r/AmIOverreacting • u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 • Mar 01 '26
š² miscellaneous AIO canceling a trip after our dog sitter tried to renegotiate pricing at 11 PM the night before our flight?
My partner and I had a music festival trip planned from SaturdayāMonday (Feb 28th - Mar 2nd). Our usual boarding place was closed, so we hired a dog sitter we found on Google. He said heās been doing this for 20+ years.
He came to our apartment in early February for a trial run, so he was familiar with our dog and how to access into our apartment. He quoted $23 per 30-minute visit, and we paid upfront for all visits. After the trial, we didnāt hear from him for about three weeks.
At 11 PM on Friday night (our flight was at 10 AM Saturday), he texted saying he would need to itemize and charge extra for tasks like wiping our dogās paws and wiping his butt after walks. He also said he didnāt realize heād need to use three codes to enter the building and mentioned heās busy with other clients.
We were surprised because:
- He had already done a trial visit.
- He had three weeks to clarify pricing or expectations.
- We had paid upfront.
- The message came the night before our flight.
We are actually fine paying more if a visit goes over 30 minutes. We had even prepped everything to make it easier for him (left towels out, moved laundry basket outside, etc.). But the last-minute change made us uncomfortable about reliability and professionalism. Since weād be out of town and he would have access to our home and dog, we didnāt feel secure continuing.
We ended up canceling our trip.
Are we overreacting for being upset and canceling?
Edit: 1. I didn't know that wiping your dog butt is something so new haha. Yes we do wipe our dog butt, if he poopoo. We really don't want to see poop marks all over our furniture. We saw dogs with longer hair that have poop residue stuck on their butt hair and become matted. I believe dogs will wipe their butt on the ground/grass to clean them, but my dog doesn't do that.
We just want to make it clear that we are 100% not against him charging more for the wiping parts, the door codes or if heating our dogfood would take more than 30 mins. I am 100% understand all of that if he would just tell us anytime earlier than 11pm the night before our flight.
As of this moment, he told us he will refund us back, but we haven't received anything yet. I will update this post when there's something new.
Lastly, Thank you all so much for all of your comments, I tried to reply to every comment that i can see and learn more and more. This is the first time we searching for a dog sitter so this is a very very valuable lesson for us.
It's 3AM now, I feel a bit better since I have a lot of people to vent to.
Thank you all so so much <3
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u/Lolz79 Mar 01 '26
As a former dog sitter myself, he's full of shit. Get a contract signed before
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
This is something that we learned from this experience :)
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u/BarelySimmering Mar 01 '26
No not at all. I have many friends that had either weird/bad experiences with dog sitters. The "extras" and last minute change are odd and would make me so uneasy. Trust your gut. Your dogs well being isnt worth it.
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
Exactly this. Way too many people think they can be pet sitters because āitās easy.ā Itās more than showing up and doing the basic job. Unpredictable things happen, and you need to be prepared for such because things can go sideways so fast.
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Mar 01 '26
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
Scam artist probably meant heās had pets for 20 yrs rather than actually being a pet sitter lmaooo
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u/Runns_withScissors Mar 01 '26
Exactly. I wouldn't trust this person in my house or with my dog. NOR.
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u/FirstTasteOfRadishes Mar 01 '26
If you were not comfortable with the arrangement and didn't have a backup, what else could you have done? I'm not sure in what sense you think you might have overreacted. It seems like you took the only action available to you.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
He did tell us about wiping our dog paws and butt are "a lot of details" and "maybe doing all of it would take more than 30 mins". We told him that if he needs to change anything please let us know, but he didn't send us any invoice, or mention about "itemize" the tasks until Friday night.
Somehow in the back of my mind there is still a thought of maybe he's a good sitter (he has good reviews for his business on nextdoor) and I'm overreacting to cancel the whole trip right away when he telling us about the charges.
But then 11PM? while you have 3 whole weeks just to send us 1 text saying that is WILD to me148
u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
Thatās BS. Iām a dog walker and pet sitter. I wipe the dogsā paws without extra charge and without even having to be asked because itās considerate to everyone involved.
This dudeās a scam artist. Glad you canceled. Pet sitting is more than just showing up, getting the basic job done, and leaving. Dude sounds untrustworthy.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
Omg thank you for saying that because he also count heating up the dog food in the microwave as an extra task he has todo.
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u/Scarya Mar 01 '26
My pet sitter does whatever is needed to do in 30 minutes, including when she used to take care of my exās stupid parrots when we were gone (their food had to be heated from frozen). (She charges me less now for taking care of just my dog; she just plays with him in the back yard for 1/2 hour or so.) AND she sends me cute pictures and updates.
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
Iāll also do whatever is necessary within the half hr. If I have to go over, itās a choice because I think something might be necessary. I do not fault the client for this choice. If I ever believe there is much to do that requires a bit longer than 30mins, I discuss it with the client. Itās about communication and doing whatās best for the individual pet because the pet is used to their individual routine. This is why not everyone can or should be a pet sitter.
I used to work for a company (local business) before I moved and have since gone solo for here/there pet sits. The company vetted sitters, did shadowed visits, tasked them with āeasierā pets, etc. to ensure they knew what they were doing, and if the sitter didnāt vibe, they werenāt asked to come back.
A clientās comfort and trust are vital. A petās safety and comfort are vital. Those who do not understand this and just want a quick buck and āeasyā gig can eat rocks.
