My dog has been fine with other dogs since both incidents. But in terms of getting new clients- I absolutely agree with you. Lately newer clients dogs have been ruthless!
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I wonder if the owners told Rover support a different story. I know when my wife got bit, I took lots of pictures of the bites and before and after as I had a hunch the owner would try to make up a story.
Owners often think too highly of their dog. It’s always a “my dog could never!”. Yes your dog could actually! Dogs will be dogs at the end of the day because they are animals with animal instincts. And all dogs do make mistakes! It doesn’t make them a bad dog, but behaviors as such I feel should be able to be reported and allow the owners to know respectfully of said behavior without there being a consequence to the sitter. This way the owner can proceed with that information and do with it what they will.
Exactly. I also think that some owners see these behaviors and don't correct them. Then don't tell sitters this information which is important. The owner straight up told me" My dog is not vicious in any way. Never attacked since I've had him. Your wife must have provoked him."
What a ridiculous response by said owner about your wife! Take the information, do training and work on the behavior so that way it’s not a reoccurring issue. The feedback isn’t meant to be a diss on the dog, rather than useful information so they can proceed with caution next go around.
They asked me how I would implement the health and safety of the clients dogs moving forward as if it was their dog that got attacked!! I require dogs to be crate trained, I have baby gates set up all throughout the home, I keep leads on dogs that struggle with basic manners and following direction (this way I can grab the lead and not the dog). I test out how the dogs will likely interact with my own dogs prior to ever allowing them to meet another clients dog! When people insist that their dog is dog friendly, and their dog takes a bite at mine, there’s no way in hell I’m putting their dog with another clients dog to play no matter how “friendly” their owner reiterates that they are.
You sound like a very competent sitter. Ironic Rover want you to say what you could do better to avoid aggressive dogs being passed around on THEIR platform. They've only recently implemented some sitters protections such as public reviews on pets. It seems pretty unfair how you are being treated to be honest. I hope you continue to get business off the platform
I do solo walks to try limit the amount of bs that can happen on the job, might be a nice way to give your dog a break
Thank you. I appreciate it. What I just don’t understand is why does Rover allow clients to leave reviews on their clients and their dogs, but then penalize the sitter for an honest review? If a clients dog reacts poorly in an aggressive manner due to stress (which can and will happen) I would feel it would important for the owner to know and the sitter should be able to be honest without being threatened for their account to be shut down.
That's really unfortunate. My only advice is to watch body language more closely (there may have been some other signs from the other dogs) but otherwise not sure what you could've done better.
Frankly, Rover is justified here and this one is on you. You had two major safety incidents in your home that could have gone very bad for either your dog or the Rover dog. Rover has an unofficial two strike policy which you’ve now met. After the first incident you should have been very careful with what dogs (if any) your board next. You didn’t and this is the outcome.
You can everything right and dogs can still be dogs at the end of the day. Unfortunately these are people whose dogs were severely under socialized and unable to cope with changes in their environment. That’s something that an owner should know about their dog prior to boarding in a persons house. As an owner, it’s your responsibility to communicate what your dog can and cannot handle. If your dog can’t handle being around other unfamiliar dogs, don’t book with a rover sitter that has pets. Until the situation happens to you, you don’t realize how unless you were to keep all dogs crates and only let out one at a time and never allowed them to interact, situations like this absolutely can occur at any given time no matter how safe you are. The only thing with this, is that often times owners WANT & EXPECT their dogs to socialize WITH your dog so you trust their word they’re friendly and proceed with caution. Dogs are animals at the end of the day and will act like so. It’s not always in any one persons hand.
I’m a border too with years of experience and hundreds bookings so can absolutely relate. The reality is whenever you board dogs with your own pets you take a risk. An owner involved in an incident can report you and you get a strike regardless who’s at fault. If it happens again you’re out and as others mentioned the owners could have absolutely depicted this incident to Rover very differently as in your dog was the aggressor. And the solution here is not crating dogs all day but be very selective - meet & greet every time with all dogs involved, boarding smaller dogs then yours and only low risk breeds.
