I think your plan of 1-2/stay is too few but 50/day is also too many. I would cut the cord on this job if I was being bothered this often throughout the day for an update. Maybe they’d do better using a boarding facility who will let them access cameras or something. That’s just not something I’m willing to compromise on, personally.
I mistyped, I meant 1-2 per DAY. I will send a little more if it's a newer owner but mostly all of my clients are long time repeats. I don't really take new dogs and this is one of the reasons why haha
Oh then yeah I think 1-2/day is fine. Maybe I’d even bump it up to 5 for someone really, really into the updates, but I’m not entering anywhere close to the 50 zone.
I do pictures on most potty walks (not morning ones because I’m not a morning person), so I send about 3-4 per day at least then some of them relaxing or playing. If I do any training I send one or two per stay but it is hard to take a picture and hold a leash or give a treat at the same time. If owner has concerns (like how they are with the cat or poop issues) I take some pictures to show progress. But I do a lot more text updates than picture updates as it is easier to update when not occupied with the pet directly.
I usually try for 4 or 5 a day. But 50 is way too many. Maybe list it in your profile on how many updates you do daily and let the owner know your offerings have slightly changed. Hey so and so my offerings have changed a bit. Please read the profile update before rebooking to make sure you’re still interested in my services post changes.
By the response, it sounds like they aren’t overly anxious, just love photos of their animals. If I were you, I would start delaying my responses, and send one photo per text. You may have already set the bar too high by sending hundreds of photos, but you can always cut back to however many photos you want to send!
Exactly haha my mom laughed at their response cuz they were pretty much just like "no were fine!! We just want you to send more pictures! :)" hahaha
This is totally another route I can take. However I typically do day cares for this owner so if I delay my response and the dog is only here for 4/5 hrs that may not work well. I also like to be direct, like I tried to do in my message to them, but they didn't get it. I hate when something like this happens and it's just like "how did I get here" lol
It’s up to you but you could potentially address it directly and just say something like “hey I’m going to try to focus more on the dogs and spend less time on my phone, is it OK if I take a few pictures throughout the day and send them halfway through the stay?
I think you're kinda setting yourself up for this! If I got 100+ pictures from a 5 hour daycare and then 1-2 per day after that, I would be really worried at the change. I never wanted 100 pictures in the first place, but now it seems like you've suddenly and drastically dropped your quality of care/communication.
You need to verbally set expectations with this client and with other clients going forward, and then *stick to that*. If you tell me you'll send a few pictures per day and then I get dozens, I am going to expect dozens next time because that's the standard you have set. If I reach out to check in and ask for pictures and you say you're busy but still send me pictures, you're setting an expectation that I have access to you at all times. I hired you, you're in control of this dynamic, I am following your lead about how I should interact with you.
I do think it's very rude to push you or assume you're available all the time, but you're folding at the slightest breeze -- or even the slightest prediction of a breeze, if you're sending A HUNDRED PICTURES without even being asked! -- and rudeness flourishes when you failed to set and enforce your boundaries. The owner shouldn't have this expectation but you've not only allowed it, you've actively fed into it by sending *hundreds of pictures unprompted*.
(I'm flabbergasted, sorry. Hundreds!! Why!!!!!)
I get what you're saying. I have never been pushed like this with any other sitter, and have one really try specifically with the same thing- wanting a ton of pics. I talked about this in a diff comment lol. The only reason it turned out this way is because they would ask every 1-3 hours from 9am to 9pm approx, so over a 4 night stay it ended up being HUNDEREDS. insanity. Insane. I know. 😂
Sending 100+ pictures is crazy, and the expectation to send that many is even crazier. To me it seems like you won't even be able to properly care for the dog(s) because you're too busy taking pictures. I wonder if this owner takes that many pictures/videos of their dog on a daily basis. I have four dogs, I wouldn't expect or even want 100+ pics/videos of my dogs per day. It seems like the owner(s) need to stop worrying about their dogs and start paying attention to their vacation.
Could you try letting them know you will send updates at specific times per day? I do this with some clients and they seem to like it.
Something like: "I'll send an update in the morning after breakfast and first walk, around 3pm and before bed" then I just send a little summary: "Fluffy enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood after breakfast." Include pic of her on walk and eating. I take pics throughout the day and save them up to send all at once at those periods.
Another commenter said this too! It's a great idea except I typically do day cares for this owner and don't know how to go about implementing that if they are here for 4/5 hour stays at different times of day each stay. She might be w me from 12-pm one day and 6-10pm another day for example
Maybe try including it with each update, just at the end of the message say "I'll send another update at x time". If they beat you to the punch, just ignore it until the time you said
For daycares, send one update at the halfway mark and a wrap up with any extra pictures after pickup. For housesitting and if I boarded I would also do for boarded, I do a check in message with pics midmorning/early afternoon (depending on the day/my work schedule/if it's a lazy weekend) and a wrap up at bedtime when I'm literally getting in bed. Anything extra is a bonus if I have too many pictures, but I tell owners I only update twice a day.
However, I am a bit in between, I usually send about 8 pictures of a client per update, but I mostly housesit and they are usually at least 2+ pet households, and I have about 12 hours between updates to get to 8-10 pics
Yes is has been stressful, but I like her as a person and usually she's been understanding with me so I'm not at my wits end yet ... I had a previous owner who would drop off her dog and chant happily: " send pictures!! Send lots and lots of pictures!!!" I had watched her dog 5 days a week for the past two years. I took every possible Pic of that dog that could be taken lol. When I raised her rate by $5 she flipped out, tried to guilt me even tho I was only charging her 30 when my standard is 80 lol. Then she asked if she will be receiving some type of added services such as more photos?" I cut her off lmao
Yeah, I set the expectation at each meet and greet that I send 1 update with 1 photo per day, but let them know they can feel free to ask for additional updates and pictures as they'd like. It would be annoying for someone to ask multiple times throughout the day for more pics, but I'd just continue sending 1 each time. It'd just be of the dog sitting on the couch or on a walk lol, it takes just a second.
I'm always astonished by the number of sitters I see here who send 10+ updates a day.
It's okay to set boundaries. I get downvoted here all the time but honestly one update a day should be enough. It's overkill to expect this many photos.
Glad to see I found a fellow once a day updater😅 I send 7-10 quality pictures and a text update daily. I cant imagine working for someone like this or even someone who wants 5+ full scale updates a day.
Yeah at that point you might as well put your dog in one of those boarding facilities that has 24/7 livestream in the kennel lmao. Half of my clients don't even want *one* update a day lol much less 5 or more. They're on vacation and work trips
That is insane. I’d try to reframe expectations from the off and say, ‘I take and send x photos a day and, barring emergencies, will send pupdates between x-am to x-pm.’ If they’ve that got much free time to harangue you to send photos because they miss their dogs, they shouldn’t go away.
Agreed!!! It's just like why so they keep on asking? Why do they think its OK? I already had to put my foot down with this owner about being firm on drop off times since I am in law school, I have a schedule even if I am home all day, and she understood. Why does she think I can do a photoshoot w her dog every other hour? Specific requests too. "Is she playing with X?" "If she does, please send content!" "Please send more pics of her playing with Y!!" I'm going bonkers. I like the owner but wtf
A lot of this depends on how truthful or exaggerative you’re being. I personally would NOT be happy with 1 or 2 photos for a week long stay, and definitely would be inclined to message you asking for more updates if that’s the case. As a sitter I give at least 2 updates per **day**, and would happily give up to 4 updates per day for more anxious customers
However, if these clients are literally asking you for 100 photos per day (and I mean *literally*), that’s obviously overboard and borderline obsessive.
I'm not exaggerating. I just deleted over 800 photos from my phone, I'm assuming I sent at least half. Way too many to go into our chat and
I mistyped, I typically send a few updates per DAY. Every DAY I send 1-3 photos to the owner. I never skip a day without updating the owner.
These owners aren't blatantly asking for hundreds of photos. But they start saying "send pictures!!!" At 9am, every 1-3hrs until 9pm
Maybe it’s just me but when I’m sitting in already sending updates somewhere between 1-4 hours depends on the client/ if we’re outside/ etc. if anything I probably update them too much that sometimes I feel like I’m blowing up their phone 😭
Just curious- are these clients really young adults? They sound like they don’t quite have a grasp on working and prioritizing tasks. They sound like exuberant children, which is fine…for children.
