Rover Dog Walkers Barely Break Even on Last-Minute Jobs
Pet sitters are experiencing a recurring frustration with clients who request services at the last minute, often with inconvenient timing and low compensation. These requests disrupt existing schedules and demonstrate a lack of respect for the sitter's time and effort, leading to feelings of being undervalued and taken advantage of. The complaints highlight a need for better communication and fair compensation within the pet-sitting community.
SOURCES (60)
“Has anyone gone into dog walking after working in clinic? I’m seeing job adds from $30-$60/hr and thinking it may be a good change. My dog is a dream to walk so of course I picture getting paid to walk dogs like him, but is…”
“People thinking they can come to my house at midnight or the middle of the night. If you are this type of person just drop your dog off the day before. Same goes with flying if you're flying drop your dog off the day before you fly and pick your dog up the day after you fly why? Because flying is unpredictable. Are you going to pay a little more sure but you're also going to make other people's lives a hell of a lot easier. submitted by /u/pkeg456 [link] [comments]”
“Essentially got booked for all but 4 days from Sept 28 to October 28 for boarding. With 4 different families, 3 of them have 2 dogs. And somehow none of them overlap. Essentially one group leaves and the next group comes that night or next day. I normally would not do this as I want a break. But these are all regulars and I'm their regular sitter. Their vacations are dependent on my schedule. submitted by /u/durian4me [link] [comments]”
“Okay I just had one that broke me a little. Seller calls me last night and wants me to go over to their house today to feed their cat and water their plants. Like this is after closing already happened last Friday. I did it because it was on the way to another showing and took ten minutes. But I'm just sitting here thinking, where does this end. I've driven sellers to the airport before. I've helped them pack boxes. I've picked up their dry cleaning for an open house. All within”
“Hi! I’m trying to make some extra money outside of my normal job and I have a decent amount of free time. I’ve cat and dog sat before/walked dogs for friends often so I wanted to see if anyone needs these type of service. I’m located on the UWS but I’m willing to travel - I can walk, pet sit, play, feed. If this sounds like something you’d be interested please reach out to me for prices, like I said I’m trying to just make extra money for my kids extra curricular activities. We can definitely wo”
“I've been sitting for this lady (that I've actually never met lol, she just booked me on an app), and she has a cute golden doodle. He's such a sweet dog and I love hanging out with him. My problem is... the owner >:U They have a big ass house in a gated community and I don't see any dog toys anywhere. It's weird but... okay I guess. Whenever she books me she does so like a day or two in advance so not giving me much time. I have quite a few clients but a lot of them are o”
I'm doing a cat sit for someone for drop in visits. The owner only paid for visits every other day but I ended up going daily as I didn't realise, I sent…
“Hi. Like I said above, I’ve been all set to pet sit for this family for about a month now & it’s quite a bit of money. I was really looking forward to it, I had budgeted for it, and now their plans are changing four days before the visits. The owner just texted me to let me know that her brother is going to keep their dog, so they only need me to come by twice, to feed the cats & turtle at 8 PM on Friday and Saturday. So from 4 visits/day to one. She asked me if I’m still able to do it a”
“I’m a dog sitter and have this regular client who travels a lot so I usually watch their dog once or twice a month. I stay in their house and I am allowed to bring my dog with me. The dog i sit is a chihuahua and super easy to care for. Next month, the family has asked me to sit for 3 weeks while they are in Europe. The biggest challenge about the situation is the driving. Since I bring my dog with, I bring him home before I go to work so he is not in their house while I am not there. So it’s an”
“I think this is just anxiety speaking but I’d love to hear your perspective. I’ll be gone for ten days next month. I have a family member dog-sitting in my home for me but she works odd hours. So my 10 month old puppy will have to wake up at 4 AM for a bathroom break + breakfast, then go back in her crate until 10 AM (it is not safe for her to free roam inside the house yet, and she can’t settle outside of it anyway), then an hour long walk + play session, followed by more crate time until 2:30p”
