How to become a dog sitter using Rover
Want to create your own schedule? Have you ever thought of making money playing with dogs? Or walking them? Or just love to cuddle and be around dogs?
This is something that I wanted to do for the longest time. I had to wait until we moved and it was the right time to start. But somethings you just have to jump and see what the outcome brings.
The new house had a lot more work to be done then we thought. But , I’m sure this goes for everyone. There’s never enough time or money to get it all done. My hopes were high that people would see my experience with dogs and what we had to offer, versus a room that needed moulding, or the stairwell that needed paint. We also have 3 of dogs of our own and 2 kids. Another hurdle that we didn’t know how people would react.
Well with the summer months approaching, we decided to jump in and see what happens. This meant that both feet were in and we needed to be serious. Complete the profile to the best of our ability and create a system that worked for us.
I have been dog sitting since I was a teenager, always for family and friends. This was about taking it to the next level. I wanted more time with my kids, and family. Also, to be available when the kids needed me. Rover was going to be the company that allowed me to create my own schedule, rates and services. You can register for a Rover account here.
Best part is that I was not obligated to take on just anyone that contacted me as a client. Most people that wouldn’t work out for one thing or another, usually don’t come for the meet and greet.
Meet and Greets are definitely a must!
I can definitely say that, we have never turned a dog or client away. We feel that it is a must to get to know the dog and family that will be staying with us. Plus, we like to pair up one of our dogs and a clients dog for playtime/social time. You can get a true insight into what the dogs typical day is like and what he is used to. You want to make sure that he not only meets the requirements for staying with you but also the needs of your client and their precious pup. Meet and greets can be as long as 20 minutes to a little over an hour. It’s all about the client and their dog. Some like to spend some more time, while others are more to the point.
The Rover process is easy and straightforward.
First, you have to fill out an application and send it in to Rover. Everything from your experience with dogs to situational questions, on dog behavior. Rover will take a few days to get back to you.
Next, they sent an email with a few more questions. I had to write in depth about my setup or how I would handle certain situations. With this be honest! Create a plan on what you need to do, to house multiple dogs at once, or prevent a dog from bolting out the front door, etc. Whatever services your planning on offering, you need to have a plan on how to safely carry it out.
Once you get the green light to set up your profile. Fill out most of the sections. Look at other profiles in your area. See what it says, what they offer and how much their services are. (This is actually a really good step to do before you send the application or if your waiting to hear back from them.)
My advice is to price accordingly, not too high or too low.
Price slightly lower than where you really want to be. Then raise your rates when you gain enough clients and reviews. But, don’t raise them too high. You not only want to attract new clients, but also do not want to lose the clients that you already have. When your starting out it’s hard to get clients if you don’t have any actual clients yet. You can send an email link to family and friends that you have provided services for to get a few reviews on your profile.
Rover will also send you all sorts of links to answer any questions you may have about getting started. I really love the Rover Community, a Q and A forum with other Rover sitters. Anytime I have a question, I would type it in to Google and add Rover to it. It is usually one of the first links to come up in the search. I have also called Rover a few times. It’s fast and easy to get a real person and they answer all of my questions.
Make sure you have pictures in your profile.
Make sure to fill everything out to the best of your ability on what your actual experience level is! Don’t embellish what you’re capable of. No amount of money is worth something that could have been prevented. This is where meet and greets really come in handy if you ever feel out of your element or your gut is saying no, you can always decline the request. I always say it needs to be a two way street, everyone on the same page. They love what you have to offer and you love their furry four legged family member and will treat him as your own.
Finally, proof read your profile!
Make sure it says everything you want it to say. This is going to be your first impression to clients. You want it to be your best foot forward. Once, your profile is ready to go. Download the app on to your phone. This is going to be your life line to Rover and your profile on the go. For more info on this please click on this link.
Have you thought about joining Rover? Do you currently work for Rover? What are your thoughts?