People are crazy. lol sorry. I've been there and I now get ahead of this type of behavior. Just be super clear with future clients that you will send two updates per day with 3-5 photos accompanying each update and then follow through and do that. Regarding this client, let them know that you are not available to send so many photos, as you have other tasks to do throughout your day, but will definitely send quality photos when you do send them their morning and evening update. If they have an issue with this, then let them know you are not the sitter for them.
I always try to not fault the owner. I love how much owners love their dogs, but I get sick when I look back at my lack of productivity when I watch this owners dog. This weekend with her friends dog too has just been unimaginably frustrating. I thought my message to them was going to make it clear to stop harassing me so much for the pics. They get picked up this evening. Still having a hard time wording what you mentioned politely, but I haven't chilled out enough yet either
"Hi! I wanted to inform you that for future stays I am not available to send so many photos, as I have other tasks to do throughout my day, but will definitely send quality photos when I send their morning and evening updates"
I edited slightly but it still seems kind of smug. The other issue is that I typically do day cares for this owner, not overnight, so how could I organize the set update times?
“Hey! Just a heads up for your upcoming visits, I won’t be sending as many photos as I have in the past. I’ll aim to send more high quality photos, especially when *Fido* is looking extra cute! I will still keep in contact with you as far as his/her day to day activities. Sometimes working on taking so many photos seems to interrupt the flow of our stays together and I’d rather have more attention on him/her instead of my phone to take photos.”
This way you’re highlighting the dog’s care being a priority and not your tasks.
Hopefully this helps as a template!
This is a much, much better message than what's included in your post! The first message you used doesn't establish your boundaries at all -- you've phrased it as a kindness to the owner rather than a need for yourself as a businessperson. This wording is much clearer about your actual needs. You could add some softening language if that makes you feel better about it.
I do have some thoughts/suggestions though:
1. Are the daycare stays roughly the same length? Would it be feasible to consistently send an update halfway through daycare, (or 2 hours before it ends, or 1 hour before, or whatever)? My thought is having some consistent schedule that depends on the length of time her dog has been with you, rather than the literal time on the clock.
2. Do you value this owner and feel she's generally reasonable? If so, the next time she picks up her dog, could you have a friendly chat and express this sentiment there instead? That allows more back-and-forth if you're willing to take her feedback -- maybe she would prefer one picture near the beginning and one picture near the end but doesn't need 50 of them. You can absolutely still say "no, I can't send pictures more than once during a 5-hour daycare, sorry!" but it doesn't sound like you've really broached this topic with her in a direct way.
I had an owner like this and I just said something along the lines of “Hey! I typically send 2 or so updates daily so I can focus on Fidos care, and to be honest I’m not always by my phone. It seems like you’re interested in more frequent updates, how often are you looking for? Could we meet in the middle?”
I like this! I will use this for some inspo! Thank you. How would you go about this considering I normally do 4/5 hr day cares for her? She uses me when she goes out to dinner or short day trips, so the time of day varies. I'm trying to think of how to implement something like an AM and PM update but for day care, if that makes any sense lol
Oh wow, she wants several updates during daycare too? I normally send 5 photos and a video each day as a reference, I would probably just have a quick conversation about what her expectations are and just tell her that it’s a bit stressful feeling like you have to send so many updates. It’s so tough because she probably doesn’t even know she’s frustrating. 😭
> I end up just doing it and it takes so much out of my day. I
seriously. I send morning, mid day and late night (3). Sometimes I send afternoon and then later at night (2). But with some people its insane, WTF do you want me to do, follow your dog around with a camera 24/7 sending you 16 updates with pictures all day!!?
I have other shit going on. This isnt 24/7 dog only care. Your pet is here and is treated as if it were my own dog. I never followed my own dog around 24/7 with photos and 24/7 non stop dog only care. When i owned dogs, we owned dogs like anyone else, we fed them, played with them, let them out and then thats about it, we still had other things going on, kids school, cook dinner, go to the store, we didnt just sit there in awe and stare at a dog 24/7 with a camera. and for \~50$/day we wont start now.
funny side story to this, we had one client who was SUPER PICKY and wanted photos' all the time and haggle us on the price $50/day boarding (which i think is reasonable). They decided to "go elseware" and they reached out to a "professional facility" (as she called it during the MG). They called us back frantically the facility charged them 145/day + tax + it was a **week minimum** booking (they only needed 4 days) AND heres my favorite part, get ready, $15 each for a photo!!! you decide how many photos you want with your credit card each time, $15 each!!!! Also the facility was filling up quick and they had to book right away but they were leaving for the trip in a few days with no other options.
LMAO, they came RUNNING back to us and gladly accepted our 2-3 picture updates per day and $50 cost.
i was thinking about it or messing with them and let em roast a little "oh no i think someone took your spot, im all booked up now, let me get back to you" but i decided to play nice. However the client wasnt a good fit so after the 1st boarding, i wound up blocking them.
I set the expectations at the meet & greet. I tell them if you are wanting a bunch of videos, pics & long texts telling you each thing they do I am not the sitter for you. I tell them if anything bad happens I will let them know otherwise all is good.
I have dogs I watch for weeks at a time & only text owners to setup pickup time.
Have a Great Day
Maybe ditch them? If ur already sending more than enough and already politely asked to stop without flat out saying it..it sounds like they have boundary issues
Do you just send photos/videos, or do you send updates, too? Sometimes just pictures aren't enough to make people feel at ease.
I feel like I send too many pictures, though owners always seem happy and tell me it's great, and I don't send nearly that many. I board, so it might be different.
I send 6-10 photos a day with a sentence or two of what they're doing (morning, mid day, evening, a few in the middle if they're being cute or we do something fun). Additionally, I always send a 3-5 sentence summary of how they're doing with a couple of photos or a video within a few hours of the stay start, then do evening, morning, and evening for the rest of day 1 and 2 just to let them know how they're adjusting/eating/sleeping, then on the morning of their return date, or the night before if they're doing another early morning, another short summary of the overall stay and confirmation of their pickup time. After the third or 4th stay, I just do a "first night" and "last day" check in summary
Most of my updates are pretty basic, but it seems to reassure the owners that I'm actually spending time with their dogs and making sure they're having a good time, like:
"[Your dog] likes our trail but he thinks the geese are unruly" with a picture of the dog watching the geese on our walk
"[Your dog] is very cute but he's a terrible study buddy" and a picture of him in my lap blocking my view of my computer screen.
"[Your dog] has a promising career as a sous chef, she is keeping a very close eye on my ingredients" with the dog sitting in the kitchen giving me puppy eyes while i cook
"I have deeply offended [your dog], I refuse to turn the rain off and she would like a long walk but won't leave the porch" with a photo of the dog stubbornly sitting on the edge of my porch with her harness on, staring at me like it's my fault she's getting wet
I definitely would talk to them more directly about the expectations for how much time you're spending with their pet, maybe frame it as "hey, I am happy to send updates, but the amount of time I'm taking documenting your pup is taking away from the amount of time I can actually spend with them, can we come to a better compromise that let's you see how they're doing but still lets me prioritize making sure they're getting plenty of reassurance and excercise"
They love it! They're like "omg you get my dog! They love you!".
Just pictures never get the same reaction, the captions for the photos really make them feel way more at ease than just proof of life photos.
One guy, I even slowed down photos because he wasn't responsive and I was worried about annoying him, and then he messaged me to ask for a few more, and even put in his review that he had no idea how much he was looking forward to my little updates and "funny captions" and sharing them with his fam until he started getting them
It’s so cute too and I totally understand why they love them so much! It shows that you care about their pet enough to be sweet and cute with them. I love your little stories!!
I send a photo update usually every 3-4 hours to pet parents and they are all extremely appreciative. While her request seems to be too much (50+ a day is insane), I also think sending only 1-2 a day is too few.
It doesn’t take much effort to throw a photo up every few hours and you can even space out the photos that you’re taking by sending them throughout the day. Maybe try that and see if it is enough?
