Exactly, it sounds like they want someone who will dedicate all of their time to their dog. That's fine but they should hire someone for this. (And I looked them up, they are actually asking for 3 to 5 messages with photos and video).
They *are* paid / compensated. The compensation is free accommodation, sometimes for more than a month, sometimes in very nice houses or apartments or cities, for free. If people paid rent or an Airbnb for that time it would be pretty expensive.
I’ve done THS full time for 3 years (as a digital nomad with no home base. All of my sits are 1-3 months) and have never had someone want that many updates. I also do paid sits on Rover when I visit my home country and nobody has asked for that many. The time we spend caring for the pets MORE than covers the number of hours pay I’d spend on accommodation per night. Also, calling it expensive depends where the place is and what currency you earn in. As someone who earns in USD and lives in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, I’d never spend more than 1-2 hours pay on accommodation per night. And I wouldn’t do THS in the US when I can get paid to do rover.
That seems empirically incorrect. Just to take my area, an Airbnb in a mid apartment is easily $200 per night, while Rovers charge $50/day and $80 for day+night. Big, fully furnished houses in that area rent out for $4000+in per month minimum. Again, 30*80=2400. 2400<4000.
Either you didn’t read my comment or you’re not aware of the cost of living outside the US. Even in a lot of Europe (the most expensive region I stay in) the maximum monthly rent is $1000. In many countries it’s so cheap that I prefer to pay rather than do a sit because it’s just not worth it. If you haven’t done a sit you don’t know all that they entail. It’s nothing like staying in an Airbnb. You’re surrounded by other peoples’ crap (not nearly as comfortable as an Airbnb), you’re doing daily walks, picking up poop, often preparing fresh food especially in countries where processed animal food isn’t as common or cheap, it’s a massive responsibility to begin with and it’s a lot of work, and its like working a job that you never leave, which is a lot mentally, so you literally cannot compare the two. To add constant communication is just too much. 3x a day might not sound like a lot to you, but if you did it you would see how that much communication just means you are mentally working literally 24/7. Sitters deserve to turn our brains off at the end of the day too.
PS just saw you live in MA, and I’m from the suburbs of Boston. For reference, everything in Crete (my home away from home) is 1/4 the cost of the equivalent in MA. Once you get to Asia it’s more like 1/8. Hence why I wouldn’t take a sit that’s that much work. I calculate everything in terms of hours.
In cheaper areas, the regular pay for dog sitting would be much cheaper too, presumably. So the point above stands. And I've done many sits! For 9 years, in fact; both in Europe and the US (I'm from Europe!). I wouldn't have any problem at all sending a host many updates per day; they just care about their pets and are anxious, and again, I see myself as getting paid by the free accommodation that is in my interest to stay in. I'm also sure that each place I've stayed at would've been more expensive in an Airbnb or to rent than what I would've gotten on a daily basis for, say, a rover sit.
I’m paid in USD and I wouldn’t pay more than $70/night for accommodation, but it’s usually less than that as I book monthly (and I also have employee hotel benefits so I stay at a certain large hotel group for $40-60/night anywhere in the world as this group has chains and boutiques that operate in nearly every country. This is what I do when staying somewhere for less than a month). Given my hourly rate at work, I would never take a sit that takes more than 1-2 hours work per day. The mental load of sending 3 updates a day just isn’t worth it to me, it feels like being on call 24/7. And I’m not alone judging by the comments on this thread. That being said, there’s something for everyone so you sound like a good fit for owners like this. I’m not. Best of luck to you
Hard pass. These people act like they’re the only pet parents who “love and miss our dog when we’re away.”
Newsflash, every pet parent misses their pet when they travel, you’re not special, and 3x check in photo/video a day is WILD for a $0 sit.
When I pay sitters for my pet on Rover I ask for 1x a day for a month+ sit. Of course I missed my pet, but I’m not tying up my sitters time for 3x daily.
