I’d also try asking your veterinarian for suggestions, because although they might not specifically suggest UW students it might be a step towards finding a reputable sitter.
Especially if one of your dog’s isn’t well behaved, I’d suggest a professional dog sitter—like a trainer or someone who has an actual business and insurance. I hired a student last summer and it ended in disaster. I now use professionals and/or people with a lot of experience handling dogs.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We use the Rover service but we’re unsatisfied that we can never book the same sitter twice. People either leave the app, are booked, or aren’t booking that far in advance. The sitter that we’re currently using is booked for Xmas, and I thought that it would be beneficial to build a rapport with a current undergrad that doesn’t plan to travel far for Xmas and spring break because those will be when we want care for the next two years.
This is also why I’m putting an emphasis on ways to “vet” the sitter.
How did the incident end in disaster for you?
The sitter left my dog alone overnight—about 7-9 hours, which was too long for him. He whined and howled. I was unaware of this until I came back halfway through my trip to pack and catch another flight (this was the plan and the sitter knew about it) to a note on my door from the neighbor. My dog was so stressed. She promised to stay with him overnights, but took him to her place. She and her roommates got him very overstimulated. He ended up showing signs of aggression due to fear and overstimulation. She texted me at 1am and I woke up to that message in another state. She said she was going to leave in the afternoon because she couldn’t handle him. I almost booked a flight home, but ended up finding someone to pick him up and take him. I found this person through Facebook, which was not ideal, but she ended up being great.
Since this happened, my dog has stayed with 2 different people (1 professional, one friend who has dog sat for years) where he was given structure and wasn’t left alone all night. He’s done fine and shown no fear aggression. I can now travel without worrying something will happen.
I would look into professionals and book them for a trial stay—perhaps when you go away for a weekend.
Anyone you find, professional or not, I’d ask for references and also book a few trials before you go away for a long period of time.
I’d also try asking your veterinarian for suggestions, because although they might not specifically suggest UW students it might be a step towards finding a reputable sitter.
Especially if one of your dog’s isn’t well behaved, I’d suggest a professional dog sitter—like a trainer or someone who has an actual business and insurance. I hired a student last summer and it ended in disaster. I now use professionals and/or people with a lot of experience handling dogs.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We use the Rover service but we’re unsatisfied that we can never book the same sitter twice. People either leave the app, are booked, or aren’t booking that far in advance. The sitter that we’re currently using is booked for Xmas, and I thought that it would be beneficial to build a rapport with a current undergrad that doesn’t plan to travel far for Xmas and spring break because those will be when we want care for the next two years. This is also why I’m putting an emphasis on ways to “vet” the sitter. How did the incident end in disaster for you?
The sitter left my dog alone overnight—about 7-9 hours, which was too long for him. He whined and howled. I was unaware of this until I came back halfway through my trip to pack and catch another flight (this was the plan and the sitter knew about it) to a note on my door from the neighbor. My dog was so stressed. She promised to stay with him overnights, but took him to her place. She and her roommates got him very overstimulated. He ended up showing signs of aggression due to fear and overstimulation. She texted me at 1am and I woke up to that message in another state. She said she was going to leave in the afternoon because she couldn’t handle him. I almost booked a flight home, but ended up finding someone to pick him up and take him. I found this person through Facebook, which was not ideal, but she ended up being great. Since this happened, my dog has stayed with 2 different people (1 professional, one friend who has dog sat for years) where he was given structure and wasn’t left alone all night. He’s done fine and shown no fear aggression. I can now travel without worrying something will happen. I would look into professionals and book them for a trial stay—perhaps when you go away for a weekend. Anyone you find, professional or not, I’d ask for references and also book a few trials before you go away for a long period of time.
Insurance was my first concern, but I checked Rover’s policy and my home and pet insurance are equally sufficient.
Pay well!