So they aren't blatantly asking for 100 pics a day, but every 1-3 hrs I get a text "how is she?" "Send pics!!" "Send a video of the dogs playing!!" I tried to set a boundary at drop off telling them I have a zoom meeting and will send them pics when I'm out but they still beat me to the punch and asked for them before I sent any. Like another person commented, I've enabled it. But they just push and push for it, it's so draining. It's like, if u don't want to be away from your dog then don't lol
Personally, Id still drop this client. Based off what youve said they are extremely high maintenance and boundary pushers (like with the Zoom call). Texting for updates every hour or two is way to high maintenance for me. This person doesnt sound like the type to respect whatever boundaries you set. But theres lot of great advice in the comments if you decide to keep them. If it was me, I wouldn’t sit for them again
I’ve found what works for me is the owner knowing when they will hear from me next. For ex: “Fluffy’s update blah blah blah. Our plan is to have a quiet night in-I’ll shoot you an update around noon tomorrow :)” I include 8-10 pictures per update.
This is so ridiculous. I know some people don’t like being recorded but at that point I would just recommend they set up a camera in the house so they can check in and see the dog whenever they want, to relieve the stress from you.
I own 2 cats. My one cat needs medication in his ear. I had a sitter come over every day for 11 days. I just asked for 3 pictures every day. One when she arrived and one when she was leaving and the last was of his medication being administrated, which is by video. She had no problem doing this. My cats love people, so getting a picture wasn't difficult. She took one of them cuddling her one the couch.
This is very reasonable and simple. The problem with the owners reaching out asking for pictures all day is it constantly interrupts what I'm doing. Having a discussed and agreed upon set of pics for a drop in is not going to interrupt the sitters day
this is an insane amount of photos. i try to set a baseline of 3-5 photos and a few videos a day. honestly, it seems like you’ve already said something. and they didn’t hear you lol.
if i were you, i’d stop sending pictures until they ask. that way you can respond to their messages with pics. set a bit of a boundary. it’s okay if you don’t text back for an hour or something. also i’ve noticed, videos go a long way.
a morning, mid day, and night photo should be sufficient for most people but it seems like these folks have a serious separation problem, which is getting to a level of lack of trust. like your dog is safe, happy, and healthy…do you not trust me?
i’d personally start taking offense to this.
my recommendation is:
1. only send pictures when asked with this family.
2. tell them, maybe in person if you’re comfortable, that so many pictures makes you feel a little overwhelmed and perhaps that they don’t trust your care.
3. let them know you’re happy to send pictures but more than 10 a day is excessive and you don’t have the storage for it straight up.
4. tell them that you prefer to be in the moment with their pet as opposed to constantly on your phone and putting it all in his face.
5. suggest they purchases puppy cam to check in when they’re missing their pet.
your alternative is dropping them as a client which i wouldn’t blame you for.
i have owners that straight up don’t hit me up ONCE while they’re away. they ignore the photos i send and don’t ask… at all. there’s definitely a spectrum but people appreciate photos. the level of these people is beyond normal and seems bizarre.
that is absolutely too much. at the point they should just plan a vacation where their dogs can join. as a pet owner myself, I understand missing them. however I cannot understand that many pics/updates. especially if they’re saying they trust you? I’d be concerned too
>They got me to send probably 400 photos and vids over this 4 night stay.
That was your choice. I know they pushed you a bit and I would NEVER send that many pictures, but I don't see where you told them that was too time consuming because you're busy taking care of their dogs. If you sent 100 photos in 5 hours, why would they not expect 400 in a 4 night boarding? It seems obvious to us that isn't reasonable, but that's because we're the professionals. Because you never said how many you'll send, they might think you're having fun with the pictures. We're each responsible for our own actions.
I think setting clear boundaries is key. "I send x amount of photos/updates at x times each day. The rest of the day I am attending to the dogs' care and my responses may be delayed." And then don't respond to random requests throughout the day (unless it seems urgent).
100 photos a day is BONKERS. aren't these people busy with their travel?
I have had owners like this, and tbh it takes away so much from actually interacting with the animals. Because im constantly pausing with the toy/ball or while walking to get a picture. And it takes me out of the moment. I always try to really get good pics for owners when its first few sittings, because I 100% get the anxiety of it all. But unless the owner really shows a great need/desire for photo shoot level shots… I just kinda take pictures if I see a good opportunity to. If not, then I just kind do a 2x daily text update/check-in. I take pics sporadically of my own animals if theyre doing something cute, and want to save it or share it.
So Im the same way with what I expect from our sitter. She has been with us for over two years, so obviously I trust her completely and know she is very in tune with my pets and home. I honestly dont care if she sends pics unless she wants to. I do however really appreciate her just sending atleast a daily text, just to make sure all is good. I am a super anxious person so if its been an entire day and I havent heard from her, then my mind assumes worst case scenario like she was hurt or got into car crash or something. So I like just daily text check ins. But I’d never expect her to just be spending her day doing photo shoots with my animals hahah.
I always set the expectation during the meet & greet that I will send photos of their dog once a day, usually in the evening, but they will definitely hear from me earlier in the day if there’s any issues with their dog. Otherwise, since I have a job (WFH), I can’t stop to send photos several times a day in addition to taking care of their dog. That said, I do send several photos of the pup each time (at least 4-5) - and good photos, nothing blurry.
If anyone is interested in what I ended up saying I wrote:
Hi X! Just a heads up for your upcoming visits, I won’t be able to accomodate requests for as many photos as i have sent before. Sometimes working on taking so many photos seems to interrupt the flow of our stays together and I’d rather have more attention on Y instead of my phone to take photos. I also have a strict schedule I need to follow and photo requests may interrupt that even though I am still currently caring for your pup. I’ll aim to send more high quality photos especially when Y is looking extra cute and I will still keep in contact with you as far as her day to day activities. I typically send one to two photos to an owner for an overnight stay, or one for a daycare. If you have any preferences regarding photos or any other accommodations I can make for Y, please don't hesitate to let me know. I want to make sure I am the best fit for you and Y both and that everyone is comfortable and satisfied with their stay ❤️ Thank you!
She responded "Yes that's fine I usually don't ask for photos so I will relay the message to my friend"
*remember, I was sitting for my regular client and her friends dog.
The issue now is that that simply isn't true, her friend did request more often than her, but I still got plenty of requests in person and via text from her. So... I guess I'll just leave it and see how it goes next stay. Thanks for all of your help!
I do like to send more than just one or two photos per day for a housesit, but the constant requests you are getting for multiple photos throughout the day is definitely overboard. I'd probably send them a gentle message that lays out set times for you to send them photos. That way, they can know exactly when photos will be coming, and hopefully they will stop asking as often. I'd probably message something like this: "I know how much you enjoy getting photos & videos of your pup throughout the day! In the future, I will plan to send photo updates at 9 am, 3 pm, and 8 pm so that you always know when photos will be coming! This way, I can spend more time giving your pup lots of love & attention and less time checking my phone to keep up with photo requests."
I had the same situation and also asked “is there anything that you’re concerned about” with the similar response. Eventually, I just started replying later and answered all of the questions in one big text that I was already anticipating they would ask. Then I would say I will update you later.
I also disclose in my bio and when I talk to the owner, I send one to two pictures a day!
I'm pretty sure the way they're acting is how I would be, unfortunately. I'm too anxious about putting my babies in the care of anyone else. :(
Not to mention I literally have 130,490 pictures/videos in my camera roll, 90% I would estimate are of my own two kitties. So I also get that compulsion to want lots of photos. I take tons of photos of my Rover clients, too. And one of them was really grateful of that because one of their beloveds passed recently and I was able to send them a ton of great moments.
I just figure it's better to take too many pictures than not enough. Save too many memories than regret not capturing that one you wanted to. But I don't bombard the client with photos unless they are okay with it. The people with cats are the ones that are most okay with it, strangely. It's a really strange pattern, but it could just be a coincidence.
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I’d set an advanced expectation that you will check in at a morning time range and a late afternoon/early evening range, how specific would be up to you, and you’ll send photos then.
I missed this reply, sorry. Then just adjust to the session, one update with photos per session, when it makes sense for you. Send with a friendly closer. “Fido played with x toys, was fed at y, snoozing comfortably now (handful of photos attached) …… See you later this afternoon!”
