Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect dog sitter to....

114 replies

365BeachDays · 01/08/2023 09:57

Walk dogs daily, regardless of weather, to an extent of course.

Clean up dog mess from garden.

Send updates/photos etc.

Keep house in decent condition - I.e, the way it was before.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

TIA

OP posts:
dogsweetdog · 01/08/2023 12:56

Whatajokr · 01/08/2023 11:11

...to not post on MN how offended she is that I've taken her DDs friend on holiday, but not her DD?

Think you need your own thread

Willmafrockfit · 01/08/2023 12:56

so you have been through the security cam with a fine tooth comb?

Wearegoingonanadventure · 01/08/2023 12:59

Have you actually talked to her about the lac of walks? Have you discussed with her how she has breached the contract and failed in her duty of care to the animals and asked her what she thinks is a reasonable reduction due to the service not being fulfilled?

Original poster
365BeachDays · 01/08/2023 13:00

@Willmafrockfit no. We get pinged when there's any activity. It's very accurate, plus we did have a neighbour come round when we got back and very awkwardly asked us if we were aware that our sitter wasn't there that much and that she didn't think the dogs had been walked. I would of course still ask her though, it we did decide to dispute.

OP posts:
MzHz · 01/08/2023 13:01

Firstly I’d ask her how often she walked the dogs to see if there was a valid reason for them not being walked

assuming there isn’t a good reason, I’d tell her that I knew there were only 2 walks, and that clearly they were toileted in the garden mostly and it’s not even been picked up.

the mud and hoovering is annoying and could have been dealt with, ultimately that’s no biggie, but I’d definitely say to her that I’d expected way more for the money, in walks, updates, care for the dogs etc and that therefore I would not be paying the full amount. Deducting something around 30% probably and I’d tell her I wouldn’t be using her again or recommending her to anyone

@365BeachDays your H is a wuss! Why on earth would he pay up in full for a half arsed job? No way my oh would do that!

CalistoNoSolo · 01/08/2023 13:02

There are either some really low expectations of how dog/house sitting works or a lot if second-rate dog/house sitters on this thread.

I'd be really unhappy at this level of care OP and would definitely tell her why I wouldn't be using her again. I think a factual review on FB is absolutely fine too. Whether or not to pay in full is really how much you care about her bad mouthing you and how much proof you have that she didn't provide the service she's charging you for.

Willmafrockfit · 01/08/2023 13:03

oh dear @365BeachDays
that is upsetting for you

MzHz · 01/08/2023 13:03

365BeachDays · 01/08/2023 13:00

@Willmafrockfit no. We get pinged when there's any activity. It's very accurate, plus we did have a neighbour come round when we got back and very awkwardly asked us if we were aware that our sitter wasn't there that much and that she didn't think the dogs had been walked. I would of course still ask her though, it we did decide to dispute.

x-post! God so she wasn’t even in the house??? Ffs! I’d be calling her out and possibly telling her to stick her invoice!

if it was bad enough for your neighbours to notice!

Cheeesus · 01/08/2023 13:03

Sitter wasn’t there that much doesn’t sound great. How much was she there?

ejbaxa · 01/08/2023 13:04

Clearly don’t use her again. I think I’d just pay, despite the fact that she’s not done the job properly. She’s a lazy chancer and my no1 objective would be to sever contact. She is a CF and if you confront a CF, they usually have some sort of tantrum. She’ll accuse you of stalking if you confront her about the walks. At least your dogs are ok, which is the main thing.

CantFindTheBeat · 01/08/2023 13:06

I think you are doing future clients a disservice if you pay her in full and don't raise the non-walking issues with her.

I would leave the rest, the non-walking of your dogs (that presumably need it) is neglect. I would be absolutely livid on my dog's behalf. What else did she/didn't she do to care for them if she can't even be bothered to do basic walks????

Willmafrockfit · 01/08/2023 13:10

perhaps she took them to her house?

Kyokyo · 01/08/2023 13:11

Walk dogs daily, regardless of weather, to an extent of course
Yes - dogs should be walked regardless of weather (unless it is too hot for them - but this not something the UK is having to worry about right now). However all dogs/breeds have different activity levels therefore you should be instructing the dog sitter how often you want them walked/what is their usual routine. Did you tell the dog sitter how frequently you want the dogs walking ?

Clean up dog mess from garden.
Absolutely

Send updates/photos etc.
Frequency should be agreed before hand. Not everyone wants multiple updates. However I can see you mentioned down the thread that she stopped replying to your messages and that's pretty poor.

