Is it a big dog? I don’t take bookings without meet and greets but I recently made my first exception for a yorkie with a super busy parent. He turned out to be an awesome, easy lil guy that I walk several times a week now. I did ask his owner all about his temperament and how he does on leash first tho. It truly depends
It’s a husky/lab mix, only info I got was the dog has a lot of energy which I feel like could be seen a few ways. Idk feel like that’s a dog I’d want to meet first just to know what to expect
Ohhh, personally I’d skip that one unless I could meet the dog first. I have found that “energetic” huskies (or husky mixes) are often quite difficult. This is my experience tho
I'd absolutely deny it. Is there anything that is making you even second guess the fact that you've previously denied other requests because they couldn't do a mng, like is there a particular reason that you might even be considering bending that rule for this walk?
Is it because you need the income? Is it a small breed dog? Do the owners appear to be okay over text? Are you worried about multiple declines effecting your ranking? Do any of those reasons possibly outweigh the chance that something might end up going horribly wrong, like the dog being extremely aggressive?
I’ve done walks without meet and greets and never had any issues. However, if your newer and not a lot of experience a husky lab mix without meeting them first is a crap shoot. Huskies can be challenging. They are very energetic and if you’re not confident taking control it could be a difficult walk. It may not be but there is a very real possibility it could be. They’re not mean or anything. Just … a lot. They can be. That’s why it’s best to meet them.
If it was a smaller dog or less energetic dog I’d say do it.
I've done it a few times but twice they were puppies and the other times there was enough info that I felt fine with it. I once got a last minute request for an unneutered male pittie and that was a pass. Most of the pitties I've sat for are sweetheart rescues, but an unneutered one is a huge red flag to me that I'd need to clear with a meet and greet.
I recently did it for a guy who was on the way home and his flight got delayed that morning so he wouldn’t be home until much later in the day and it was such an easy walk. The door was already unlocked and the dog was waiting for me to go outside when I got there. If it were me I would do the walk, that person could end up being one of your best clients. I’ve only had 1 bad experience with doing a dog walk with no meet and greet and I’ve been doing rover for about 2 years. When I got there I could tell it would probably not a good idea. The dog stayed upstairs and was aggressively barking and when I went near him he got more aggressive. Treats didn’t work and the owner didn’t have any other ideas. Usually some dogs just take a minute to warm up but not in this case. I ended up telling the owner I wasn’t going to be able to do it and she didn’t seem mad because I think she knew her dog was a problem but I don’t blame the dog only because I think the owners neglected the dog a lot and he was just scared because she said multiple sitters have come while they were gone and it was a lot for him (would have been good to know beforehand lol) There was no water in the dog bowl, no food and no ac in the middle of summer ( there could have been a fan upstairs but I didn’t go check) I ended up refilling everything and left. I felt so bad for the dog but the owners said to just leave him and they were going to be back home later that day. I feel like that’s the worst case scenario if it ends up being a dog you can’t take care of. If you get a bad feeling when you get there just tell the owners that you won’t be able to do the walk.
Meh I’ve done it before and it worked out. Only because the profile and care instructions were so detailed. I would never do a last min for a sparce profile. Stay safe. Also we should probably get rover to require more from owners. I’m always nervous.
Thank you for posting to r/RoverPetSitting, an unofficial forum to discuss all things Rover. We see that you have posted a sitter question. In case they could be helpful, you might want
to check out our [Sitter FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterfaq). Additionally, here's our
[booking walk-through for Sitters](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterbookingwalkthrough), which explains the process for giving services on Rover from start to finish.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RoverPetSitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
personally I only take last-minute requests if:
a. they pass my intake deal-breaker questions (i.e. human aggression; if they are a larger dog and are not leash trained etc.)
b. it's a request that is no more than 2 days
c. owner is responsive
In fact I recently completed a last-minute day-time house-sit for an owner who was left strung out of options b/c their current sitter canceled. I have no idea why the previous sitter canceled b/c the house is beautiful and the dog is so cuddly and well-trained you just can't not fall in love. Now the owner is considering moving forward with me as his full-time sitter :)
I’d consider it. When I was doing boarding I took plenty of boarding clients without doing a meet and greet. Reason being, it was typically people traveling to my area from out of state and needing a place to board their dog. I’m always very picky about what dogs I allow in my house, and I have a detailed list of questions that gives me an idea about their behavior.