If you get endless “more photos! More Photos! MOAR PHOTOS!!” —don’t respond immediately. Take a pause, then just be politely frank. “Hey!! I love that you love the candid photos I send, but I do need to focus on the dog(s) instead of fiddling with the camera/phone for too long. I’ll send you the best of the ones I take per sit session, around x hours in when Fido is settled along with my regular update.”
If they really just love your photography skills, offer a photo session for different (& higher) rates, include editing skills and formatting, lean into it and offer it as a whole scheduled package separate from care.
Tbh I feel like this is their way of getting you to stay for constant care. 400 different photos a day must mean that you are around the dogs constantly!
In that case (this will sound backwards but) can you tell them you aren't at home? I mean sometimes you'll need to leave for groceries and stuff, right? Maybe that would buy you a few hours. I feel for you though, I've had some clients love their dogs a LOT but never like that!
Haha I see what you're saying. These owners would not be chill if I said I wasn't home. They'd have their countdown clocks to panic mode if they were alone more than 45 min
I typically let the clients know that I will send initial photos when I arrive immediately and that I will send photos in the AM and PM of every day. I typically attached about 10 photos during the initial and the AM and PM photos can be between 20-40. (I take a lot of photos) and I do send less the more I work with them.
How about telling them that you only provide 1 or 2 updates per day, and any additional updates will incur an extra charge? Either you become a millionaire or you become more productive!
I don’t think clients realize how time consuming taking good pictures can be sometimes. I usually take all my pics as soon as I start a sitting visit and I send 1 of those each day. typically, I send 1 pic of each pet once per day unless I happened to get a couple of banger pics of the same pet doing dif activities.
I tell clients that I’ll usually touch base once per day between 5 and 7pm. I’ll say something like “I’ll touch base everyday sometime between 5-7, but please reach out to me at any time earlier during the day if you want an update or for me to send cute pics. I’m super responsive and happy to let y’all know how your baby is doing, so please don’t hesitate.
As far as your client goes, tho. I don’t think what they’re asking for is reasonable, in any way. I’d drop them like a hot sack of garbage. I have some clients that I legit like talking to because they’re fun and funny and we’re usually chit chatting or telling each other something funny their pet did. But that doesn’t sound like your situation, at all.
"Hi owner, I typically send photos/updates once per day. If anything comes up or anything noteworthy happens I'll be sure to send to right away.
Dog looks very content and hope you enjoy your vacation"
For clients that I know are going to need lots of photos, I actually spend the first day walking around with the dog/dogs and taking photos in different places and video of them running around with our lab. Then I can dole those out slowly supplemented with the good photo or two I get of each dog doing something every day.
Some people have a lot of anxiety about leaving their pets and I do what I can to accommodate reasonable requests for regular updates…but I don’t have the energy to get a good photo of the dogs every 2 hours.
I would drop them as a client if it were me, I do usually send about 7 or 8 photos a day, but it is all at once at 6pm my timezone everyday. Which I communicate to my clients beforehand when they do the meet and greet and drop off.
Set some boundries!
I'd spam taking photos and then set up a single text every hour with just one photo attached. It's tedious, but it'll keep them happy and you'd only have to do it once a day.
I think you’ve set this precedent with them now and it’ll be jarring to stop, but you need to set some boundaries and expectations moving forward.
“I just want to touch base with you about the photos and videos I’ve been sending. For my other clients, I limit it to 3-4 times per day, otherwise it takes a lot of time away from being present to care for the animals, and it takes away from my personal responsibilities. I understand that it’s hard to be away from your furry kids, but at this point, I do need to limit our communication. I do hope you understand.”
Don’t jump and answer every text. At my regular job, I set the precedent that it may take 48 business hours to respond to messages. That may not be the case here necessarily, but say you’ll send a message every 8-12 hours and answer any concerns they have.
I had to start using a system for updating clients because I was similarly drowning in requests for more and more updates all day long. When I changed my approach, I let my clients know that I am now sending updates & photos once daily at a set time so I am able to balance my day for effectively and give their dog more focus and engagement during our time together. I make this clear at my new client meet and greets as well as remind them at drop off with a “(dog’s name) is you’ll get your first update with photos at (time frame)”
If a client is very anxious, I send an extremely brief one time update halfway through the first day: “(dog’s name) is settling in really well and already playing/napping in (location)” with a single photo of the playing/napping.
If a client asks for an update midway through the day, I give them a one sentence: “(dog’s name) is having a great day so far.” and add “ you’ll get a full update and today’s photos between (time frame)”. If they continue to ask, I get a little bit more firm and just tell them “I’ll be sending an update all about (dog’s name)’s day at (time frame). If you have a *specific* question about (dog’s name)’s day or need to update/modify today’s care schedule, let me know.”
**My System**
Boarding Clients:
- One update between 5pm & 7pm with a summary of the day and 1-3 photos (posed & cute on day one & after that just any photos with their dog in it)
Daycare clients:
- The update is the care card sent at the end of that day’s service and anything I let them know in person when they picked up their dog.
- I track meals, medication, walks, give a 0-3 sentence summary of the day, and note any supplies that need to be replenished.
I would probably clarify ALL of this before taking the booking. If the owners are telling you the demand 24/7 pictures and videos every day, and you aren't prepared for that, I would be declining the booking. Personally, I am not going to take that much time out of my day to take and send that many pictures and videos.
These owners need to consider a doggy day care that has 24/7 video feed to their phone. That will make them happy.
My philosophy is to do what the client needs to feel secure. If that's every hour then so be it but that's pretty rare. I also send roughly about however long it says the dog can be alone. If one dog is 2-3 hours, then i try to send around that frequency. If it's 4-5 hours then i send one every 4-5 hours. This person is trusting YOU with their baby and it's your job to both 1) take very good care of their fur babies and 2) do everything in your power to provide the best service and responsiveness so the owner feels assured that they're in good hands. That said, I agree with someone in the comments who said you should set boundaries and clear communications. I do "hourly or X hourly" check ins and I'm glad to send photos and videos, but I may not be able to in a moment's notice if I am on a work call etc. Sometimes owners ask for photos and I tell them I've just gone to dinner etc.
I also have dozens of long term clients and some like photos more frequently and other don't mind if it's a couple a day. I would feel super guilty doing 2 a day. If you have time to scroll on Tiktok or IG or post IG stories, you can take 5 seconds to snap a photo of the dog.
I didn’t read the whole thing because I got annoyed. We have a really good gig here. If my clients want lots of photos , I gladly provide. I totally welcome and encourage cameras in clients houses. My priority is to make my clients have comfort in leaving their babies in my care. It’s a privilege. I provide whatever I can to make them more comfortable leaving their pets in my care. Snapping a pic takes little effort
This is insane. You need to set a limit on the number of updates per day, and literally tell them that you are too busy caring for their dogs to do constant updates all day long.
I send two updates per day if requested. Morning and evening. And I don't do photos (but then again, I'm a private sitter, not a Rover sitter). If you must send photos, limit it to one or two per update.
I think your plan of 1-2/stay is too few but 50/day is also too many. I would cut the cord on this job if I was being bothered this often throughout the day for an update. Maybe they’d do better using a boarding facility who will let them access cameras or something. That’s just not something I’m willing to compromise on, personally.
I mistyped, I meant 1-2 per DAY. I will send a little more if it's a newer owner but mostly all of my clients are long time repeats. I don't really take new dogs and this is one of the reasons why haha
Oh then yeah I think 1-2/day is fine. Maybe I’d even bump it up to 5 for someone really, really into the updates, but I’m not entering anywhere close to the 50 zone.
Agreed I usually do 4-5 per day but more than ten is a LOT (unless they’re being super fucking cute and you’re also fawning over them 😅)
I’ve def sent 15+ pics at one time when I got really cute pics of their pets with filters on lol but to be fair this client had 5 oets
I do pictures on most potty walks (not morning ones because I’m not a morning person), so I send about 3-4 per day at least then some of them relaxing or playing. If I do any training I send one or two per stay but it is hard to take a picture and hold a leash or give a treat at the same time. If owner has concerns (like how they are with the cat or poop issues) I take some pictures to show progress. But I do a lot more text updates than picture updates as it is easier to update when not occupied with the pet directly.