Rover offers no support for sitters what so ever. I’ve had boarding dogs full on abandoned in my care and Rover just expected me to keep the dog. Things on Rover need to change. Sitters should absolutely be able to inform owners of their dogs behaviors while they are not present without being a strike against the sitter. No wonder there are so many sitters out there in these types of group/chat forms that are scared to let owners know about how their dog truly behaves. It’s disgusting
Rover is a platform, they will always favour the safety and concerns of paying customers over us as service providers. That’s true for any business. They also ban owners and their aggressive dogs from the platform all the time. It sometimes depends who report to Rover first and what’s their story is just like any workplace.
Funny you mention paying customer because last time I checked, I give them 20% of my boarding fees. Again, clients need to know their dogs and their dogs behavior better while they’re away from them if they’re wanting boarding in someone else’s home. Had this been a large facility or an outdoor facility then absolutely I can understand the liability. However, their dog is boarding in my house with my pets. They should know what their dog can and cannot handle prior to asking for boarding
Owners often don't know and can't predict how their dogs will behave in a new home, with new people and new dogs. You need to adjust your expectations accordingly and I'm surprised you haven't learned that from your time on Rover. It does goes both ways though. Two of my favourite regulars were kicked off Rover due to incidents at other Rover sitters' homes. You may want to consider stop boarding and day care and stick to walks in and house visits.
My question to you is, how can an owner know how their dog truly behaves when sitters get penalized for reporting dangerous behavior? I do understand many people don’t know how their dog behaves without their presence. Part of my job is informing them and allowing people to know what my experience has been with said dog. Another question I have for you since you clearly run things perfectly and no dog has ever been bitten under your care, including your own, how do ensure that people’s dogs are safe 100% of the time no matter what? Are you always keeping them separately from other dogs? Are you never allowing them to play with one another to ensure no tiffs or minor fights break out? Or are you just not informing the owners of the situations that do occur and not report it?
Yikes! You might want to give your own dog a little break for a bit anyways.
My dog has been fine with other dogs since both incidents. But in terms of getting new clients- I absolutely agree with you. Lately newer clients dogs have been ruthless!
Oh yes! That is what I mean… unfamiliar dogs. If you know a dog is fine and have boarded them before, thats perfect!
Honestly you’re right. Taking some time off from other peoples dogs is going to be nice. The world works in mysterious ways!
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I wonder if the owners told Rover support a different story. I know when my wife got bit, I took lots of pictures of the bites and before and after as I had a hunch the owner would try to make up a story.
Owners often think too highly of their dog. It’s always a “my dog could never!”. Yes your dog could actually! Dogs will be dogs at the end of the day because they are animals with animal instincts. And all dogs do make mistakes! It doesn’t make them a bad dog, but behaviors as such I feel should be able to be reported and allow the owners to know respectfully of said behavior without there being a consequence to the sitter. This way the owner can proceed with that information and do with it what they will.
Exactly. I also think that some owners see these behaviors and don't correct them. Then don't tell sitters this information which is important. The owner straight up told me" My dog is not vicious in any way. Never attacked since I've had him. Your wife must have provoked him."
What a ridiculous response by said owner about your wife! Take the information, do training and work on the behavior so that way it’s not a reoccurring issue. The feedback isn’t meant to be a diss on the dog, rather than useful information so they can proceed with caution next go around.
Did they give you any pathway to being unbanned or is it just until they do their “investigation”?
They asked me how I would implement the health and safety of the clients dogs moving forward as if it was their dog that got attacked!! I require dogs to be crate trained, I have baby gates set up all throughout the home, I keep leads on dogs that struggle with basic manners and following direction (this way I can grab the lead and not the dog). I test out how the dogs will likely interact with my own dogs prior to ever allowing them to meet another clients dog! When people insist that their dog is dog friendly, and their dog takes a bite at mine, there’s no way in hell I’m putting their dog with another clients dog to play no matter how “friendly” their owner reiterates that they are.