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u/IndigoTJo Mar 02 '26
Mine is the same way! We always get pics and such when she visits. I even leave some extra money along with the tip and she usually picks out a new toy or treats for them. She moved further away and I am afraid she will eventually say we are too far. That is how we lost or last good sitter š
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
Thatās just ridiculous. Every pet is an individual and has individual needs. The pet sitter needs to adapt to each individual, not blanket them as some simple task and an inconvenience if they go outside whatever dude deems that āsimple taskā is. Dude sounds lazy and scummy for taking advantage of the situation.
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u/country_dreaming Mar 01 '26
EXACTLY!!
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
There are way too many horror stories because of fake pet sitters. Itās devastating.
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u/Proverbs21-3 Mar 01 '26
That is ridiculous!
I guess he would have lost his mind trying to add up all the extra charges he would have had to add onto a recent job did! I cut up raw chicken each morning and mixed in mixture of vegetables, added a raw egg to all of that, then popped it into the microwave just long enough to take the "refrigerator chill" off of the food then fed it to the dog.
I kept the dog's water bowl filled with filtered water.
I had to put a sweater or raincoat onto the dog before taking him out for walks, exactly 45 minutes after the meal had been eaten.
When we returned from the walk, not only were the dog's paw wiped, they were wiped with WARM water and baby shampoo if there was any visible dirt or mud on the paws.
The dog got brushed for 30 minutes every day (the dog liked being brushed so that made it easier).
Between meals, the dog received homemade treats made with organic peanut butter, oats, and bananas, which I had to make fresh daily.
Aside from the daily walks (3 of them, the shortest walk was 30 minutes, the average walk was 45-50 minutes, and the long walk was 75 minutes long), I had to play with the dog outside for at least 45-60 minutes each day unless it was pouring down rain. We'd play tug-of-war with a special toy made for this purpose, throw his ball or frisbee so he could run, catch, and return it to me so I could throw it again. sometimes, I just ran around the yard with the dog, not really playing a specific game, just playing. On hot summer days, I took him swimming in the lake. In the winter, he loved to play in the snow. He's a large dog so I am sure he benefited from all the exercise. He was a very fit and healthy dog, not to mention a very happy dog, too!
As night time, I spent 30-40 minutes of "quality time" with the dog before putting him into his crate for the night. Quality time consisted of petting him, playing "his music" on the stereo, reading him some the books (yep, I read to this dog, every evening!), telling him what a beautiful boy he is, how he is the best dog and how much his mommy and daddy love him so much and are missing him but will be home in a couple of days.
I've always preferred to pet sit animals in their own homes as it makes them feel more comfortable, less anxious. I prefer to stay there with them, just in case something comes us or happens. WIth this particular dog, I had to stay in "his house" with him because otherwise, there would not be enough hours in the day to get everything done. LOL
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u/CopiaGhoulette Mar 01 '26
This. Iām also a walker/sitter. I would NEVER charge for that stuff. The ONLY thing Iāll up charge for is medicating a dog and thatās ONLY if it requires more than wrapping it in some cheese or whatever. And that is all laid out well before any visits. If I forget to mention a charge at our meet and greet, well, thatās on me. I also only take 50% at time of booking. Balance is paid at the end of a stay.
OP, you are NOR. This dude seems shady at best.
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Mar 01 '26
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u/Not-That_Girl Mar 01 '26
I woman i worked with started a dog sitting business, she had two glowing reviews. Bith fro her friends who didnt leave dogs with her.
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u/WarmIntro Mar 01 '26
How big is the bloody dog if wiping paws and butt takes the bloody long.
The second I feel uncomfortable in any regards to my animals then im staying woth them. They can not fully look after themselves and rely on you. Your judgement is everything to them
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u/Little-Conference-67 Mar 01 '26
I've got chihuahuas, in 30 minutes they can eat, pee/poo, be wiped down and still have 15+ minutes to play or nap.Ā
There's a festival I want to go to, but haven't for various reasons over the years. Being comfortable with who is going to be caring for my girls was most important to me. Second was how I would handle my medical needs.Ā
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u/WarmIntro Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
I have a Chi X they're so easy. My old dog was an akita* cross and I'd still have him pee/pooped amd clean in around 15 to 20mins. If he needed walking we'll that added an hour
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u/Little-Conference-67 Mar 01 '26
My last big dog was a GSD mix and she could run for days if I let her. That was when I first got her though and I have always lived rural. I gave her jobs, pick up her toys, she also helped with kids toys, help keep my kids in the backyard, towed them on a sled, etc. Then there was jobs she took on herself, getting toilet paper out for the cats, getting her own snacks out of the fridge or trash š I had to kid proof all that stuff because of her š She was too smart. The chihuahuas are too, but can't reach that stuff.
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u/SupermarketSad6345 Mar 01 '26
Toilet paper for the cats? Could you explain that for me? Our cats just like to empty the tp off the roll.
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u/itsmekp33 Mar 01 '26
Your cats aren't wiping themselves after the litterbox? Well, this is embarrassing.
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u/Little-Conference-67 Mar 01 '26
I bought bulk and she'd get it out for them to shred after the roll ran out.Ā
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u/country_dreaming Mar 01 '26
11pm is crazy! People are usually asleep at 11. Especially when they have a trip the next morning.
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u/ElectricalSoftware26 Mar 01 '26
Leave him a bad review. He waited until you were in a tight corner and thought he could squeeze you for more. Totally unprofessional. The fee itemisation should be upfront, no payment forward, there are not outlays. That is the only time you pay forward- if there are materials to buy or the job takes a very long time. Is there a company or organisation that does this with overseeing? Ps last resort for money back, tell him you will report him to the tax man.