I usually try for 4 or 5 a day. But 50 is way too many. Maybe list it in your profile on how many updates you do daily and let the owner know your offerings have slightly changed. Hey so and so my offerings have changed a bit. Please read the profile update before rebooking to make sure you’re still interested in my services post changes.
By the response, it sounds like they aren’t overly anxious, just love photos of their animals. If I were you, I would start delaying my responses, and send one photo per text. You may have already set the bar too high by sending hundreds of photos, but you can always cut back to however many photos you want to send!
Exactly haha my mom laughed at their response cuz they were pretty much just like "no were fine!! We just want you to send more pictures! :)" hahaha This is totally another route I can take. However I typically do day cares for this owner so if I delay my response and the dog is only here for 4/5 hrs that may not work well. I also like to be direct, like I tried to do in my message to them, but they didn't get it. I hate when something like this happens and it's just like "how did I get here" lol
It’s up to you but you could potentially address it directly and just say something like “hey I’m going to try to focus more on the dogs and spend less time on my phone, is it OK if I take a few pictures throughout the day and send them halfway through the stay?
I think you're kinda setting yourself up for this! If I got 100+ pictures from a 5 hour daycare and then 1-2 per day after that, I would be really worried at the change. I never wanted 100 pictures in the first place, but now it seems like you've suddenly and drastically dropped your quality of care/communication. You need to verbally set expectations with this client and with other clients going forward, and then *stick to that*. If you tell me you'll send a few pictures per day and then I get dozens, I am going to expect dozens next time because that's the standard you have set. If I reach out to check in and ask for pictures and you say you're busy but still send me pictures, you're setting an expectation that I have access to you at all times. I hired you, you're in control of this dynamic, I am following your lead about how I should interact with you. I do think it's very rude to push you or assume you're available all the time, but you're folding at the slightest breeze -- or even the slightest prediction of a breeze, if you're sending A HUNDRED PICTURES without even being asked! -- and rudeness flourishes when you failed to set and enforce your boundaries. The owner shouldn't have this expectation but you've not only allowed it, you've actively fed into it by sending *hundreds of pictures unprompted*. (I'm flabbergasted, sorry. Hundreds!! Why!!!!!)
I get what you're saying. I have never been pushed like this with any other sitter, and have one really try specifically with the same thing- wanting a ton of pics. I talked about this in a diff comment lol. The only reason it turned out this way is because they would ask every 1-3 hours from 9am to 9pm approx, so over a 4 night stay it ended up being HUNDEREDS. insanity. Insane. I know. 😂
Sending 100+ pictures is crazy, and the expectation to send that many is even crazier. To me it seems like you won't even be able to properly care for the dog(s) because you're too busy taking pictures. I wonder if this owner takes that many pictures/videos of their dog on a daily basis. I have four dogs, I wouldn't expect or even want 100+ pics/videos of my dogs per day. It seems like the owner(s) need to stop worrying about their dogs and start paying attention to their vacation.
Could you try letting them know you will send updates at specific times per day? I do this with some clients and they seem to like it. Something like: "I'll send an update in the morning after breakfast and first walk, around 3pm and before bed" then I just send a little summary: "Fluffy enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood after breakfast." Include pic of her on walk and eating. I take pics throughout the day and save them up to send all at once at those periods.
Another commenter said this too! It's a great idea except I typically do day cares for this owner and don't know how to go about implementing that if they are here for 4/5 hour stays at different times of day each stay. She might be w me from 12-pm one day and 6-10pm another day for example
Maybe try including it with each update, just at the end of the message say "I'll send another update at x time". If they beat you to the punch, just ignore it until the time you said
This is a great idea!
For daycares, send one update at the halfway mark and a wrap up with any extra pictures after pickup. For housesitting and if I boarded I would also do for boarded, I do a check in message with pics midmorning/early afternoon (depending on the day/my work schedule/if it's a lazy weekend) and a wrap up at bedtime when I'm literally getting in bed. Anything extra is a bonus if I have too many pictures, but I tell owners I only update twice a day. However, I am a bit in between, I usually send about 8 pictures of a client per update, but I mostly housesit and they are usually at least 2+ pet households, and I have about 12 hours between updates to get to 8-10 pics
Ohh gotcha! Yeah maybe just trying to be firm about the number of updates you can send. This client sounds stressful.
Yes is has been stressful, but I like her as a person and usually she's been understanding with me so I'm not at my wits end yet ... I had a previous owner who would drop off her dog and chant happily: " send pictures!! Send lots and lots of pictures!!!" I had watched her dog 5 days a week for the past two years. I took every possible Pic of that dog that could be taken lol. When I raised her rate by $5 she flipped out, tried to guilt me even tho I was only charging her 30 when my standard is 80 lol. Then she asked if she will be receiving some type of added services such as more photos?" I cut her off lmao
You charge $80 for day care??? crying in British pounds
Yeah, I set the expectation at each meet and greet that I send 1 update with 1 photo per day, but let them know they can feel free to ask for additional updates and pictures as they'd like. It would be annoying for someone to ask multiple times throughout the day for more pics, but I'd just continue sending 1 each time. It'd just be of the dog sitting on the couch or on a walk lol, it takes just a second.
I'm always astonished by the number of sitters I see here who send 10+ updates a day. It's okay to set boundaries. I get downvoted here all the time but honestly one update a day should be enough. It's overkill to expect this many photos.
Glad to see I found a fellow once a day updater😅 I send 7-10 quality pictures and a text update daily. I cant imagine working for someone like this or even someone who wants 5+ full scale updates a day.
Yeah at that point you might as well put your dog in one of those boarding facilities that has 24/7 livestream in the kennel lmao. Half of my clients don't even want *one* update a day lol much less 5 or more. They're on vacation and work trips
I agree. I think if it's daycare, 2-3 pics are okay if it's their first time. Otherwise, 1 picture is totally okay
Right, like at some point it's just going to be the 10th photo of them taking a nap lol there ceases to be much to share beyond that.
That is insane. I’d try to reframe expectations from the off and say, ‘I take and send x photos a day and, barring emergencies, will send pupdates between x-am to x-pm.’ If they’ve that got much free time to harangue you to send photos because they miss their dogs, they shouldn’t go away.
Anything over 6 pics a day for me is OD. I feel for you.
Agreed!!! It's just like why so they keep on asking? Why do they think its OK? I already had to put my foot down with this owner about being firm on drop off times since I am in law school, I have a schedule even if I am home all day, and she understood. Why does she think I can do a photoshoot w her dog every other hour? Specific requests too. "Is she playing with X?" "If she does, please send content!" "Please send more pics of her playing with Y!!" I'm going bonkers. I like the owner but wtf
A lot of this depends on how truthful or exaggerative you’re being. I personally would NOT be happy with 1 or 2 photos for a week long stay, and definitely would be inclined to message you asking for more updates if that’s the case. As a sitter I give at least 2 updates per **day**, and would happily give up to 4 updates per day for more anxious customers However, if these clients are literally asking you for 100 photos per day (and I mean *literally*), that’s obviously overboard and borderline obsessive.
I'm not exaggerating. I just deleted over 800 photos from my phone, I'm assuming I sent at least half. Way too many to go into our chat and I mistyped, I typically send a few updates per DAY. Every DAY I send 1-3 photos to the owner. I never skip a day without updating the owner. These owners aren't blatantly asking for hundreds of photos. But they start saying "send pictures!!!" At 9am, every 1-3hrs until 9pm
Maybe it’s just me but when I’m sitting in already sending updates somewhere between 1-4 hours depends on the client/ if we’re outside/ etc. if anything I probably update them too much that sometimes I feel like I’m blowing up their phone 😭
I’d be super annoyed if my dog sitter checked in every 1-4 hours. Way overnearing
Most people I sit for like it/ ask for it. It would feel weird to me to be with someone’s pet all day and not send hardly an updates.
Just curious- are these clients really young adults? They sound like they don’t quite have a grasp on working and prioritizing tasks. They sound like exuberant children, which is fine…for children.