“If you leave the dog alone for 8 hours, you shouldn't be a pet sitter Am I the only one who thinks the pet-sitting industry has become ridiculously entitled? I’ve been reading a lot of discussions about pet sitting lately, and I’m genuinely surprised by how many sitters consider it unreasonable for a dog to be left alone for a few hours. Apparently, if you expect a sitter to avoid leaving your dog alone for more than 4 hours, you’re asking for “constant care” and should apparently be paying”
“For those of you who do pet sitting/dog walking full-time, what do you do during your slower months (especially January–March)? I’ve noticed that this is consistently my slow season, and I’m trying to be more intentional about planning for it instead of just accepting that income will drop. I’d love to hear about: • Services you offer specifically during winter/slow months • Fun or creative things you’ve added to bring in bookings • Recurring services that help keep income consistent • Enrichmen”
“This genuinely might be my worst experience in my almost decade of pet sitting. I’ve sat for this family one weekend a month for almost a year now and haven’t really had any issue until this weekend. It has actually been a horrid experience and a few reasons are as follows: They didn’t tell me the set the alarm (they never have) so I had to scramble to put the password in when I was walking in yesterday and actually set the alarm off. Water started leaking from the ceiling yesterday at like 8pm”
“https://preview.redd.it/kwc4n5uqjbmh1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32088d783d34c114c9e5ffdb07a23ba572d37f7f”
“I’m a pet sitter on Pawshake and I’m honestly so stressed right now. We have two dogs of our own and currently two guest dogs staying with us (four dogs in total). The first guest dog, an adult Samoyed, has been with us for almost a week and has been absolutely fine. The second guest dog is a 12-year-old neutered Labradoodle. Timeline: Meet & greet: Everything seemed normal. He peed outside and the owners told me he was fully potty trained. They also said he sleeps in their bedroom at night,”
“I have a reliable repeat client who normally pays me in full at the beginning of each month. She wants to book dates with me for next year, and I’m wondering how others handle this. If someone books 6–12 months in advance, do you: Require a deposit to hold the dates? Collect full payment upfront? Just reserve the dates and collect payment closer to the booking? I’m thinking maybe 25–50% upfront, with the remainder due at the beginning of the booking month. What do you all do? submitted by”
“Instead of investing time and money trying to create a marketplace, have you thought of contacting veterinarian offices, animal rescue or adoption centers, or retail pet stores to promote your business? You would probably broaden your reach with connections to a group like ASPCA or Humane Society.”
“Been reading a lot of posts lately in other subs about what people pay sitters that are friends and friends of friends. One common theme I see in these posts is a lot of owners try to justify not paying or paying low because as they say the sitters gets access to the house, streaming services, food and drink etc, and “free utilities” As sitters we all know that these things don’t make any difference to the level or care provided, and we all know we still have bills to pay when we stay at someone”
“What I meant are those in waiting room or consultation room. I am rather tired when a dog defecate or urinate in the waiting room/consultation room, and the owner will just say "Oops". I bet these people don't even pick up their pets waste when bring them for a walk. Its such a hassle to clean these place up, and it will stinks the entire day submitted by /u/Cultural-Cap4736 [link] [comments]”
“DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE. My boss is everywhere. I don’t want her wrath. Fair or no? Buffalo, New York. Expectation of 8 dogs a day no matter size, no bather & no benefits. Avg dog is 100$ Thoughts? I’m tired. Went from 50% and I’m questioning myself. 1.5k pay cut monthly. Kinda assumed I’d get production bonuses or a raise. Gimme your opinion. Am I wrong it’s not enough? submitted by /u/why_r_people [link] [comments]”
“I'm going back and forth on whether I should drop a client and would love to hear everyone's thoughts! First of all, the client is a LOVELY woman, and the dog is an older gentleman, who has some quirks and special needs, but is mostly very friendly and easy. My main gripe is that the client's house is NASTY. The house itself is large and in a nice area, but the inside is FILTHY. Like clutter everywhere, dust and grime on every surface, and it looks like a vacuum hasn't been used”
“no experience in home care specifically, but the math's the same same in every shift-based business. If your bench isn't running 15-20% bigger than your actual schedule needs, a callout turns into a fire drill by definition, that's not bad luck, that's the buffer being too thin. For the 24hr overlap risk, paying one person standby OT per client usually stings way less than losing that account, even though it feels like burning money every week it doesn't happen.”
