Dog Sitting Q&A | Mimosas & Manhattan

I weirdly get asked a ton about dog sitting – one of my most recent FAQ! How I do it, why I do it, what app’s I use, how much I make, etc. So I wanted to break it all down in one blog post, therefor I can send this along whenever someone has a question! To start off this post I wanted to give a little background on the subject. When I quit my full time corporate job I was definitely scared. I didn’t know how long I would be blogging full time or exactly how I was going to make do without that stable bimonthly paycheck. So I wanted to add a small frequent income into the mix so I decided to make that dog sitting!

**DISCLAIMER: I do want to point out that in reality I have been more than fine with blogging as my main source of income. When I quit my full time job and started dedicated all of my time to this, the business really took off. I am by no means “struggling” and to be honest that whole question is really getting old. People assuming that my parents/boyfriend fund my lifestyle is absolute nonsense. I pay all of my own bills, am an incredible saver and make a bigger salary at what I am doing now than at my previous corporate job. The reason I bring this up is because when I started dog sitting someone made a comment along the lines of “Wow is she really struggling for money that much?” That comment really hurt my feelings. Just because someone picks up a side hustle does not need to mean that person is struggling. It means they are working harder & they are working smarter. From dog sitting on the side I was able to fund my Iceland trip and not have to do as much blog work while there! I am able to splurge on nice things without digging into my main source of income that I put aside in savings, rent & groceries. And I get to meet all of these incredible doggies while doing it. So never feel guilty in finding more ways to make $$$ in your life. You are only working harder. :)**

NOW FOR QUESTIONS:

Q: Do you use an app to dog sit?

A: Yes & no! When I first started sitting I started an account on Rover. I really, really like Rover because they allow you to create your own schedule and what works best for you. There are 4 different dog sitting options on the app which are: doggy day care where the owners bring the dogs to you to watch at your house, dog boarding where the owners bring the dogs to your house to watch overnight, dog walking, and dog sitting where you go to the owners house and watch them there. For me personally I only offer doggy day care and dog boarding. I of course LOVE Rover but they do take 20% of your earnings. So after awhile I started sitting many repeat clients off the app and just did everything via Venmo. Then about 2 months ago the dog sitting inquiries got a bit out of control (not to toot my own horn but 26 five star ratings will do that lol!) and it was beginning to affect my blog work so I deleted the app and now only sit repeat dogs when I am available. However I definitely recommend Rover to start out!

Q: How many days a week do you dog sit?

A: Every week is different for me! I have 2 dogs that I sit once or twice a week every week but they work with me and my schedule. Generally they will text me on a Sunday and see what day works best for me that week, and we will go from there. I do have certain dogs that I will sit on the weekends, but that is generally when I don’t have much going on that weekend or need an excuse to not go out lol. All in all I have never felt that it has been an inconvenience dog sitting and now that I only sit repeat clients I know the dogs and their mannerisms very well.

Q: How much do you make dog sitting?

A: I charge $40/day for doggy dare care, where the dog is with me 9-5pm, and $50/night for dog boarding! Every week is different but I generally am making about $800-$1000 a month, which is amazing for months that may be slower with the blog or when I am traveling a lot. I don’t feel as guilty spending my dog sitting money on restaurants, drinks, trips because I think of it as thats what it is for!

Q: Have you ever had a bad dog sitting experience and what did you do?

A: I have only had ONE in all of my experiences which have been a lot! Basically the dog was out of control, to be honest I have never seen anything like it. It was aggressive, wouldn’t stop barking at me and just running circles around the house. I was so stressed and panicked that the only thing I could do was lock myself in the bathroom in order to get some work done. Once she was alone and I was out of her sight she calmed down and would fall asleep. I also called Rover’s help line and they talked me through different things to do with an aggressive dog. However that was an experience that definitely cautioned me go forward and another reason why, at that point, I wanted to just stick with dogs that I have sat before and knew me.

Q: Is it hard when you really connect with a dog and have to say goodbye?

A: YES!! This is the hardest part. There is one dog in particular I just bond with so much. To be honest I have never connected with a dog so much! We love each other and its so special, it is hard to say bye to him! I have gotten close with his owners however and they are amazing, I think for them they are so happy with our bond because they can really see how much I love and care for him! He is also one of the dogs I almost always have with me overnight because of their travel schedule, so they feel super safe when they leave him with me and know that he is in a loving home. When it comes time for me to get a dog of my own I pray he is the exact same as this guy. 🙂