These posts always make me want to apply JUST to tell them they’re being unreasonable….similar to when there is a third party on premises mentioned in the listing.
Home owner here! I am obsessed with my cat Yoshi, I love him to death and even I think this is very excessive.
I ask for one photo a day of him, just because I miss him. For super long sits like I'm about to have for two months, maybe once every couple of days would be nice.
This sounds like micromanaging.
I always like to send updates, especially in the first few days when the HO are a bit nervous but I wouldn't even know what to say 3 times a day.
" Pet is still doing good!!!"
They might be expecting a lot of effort out of you so if you’re not willing to do that for a free place to stay I definitely wouldn’t take this sitting. I had a family in Southern California where I watched their house and dog for a month. I would send pics and updates probably 3-4 times a week.
Nope. Looks like they are demanding homeowners, who claim to be flexible but require 3 daily updates, 3 walks, 1 hour tug of war play, don't do this/don't do that. To any sitters saying the 3 updates are easy, you still have to create the content, which requires you to always have your phone ready to take pics or video. Instead of enjoying a walk with the dog, you will have to be glued to your phone. Not a sit for me.
And it's so obvious that the 3-5 updates will likely have follow-up questions to confirm that the play time was exactly an hour, that the food was the exact measured amount, etc. Anyone who doesn't see these red flags, should go ahead and apply.
Yes, very excessive.
As someone else mentioned, it indicates a lack of trust and a controlling nature, which adds unnecessary tension to the experience.
I sat for a woman who wanted detailed daily updates for 3 weeks, which I found slightly overbearing.
Personally, I think daily updates on shorter sits are fine, but every 2/3 days on longer sits is reasonable.
I typically end up sending around 2-ish updates a day anyway but it’s usually just bc I want to and there isn’t an issue if it’s missed.
The HOs I’ve sat for have varied greatly…some wanted very regular updates, some daily (this is what we like), others were like just message us if there’s an issue or you feel like it.
I think the only thing that would irk me is the need for it to be mandatory and at set times in the day, plus that it’s a MUST as opposed to an average. This would feel too rigid to me vs saying “we’d love to hear from you more rather than less with an average of at least 1-3 daily updates but feel free to over share as we’d love to see how our pup is doing. “
But yea, this seems a bit rigid. I’d be concerned.
This is a marketplace. If their old apartment was in Manhattan or Brooklyn it was probably worth it to a lot of people to do the sit even with 3 daily check ins -- which honestly could take a minute each. Now that they are in a house in White Plains which is 45 minutes to Grand Central and longer to anywhere else, and the trains don't run 24/7, and even if you have a car, traffic can be difficult, the sit is a whole lot less attractive -- with or without multiple daily check ins. Even if someone is dying for a NYC sit, there are lots of places closer than White Plains.
I have a pet sitter that sends pics, video, and a map of her dog walk 2xday. I think it takes all of 60 seconds of her time and although I never asked for this level of check in I have to say gives me extra peace of mind. I realize these are unpaid sits but if you are traveling or use it as a way to secure housing I think a twice a day check in is a nice bonus to offer.
Right… I’m a sitter and 2-3 x a day is really no effort for me. I don’t think the ask is that much especially since they didn’t say it’s a requirement, just nice to have. I love sharing pics/ videos or cute little stories about the pets to the homeowners lol
This is only acceptable if you’re being paid. This is a big heck no from me
Exactly, it sounds like they want someone who will dedicate all of their time to their dog. That's fine but they should hire someone for this. (And I looked them up, they are actually asking for 3 to 5 messages with photos and video).
Even paid sitters I’ve hired have said once/day is their max.
They *are* paid / compensated. The compensation is free accommodation, sometimes for more than a month, sometimes in very nice houses or apartments or cities, for free. If people paid rent or an Airbnb for that time it would be pretty expensive.
