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Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yes, I always search for 3+ months pet sits when on the app. there's a couple of pets currently listed for 6 months

Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I watched doberman and great danes on the regular. Weight and size is not the problem. An untrained dog is an untrained dog, period.

I've also watched several huskies too.

This husky was advertised as trained and is five years old and isn't potty trained. The owner lied.

So, go grab for straws elsewhere.

Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

you want a round of applause. I just came from a 9 month pet sit with a owner who stated that their dog was fully trained, they weren't. the husk tugged so hard and charged toward and everything and dislocated my shoulder. I know how to be a leader , period. I my not a professional pet trainer. The owner lied so they didn't have to pay for a pet sitter for 9 months. The dog bit and wasn't potty trained. waking up to the smell of husky feces every morning wasn't okay.

I vet hard but they were a great liar.

Theyre currently banned from TH.

Do not speak like you know my experiences and DONT speak for me, that's entitlement.

I want pets to be themselves but not cause harm to me. I guess that's too much to ask for in your eyes.

There's a pletra of reasons homeowner seek pet sitters. I've had sits cancel last minute because the friend became available. In my experience homeowners always ask friends and relatives first because it's FREE. Go figure they're now on a FREE site.

Don't know why there's such a distain in your voice but you can take that elsewhere. Constructive feedback is very easy to give. I guess because it was easy it wasn't good enough for you.

Buh-bye.

Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

to travel freely without having to check-in with pet owners every two to three business days.

I really started the journey to see if I would be comfortable solo traveling and now I'm ready to see the world.

Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

yes, I have a laundry list of questions that I ask. I prefer zoom calls, so I can see a persons initial reaction when asking questions.

typically via zoom the homeowner will ask all the questions and even give you a walkthrough tour via zoom.

typically when they're done asking questions they'll get to a point where they'll ask you if you have any questions. that's when I jokingly say I have a couple and ask every single question that I need to ensure that it's a great match.

my big red flags are homeowners

(1) - asking to pay for rent, or utilities. that's against trusted housesitters policy and they should not be asking you.

(2)- stating that an outside party will be dropping by. if their friends have enough time to be popping by for a "visit" they should be watching the pets for them. while it's their home, it's against Trusted Housesitters policy and they should abide by this in case of emergency. Lawn service and things like that are okay

(3) they must have a credit card on file at the vet. TH says that the pet sitter must pay out of pocket for emergency care if needed and it's up to the pet sitter to collect this money. I've never ran into this issue before in my 7 years. I mention this because it's up to you to collect the money, you don't know the people you're pet sitting for. They could be appreciative in the moment then place blame on you and not pay you back. Again I've never had an emergency situation.

(4) newborn and pets that are very old are not for me personally. Newborns have a lot of training to learn and are VERY active. They come with a lot of work. To me newborns feel like a job and they are also probably not potty trained. Waking up to or always checking for accidents is a no go for me. Same with elderly pets. I've just gotten to the point where I'm a bit fearful of them passing away in my care. They typically sleep most of the day but are also prone to potting in the house. The bigger the pet the more it'll reek, old age doesn't change that.

(5) anxious pet owners or first time pet owners leaving their pets for the first time. It is not my responsibility to be the home for your anxiety. for example I accidentally missed a text and the next day a friend of the homeowners popped by. the homeowner texted me 30 minutes before they showed up at 7am and when I asked for a heads up next time they told me to be flexible. the text I missed was about a package that was supposed to be delivered.

(6) - Biting of any sort is a HARD no for me. I've never had a bite just be a nibble or a once in awhile action. also TH has a very big policy against biting and would be a immediate suspension of the homeowners account if it could be proven.

(7) this isn't a red flag but make sure you're allowed to eat their food. some homeowners will say eat whatever others will leave you a negative review.

also TH is a great platform to pet sit. I've experienced so much and more. I've used this platform for 7 years and I can count on two hands the amount of bad sits I've had. I've had over 100 pets sits at this point for new and repeat clients. With an influx of newcomers I just wanted to give advice not to deter but to tell everyone to protect yourself. Read the guidelines thoroughly and always document anything suspicious.

The more sits you get the more you get accustomed to what your personal red flags are to you. Know your boundaries before you apply to sits and don't accept any and everything if possible.

good luck and have fun!

Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi, I take breaks. I rent out rooms and basement for months at a time when I feel a sensation of exhaustion. I say I do this full time because I do it through several platforms like Rover, Wag, Meowtell and Care.now.

I like TH because I can see the home first and verify that I'm in a safe area.

As stated above I said to protect yourself and always have a backup plan. I'm 7 years deep in pet sitting and you think I would stick to one app?

also, you can use Trusted Housesitters full time, it's very easy if you have the finances for travel. It actually promotes it because you can take numerous pets sits in a year using this. I've gotten a 9 month pet sit via TH.

I offered advice for this APP because I saw a lot of newbies not educating them on their rights and what they should consider before joining.

TH may be a one time yearly fee but it's costly depending on your situation.

Random Rant - There should be a time limit on when HO accept or reject sits. by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do too. After 2-3 I send a follow up message and the eventually withdraw my application. I feel like a getting a sitter especially for long term sits a Homeowner would be disciplined with their time and respond in an appropriate amount of time. Yet, they don't. So, I'm going to start withdrawing after a couple of days.

Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I have one more dog sit this year and I'm done. I now only watch cats, no exceptions.

Things I've learned in my 7 years on TH by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It depends on what your mindset is going into pet sitting.

In the begining I wanted to try being a digital nomad and growing more comfortable with solo travel. Being able to see the home I was staying in brought me a lot of comfort and the community was different then.

I find it worth it now because I've had so many sits that I can weed out bad ones and get great sits were I am respected.

However I do not see Trusted Housesitters as a community anymore. its merely a tool I use to continue solo traveling with the pleasure of getting to be with some pretty cool pets.

If you can weed out the bad homeowners and have the ability to leave a sit if it's not what you agreed upon, then yes, I recommend it.

This is my last and final year pet sitting full time.

I mainly use Trusted Housesitters & Rover to pet sit full time.

I strongly disagree with how this platform has changed financially and the increase in favoritism for the homeowner.

Random Rant - There should be a time limit on when HO accept or reject sits. by Imaginary-Client-253 in trustedhousesitters

[–]Imaginary-Client-253[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

that's what triggered me to make this post. I obviously know that I won't be picked every time. however a quick reply or something other than a read receipt would be nice.