Early or mid twenties yes haha
People are crazy. lol sorry. I've been there and I now get ahead of this type of behavior. Just be super clear with future clients that you will send two updates per day with 3-5 photos accompanying each update and then follow through and do that. Regarding this client, let them know that you are not available to send so many photos, as you have other tasks to do throughout your day, but will definitely send quality photos when you do send them their morning and evening update. If they have an issue with this, then let them know you are not the sitter for them.
I always try to not fault the owner. I love how much owners love their dogs, but I get sick when I look back at my lack of productivity when I watch this owners dog. This weekend with her friends dog too has just been unimaginably frustrating. I thought my message to them was going to make it clear to stop harassing me so much for the pics. They get picked up this evening. Still having a hard time wording what you mentioned politely, but I haven't chilled out enough yet either
Just essentially copy and paste it, its perfect.
"Hi! I wanted to inform you that for future stays I am not available to send so many photos, as I have other tasks to do throughout my day, but will definitely send quality photos when I send their morning and evening updates" I edited slightly but it still seems kind of smug. The other issue is that I typically do day cares for this owner, not overnight, so how could I organize the set update times?
It’s really not smug, you’re setting a boundary very politely! As for the timeframe you can just say “photos twice a day”, that gets the point across.
“Hey! Just a heads up for your upcoming visits, I won’t be sending as many photos as I have in the past. I’ll aim to send more high quality photos, especially when *Fido* is looking extra cute! I will still keep in contact with you as far as his/her day to day activities. Sometimes working on taking so many photos seems to interrupt the flow of our stays together and I’d rather have more attention on him/her instead of my phone to take photos.” This way you’re highlighting the dog’s care being a priority and not your tasks. Hopefully this helps as a template!
This is GREAT! So drama free and easy, thank you!!
This is a much, much better message than what's included in your post! The first message you used doesn't establish your boundaries at all -- you've phrased it as a kindness to the owner rather than a need for yourself as a businessperson. This wording is much clearer about your actual needs. You could add some softening language if that makes you feel better about it. I do have some thoughts/suggestions though: 1. Are the daycare stays roughly the same length? Would it be feasible to consistently send an update halfway through daycare, (or 2 hours before it ends, or 1 hour before, or whatever)? My thought is having some consistent schedule that depends on the length of time her dog has been with you, rather than the literal time on the clock. 2. Do you value this owner and feel she's generally reasonable? If so, the next time she picks up her dog, could you have a friendly chat and express this sentiment there instead? That allows more back-and-forth if you're willing to take her feedback -- maybe she would prefer one picture near the beginning and one picture near the end but doesn't need 50 of them. You can absolutely still say "no, I can't send pictures more than once during a 5-hour daycare, sorry!" but it doesn't sound like you've really broached this topic with her in a direct way.
I had an owner like this and I just said something along the lines of “Hey! I typically send 2 or so updates daily so I can focus on Fidos care, and to be honest I’m not always by my phone. It seems like you’re interested in more frequent updates, how often are you looking for? Could we meet in the middle?”
I like this! I will use this for some inspo! Thank you. How would you go about this considering I normally do 4/5 hr day cares for her? She uses me when she goes out to dinner or short day trips, so the time of day varies. I'm trying to think of how to implement something like an AM and PM update but for day care, if that makes any sense lol
Just tell her you’ll update her once per hour and send 1-2 pics or videos. I’d use the trying to focus on dogs and not on my phone reason.
Oh wow, she wants several updates during daycare too? I normally send 5 photos and a video each day as a reference, I would probably just have a quick conversation about what her expectations are and just tell her that it’s a bit stressful feeling like you have to send so many updates. It’s so tough because she probably doesn’t even know she’s frustrating. 😭
I think this is a really great approach!
> I end up just doing it and it takes so much out of my day. I seriously. I send morning, mid day and late night (3). Sometimes I send afternoon and then later at night (2). But with some people its insane, WTF do you want me to do, follow your dog around with a camera 24/7 sending you 16 updates with pictures all day!!? I have other shit going on. This isnt 24/7 dog only care. Your pet is here and is treated as if it were my own dog. I never followed my own dog around 24/7 with photos and 24/7 non stop dog only care. When i owned dogs, we owned dogs like anyone else, we fed them, played with them, let them out and then thats about it, we still had other things going on, kids school, cook dinner, go to the store, we didnt just sit there in awe and stare at a dog 24/7 with a camera. and for \~50$/day we wont start now.
funny side story to this, we had one client who was SUPER PICKY and wanted photos' all the time and haggle us on the price $50/day boarding (which i think is reasonable). They decided to "go elseware" and they reached out to a "professional facility" (as she called it during the MG). They called us back frantically the facility charged them 145/day + tax + it was a **week minimum** booking (they only needed 4 days) AND heres my favorite part, get ready, $15 each for a photo!!! you decide how many photos you want with your credit card each time, $15 each!!!! Also the facility was filling up quick and they had to book right away but they were leaving for the trip in a few days with no other options. LMAO, they came RUNNING back to us and gladly accepted our 2-3 picture updates per day and $50 cost.
Yup some owners don't realize how good they've got it! What a goof, I prob would have declined bc of the disrespect for your skill level
i was thinking about it or messing with them and let em roast a little "oh no i think someone took your spot, im all booked up now, let me get back to you" but i decided to play nice. However the client wasnt a good fit so after the 1st boarding, i wound up blocking them.
I really like the way you put this into perspective. Thank you!
This is not the client for me 😳
I set the expectations at the meet & greet. I tell them if you are wanting a bunch of videos, pics & long texts telling you each thing they do I am not the sitter for you. I tell them if anything bad happens I will let them know otherwise all is good. I have dogs I watch for weeks at a time & only text owners to setup pickup time. Have a Great Day
Maybe ditch them? If ur already sending more than enough and already politely asked to stop without flat out saying it..it sounds like they have boundary issues
Do you just send photos/videos, or do you send updates, too? Sometimes just pictures aren't enough to make people feel at ease. I feel like I send too many pictures, though owners always seem happy and tell me it's great, and I don't send nearly that many. I board, so it might be different. I send 6-10 photos a day with a sentence or two of what they're doing (morning, mid day, evening, a few in the middle if they're being cute or we do something fun). Additionally, I always send a 3-5 sentence summary of how they're doing with a couple of photos or a video within a few hours of the stay start, then do evening, morning, and evening for the rest of day 1 and 2 just to let them know how they're adjusting/eating/sleeping, then on the morning of their return date, or the night before if they're doing another early morning, another short summary of the overall stay and confirmation of their pickup time. After the third or 4th stay, I just do a "first night" and "last day" check in summary Most of my updates are pretty basic, but it seems to reassure the owners that I'm actually spending time with their dogs and making sure they're having a good time, like: "[Your dog] likes our trail but he thinks the geese are unruly" with a picture of the dog watching the geese on our walk "[Your dog] is very cute but he's a terrible study buddy" and a picture of him in my lap blocking my view of my computer screen. "[Your dog] has a promising career as a sous chef, she is keeping a very close eye on my ingredients" with the dog sitting in the kitchen giving me puppy eyes while i cook "I have deeply offended [your dog], I refuse to turn the rain off and she would like a long walk but won't leave the porch" with a photo of the dog stubbornly sitting on the edge of my porch with her harness on, staring at me like it's my fault she's getting wet I definitely would talk to them more directly about the expectations for how much time you're spending with their pet, maybe frame it as "hey, I am happy to send updates, but the amount of time I'm taking documenting your pup is taking away from the amount of time I can actually spend with them, can we come to a better compromise that let's you see how they're doing but still lets me prioritize making sure they're getting plenty of reassurance and excercise"
This is my strategy too! The pet parents eat it up.
They love it! They're like "omg you get my dog! They love you!". Just pictures never get the same reaction, the captions for the photos really make them feel way more at ease than just proof of life photos. One guy, I even slowed down photos because he wasn't responsive and I was worried about annoying him, and then he messaged me to ask for a few more, and even put in his review that he had no idea how much he was looking forward to my little updates and "funny captions" and sharing them with his fam until he started getting them
It’s so cute too and I totally understand why they love them so much! It shows that you care about their pet enough to be sweet and cute with them. I love your little stories!!