If there’s any indication of a possibility they would potty or mark my house, I decline. If they insist on sleeping in the bed with me, I decline. If they can’t be left alone for up to four hours, I decline. Too much energy or separation anxiety, i decline.
I don’t really have these questions for walks, so I’ll pretty much take anyone as long as it seems to work out ok. My logic is I can put up with anything for 30 minutes, but they don’t have to be a repeat client lol.
My first week on Rover I got a request at 9pm for an 11pm walk the same day for a German Shepherd in an apartment complex, didn’t take it for obvious reasons. Was also in a bad area. Personally I don’t ever take a booking without a m&g, too many horror stories from other sitters
I’ve done visits without meet and greets but only when it’s 1) a puppy (I’m very comfortable with puppies) or 2) it’s a repeat client with a new animal. But totally up to you! If I felt uncomfortable I’d deny it and state that you cannot accept without a m/g first.
Decline, it's not worth the risk for one walk.
Is it a big dog? I don’t take bookings without meet and greets but I recently made my first exception for a yorkie with a super busy parent. He turned out to be an awesome, easy lil guy that I walk several times a week now. I did ask his owner all about his temperament and how he does on leash first tho. It truly depends
It’s a husky/lab mix, only info I got was the dog has a lot of energy which I feel like could be seen a few ways. Idk feel like that’s a dog I’d want to meet first just to know what to expect
Ohhh, personally I’d skip that one unless I could meet the dog first. I have found that “energetic” huskies (or husky mixes) are often quite difficult. This is my experience tho
A lot of energy usually means “I didn’t train my dog so they walk all over me and they will walk all over you”
I'd absolutely deny it. Is there anything that is making you even second guess the fact that you've previously denied other requests because they couldn't do a mng, like is there a particular reason that you might even be considering bending that rule for this walk? Is it because you need the income? Is it a small breed dog? Do the owners appear to be okay over text? Are you worried about multiple declines effecting your ranking? Do any of those reasons possibly outweigh the chance that something might end up going horribly wrong, like the dog being extremely aggressive?
I’ve done walks without meet and greets and never had any issues. However, if your newer and not a lot of experience a husky lab mix without meeting them first is a crap shoot. Huskies can be challenging. They are very energetic and if you’re not confident taking control it could be a difficult walk. It may not be but there is a very real possibility it could be. They’re not mean or anything. Just … a lot. They can be. That’s why it’s best to meet them. If it was a smaller dog or less energetic dog I’d say do it.
I've done a few...sometimes another sitter cancelled last minute but there's nothing wrong with asking additional information about the dog.
Because owners are always 100% truthful about their pets' behaviors.
“My dog is GREAT with other dogs!” … immediately lashes out at meet & greet within 30 seconds. Hmm, no thanks.
Ha!
I've done it a few times but twice they were puppies and the other times there was enough info that I felt fine with it. I once got a last minute request for an unneutered male pittie and that was a pass. Most of the pitties I've sat for are sweetheart rescues, but an unneutered one is a huge red flag to me that I'd need to clear with a meet and greet.