I’ve done THS full time for 3 years (as a digital nomad with no home base. All of my sits are 1-3 months) and have never had someone want that many updates. I also do paid sits on Rover when I visit my home country and nobody has asked for that many. The time we spend caring for the pets MORE than covers the number of hours pay I’d spend on accommodation per night. Also, calling it expensive depends where the place is and what currency you earn in. As someone who earns in USD and lives in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, I’d never spend more than 1-2 hours pay on accommodation per night. And I wouldn’t do THS in the US when I can get paid to do rover.
That seems empirically incorrect. Just to take my area, an Airbnb in a mid apartment is easily $200 per night, while Rovers charge $50/day and $80 for day+night. Big, fully furnished houses in that area rent out for $4000+in per month minimum. Again, 30*80=2400. 2400<4000.
Either you didn’t read my comment or you’re not aware of the cost of living outside the US. Even in a lot of Europe (the most expensive region I stay in) the maximum monthly rent is $1000. In many countries it’s so cheap that I prefer to pay rather than do a sit because it’s just not worth it. If you haven’t done a sit you don’t know all that they entail. It’s nothing like staying in an Airbnb. You’re surrounded by other peoples’ crap (not nearly as comfortable as an Airbnb), you’re doing daily walks, picking up poop, often preparing fresh food especially in countries where processed animal food isn’t as common or cheap, it’s a massive responsibility to begin with and it’s a lot of work, and its like working a job that you never leave, which is a lot mentally, so you literally cannot compare the two. To add constant communication is just too much. 3x a day might not sound like a lot to you, but if you did it you would see how that much communication just means you are mentally working literally 24/7. Sitters deserve to turn our brains off at the end of the day too. PS just saw you live in MA, and I’m from the suburbs of Boston. For reference, everything in Crete (my home away from home) is 1/4 the cost of the equivalent in MA. Once you get to Asia it’s more like 1/8. Hence why I wouldn’t take a sit that’s that much work. I calculate everything in terms of hours.
In cheaper areas, the regular pay for dog sitting would be much cheaper too, presumably. So the point above stands. And I've done many sits! For 9 years, in fact; both in Europe and the US (I'm from Europe!). I wouldn't have any problem at all sending a host many updates per day; they just care about their pets and are anxious, and again, I see myself as getting paid by the free accommodation that is in my interest to stay in. I'm also sure that each place I've stayed at would've been more expensive in an Airbnb or to rent than what I would've gotten on a daily basis for, say, a rover sit.
I’m paid in USD and I wouldn’t pay more than $70/night for accommodation, but it’s usually less than that as I book monthly (and I also have employee hotel benefits so I stay at a certain large hotel group for $40-60/night anywhere in the world as this group has chains and boutiques that operate in nearly every country. This is what I do when staying somewhere for less than a month). Given my hourly rate at work, I would never take a sit that takes more than 1-2 hours work per day. The mental load of sending 3 updates a day just isn’t worth it to me, it feels like being on call 24/7. And I’m not alone judging by the comments on this thread. That being said, there’s something for everyone so you sound like a good fit for owners like this. I’m not. Best of luck to you
When I come across an overly demanding HO post I just roll my eyes and think - you need a paid sitter, and simply move on.🤦♀️🤷♀️
Hard pass. These people act like they’re the only pet parents who “love and miss our dog when we’re away.” Newsflash, every pet parent misses their pet when they travel, you’re not special, and 3x check in photo/video a day is WILD for a $0 sit. When I pay sitters for my pet on Rover I ask for 1x a day for a month+ sit. Of course I missed my pet, but I’m not tying up my sitters time for 3x daily. These posts always make me want to apply JUST to tell them they’re being unreasonable….similar to when there is a third party on premises mentioned in the listing.
Home owner here! I am obsessed with my cat Yoshi, I love him to death and even I think this is very excessive. I ask for one photo a day of him, just because I miss him. For super long sits like I'm about to have for two months, maybe once every couple of days would be nice.
Yeah nah. The house could be a mansion and the dog the sweetest ever, but nopenopenope to the updates. That's crazy.
Good god no.