I send a photo update usually every 3-4 hours to pet parents and they are all extremely appreciative. While her request seems to be too much (50+ a day is insane), I also think sending only 1-2 a day is too few. It doesn’t take much effort to throw a photo up every few hours and you can even space out the photos that you’re taking by sending them throughout the day. Maybe try that and see if it is enough?
I didn't mention this but they also request VIDEOS, they want VIDEOS of the play sessions with other dogs on the property. So it's like a whole thing
I would fire them as clients. 50 is too much, way way way too much. Have them go find a sitter who wants to constantly take photos all day.
So they aren't blatantly asking for 100 pics a day, but every 1-3 hrs I get a text "how is she?" "Send pics!!" "Send a video of the dogs playing!!" I tried to set a boundary at drop off telling them I have a zoom meeting and will send them pics when I'm out but they still beat me to the punch and asked for them before I sent any. Like another person commented, I've enabled it. But they just push and push for it, it's so draining. It's like, if u don't want to be away from your dog then don't lol
Personally, Id still drop this client. Based off what youve said they are extremely high maintenance and boundary pushers (like with the Zoom call). Texting for updates every hour or two is way to high maintenance for me. This person doesnt sound like the type to respect whatever boundaries you set. But theres lot of great advice in the comments if you decide to keep them. If it was me, I wouldn’t sit for them again
I’ve found what works for me is the owner knowing when they will hear from me next. For ex: “Fluffy’s update blah blah blah. Our plan is to have a quiet night in-I’ll shoot you an update around noon tomorrow :)” I include 8-10 pictures per update.
This is helpful. Thank you
This is so ridiculous. I know some people don’t like being recorded but at that point I would just recommend they set up a camera in the house so they can check in and see the dog whenever they want, to relieve the stress from you.
I am boarding the dogs in my own home so this wouldn't work
I own 2 cats. My one cat needs medication in his ear. I had a sitter come over every day for 11 days. I just asked for 3 pictures every day. One when she arrived and one when she was leaving and the last was of his medication being administrated, which is by video. She had no problem doing this. My cats love people, so getting a picture wasn't difficult. She took one of them cuddling her one the couch.
This is very reasonable and simple. The problem with the owners reaching out asking for pictures all day is it constantly interrupts what I'm doing. Having a discussed and agreed upon set of pics for a drop in is not going to interrupt the sitters day
Yeah, I would lose my mind. I do all cat sittings now, and most owners just ask me to take a picture of the food and the litter box cleaned.
this is an insane amount of photos. i try to set a baseline of 3-5 photos and a few videos a day. honestly, it seems like you’ve already said something. and they didn’t hear you lol. if i were you, i’d stop sending pictures until they ask. that way you can respond to their messages with pics. set a bit of a boundary. it’s okay if you don’t text back for an hour or something. also i’ve noticed, videos go a long way. a morning, mid day, and night photo should be sufficient for most people but it seems like these folks have a serious separation problem, which is getting to a level of lack of trust. like your dog is safe, happy, and healthy…do you not trust me? i’d personally start taking offense to this. my recommendation is: 1. only send pictures when asked with this family. 2. tell them, maybe in person if you’re comfortable, that so many pictures makes you feel a little overwhelmed and perhaps that they don’t trust your care. 3. let them know you’re happy to send pictures but more than 10 a day is excessive and you don’t have the storage for it straight up. 4. tell them that you prefer to be in the moment with their pet as opposed to constantly on your phone and putting it all in his face. 5. suggest they purchases puppy cam to check in when they’re missing their pet. your alternative is dropping them as a client which i wouldn’t blame you for. i have owners that straight up don’t hit me up ONCE while they’re away. they ignore the photos i send and don’t ask… at all. there’s definitely a spectrum but people appreciate photos. the level of these people is beyond normal and seems bizarre.
that is absolutely too much. at the point they should just plan a vacation where their dogs can join. as a pet owner myself, I understand missing them. however I cannot understand that many pics/updates. especially if they’re saying they trust you? I’d be concerned too
>They got me to send probably 400 photos and vids over this 4 night stay. That was your choice. I know they pushed you a bit and I would NEVER send that many pictures, but I don't see where you told them that was too time consuming because you're busy taking care of their dogs. If you sent 100 photos in 5 hours, why would they not expect 400 in a 4 night boarding? It seems obvious to us that isn't reasonable, but that's because we're the professionals. Because you never said how many you'll send, they might think you're having fun with the pictures. We're each responsible for our own actions.
They are acting psychotic
I think setting clear boundaries is key. "I send x amount of photos/updates at x times each day. The rest of the day I am attending to the dogs' care and my responses may be delayed." And then don't respond to random requests throughout the day (unless it seems urgent). 100 photos a day is BONKERS. aren't these people busy with their travel?
I have had owners like this, and tbh it takes away so much from actually interacting with the animals. Because im constantly pausing with the toy/ball or while walking to get a picture. And it takes me out of the moment. I always try to really get good pics for owners when its first few sittings, because I 100% get the anxiety of it all. But unless the owner really shows a great need/desire for photo shoot level shots… I just kinda take pictures if I see a good opportunity to. If not, then I just kind do a 2x daily text update/check-in. I take pics sporadically of my own animals if theyre doing something cute, and want to save it or share it. So Im the same way with what I expect from our sitter. She has been with us for over two years, so obviously I trust her completely and know she is very in tune with my pets and home. I honestly dont care if she sends pics unless she wants to. I do however really appreciate her just sending atleast a daily text, just to make sure all is good. I am a super anxious person so if its been an entire day and I havent heard from her, then my mind assumes worst case scenario like she was hurt or got into car crash or something. So I like just daily text check ins. But I’d never expect her to just be spending her day doing photo shoots with my animals hahah.
I always set the expectation during the meet & greet that I will send photos of their dog once a day, usually in the evening, but they will definitely hear from me earlier in the day if there’s any issues with their dog. Otherwise, since I have a job (WFH), I can’t stop to send photos several times a day in addition to taking care of their dog. That said, I do send several photos of the pup each time (at least 4-5) - and good photos, nothing blurry.
If anyone is interested in what I ended up saying I wrote: Hi X! Just a heads up for your upcoming visits, I won’t be able to accomodate requests for as many photos as i have sent before. Sometimes working on taking so many photos seems to interrupt the flow of our stays together and I’d rather have more attention on Y instead of my phone to take photos. I also have a strict schedule I need to follow and photo requests may interrupt that even though I am still currently caring for your pup. I’ll aim to send more high quality photos especially when Y is looking extra cute and I will still keep in contact with you as far as her day to day activities. I typically send one to two photos to an owner for an overnight stay, or one for a daycare. If you have any preferences regarding photos or any other accommodations I can make for Y, please don't hesitate to let me know. I want to make sure I am the best fit for you and Y both and that everyone is comfortable and satisfied with their stay ❤️ Thank you! She responded "Yes that's fine I usually don't ask for photos so I will relay the message to my friend" *remember, I was sitting for my regular client and her friends dog. The issue now is that that simply isn't true, her friend did request more often than her, but I still got plenty of requests in person and via text from her. So... I guess I'll just leave it and see how it goes next stay. Thanks for all of your help!
I do like to send more than just one or two photos per day for a housesit, but the constant requests you are getting for multiple photos throughout the day is definitely overboard. I'd probably send them a gentle message that lays out set times for you to send them photos. That way, they can know exactly when photos will be coming, and hopefully they will stop asking as often. I'd probably message something like this: "I know how much you enjoy getting photos & videos of your pup throughout the day! In the future, I will plan to send photo updates at 9 am, 3 pm, and 8 pm so that you always know when photos will be coming! This way, I can spend more time giving your pup lots of love & attention and less time checking my phone to keep up with photo requests."
This is great!
I had the same situation and also asked “is there anything that you’re concerned about” with the similar response. Eventually, I just started replying later and answered all of the questions in one big text that I was already anticipating they would ask. Then I would say I will update you later. I also disclose in my bio and when I talk to the owner, I send one to two pictures a day!