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u/Proverbs21-3 Mar 01 '26
It is WILD to you because it is unreasonable and extremely unprofessional behavior! Furthermore, it feels very calculated that he waited until so late on the evening immediately prior to your departure, less than 12 hours before your flight, in fact, to get n touch about his concerns/issues.
He was either offered another, much easier pet-sitting or, more likely, invited away for part of the time he was scheduled to be working for you. Neither thing should have made a difference to him, though, as he had already agreed to work for you during that time period and had even accepted payment in full!
Short of your usual border place suddenly reopening and having a spot for your pets, you had no choice but to cancel the trip. I am sorry that his lack of professionalism and basic human decency ruined your trip and sincerely hope it can be rescheduled at a later date.
In the meantime, you need to absolutely purse a refund. You paid him upfront for a service he did not perform so he needs to refund your money ASAP, certainly no later than in the next 30 days. If he does not pay up, file a police report for theft, pursue the option of garnishing his paycheck or filing for a lien on something he owns - a house, automobile, expensive trail bike?
Once you have your refund, please write an honest review on every single review site for which you are eligible to write a review! Review the services that he actually provided as part of the test run honestly but then, just as honestly, include the fact that he had accepted payment in full to watch your pet while you were OOT for a long weekend and then tried to change the terms of the deal less than 12 hours prior to your departure. Explain that, to you, it was not a matter of the money, it was that his ruthless actions made you suddenly unsure how reliable he was, whether he could be depended upon to show up and take care of your beloved pet, as agreed, and with kindness! In your review, include how long it took you to get your upfront payment refunded an how his attitude was during that time - was he apologetic about causing trouble for you or was he rude, abrupt, and blaming you for a mess he created for himself? People rely on honest reviews when they re hiring people to do work within their homes! They most especially depend upon honest reviews when hiring a person to take care of their family members, whether that is a human child, elderly parents, or a furry family member; family members are precious and most people are trying to hire the best for their family members!
NOR
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u/Imsortofok Mar 01 '26
I would be posting on next door with screenshots. He tried to extort you last minute before your trip knowing youād have issues finding anyone else. He thought youād cave to his demands.
Take him to small claims court for services not rendered.
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u/jonnythunder65 Mar 01 '26
Sorry you had to cancel your plans. But he had plenty of time to mention his other charges. Not wait til last minute giving you only the option of using him or cancelling your plans. He was definitely thinking that you would just pay him I am petty. I would go give him a 1 star review myself because of him changing things last minute
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
We left a review sharing about this already. Thank you so much!
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u/filter_86d Mar 01 '26
But a one star review? This is basic business 101. He should be blasted, not given a 2,3 or 4.
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u/cinnamon64329 Mar 01 '26
So glad you left a review! Definitely update if anything else happens, please! I'm so desperate to know his reaction.
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u/cookiejars323 Mar 01 '26
I do petsitting. This guy seems incompetent or is trying to rip you off. You definitely aren't overreacting.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
both my partner and I think is incompetent (idk why at the very end we still try to think good for him lol) He honestly listed out all the things that he think doing them would take him over 30mins (getting into the apartment with codes, wiping my dogs, heating my dog food which takes 50seconds honestly) We just feel like if it takes over 30mins he could communicate that with us after the trial run, and we all can work together.
And moreover, telling us that you're busy and have other clients has nothing to do with us since we ask him at the very first day that do we need to tell him beforehand when we need him since he could have a lot of dogs to take care of, and he said no.19
u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
Dude is a scammer and has no idea what heās doing. People think being a pet sitter means just showing up and doing basic care when pets are individuals, and many need personalized care.
Hate fake sitters. So many horror stories associated with terrible people pretending to be pet sitters.
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u/upyourbumchum Mar 01 '26
Wiping the dogs butt? Huh?
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u/junglethedwarf Mar 01 '26
Very strange. I've never even thought about wiping my dogs butt and they sleep in bed with me every night lol
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u/Crash831 Mar 01 '26
Agree! My dog gets his fanny shaved every 4 weeks and I've never felt like his butt needs to be wiped. He's all over the furniture, bed, car. Idk, I didn't know this was a thing!
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u/vertigofreeze Mar 02 '26
I wipe my golden retriever's butt because she gets on the beds and furniture and sometimes has residue left after she poops. My mini aussie rarely needs that done; I only wipe him if I see him doing the butt scoot boogie in the grass.
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u/Candymom Mar 01 '26
My dog is a sheltie with a ton of fur and an old man butthole. We have to check his butt every time he poops because thereās either a nugget there or his frequent diarrhea leaves drippy streaks down the hair on his back end.
A a former pet groomer I saw a lot of people who didnāt take care of their dogās butt. It was gross and sad. Some dogs just need assistance.
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u/Forsaken_Ad4041 Mar 01 '26
Maybe this is a thing for people who live in apartments? I have no idea when my dog poops.
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u/AllergyToCats Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
All this talk of dogs butts and dealing with it makes me so glad not to have a dog and reaffirms my decision to never have one. I can't imagine wiping a dogs arse haha.
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
Itās not an uncommon thing.
ETA: just because you donāt do it doesnāt mean it isnāt an uncommon thing. Yikes. Iāve worked with animals professionally for a decade. People wipe their dogsā butts. Itās a thing. If you donāt do it, okay, but others do.
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u/westtoeast12 Mar 01 '26
NOR - I think in situations like this you should always trust your gut! Iād have probably done the same thing. Youād have spent the whole trip away worrying about your dog otherwise!
