silly for what we are doing considering that private companies doing the same thing can charge way more and not have to give 20% away, and the client doesn't need to pay a booking fee - but at the end of the day it is up to you to define your success. Like Walt said, we are being contracted to do this and it's up to you to get and maintain the business in a way that is fair (or as fair as it can be).

At the end of the day, Rover is a business and that is the policy they have in place. All we can do is find a way to make it work for us, set rates that make sense for us, and find the clients who are willing to pay what we've set it at. It IS possible!

I would try redirection - is he motivated by toys? Maybe try distracting him with something else. When my dog was constantly biting at a wound, I would try and change her attention to something else. Stimulation is key in this situation, taking him for more walks is definitely a great idea to tire him out but maybe try some different tactics to change his attention!

Hope this helps!

For meet and greets - I like to do the meet and greet on the sidewalk with the dog and the owner. It can be uncomfortable to meet inside someone's home especially if you're staying there for an overnight.

Typically, I will tell someone else that I'm going to the meet and greet or that someone is coming to meet with me so in the event of something not going well there is someone aware of what's happening. :)

I know comforting the dog seems like the right thing to do but what it does is reinforce that whining and crying is acceptable behavior! My rescue dog would whine and whine and whine all day long so I know what it feels like to have that shrill sound in your ears 24/7!

In my experience, redirecting the dog to something else is helpful. Also - excess energy expenditure. Have some playtime, or do some training for mental stimulation, take the dog for a walk. If you can't go outside because it is unsafe, I highly recommend mental stimulation. Find out what that dog is motivated by and use it.

Have you brought up the separation anxiety to the owners? If not - reach out to them and let them know and ask if it is normal behavior.

Hope this helps!

In my experience with crate training it's all about changing your pup's mindset on the crate. My rescue dog whined all night in the crate the first few times - the key is to not reward this behavior!

It was a gradual process, like Danielle said, of leaving treats in the crate, and toys. Making it comfortable and dark. It helped to drape a blanket or sheet over the top of the crate to make it more of a den. Each night she cried less and less. If she cried, we did not let her out, but instead waited for her to calm down and then opened the door, thus rewarding her for being calm. Eventually she just walked in the crate on her own.

Key to this process is NOT forcing your dog into the crate, we want them to go in on their own. This might take time and lots of patience as each breed is different! Once they make that transition of it being a safe space and not a scary one, the crying will stop (hopefully). :)

Give it some time! For the first few months I didn't have anyone contact me then voila I get requests almost every weekend. :) Try and make your profile reach a specific group! For example - I work downtown and live uptown, and am only available to walk in the evening. Make sure you let people know where you are and what's unique about your circumstances and personality.

Hope this helps!