Dog sitting question

[Nordicrain]

We have a dog and use the company that walks her for dog sitting when we go away (after a terrible experience with a recommended but "unofficial" dog sitter, and with family). It's £40 a day/night. That's fine, it's part of the cost of having a dog.

Later in the month we are going away for one night. They asked if they could pick up the dog at 11, I said that was fine although we aren't leaving till the afternoon, but we wouldnt' be home to 11 the next day, it would be in the afternoon, preferably around 4 (we are about an hour away, but it would be great not to rush). They've charged us for 2 days - so £80. I queried why and they said it's becuase they will need to have her "the whole day" on the second day (i.e till 4).

I have suggested that either we do 2 - 2 or they can drop her at our house at 11 (they do drop offs anyway) and she can be at home for a few hours which she is used to. I don't really want to pay £80 for a night away, it's almost what we are paying for our hotel! I don't blame them for charging for 2 either as I assume it's going into a second 24 hr period and that's the way they do it, which is fair enoguh. But I just wanted to check whether I am unreasonable asking them to either change the time, or drop her off without us there to avoid paying £40 for, essentially, 5 hrs. They are good and reliable and look after our dog realyl well, so I don't want to push it if it's cheeky.

As an aside, they also do a "doggy day care, for £25 a day. It would be cheaper to book her into that - which I might ask about if they get funny.

Why have they asked to pick the dog up at 11am instead of later?

Not sure, they just asked if they could collect at 11 and I said that was fine.

I think it’s fine to ask. Just do so nicely and it should be fine.

No she’s taking the piss and you’ve caught her out of highlight the £25 doggy daycare day fee then say as a result you will be looking elsewhere!

No, that's crap.

Yeah just explain that you only need them to have DDog for 24 hours and if they can’t pick up / drop off at the times you want you shouldn’t be charged extra?! Unless it says it somewhere in their terms as they tie in with pack walks or something

This ⬆️

Query it all you like but don't be surprised when they suddenly become "full" all of the time (or especially when it's just for a night). You do realise that your one night stay can mean they have to turn away a longer booking? Of course they need to maximise it. Sure you can play the game and use their daycare for the second day and save £15 but once they see that you begrudge paying for their services you'll find that any goodwill is gone so they won't be interested in your one-night bookings in future. I see so many people struggling to find care for their pets.

My dog boarding place has started doing this too, even if they're in for less than 24 hours they'll charge me for 2 days for an overnight stay. CFs if you ask me, I simply won't be using them any more. I cannot afford to pay for time I am not using.

People are queuing up to take the place you leave behind, such is the shortage of pet care so they won't care that you don't use them anymore. Licenced animal carers have limited places and overnight stays do in essence take up a space for 2 days hence the charge (especially when the 2nd day runs into the afternoon).

I'm usually charged half a day extra if pick up is after noon. Charging for an extra night is not the norm.

They're welcome to use them if that's the case. I don't expect to pay for 2 nights if I stay 1 night in a hotel, and I definitely don't expect to pay for 2 days when my dogs are in for 1 night.

Those of you saying that a good dog sitter is like gold dust are right. They are really hard to come by where we live. Our last dog was run over while staying with family (accident, they left the garden gate open) so won't do that again, and we had dog sitter we had recommended to us (who we paid obviously, but they weren't a company or anything) who left our dog in the garden all day every day in the middle of summer while they went to work. So we don't want to lose this company which is why I needed to double check I wasn't being cheeky!

That said, I did ask (very nicely!) and they have changed the times and weren't funyn about it. Fingers crossed they don't ditch us!

Too many people assume that the charge is per night when more often than not the charge is per day (or part of). With a hotel, you often find that you cannot check in until 2-4pm and checkout is before 12pm (even 10am). If you stay in your room beyond checkout time at a hotel, you at the very least have to pay for late checkout if not another night. Dog boarders are not generally interested in your one-night stay, they use up spaces that can do multiple days. It's something they tend to only do for good customers but they still have bills to pay at the end of the day so it needs to be worthwhile. Hotels make money from workers during the week and tourists at weekends, not the same with dog boarding which is why that one night at the weekend is a pain in the backside.