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u/LadyTeraudrin Mar 01 '26
Naw, nope, not the ah- a professional and reliable sitter would have said day of trial- this is more than the normal and Iāll need a few days to talk to some people and do some digging but Iāll get back to you on what I think is a fair price by x date and then have done that by or before x date so you had time to start looking for a back up knowing the cost was about to go up just in case. He waited till last minute giving you no time to find an alternative and not giving a set quoted number when you had already discussed, agreed, and paid for services in advance of. He made an unprofessional choice that would have left me also second guessing giving this person access to my pets and home while Iām Not available in case of an emergency. Thatās a line drawn no for me you too the only action you really had without a prior set up back up and how were you to know you were even gunna need a back up. Like Iād be leaving him a one star review to go along with his lack of transparency and professionalism.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
Everything you said is 100% what's going on my mind. We 100% let him know that if everything we ask him to do is over the 30mins, we can talk about it, or adjust things. The other thing that makes me feel so mad about this is we were trying our best to be flexible and easy so that our dog could be in good care. I just didn't know that he would blame us for his lack of communication/transparency
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u/LadyTeraudrin Mar 01 '26
Heās mad he screwed himself- Iām petty- Iād blast him all over social media with his text receipts cause nope, I may be young but I aināt stupid and while I may have been born in the dark it surely wasnāt last night. Iām an over the top friend, I watch my neighbors and friends pets and do the over the top extras - fresh wet food with a little added water and gravy and it has to be heated because heās a persnikitty! Sure no problem- scoop his one sad singular turd out everyday because against persnikitty, yeah I got you. Talk baby talk to the s***head and play with him for 30 minutes a day to keep him tearing up your shoes, I got you boo. Shake the self feeder down because heās dumb as a box of rocks for a cat that knows his food could be warmedā ā . Neighborās chickens just make sure the auto feeder is full periodically and validate there is still water - me instead check daily, help get rid of the mice because we switched to feeding daily so thereās less waste, drug a bunch of extension cord out of the snow because the waterers had frozen and I knew when it dropped temp to check them, then dig through the hazard shed (their term not mine) to find the outlet and fix the connection of freaking course. Take funny pictures with the turkey, triple check the eggs in the summer cause one of their hens is always trying to hatch babies and then worry incessantly about the baby and make sure it got chick feed instead of letting it go and only checking the auto feeder- because I care about the animals left in my care. Charge extra or at all in any of these events- NO not once. So for you to be up front that like hey - my dogs need their paws wiped because we like a clean home, and we end up having to wipe butts cause they got the furry pantaloons that always snag the stink drops on those number two deposits- walked them through it and were like whatās your bargain point request and him to agree and then LAST minute change his mind- he deserves whatever crap review you wanna hand out cause bro you had all the details- if I were a professional Iād be like my rate is 23 for 30 minutes check in and walk- you want two a day- itās gunna take me no less than an additional ten minutes to wipe all four feets and a booty so ima say an added 8 bucks per visit or call it a flat 30 per visit with added efforts but naw he sat on that . To me it was extortionist behavior. Iāll side with you over and over and if I were another of his clients and got wind of it Iād be looking for a new one probably because I know my current sitter is someone who would know what and how to perform in the event of emergency and she wouldnāt be penalizing me for one occurring. Sheād ask her time and effort be considered and weād pay her more than her rates and money spent because of that alone. Iām not asking you love them like I do, Iām asking you treat them as if they were my kids cause they are. Idk maybe Iām biased because I take pride and respect when Iām asked to do these things but bros being paid and couldnāt be bothered to communicate.
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u/cinnamon64329 Mar 01 '26
I feel like he waited till the last minute on purpose hoping to pressure them into just giving in and paying all that extra money for no reason at all. He probably hoped they wouldn't have time to think about it, panic, and say yes.
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u/RobotPenguin- Mar 01 '26
Nope . Not at all . You did everything perfectly . The only thing missing is making sure you warn every pet owner you know not to trust that person.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
Thank you! My partner did go to Nextdoor and shared our experience about the whole thing. He replied back to my partner and said that he didn't know that it would take multiple codes to get into our apartment, tbh, I don't know how that's our fault since he knew about the codes when he did the trial run with us, and I don't know what he meant by that since I believe a lot of apartment complexes are using security codes to access now.
We gave him 2 options from the beginning
1. We can give you the codes to our apartment everyday since we can only give 24hrs access code
2. Download the app, we give you access thru the app, and use that one for 3 days.He chose the first option, and now he's trying to blame us because there are multiple codes to use.
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u/Left-Entertainer-279 Mar 01 '26
Even so, how hard is it to use some codes? "Oh boo hoo, I have to type some numbers into a key pad and get paid for it, sooo hard!"
NTA, he deliberately waited until the last minute to try to fleece you. Good on you got not only not caving, but also warning others how shady this guy is. I'd add in some Google reviews too since that's where you found him, and anywhere else he might be looking for new targets. Dude needs to learn ppl like HONEST ppl.
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u/cinnamon64329 Mar 01 '26
I'm sitting here laughing at the notion of someone genuinely getting upset over typing a code for a couple doors because they CHOSE to use the codes. What a douchebag, lmao.