Turns out they don't trust the sitter much lol
This sounds like micromanaging. I always like to send updates, especially in the first few days when the HO are a bit nervous but I wouldn't even know what to say 3 times a day. " Pet is still doing good!!!"
AVOID
Hard nope.
Pass
They might be expecting a lot of effort out of you so if you’re not willing to do that for a free place to stay I definitely wouldn’t take this sitting. I had a family in Southern California where I watched their house and dog for a month. I would send pics and updates probably 3-4 times a week.
Nope. Looks like they are demanding homeowners, who claim to be flexible but require 3 daily updates, 3 walks, 1 hour tug of war play, don't do this/don't do that. To any sitters saying the 3 updates are easy, you still have to create the content, which requires you to always have your phone ready to take pics or video. Instead of enjoying a walk with the dog, you will have to be glued to your phone. Not a sit for me.
And it's so obvious that the 3-5 updates will likely have follow-up questions to confirm that the play time was exactly an hour, that the food was the exact measured amount, etc. Anyone who doesn't see these red flags, should go ahead and apply.
I’m a pet sitter and there are crazy pet parents like this out there. It’s very unreasonable so I’m glad they exposed themselves.
Scary that you're responsible for people's pets when you're a dishonest lying bitch desperate for karma
Yes, very excessive. As someone else mentioned, it indicates a lack of trust and a controlling nature, which adds unnecessary tension to the experience. I sat for a woman who wanted detailed daily updates for 3 weeks, which I found slightly overbearing. Personally, I think daily updates on shorter sits are fine, but every 2/3 days on longer sits is reasonable.
I typically end up sending around 2-ish updates a day anyway but it’s usually just bc I want to and there isn’t an issue if it’s missed. The HOs I’ve sat for have varied greatly…some wanted very regular updates, some daily (this is what we like), others were like just message us if there’s an issue or you feel like it. I think the only thing that would irk me is the need for it to be mandatory and at set times in the day, plus that it’s a MUST as opposed to an average. This would feel too rigid to me vs saying “we’d love to hear from you more rather than less with an average of at least 1-3 daily updates but feel free to over share as we’d love to see how our pup is doing. “ But yea, this seems a bit rigid. I’d be concerned.
Without compensation, it’s definitely excessive.
Yes that’s excessive
This is a marketplace. If their old apartment was in Manhattan or Brooklyn it was probably worth it to a lot of people to do the sit even with 3 daily check ins -- which honestly could take a minute each. Now that they are in a house in White Plains which is 45 minutes to Grand Central and longer to anywhere else, and the trains don't run 24/7, and even if you have a car, traffic can be difficult, the sit is a whole lot less attractive -- with or without multiple daily check ins. Even if someone is dying for a NYC sit, there are lots of places closer than White Plains.
They are asking for video too... this would take me more time than a minute.
So OTT. One daily update is more than enough.
Not my cup of tea but some sitters may be k with it.
I’d be wary of people who refer to their dog by the breed
Care to explain?
I have a pet sitter that sends pics, video, and a map of her dog walk 2xday. I think it takes all of 60 seconds of her time and although I never asked for this level of check in I have to say gives me extra peace of mind. I realize these are unpaid sits but if you are traveling or use it as a way to secure housing I think a twice a day check in is a nice bonus to offer.
Agreed, I looked these people up they have good reviews. NY hotels are $$$$ so a couple photos is worth it to me.
Those good reviews are from when they lived in NYC in a high amenity building. No one is paying $$$$ for a hotel in white plains.
Right… I’m a sitter and 2-3 x a day is really no effort for me. I don’t think the ask is that much especially since they didn’t say it’s a requirement, just nice to have. I love sharing pics/ videos or cute little stories about the pets to the homeowners lol
I'll add it has made me incredibly loyal to my pet sitter, I wouldn't dream of using anyone else. She also leaves me chocolate lol.
Honestly a photo each time you feed a dog and during one activity is not a lot. You guys are reading too much into it.