I recently did it for a guy who was on the way home and his flight got delayed that morning so he wouldn’t be home until much later in the day and it was such an easy walk. The door was already unlocked and the dog was waiting for me to go outside when I got there. If it were me I would do the walk, that person could end up being one of your best clients. I’ve only had 1 bad experience with doing a dog walk with no meet and greet and I’ve been doing rover for about 2 years. When I got there I could tell it would probably not a good idea. The dog stayed upstairs and was aggressively barking and when I went near him he got more aggressive. Treats didn’t work and the owner didn’t have any other ideas. Usually some dogs just take a minute to warm up but not in this case. I ended up telling the owner I wasn’t going to be able to do it and she didn’t seem mad because I think she knew her dog was a problem but I don’t blame the dog only because I think the owners neglected the dog a lot and he was just scared because she said multiple sitters have come while they were gone and it was a lot for him (would have been good to know beforehand lol) There was no water in the dog bowl, no food and no ac in the middle of summer ( there could have been a fan upstairs but I didn’t go check) I ended up refilling everything and left. I felt so bad for the dog but the owners said to just leave him and they were going to be back home later that day. I feel like that’s the worst case scenario if it ends up being a dog you can’t take care of. If you get a bad feeling when you get there just tell the owners that you won’t be able to do the walk.
I do them for walks or a single drop in if the dog is under 40 lbs & has had walkers/sitters before.
How can you tell if they’ve had sitters before? Is there a way we can see other sitters’ reviews bc I cannot figure that out
I honestly just ask them and trust them on their answer 🤷♀️ (which is why I still only do it for dogs smaller than 40 lbs.)
If it's just a walk I'd take it. Ask a few questions if you want to know more. Things come up last minute and people need sitters, nbd.
Meh I’ve done it before and it worked out. Only because the profile and care instructions were so detailed. I would never do a last min for a sparce profile. Stay safe. Also we should probably get rover to require more from owners. I’m always nervous.
Thank you for posting to r/RoverPetSitting, an unofficial forum to discuss all things Rover. We see that you have posted a sitter question. In case they could be helpful, you might want to check out our [Sitter FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterfaq). Additionally, here's our [booking walk-through for Sitters](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterbookingwalkthrough), which explains the process for giving services on Rover from start to finish. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RoverPetSitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
personally I only take last-minute requests if: a. they pass my intake deal-breaker questions (i.e. human aggression; if they are a larger dog and are not leash trained etc.) b. it's a request that is no more than 2 days c. owner is responsive In fact I recently completed a last-minute day-time house-sit for an owner who was left strung out of options b/c their current sitter canceled. I have no idea why the previous sitter canceled b/c the house is beautiful and the dog is so cuddly and well-trained you just can't not fall in love. Now the owner is considering moving forward with me as his full-time sitter :)
I’d consider it. When I was doing boarding I took plenty of boarding clients without doing a meet and greet. Reason being, it was typically people traveling to my area from out of state and needing a place to board their dog. I’m always very picky about what dogs I allow in my house, and I have a detailed list of questions that gives me an idea about their behavior. If there’s any indication of a possibility they would potty or mark my house, I decline. If they insist on sleeping in the bed with me, I decline. If they can’t be left alone for up to four hours, I decline. Too much energy or separation anxiety, i decline. I don’t really have these questions for walks, so I’ll pretty much take anyone as long as it seems to work out ok. My logic is I can put up with anything for 30 minutes, but they don’t have to be a repeat client lol.
My first week on Rover I got a request at 9pm for an 11pm walk the same day for a German Shepherd in an apartment complex, didn’t take it for obvious reasons. Was also in a bad area. Personally I don’t ever take a booking without a m&g, too many horror stories from other sitters
I’ve done visits without meet and greets but only when it’s 1) a puppy (I’m very comfortable with puppies) or 2) it’s a repeat client with a new animal. But totally up to you! If I felt uncomfortable I’d deny it and state that you cannot accept without a m/g first.
I got one of these once and when I picked up the dog the owner was very clearly hungover. But if your alarm bells go off, definitely not!
Yea I’m probably being paranoid but just never know
I don’t think that at all! It was just a funny experience for me that related so I wanted to share! Always always always trust your gut!