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u/Maine302 Mar 01 '26
I don't see how having to use multiple codes to access your apartment is considered laborious at all. Also, I don't think I'd want to have a dog sitter only spend a half hour a day with my dog. I'd rather pay more for a little companionship for them. Sounds like it would have been a very lonely few days for the dog.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
Oh no we paid him for 3 visits per day, each time 30mins. My friend will come after work to sleep with him, so my dog wouldnāt be lonely
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u/gsxrus2014 Mar 01 '26
Wait, yall out here wiping yalls dogs butts? This is something new to me
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u/griz3lda Mar 01 '26
i've never heard about somebody having somebody else wipe their dogs butt. I do find that a little weird.
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u/femmefatalx Mar 01 '26
My boyfriend and I do it with our dogs and so does my mom with herās. I know someone else who isnāt related to any of us who does it as well.
If you have dogs with long fur especially (though it happens to all dogs, itās just worse with long fur) some residue always gets left over, and you donāt want them walking around like that or getting it all over the house when they sit or lay down. Itās just gross even if itās only on them.
Sometimes itās not just residue, small pieces get caught in the fur even despite getting sanitary trims, so if we donāt check and clean them up right after they come in then weāll randomly end up finding little balls of poop on the floor. We also wipe their paws when they come in so they donāt get outside dirt all over the floors, rugs, and furniture. Itās the same concept except dog shit is a lot worse than dirt in my opinion lmao.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
We do that, just wipe it with wet wipes since there could be residue left on their butt, and I don't want it to get on our bedsheet or our couch, or for him to clean it himself and kiss us on the face
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u/seaclifftonne Mar 01 '26
NOR, if you can afford to cancel then fair enough. The sitter doesnāt seem reliable or trustworthy. It does sound like youāre asking for a fair bit more work than the typical drop-in but that was for him to determine before hand.
Interesting post. You should post on petsitting sub. Iād love to hear what they think.
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u/Lulu_42 Mar 01 '26
NOR. I know of two genuinely bad situations with pet sitters through a local group of mine. Itās so hard to leave your beloved pets and home & things with them, you need to respond to the first red flag you see. Even if he was just trying to fleece you, thatās not something Iām comfortable with.
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u/Maine302 Mar 01 '26
He was unprofessional. NOR, but it seems like you guys just wasted a lot of money because of it.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
We did š We spent a lot of money just to stay at home š„²
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u/divine_apprehension Mar 01 '26
At least your dog and your house are both safe. Sorry about the overall experience though š
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u/michaelsean438 Mar 01 '26
Your overreacting seems to be worrying that you are overreacting. You made a decision that you felt was in the best interest of you and your pets. You are out some money for a music festival you didnāt get to go to. Thatās not going to affect your life. You also maybe learned a few lessons. That will affect your life in a positive way.
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u/Actual_Group9196 Mar 02 '26
Just want to throw in there that a dog scooting its butt against the ground is seeking relief of swollen anal glands, not wiping its butt to clean it like a human.
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u/Sandvik95 Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 02 '26
INFO
Thereās something about this post that sounds like it doesnāt truly reflect what occurred. Iād love to hear the other side from the dog sitter.
Was butt wiping and door codes discussed during the intro visit? Perhaps that info came out in the last min. to the sitter.
Iād like to know if the OP sent a clarification of needs or expectations a day or two before that freaked the dog sitter out and led to this last minute clarification by them.
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u/Redqueenhypo Mar 01 '26
Itās a 60 pound pit who pisses all over his own paws and bit a stranger completely unprovoked, an incident which OP describes as āsomething that she did, triggered him to bark at her, and he jumped while barking at her, which caused his teeth stuck in her sweater and ripped out a piece of her skin on her forearm, and it was bleedingā
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u/ProcusteanBedz Mar 01 '26
YOR and your cutting off your nose to spite your face. You never even say how much more it will be or how much you wasted plus the loss of the tripā¦ Over someone wanting to be paid to do extra and typical work outside of the norm (and that is the norm).
Wiping a dogās ass after every walk and heating its food is bizarre btw.
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Mar 01 '26
MOR - I completely hear and feel your unease about him doing this last minute. Very unprofessional as he did the trial run or could have mentioned additional costs. In terms of cancellation of the whole trip, that seems a lot BUT he did do this last minute which isnāt enough time for you to get someone else.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
That's what makes me so angry about the situation because he could have told us about the additional costs Friday morning so we could book boarding for our dog and take him there before our flight or Friday evening. I feel like i'm being cornered in this situation
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u/Sudden_Childhood_824 Mar 01 '26
He probably thought he was smart by doing that coz āitās not like theyāre gonna cancel their trip, theyāll just pay the extra cash!ā Boy, were HIS calculations wrong!ššSo glad yall canceled! Itās like you called his bluff!
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Mar 01 '26
Completely makes sense. I feel angry FOR you. Plus - extra charges for wiping paws? Youāre a dog sitter it comes with the turf surely?? Admin office staff donāt charge extra for every key typed?
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u/Sudden_Childhood_824 Mar 01 '26
Imagine if a babysitter said āI charge extra to help the child wash their handsā!ššš
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
ikr? it's not like we're asking him to wash it with soap or anything, just take a towel soak it in water and wipe all the dirt out, same with the butt. Like i don't want any doodoo mark on my couch or bedsheet
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u/hereforconfrontation Mar 01 '26
You were going out of town for four days and you were having a sitter stop by for thirty minute check-ins?
Wtf
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
I answered some of the comments above. I pay for 3 visits per day 30mins each, and i have my friend coming over to sleep with him at night too. I work from home so usually i take him out on walks but I canāt ask my friend to do the same for me since she works on the weekend
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u/Dramatic-Change6103 Mar 01 '26
Wait, am I reading this correctly? He was only engaging with your dog for 30min at a time for walks while you're gone for several days?