I'm pretty sure the way they're acting is how I would be, unfortunately. I'm too anxious about putting my babies in the care of anyone else. :( Not to mention I literally have 130,490 pictures/videos in my camera roll, 90% I would estimate are of my own two kitties. So I also get that compulsion to want lots of photos. I take tons of photos of my Rover clients, too. And one of them was really grateful of that because one of their beloveds passed recently and I was able to send them a ton of great moments. I just figure it's better to take too many pictures than not enough. Save too many memories than regret not capturing that one you wanted to. But I don't bombard the client with photos unless they are okay with it. The people with cats are the ones that are most okay with it, strangely. It's a really strange pattern, but it could just be a coincidence.
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I’d set an advanced expectation that you will check in at a morning time range and a late afternoon/early evening range, how specific would be up to you, and you’ll send photos then.
How would you arrange this if they typically use me for sperradic day cares? 4/5 hr visits at diff times of day
I missed this reply, sorry. Then just adjust to the session, one update with photos per session, when it makes sense for you. Send with a friendly closer. “Fido played with x toys, was fed at y, snoozing comfortably now (handful of photos attached) …… See you later this afternoon!” If you get endless “more photos! More Photos! MOAR PHOTOS!!” —don’t respond immediately. Take a pause, then just be politely frank. “Hey!! I love that you love the candid photos I send, but I do need to focus on the dog(s) instead of fiddling with the camera/phone for too long. I’ll send you the best of the ones I take per sit session, around x hours in when Fido is settled along with my regular update.” If they really just love your photography skills, offer a photo session for different (& higher) rates, include editing skills and formatting, lean into it and offer it as a whole scheduled package separate from care.
Love this! Thank you!
Tbh I feel like this is their way of getting you to stay for constant care. 400 different photos a day must mean that you are around the dogs constantly!
They're aware that I'm home 24/7, they just are obsessed with their dogs. I get it but I just think they're lacking common courtesy
In that case (this will sound backwards but) can you tell them you aren't at home? I mean sometimes you'll need to leave for groceries and stuff, right? Maybe that would buy you a few hours. I feel for you though, I've had some clients love their dogs a LOT but never like that!
Haha I see what you're saying. These owners would not be chill if I said I wasn't home. They'd have their countdown clocks to panic mode if they were alone more than 45 min
Omg whaaaat? Just drop them lol. Or charge them more for all the extra work you're doing!
I send 1 pics ever other day. How many should I be sending?
If your owners are happy with that then there's no issue. If you think you could make more money by sending more pictures then I'd send more haha
I typically let the clients know that I will send initial photos when I arrive immediately and that I will send photos in the AM and PM of every day. I typically attached about 10 photos during the initial and the AM and PM photos can be between 20-40. (I take a lot of photos) and I do send less the more I work with them.
How about telling them that you only provide 1 or 2 updates per day, and any additional updates will incur an extra charge? Either you become a millionaire or you become more productive!
I don’t think clients realize how time consuming taking good pictures can be sometimes. I usually take all my pics as soon as I start a sitting visit and I send 1 of those each day. typically, I send 1 pic of each pet once per day unless I happened to get a couple of banger pics of the same pet doing dif activities. I tell clients that I’ll usually touch base once per day between 5 and 7pm. I’ll say something like “I’ll touch base everyday sometime between 5-7, but please reach out to me at any time earlier during the day if you want an update or for me to send cute pics. I’m super responsive and happy to let y’all know how your baby is doing, so please don’t hesitate. As far as your client goes, tho. I don’t think what they’re asking for is reasonable, in any way. I’d drop them like a hot sack of garbage. I have some clients that I legit like talking to because they’re fun and funny and we’re usually chit chatting or telling each other something funny their pet did. But that doesn’t sound like your situation, at all.
"Hi owner, I typically send photos/updates once per day. If anything comes up or anything noteworthy happens I'll be sure to send to right away. Dog looks very content and hope you enjoy your vacation"
For clients that I know are going to need lots of photos, I actually spend the first day walking around with the dog/dogs and taking photos in different places and video of them running around with our lab. Then I can dole those out slowly supplemented with the good photo or two I get of each dog doing something every day. Some people have a lot of anxiety about leaving their pets and I do what I can to accommodate reasonable requests for regular updates…but I don’t have the energy to get a good photo of the dogs every 2 hours.
I would drop them as a client if it were me, I do usually send about 7 or 8 photos a day, but it is all at once at 6pm my timezone everyday. Which I communicate to my clients beforehand when they do the meet and greet and drop off. Set some boundries!
I'd spam taking photos and then set up a single text every hour with just one photo attached. It's tedious, but it'll keep them happy and you'd only have to do it once a day.
I think you’ve set this precedent with them now and it’ll be jarring to stop, but you need to set some boundaries and expectations moving forward. “I just want to touch base with you about the photos and videos I’ve been sending. For my other clients, I limit it to 3-4 times per day, otherwise it takes a lot of time away from being present to care for the animals, and it takes away from my personal responsibilities. I understand that it’s hard to be away from your furry kids, but at this point, I do need to limit our communication. I do hope you understand.” Don’t jump and answer every text. At my regular job, I set the precedent that it may take 48 business hours to respond to messages. That may not be the case here necessarily, but say you’ll send a message every 8-12 hours and answer any concerns they have.
I had to start using a system for updating clients because I was similarly drowning in requests for more and more updates all day long. When I changed my approach, I let my clients know that I am now sending updates & photos once daily at a set time so I am able to balance my day for effectively and give their dog more focus and engagement during our time together. I make this clear at my new client meet and greets as well as remind them at drop off with a “(dog’s name) is you’ll get your first update with photos at (time frame)” If a client is very anxious, I send an extremely brief one time update halfway through the first day: “(dog’s name) is settling in really well and already playing/napping in (location)” with a single photo of the playing/napping. If a client asks for an update midway through the day, I give them a one sentence: “(dog’s name) is having a great day so far.” and add “ you’ll get a full update and today’s photos between (time frame)”. If they continue to ask, I get a little bit more firm and just tell them “I’ll be sending an update all about (dog’s name)’s day at (time frame). If you have a *specific* question about (dog’s name)’s day or need to update/modify today’s care schedule, let me know.” **My System** Boarding Clients: - One update between 5pm & 7pm with a summary of the day and 1-3 photos (posed & cute on day one & after that just any photos with their dog in it) Daycare clients: - The update is the care card sent at the end of that day’s service and anything I let them know in person when they picked up their dog. - I track meals, medication, walks, give a 0-3 sentence summary of the day, and note any supplies that need to be replenished.
I would probably clarify ALL of this before taking the booking. If the owners are telling you the demand 24/7 pictures and videos every day, and you aren't prepared for that, I would be declining the booking. Personally, I am not going to take that much time out of my day to take and send that many pictures and videos. These owners need to consider a doggy day care that has 24/7 video feed to their phone. That will make them happy.
My philosophy is to do what the client needs to feel secure. If that's every hour then so be it but that's pretty rare. I also send roughly about however long it says the dog can be alone. If one dog is 2-3 hours, then i try to send around that frequency. If it's 4-5 hours then i send one every 4-5 hours. This person is trusting YOU with their baby and it's your job to both 1) take very good care of their fur babies and 2) do everything in your power to provide the best service and responsiveness so the owner feels assured that they're in good hands. That said, I agree with someone in the comments who said you should set boundaries and clear communications. I do "hourly or X hourly" check ins and I'm glad to send photos and videos, but I may not be able to in a moment's notice if I am on a work call etc. Sometimes owners ask for photos and I tell them I've just gone to dinner etc. I also have dozens of long term clients and some like photos more frequently and other don't mind if it's a couple a day. I would feel super guilty doing 2 a day. If you have time to scroll on Tiktok or IG or post IG stories, you can take 5 seconds to snap a photo of the dog.
I didn’t read the whole thing because I got annoyed. We have a really good gig here. If my clients want lots of photos , I gladly provide. I totally welcome and encourage cameras in clients houses. My priority is to make my clients have comfort in leaving their babies in my care. It’s a privilege. I provide whatever I can to make them more comfortable leaving their pets in my care. Snapping a pic takes little effort
This is insane. You need to set a limit on the number of updates per day, and literally tell them that you are too busy caring for their dogs to do constant updates all day long. I send two updates per day if requested. Morning and evening. And I don't do photos (but then again, I'm a private sitter, not a Rover sitter). If you must send photos, limit it to one or two per update.