How to Make Hundreds of Dollars a Month Dog Sitting With Rover
In the Summer of 2019 I created a Rover business after finishing up grad school. My boyfriend and I didn’t have any pets, mainly because were both continuously balancing busy schedules, however we absolutely love dogs. We were planning on adopting one at the time, but we had the heartbreaking realization that our commitments didn’t allow us time to responsibly care for the puppy of our dreams.
On a June morning, I was waiting on a coffee order in a cafe around the corner from my apartment in West Dallas. I was looking at various postings on the “Community Board” nearby the serving counter where I was waiting. I saw a few business cards advertising dog boarding, but the green Rover card caught my attention (likely because I saw that I could download an app for the service). It dawned on me that this could be a great way to spend time with dogs on my own time. I would have the opportunity to feel out what kind of dog could be a suitable companion for my boyfriend and I when we decide to adopt. I knew I was capable of caring for dogs because of my experience owning a Golden Retriever throughout my childhood. I was also deemed the “dog whisperer” (pet sitter) of my friend group. Oh yeah, and the money sounded cool too. As a recent grad, nothing sounded better than being able to make additional income that I could dump directly into my savings (that was nearly non-existent at the time). Without much additional consideration, I created a Rover profile that week.
During the preceding year as a Rover Sitter, I’ve had a consistent flow of bookings, found new connections, created tons of fun memories, and gained the opportunity to picture my family with a dog in the future.
Wether you’re interested in sitting with Rover for fun, money, or a both, I outlined the process I navigated to become a successful sitter. This story will specifically let you know how to create a boarding service — the most common and profitable service to provide with Rover.
1. Create a Compelling Sitter Profile
Basic Info
After you create an account, Rover will guide you step-by-step through entering your information such as your address, phone number, emergency contact, and payment methods. Make sure you fill everything out in its entirety!
Services and Rates
Perhaps the biggest step in developing your sitter profile is determining what services you’re going to provide. You’ll be able to choose from the following.
- Boarding (discussed in this story)
- House Sitting
- Drop-In Visits
- Doggy Day Care
- Dog walking
Rover will let you know that sitters who board dogs are the highest earners. Boarding is by far my most popular service, and it accounts for roughly 85% of my overall bookings.
I suggest selecting a service that caters to your current capabilities. I would think of how much space you have, time you’re able to spend on walks, and willingness to put up with the occasional unexpected mess.
Adding more than one service will diversity your business. This has helped me earn more money — at times I will be boarding a dog in my apartment while also fulfilling 30 minute drop-in visit bookings at someone’s home.
I originally set my rates based on what other sitters in my area were charging for the same service (there wasn’t a science to my thinking), however I made sure that my rates were a bit lower because I was lacking reviews and repeat bookings. I observed that sitters with a large amount of reviews and repeat bookings were able to charge more because of how much they were desired.
For each service you’re able to add additional rates that help you get paid more for the work that you do. For example you can charge more (or less) with a Holiday Rate, Puppy Rate, Bathing and Grooming Rate, and others.
In the “Pet Preferences” section of the sitter profile, you’re able to select the types of dogs you feel comfortable working with (e.g. large breeds, small breeds, and puppies).
Sitter Profile
The sitter profile is your space to shine! You may notice that there are tons of other sitters on Rover, therefore I’d think of your profile as a chance to explain the value of your services and show your personality. Pet owners book sitters with their emotion— they want to picture someone they genuinely trust taking care of their dog. Creating a clean, lighthearted profile can help you attract more clients and distinguish your profile from others.
Use a clear photo of yourself. I would stray away from selfies, old pictures, or pictures with other people (unless they’ll be providing an equal amount of care). The photo could be with or without a dog. I personally use a professional headshot with a warm, pastel background. I’m dressed casually in the photo, and I’m smiling. I want potential clients to know that I love what I do as a sitter and I take the care I provide seriously.
On your sitter profile, you’ll enter a 35 character headline that will show up under your name in search results. I’d make sure this is as descriptive and genuine as possible. More importantly, you’ll also enter an “About Me” narrative as well. Its best that this is descriptive of how your services are unique. For example, since I live in an apartment, I emphasize that I lead an active lifestyle and I’m able to spend an ample amount of time with the pets in the several green spaces adjacent to my home. I also outline my experience sitting dogs and my availability for the different services I provide.
Without having any bookings, you can still have others write a testimonial on you sitter profile. Having at least three testimonials before you get started is a great way to build trust with perspective clients. Perhaps the quality of the testimonial is more important than the person writing it.