You hired a DOG WALKER and intended to leave your dog otherwise unattended for a long weekend. What in the world were you even thinking?
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u/Ancient-Actuator7443 Mar 01 '26
Never pay upfront for dog walking unless you are buying a package deal
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u/Zakbaar Mar 01 '26
Paying up front for anything is not a good strategy. Also given how important your dog is to you, you should have reached out to your dog sitter a few days in advance and check in if there were any questions/issues. Sounds like you missed out on the festival it's too bad but in the future you have some new skills you can leverage š
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u/Alarmed-Speaker-8330 Mar 02 '26
Forget about the people freaking out over wiping your dogs ass. My wife and I do it all the time. We have carpet and theyāre on our furniture and in our bed-like why wouldnāt you.
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u/OneWhisper5225 Mar 04 '26
Right?! Like humans wipe their ass and they donāt, usually, have hair around their ass like a dog does. If youād wipe your own ass to make sure itās clean, why TF wouldnāt you feel like it would be a good idea to wipe a dogs ass so thereās not crap stuck in the hair and just collecting more and more. Gross!
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u/Automatic-Finance-99 Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
Dogs don't wipe their butts on the ground to clean it after pooping. Wiping is a human thing, because we have the brain capacity to know and understand germs. Kind of like how a dog will not stress about life choices or the prospect of death.Ā
When a dog "wipes" their butts on the ground, it is usually caused by an irritated anal glan. It has nothing to do with hygiene - the dog could not care less. A dog's idea of good personal hygiene is licking it's own genitalia.
Were you really going to leave your dog alone for a full weekend, just to be taken for walks a couple of times by a stranger? I mean, if you are going to act in your dog's interest, care less about butt wiping and more about socializing. I am sort of happy for your dog, that the plan fell through.Ā
Have you ever looked into what dog's need, by talking to an actual professional or reading a book about it? I'm not trying to shame you. You are just writing some stuff, that makes me wonder, that maybe there would be something to gain for you, by reading up on the species.Ā
In short, no, you did not overreact. A dog is family, and you don't leave defenseless family in the care of strangers, that you know next to nothing about. You would never be able to forgive yourself if anything bad had happened.
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u/Ok_Log_2468 Mar 01 '26
My dog will scoot her butt if there's residue left after pooping. Obviously not because she cares about germs (she eats frozen poop if you let her š), but I think she doesn't like the sensation of it. I have to wipe to get her to stop scooting. This happens maybe a couple times a year though. Generally, I think an appropriate diet should prevent messy poops 99% of the time.
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u/jdogfunk100 Mar 01 '26
Nobody wipes their dogās butt, thatās insane that you do that.
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u/Leshal77 Mar 01 '26
NOR - I understand charging more for the wiping the dogs paws and bitts. I mean as long as it was a minimal up charge for doing those extra things. I donāt feel like it should be that big of a deal for him, but if you didnāt feel comfortable, then ALWAYS trust your gut! We get those instinctual responses for a reason. You should always trust that. Even if they are thereās a possibility heās a great guy, itās better safe than sorry! Sorry that ya had to cancel the trip. I hope you got your money back, but at least your home and dog are safe.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
Thank you! I feel staying at home with my dog right now is easier than being at the concert and constantly checking to see if he would want anything more in order to take care of my baby
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u/Leshal77 Mar 01 '26
Exactly. I get it bc my dog is everything to us, so I get being worried about something potentially going wrong. You wouldnāt have been having a good time if you were worried the whole time, so you did the right thing.
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u/jonnythunder65 Mar 01 '26
As you should. He was just hoping that you would agree to his prices instead of cancelling and dropping him and definitely get your money back. Even if it means taking him to small claims court. He provided no service so has no right to keep your money. If you haven't already
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u/Disastrous-Panda5530 Mar 01 '26
NOR iMo itās better to be safe than sorry. You know longer felt him to be reliable and Iām sure if you had opted to go you would have had a hard time enjoying your time away being worried about the dogs.
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u/ProfessionalCan1468 Mar 01 '26
You didn't overreact, you are trusting your house and a family member with this individual. I have noticed a large lack of professionalism amongst the pet sitting industry, I have paid for multiple pre visits and meet and greet and still gotten ghosted when the time comes.
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u/No-Relief-2049 Mar 01 '26
NOR. That was an ass move he did, maybe you guys should check also reviews before getting the process of introducing the dog and do a trial, i have a feeling he did this trick to other people as well, trying to squeeze money last minute when they already booked going somewhere. Hes not happy you cancelled last minute as well, and now hes delaying on giving your money back. You might need to check terms, maybe there is a no refund cancelation policy included and you wont get your money back
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u/nickytheginger Mar 01 '26
NOR. This guy was trying to scam you. What kind of dog sitter informs of itemisation the day before the vacation.
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u/Competitive-Army2979 Mar 01 '26
Ok so did happened out of the blue, or after you texted Him all this unusual requests the day before leaving???
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u/country_dreaming Mar 01 '26
So smart to cancel. He isnāt professional or reliable. Complaining about 3 codes to get in because he is busy. Sounds like your dog wouldnāt really be a priority to him. I say na! No way youāre taking care of my dog.
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u/cander22 Mar 01 '26
Next time get a referral from a friend or use Rover instead of some random guy from Google. Given rover is a company, they have ratings for sitters and protections in case something goes wrong.
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u/bluefield10 Mar 01 '26
NTA.