“I pet sit for a few people I know, cats and dogs and I’m sitting here feeling deflated. Most people I charge but the house I’m at now I’m doing it as a favour which may be why I’m feeling a bit burnt out. I have a dog myself and I like to think my partner and I have trained our dog well, she’s not perfect but she has dog manners. The current cat I’m pet sitting has been so naughty the past couple of days and I’m exhausted! The owners told me, she’s not allowed on the bench tops and tables and sh”
“I recently had a week long dog sitting job with 4 drop in visits a day. In the morning I would get there around 7am and still be wearing my pjs. I'd bring clothes to change into for my regular walks during the day. The owner said before I left that I was welcome to hangout at the house with the dogs. I did almost every morning from 7-9:30. And again in the evening 8-10 before I left for the night. Last day I forgot to grab my pjs, a plain racerback tank and a pair of shorts made of sweatpant”
“My boyfriend and I are on vacation and this is our first time hiring an overnight sitter. We have 1 golden retriever and 2 cats (one is a kitten). We are totally fine with the sitter being in and out of the house and just asked that she please come by around 3 for lunch and a walk and then is around to feed them dinner/ walk dog around 7:30. We saw through our ring camera app she got there at 4 to walk our dog and left around 4:30. It’s 9:30pm and she hasn’t been back since. We kindly asked how”
“I have a sitting coming up with a nervous dog who seriously wants nothing to do with me or any new person, and because of this I suggested 3 visits per day at the time of her request 2 months ago. Now she is expressing her concern for how much time alone her dog will be spending, to which I replied basically saying me being there for more time than necessary is not going to help because the dog doesn’t want anything to do with me.. therefore my presence is adding stress , not comfort. She unders”
“I’ve been taking up dog sitting jobs lately because I need the money, also because I want to get over my silly fear of dogs. I can not handle dog barks. I flinch every single time and when they jump up on me I just instinctively withdraw myself, I’ve been trying to pet them and stuff but I can not be around big dogs that bark a lot without headphones. How to overcome this so I’m more comfortable with big dogs? submitted by /u/aangellix_ix [link] [comments]”
“So I know these dogs, I’ve spent time with them before, but not a professional, though they know me. Owner says older one needs a diaper to bed and when I leave as a precaution as she “never pees” in them, she does, she can’t go more than 5 hours without needing to pee, sometimes (NOT A LOT), she will go 2 hours in between. She often poops frequently too, so while I was at work she got diaper rash. I can’t use the diapers as she poops throughout the night too. Owner says younger one had a markin”
“When we signed up for this, we knew the petsitting would be from August 4-26. We met, talk, confirmed the sit and got ready to be here on the 4th. A few days after, she told us that they were leaving on the 5th in fact, at 7am, so they wanted us to arrive a day before, which is legit. She asked for us to be there at 3pm. No idea why we needed to be here so early - she showed us basically everything between 3 and 4:30. We didn't know what to do, we took a nap and waited around, we ate, and al”
“I can’t keep my dog. I’m gone for too long but, if I put the dog first I’ll be home without money to feed the dog. submitted by /u/InvstrJester [link] [comments]”
“I've recently started doing some boarding/daycare/dog walking. I'm really enjoying it, and my plan was to keep it as a small, part time job. However, I do find myself thinking about expanding. For those of you who do this fully time/as your only or main source of income: 1) How many hours a week do you spend working. Please include time spend emailing/texting/meeting owners, etc and just time actually caring for the animals. 2) Do you make enough money to take care of yourself or do you”