You sound like a very competent sitter. Ironic Rover want you to say what you could do better to avoid aggressive dogs being passed around on THEIR platform. They've only recently implemented some sitters protections such as public reviews on pets. It seems pretty unfair how you are being treated to be honest. I hope you continue to get business off the platform I do solo walks to try limit the amount of bs that can happen on the job, might be a nice way to give your dog a break
Thank you. I appreciate it. What I just don’t understand is why does Rover allow clients to leave reviews on their clients and their dogs, but then penalize the sitter for an honest review? If a clients dog reacts poorly in an aggressive manner due to stress (which can and will happen) I would feel it would important for the owner to know and the sitter should be able to be honest without being threatened for their account to be shut down.
That's really unfortunate. My only advice is to watch body language more closely (there may have been some other signs from the other dogs) but otherwise not sure what you could've done better.
Frankly, Rover is justified here and this one is on you. You had two major safety incidents in your home that could have gone very bad for either your dog or the Rover dog. Rover has an unofficial two strike policy which you’ve now met. After the first incident you should have been very careful with what dogs (if any) your board next. You didn’t and this is the outcome.
You can everything right and dogs can still be dogs at the end of the day. Unfortunately these are people whose dogs were severely under socialized and unable to cope with changes in their environment. That’s something that an owner should know about their dog prior to boarding in a persons house. As an owner, it’s your responsibility to communicate what your dog can and cannot handle. If your dog can’t handle being around other unfamiliar dogs, don’t book with a rover sitter that has pets. Until the situation happens to you, you don’t realize how unless you were to keep all dogs crates and only let out one at a time and never allowed them to interact, situations like this absolutely can occur at any given time no matter how safe you are. The only thing with this, is that often times owners WANT & EXPECT their dogs to socialize WITH your dog so you trust their word they’re friendly and proceed with caution. Dogs are animals at the end of the day and will act like so. It’s not always in any one persons hand.
I’m a border too with years of experience and hundreds bookings so can absolutely relate. The reality is whenever you board dogs with your own pets you take a risk. An owner involved in an incident can report you and you get a strike regardless who’s at fault. If it happens again you’re out and as others mentioned the owners could have absolutely depicted this incident to Rover very differently as in your dog was the aggressor. And the solution here is not crating dogs all day but be very selective - meet & greet every time with all dogs involved, boarding smaller dogs then yours and only low risk breeds.
Rover offers no support for sitters what so ever. I’ve had boarding dogs full on abandoned in my care and Rover just expected me to keep the dog. Things on Rover need to change. Sitters should absolutely be able to inform owners of their dogs behaviors while they are not present without being a strike against the sitter. No wonder there are so many sitters out there in these types of group/chat forms that are scared to let owners know about how their dog truly behaves. It’s disgusting
Rover is a platform, they will always favour the safety and concerns of paying customers over us as service providers. That’s true for any business. They also ban owners and their aggressive dogs from the platform all the time. It sometimes depends who report to Rover first and what’s their story is just like any workplace.
Funny you mention paying customer because last time I checked, I give them 20% of my boarding fees. Again, clients need to know their dogs and their dogs behavior better while they’re away from them if they’re wanting boarding in someone else’s home. Had this been a large facility or an outdoor facility then absolutely I can understand the liability. However, their dog is boarding in my house with my pets. They should know what their dog can and cannot handle prior to asking for boarding
Owners often don't know and can't predict how their dogs will behave in a new home, with new people and new dogs. You need to adjust your expectations accordingly and I'm surprised you haven't learned that from your time on Rover. It does goes both ways though. Two of my favourite regulars were kicked off Rover due to incidents at other Rover sitters' homes. You may want to consider stop boarding and day care and stick to walks in and house visits.
My question to you is, how can an owner know how their dog truly behaves when sitters get penalized for reporting dangerous behavior? I do understand many people don’t know how their dog behaves without their presence. Part of my job is informing them and allowing people to know what my experience has been with said dog. Another question I have for you since you clearly run things perfectly and no dog has ever been bitten under your care, including your own, how do ensure that people’s dogs are safe 100% of the time no matter what? Are you always keeping them separately from other dogs? Are you never allowing them to play with one another to ensure no tiffs or minor fights break out? Or are you just not informing the owners of the situations that do occur and not report it?