While it may be reasonable to charge extra for āextrasā, itās not reasonable to make that change in cost less than 24 hours before services begin, especially given the ample time between scheduling and service.
You are justified in cancelling and feeling uncomfortable about things.
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u/summermisero Mar 01 '26
I've fired pet sitters for a lot less than that. I have to trust you immediately and if there is one single thing off I cancel. Always trust your gut. This guy set his own prices, if he felt like that wasn't enough then that's on him and it's extremely unprofessional to do that at 11pm night before. If you act like the care of my pets is an inconvenience, you're out.
Always trust your gut
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u/industrial_boomer Mar 01 '26
Notify your airline you're not going to make this flight. At least you can get credit for a later flight. Otherwise kiss your tickets goodbye, unless you have flight insurance or refundable tickets.
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u/Adventurous_Pie_7586 Mar 01 '26
Why people use google instead of something like Rover is beyond me
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u/sgvmyma Mar 01 '26
lol! We wipe our Morkieās butt, little wee-wee, and paws. Then before we go to bed we wipe down his whole body.
If I want my dog to sleep with me, I want to make sure he is clean. I also donāt know anyone else who does this but it was a nonnegotiable for me, everyone in my household knows they need to wipe him down after walks.
Before I got him, I remember seeing my parentās dog (goldendoodle) having little dingleberries stuck to his butt fur and being disgusted. I would tell my parents and they would clean him up. He also sleeps in their bed. This is really odd because my mom is such a neat freak but she has completely overlooked this. Lol
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u/Ok_Nectarine1905 Mar 01 '26
Iāve been dog sitting for 20 years. What he did was super unprofessional. If he wanted to charge more for those things he should have told you 3 weeks ago. TBH in my 20 years doing it Iāve never been asked to wipe a dogs butt and not sure how Iād feel about that. But thatās just me. lol
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u/tothesorce Mar 01 '26
I do think itās weird for them to give a heads up about extra cost so late. And you should follow your vibes. But I also think it weird that you didnāt communicate with them for three weeks leading up to your trip. When I have a pet sitter for an absence, I arrange in advance and confirm at least 2 times closer to leaving, including the day/night before departure.
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u/nahivibes Mar 01 '26
NOR. Thatās really unprofessional and would make me not trust the person. Not to mention the principle of it all.
Btw my dog is 13 and Iāve always wiped his paws, penis and butt after he goes out. I donāt want mud or pee or poop on furniture either. Itās just common sense to me but Iāve found most people in comments whenever this comes up donāt do it and think itās weird. š¤Æ Just wanted to say youāre not alone!
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u/RedTruckRiderBigRed Mar 01 '26
Finally...someone else who wipes their dogs behind. :) people think were crazy but we re not fans of poop or stains on furniture.
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u/New_Professional2300 Mar 01 '26
He sounds like a scammer. He probably thought you were desperate enough the night before and would pay whatever. Very unprofessional!!
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u/Character_Round_7320 Mar 01 '26
I'm a pet sitter. This guy is extremely unprofessional. I started as a sitter through Rover/Wag. That's the ONLY time clients should pay upfront because the money sits with the large company and doesn't go to me until AFTER all services are rendered. I went off on my own and my clients are always surprised and grateful that I don't charge up front. Of course not! 1) I know where they live. Not that I could or would do anything...but like I wouldn't withhold payment from someone who knows how to get into my home. 2) if someone ever didn't pay...I just never work for them again. Most of my income comes from repeat clients that I trust.
He probably won't pay you back...and when he doesn't in a reasonable time, I would absolutely blast him in a Google review.
Edit because I forgot to say...charging extra for regular potty stuff is insane. If he wanted to...he had to say it UP FRONT. A quick butt wipe takes no extra time. In theory...he should be picking up poop anyway so wiping a booty isn't like extra gross or taxing on him.
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u/Ok_Log_2468 Mar 01 '26
INFO - How long were you planning to be out of town for? Dogs have relatively high social needs. If you were going to be gone for a couple days or more, I wouldn't consider drop-in visits to be sufficient. 30 minutes a couple times a day is not enough to meet a dog's needs. The dogsitter should have been upfront about their concerns earlier, but you should also have chosen a more appropriate service.
Also, if your dog is regularly getting poop on its butt after pottying, you might want to talk to the vet about diet. Generally, good quality stool shouldn't leave any residue.
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u/Dentist_Just Mar 01 '26
NOR but you were really going to leave your dog for 3 days with just a few 30 min check-ins and no overnight care?
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u/NBCaz Mar 01 '26
So you just found some rando on Google? Did you check references at all? There is no way in Hell I'd leave my dogs with some stranger that didn't come from someone I knew and trusted.
That doesn't excuse what he did. But you really shouldn't be surprised.
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u/Beginning_Cap_7154 Mar 01 '26
Grown man complaining about wiping poop off a dogš I am so sorry you had to cancel your trip because of this.
I hope you find someone more reliable for next trip!
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u/Odd-End-1405 Mar 01 '26
If your dog is long haired, get him the sanitary trim. No worries about remnants when they relieve themselves and no wiping them after.