“Obviously i understand people have options and I'm not the only person on the face of the plant that can watch a dog. I guess my issue is clients contacting me and going through all the work of getting the information setting everything up expecting that if they ask me for pet sitting that they ACTUALLY need pet sitting. then being told something like this. Other than getting a non refundable deposit and this being "part of the deal" with pet sitting what do you say or do?I don'”
“I’ve definitely had a few breakdowns while sitting these dogs. And I’m about to explode again. The lady told me that my work schedule was fine, the old one has to wear diapers but never goes potty in them so it’s just a precaution, and the 4-year-old had a marking issue but was perfectly okay now. Well, the old one pees in her diapers every time she wears them and even pooped in one, so she got a mild diaper rash since I was working that day. The 4 year old pees EVERYWHERE, especially if the old”
“Genuinely curious how other sitters deal with this. I've had clients send me a wall of text over messages, leave a sticky note on the counter, and then verbally mention something important as they're walking out the door. Half the time I'm standing in front of the thermostat trying to match their paragraph to the actual buttons, or I can't remember if the dog gets one scoop or two. The worst is when the alarm code is in one text, the lockbox code is on a sticky note, and the wifi”
“https://imgur.com/a/NzQY14r I am currently dog sitting for my friend. He has an 8 year old greyhound. She is spayed and has frequent uti’s, which she is treated for. I have been giving her her uti supplements and taking her out frequently. When I let her out to go to the bathroom I noticed a goopy looking string coming out of her vagina. I couldn’t get a closer look, as it fell off before I could, but I was able to get these photos. Does anyone know what this could be? submitted by /”
“I've been pet sitting/dog walking for well over a year now and have worked with dogs for the last 9 years. I was on a dog sitting/walking app and had a few clients there and had previously worked at a doggy daycare and connected with many families that way. Since I moved, I have started my own business. My current clients are great and many have left either facebook or google reviews, but is it weird or unprofessional to reach out to my past clients (from "the app" or the daycare)”
“Hi! A weekly walk client of mine recently asked for housesitting from me for 4 nights. She requested it weeks ago and it was set to start 8/20 7p. Last night, she let me know that her ex husband would be taking care of the dogs now. (I didn't need to know that. But that's what she told me). She asked if she could use the housesitting as credit for the upcoming weeks of walks. I agreed. But I really didn't want to and realize I don't really have a policy in place for something lik”
“My boyfriend and I have been in 4 different pet sittings places since June. We got 4 different dogs (a few cats). The dog we have now, Kittie, an Italian water dog, is very cute, but she wasn't trained. Which means that we (mostly me in fact, because my boyfriend works 6 days a week) stay with a untrained dog who needs a ridiculous amount of attention and who's really stressed. The stay is 3 weeks total. We have 8 days left to go... The other dog before wasn't much better, both barke”
“This is mostly me venting/looking for reassurance and validation I guess. I love animals and have had many animal oriented jobs over the years and have been pet sitting on and off since I was probably 15 (I’m almost 30). I’m usually a very patient person but like any other human, I have a limit. I’m feeling really guilty over a pet stay I had a few weeks ago. I was taking care of a puppy that’s a large breed (over 80 lbs). She had done training before and puppy boot camp and all that but is stil”
“You said you were done with them, and you’ve done what was required. Stop answering them, block them on everything, and live your life. Let them figure it out on their own. Realize that you are an adult and don’t owe them anything else as long as you’ve completed your part of the agreement.”