Keep house in decent condition - I.e, the way it was before.
Absolutely leave it the way it was before.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.
I know your husband is saying to pay the invoice, but I think you should make a complaint and ask for a reduction based on the fact that she has not done the job as expected:

  • Not sending updates despite advertising that this is a part of her service on her website in addition to ignoring the messages that you had instigated
  • Not cleaning up after the dogs after walking them (mug inside) and not clearing up after the dogs in the garden (leaving dog mess)
  • Not walking the dogs sufficiently and doing the bare minimum (however, unless you had told her how often to walk the dogs, this might be a grey area)

I mean, it seems shes just tried to get away with doing as little as possible and why should you pay in full for poor service ?
FWIF my partner is a dog walker and does occasional pet sitting for people. He would never in a million years ignore a message from a customer, especially when if they are away and wanting to know how their pet is doing. He would also never allow a week's worth of dog crap to build up in their garden, nor would he ignore the mud thats been tracked in through the house.

ImNotReallySpartacus · 01/08/2023 13:14

It depends what was in the written agreement.

TheFlis12345 · 01/08/2023 13:16

I would expect a dog sitter to act pretty much as we do with our dogs, so walked and fed twice a day, playing with them, picking up after them etc plus sending regular updates. Our dog sitter is particularly amazing as she likes to keep busy so we normally one back to a tidier garden and even cleaner house than we left! She’s not cheap but worth every penny, our dog loves her and she works absolute miracles with the limescale on the shower screen.

CalistoNoSolo · 01/08/2023 13:16

Ah, the neighbour's info on how little she was there changes things entirely. The fact your neighbour made a point of telling you she wasn't there much says a lot. Your poor dogs may have spent hours on their own each day, did she at least stay every night? You must be absolutely fuming, no way should you pay in full, or possibly any amount at all.

FOJN · 01/08/2023 13:17

TBH OP you sound as if you passively let the dog sitter decide what was required rather than leaving clear instructions. You employed her but don't appear to have set out your expectations.

I think in future you need to be very clear about what you expect a dog sitter to do, including:

How often the dog should be walked and at what times.
What to do in bad weather, does your dog not mind the rain, do they wear a coat, do they baulk so much at going out when it's wet that you don't make them.
What are the clean up arrangements for a wet or muddy dog.
Details of any other exercise or enrichment activities you do with your dog.
Whether the dog should be walked on or off lead and the type of walking environments most suitable for your dog.
What obedience commands your dog is trained to understand.
What 'flight risk triggers' your dog has, open gate or a squirrels etc.
What time they eat and how much.
You should leave details of the vet and microchip and who to contact if the dog gets lost.
Instructions for any medication and adequate supplies.
What the sleeping arrangements are for your dog.
Requirements for household security and a contact number for someone who can deal with household emergencies.
And your expectations for how the house should be left at the end of the dig sitting period.

KingTriton · 01/08/2023 13:19

I would be fuming if my dogs weren't cared for properly. Ie, barely walked. Not picking up dog poo in the garden is also disgusting.

She is being entrusted with your pets and home and she has badly let you down so yes I would contest her invoice.

How did you find out that she hadn't walked them properly?

MadeForThis · 01/08/2023 13:27

How much time per day did she actually spend with the dog?

Imogensmumma · 01/08/2023 13:31

If you have an external camera can you see past recordings and see how much she was actually there.

If she was barely there and not/very few over nights I would inform her of this and not pay her and leave a truthful review.

  • not sure if legally you had to advise her in advance that you had an external camera. It shouldn’t matter and doesn’t morally but may pay a part legally
FlamingoQueen · 01/08/2023 13:31

I would ask your sitter to clarify that the dogs had a good walk twice a day (and hint that a neighbour has told you otherwise) before you pay her the full amount. I can’t believe that someone would do this. I wouldn’t mind not having a photo everyday, but I would need to know they were being cared for.

diddl · 01/08/2023 13:37

Sounds as if she has always done a bad job yet you kept on using her & she has just taken the piss!

I'd resent paying for a service that you didn't get-plus I would want to warn others!

Blossomtoes · 01/08/2023 13:43

This is why we use kennels.

Fuckitydoodah · 01/08/2023 13:43

I'd expect all of the things you've listed. She's not doing you a favour. She's offering a service in return for payment. Imo She's not provided an adequate service.

I'd never use her again, and I'd be leaving an honest review on Facebook, etc.

Whatswhatwhichiswhich · 01/08/2023 13:58

I would pay, because I assume she did come and feet the dogs etc. However I would be leaving very honest reviews about her work on Facebook and any other medium she uses to advertise her business.