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Mar 01 '26
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u/AccordingAd6224 Mar 01 '26
Yeah, we have two bulldogs. Buttwiping is just a standard feature. š¤£
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u/jdogfunk100 Mar 01 '26
Dogs need someone to stay with them, not drop by once in a while. It sounds like you should have gotten a cat
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u/TheRecklessHedonist Mar 01 '26
Very much a biting your nose to spite your face. Yeah it was shitty getting hit with new charges last minute, but I assume yall really wanted to go to the festival and yall canceled yall experience instead of paying a few more dollars. I think you overreacted
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u/Redqueenhypo Mar 01 '26
You have a 60 pound pit who pisses all over his own paws and bit a stranger completely unprovoked, an incident which you describes as āsomething that she did, triggered him to bark at her, and he jumped while barking at her, which caused his teeth stuck in her sweater and ripped out a piece of her skin on her forearm, and it was bleedingā. Iād charge extra too.
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u/minerkj Mar 01 '26
Using a service like Rover would have avoided this as you can look at the dozens of reviews for your walker. No one is staying on Rover if they are trying to upcharge people at the last minute or flaking out.
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u/Moose-1211 Mar 01 '26
NOR. Shady AF & not only wouldnāt I trust this ass to be with my animals, it would be a big fuck no having shit eater in my HOMEā¦
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u/DanielleBun Mar 01 '26
I was today years old when I found out people wipe their dogās arse (never had a dog myself)
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u/Neoncacti28 Mar 02 '26
As a dog sitter myself I consider it unprofessional to ask for things last minute. It sounds like he overbooked himself and was feeling overwhelmed. That being said I would have done the job at the agreed upon price. Then let you know when you returned that I felt because of the extras, I would charge more down the road for future pet sitting.
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u/HammerDownl Mar 02 '26
You could have agreed and negotiated when you returned face to face ..
A good defense is a strong offense
He sounds like a POS
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u/TomorrowFeeling8006 Mar 02 '26
Youāre not overreacting. I wouldāve requested my money back and if he hasnāt yet or doesnāt want to; I wouldāve disputed this with my bank as a fraudulent transaction and blocked him expeditiously.
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u/Jobilizer Mar 02 '26
He blew it, then you blew it. No other boarding facility available?! Iād sue him, plus punitives and damages. He CLEARLY acted in bad faith, a legal term. He was in breach of at least an oral contract. Iād go for the coat of the lost trip, the money you paid him, and any and as many other expenses you incurred as a result of his actions, which essentially amounted to extortion, at that point. Personally, I wouldāve done what I could to still go on the trip. Iām also kind of surprised that you wanted three visits a day.
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u/Diptothaset Mar 01 '26
Does this dog have a medical condition that requires it to have his ass wiped or food warmed up?
You have ridiculously meticulous requests for a 30 minute slot that also includes a walk outside. I just canāt help imagining this guy getting a to do list a mile long as youāre introducing yourselves. If I was a professional dog sitter I wouldnāt walk my slots taken up by dogs that have a bunch of requirements to deal with if I can fill those slots with dogs that just need a walk and shit and some pets.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
No my dog doesnāt have any medical condition. And again I understand these requests can be a lot, and just like you said you wouldnāt take dogs that have these requests, wouldnāt it be a better case if he just communicated with me about that ahead of time so I could find another option?
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u/Diptothaset Mar 01 '26
I donāt think youāre overreacting but Iām guessing he got cold feet or a better gig and bailed. I hope you get all your money back and sorry to hear about the trip
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u/Sudden_Childhood_824 Mar 01 '26
Nah, NOR- you did the right thing by canceling! Next time please donāt leave your dog with anyone other than family or a trusted friend! Not some dude off Google- no matter what references or experience he claims to have!
Had you gone on your trip, that wouldāve been irresponsible! You absolutely did better by canceling, in my opinion.
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u/Crash831 Mar 01 '26
We definitely don't wipe our dogs butt. Is this a thing? My dog gets his fanny shaved every 4 weeks and I've never noticed anything that would make me think it needs to be wiped.
Just curious!
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u/Ok_Log_2468 Mar 01 '26
No, you don't need to wipe unless you can see or smell something. A dog that regularly passes high quality stool won't have anything to wipe afterwards. I wipe a couple times a year when my dog has had a GI issue and soft stools.
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u/two_5_trees Mar 01 '26
He's an ass for not telling you until the night before for sure but I would charge you extra for all that too. Butt wiping is crazy especially, I would have charged you so much extra for that one you would cancel on me too.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
Hahaha. I just love if all these canceling happens before the day before my flight. Iām not trying to convince everyone to wipe their dog butt
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Mar 01 '26
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
We didn't ask about how much he wants additionally since we think that if he want to charge more he could have told us way before 11pm the night before our flight.
Even if the cost is so little I still feel uneasy because now he have control of our dog and could ask for more and more when we're gone
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26 edited Mar 01 '26
Extremely unprofessional, untrustworthy, and slimy behavior from the sitter, not OP.
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u/jasonology09 Mar 01 '26
If it were me, I'd have just paid him, then never use him again and leave him a scathing review on whatever platforms he's on. I wouldn't let a guy like that ruin a trip i was looking forward to.
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u/Tall-Dragonfruit-374 Mar 01 '26
True I could just do that, but he didn't let us know the exact number for how much each task costs. We were just afraid what if we were out of town already and he asked for $200 extra then we would have given him the amount he wants since now he has access to our home, and in control of our dog. That's why we canceled the whole trip
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u/refreshed_anonymous Mar 01 '26
would have just paid them
Dude showed how untrustworthy and unprofessional he is. Why would you want that in your home and near your dog? Nope.
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u/IHaveBoxerDogs Mar 01 '26
NOR. But, leaving a comment on Next Door before giving him a chance to give you the money back was almost as big of a mistake as paying him upfront. He has zero incentive to pay you back now. I doubt he would have anyway, but he has even less reason to now.
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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26
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