“I’m going from working for a cat sitting company to setting up on my own and wanted some input on one of the ideas I had. I found it annoying when customers would have a specific time to be there for (not a time frame), unless it was for a necessary reason like medication. I want to try and avoid that on my own as the main reason for me going solo is so I have more autonomy. Is it worth charging more or should I just set a boundary? submitted by /u/Tasty-Needleworker-6 [link] [”
“Question for you all I have been pet sitting for 10+ years. This past weekend I had a pet sit where the family used the neighbor for part of the visits and me for the others. (I know it’s not ideal but money is money at this point and one less visit for me to drive 2 hours for the day is worth it). But the one older dog had a MAJOR accident. I think the neighbor girl didn’t let the dog out long enough. Causing her to poop the crate and lay in it all night. She was COVERED in poop and then when I”
“Based in a tiny city (20k population) in Ontario if that matters. Not expensive to live here compared to like Toronto and stuff. I used to offer pet sitting services 2 years ago but haven’t in a while but got an email tonight from someone seeking dog walking 2-3 times a day. They said the dog is old, overweight and grumpy. Not long walks but short bladder. They want this for approx 2 weeks. I asked for their address (waiting for response) but am not sure how much to charge them for this. Im assu”
“Hey guys! I need some advice or helpful information because I honestly don’t know what my options are at this point. A guy hired me to board his dog while he went overseas for work/travel. We agreed on $125/week for two months. He has a 6-year-old male Golden Retriever. He’s generally an okay dog, although he can sometimes be a little aggressive with other dogs. Everything was going fine at first. About a month ago, I went to the beach and unfortunately my phone got swept into the ocean. It took”
“Rushing back and forth between caring for my client’s puppy and the dream dogs wasn’t easy. Luckily the pet sitting and my friend’s flat we were staying in were just 10min walk apart. It was exhausting but there was no other way because I needed to build my relationship and trust with little Giza before being able to introduce the dream dogs to him. Meantime, the pressure continued increasing because of the refusal to allow the dogs to sleep inside while I was out which resulted in barking, whic”
“So basically I’m a dog walker I only walk Monday-Friday and only walk for people who are at work and don’t take anymore clients and have had almost all my clients for a few years. I recently decided to help an old boss at his new business and the only day it’s taking me out of my dog walking is Thursdays so I have messaged all my clients and referred them to someone else (a girl I use) or I could come after my shift which is way later then my scheduled time but I’m just trying to give them optio”
“I often use a popular app for mv dog and alwavs reguest nouse sitting to reduce her anxiety. I also have a secure garden and a 1 bed flat in a nice area so nopefully it isnt too traumatic for a sitter. I have requested that sitters don't leave my dog (frenchie x for longer than 4 hours per day, this can be split up i.e 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening I have a 10 day booking coming up and ny dog will continue her pack walk with a different walker x1 per week so it means the”
“I have a potential booking that would involve caring for two dogs during an 8-hour window. I normally offer standard drop-ins, but I’m trying to figure out how other sitters approach longer daytime care. Would you treat an 8-hour daytime booking as multiple drop-ins, extended care/day sitting, or something else? I’m curious how you structure the service and what factors you take into consideration. submitted by /u/indiybidiy [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys so I pet sit for this lady and was asked to spend the night for 6 days to take care of her house and dog. I was paid $100 total for rearranging my entire week around working with this dog. I know I should’ve discussed rates prior but $100 is criminally low. I sent a text and she said that she pays 20 a day and because 2 were half days (which they weren’t) that it makes out to be $100. Am I crazy for being pissed? submitted by /u/Electrical_Waltz_776 [link] [comments]”
“I had a really embarrassing situation pet sitting tonight. One of my client’s chickens refused to go into the coop and kept running under the house. I spent way longer there than planned and now have to go back after dark to try again. All for $30. While I was chasing the chicken around, I was talking to ChatGPT with the responses playing out loud. I was frustrated and venting about how much my life sucks right now and how depressing it felt to be spending my evening chasing someone else’s chick”
“You can give feedback to people in a kind way that doesn’t hurt them. I joined this group thinking it was a safe space for other dog sitters and have learned it’s not. I hope those of you who bully others for fun learn that people have feelings too and you’re talking to a real person on the other side of the computer. submitted by /u/Little-Ad-3286 [link] [comments]”
“Hello Everyone, I'm a new pet sitter and would like to know some tips to protect myself when I show up for appointments at clients' homes. Any advice will give me peace of mind. Thank you! submitted by /u/Cwskittle [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, I have a client that I’ve been pet sitting for a couple years now. Generally, their pets have been low maintenance and the clients are friends/work with my partner. Recently, they adopted a new dog. They asked about dates and I was free so I confirmed I was available then asked about the new dog. And they said he’s been having issues with breaking out of the crate when they’re gone and eating things he shouldn’t. I asked how long can he be left for and they said they’re still trying to f”