2. Provide Stellar Service
Booking Requests
Rover clients will request a service for specific dates and times through a booking request. This basically looks like a typical chat with buttons on the top of the page that allow you to book or modify the service details (time, cost, pick-up and drop-off times, and additional rates). The booking request will also include photos of the dog and their care info. It is best practice to respond promptly to booking requests, even if you’re telling the client you’ll get back to them later— Rover tracks response times and posts them on your sitter profile. I enable Rover notifications and text notifications so I have a better chance of seeing a booking request on my phone. You also have the option to enable email notifications.
After receiving a booking request, either you or the owner can propose a meet and greet. This is a great opportunity to meet the dog and see if you’re comfortable caring for them. Likewise, it helps the owner get to know you and see how their dog responds to you. I only propose a meet and greet if the owner would like to meet me before a booking, or if I’m not sure if the dog is a good fit for my space or schedule. A meet and greet is also a good way to meet perspective clients if they’re weary about using Rover.
Communication is key when you receive a booking request. Rover requires that an owner message at least two sitters when creating a request, so that gives you a 50% chance of getting their business. When you receive a request, I would begin by introducing yourself and letting them know your availability. I usually exchange kind words about their dog based on the dog’s care information — I genuinely appreciate a house-broken and friendly pet that gets along well with people and other dogs. I also ask questions about their pet’s temperament, wether they bark in the house, if they’re allowed on furniture at home, and if they’ll need me to administer medication. During the conversation I also explain how often I’ll take the dog on walks and send pictures. It is important to communicate what the owner should bring with the dog. This is unique for each booking, but generally includes food, medication, toys, and their kennel. This may sound like a lot to remember, but owners appreciate the thoroughness — it demonstrates that you’re a responsible sitter.
Drop-off
Provide detailed directions to your home a day or two before the booking. It also helps to include what to expect during drop off. For boarding services, I believe it is important to invite the owners into your home with the dog so they both can get a feel for where the booking will take place.
During Stay
Send several high quality photos of the dog each day. Make sure they look happy, and take photos both indoors and outdoors. It is important to communicate wether or not the dog is exhibiting their normal eating habits and other usual behavior the owner may have explained (even if its bad behavior). This is key to helping you track how well the dog is adjusting, together, with the owner. Also, communicate any potty accidents, nausea, or injuries. This isn’t intended to scold the owner. Its for the dogs safety and care as you observe their behavior in a new space.
Pick-up
To me, this is the east part of the booking even though I usually miss the dog after they leave! Make sure to communicate the last time the dog ate and any other details about their stay. I always thank the owners for reaching out to me — after all, they have tons of other boarding options!
After Stay
It is imperative that you follow up and ask the owner to write you a review after you review the dog on your end. I’ve been told by countless owners that reviews on a sitter profile are the main thing they look at when choosing a sitter. I also ask permission to add photos from the dog’s stay to my sitter profile.
About a day after the booking ends, the balance from your stay will be redeemable via Pay Pal or check. I recommend Pay Pal because you can deposit the funds directly into you bank account for free. The check option takes 5 days for the funds to be released, and there is a $5 processing fee.
3. Maintain your Business
Calendar
When you update your calendar and confirm your availability, Rover will highlight your profile in the search results. I confirm my availability at least once a day — its as simple as clicking button.
Marketing
Its always helpful to promote your business. You don’t need to an extensive advertising campaign. I began by sitting mutual friend’s dogs and telling people at work about my business. You could use the link to your profile that Rover provides to share your business on social media platforms. Each sitter also has their own promo code that gives new Rover owners $20 off their first booking. This is awesome because you’ll still earn your full rate.
Profile
Post high quality photos of the dogs from previous bookings on your sitter profile. Also update any details that may change over time. Your profile should always be current.
Evaluate
Rover provides private performance scores that help you understand how you stack up against other sitters on the platform. Below is the explanation from the Rover website.
Booking score
“This score consists of your overall booking rate, which looks at the number of new clients who contact you for the first time and measures that against how many of them end up booking with you and leaving you a positive review.”
Repeat score
“Your repeat score tells you how often your first-time clients book with you again. If you haven’t booked enough repeat clients to generate a score yet, then it may appear in gray.”
Adapt
Over time you may need to adapt you services, rates, skills, or home details based on your personal experience working with owners and dogs.
Expand
The number of repeat bookings you have goes hand-and-hand with reviews. This number is displayed on your profile and is important in showing new clients trustworthiness. Try your best to ask your clients to re-book with you in the future, and before you know it you’ll establish lasting relationships. Repeat bookings are also a great way to secure cash-flow!
When you become an awesome Rover sitter, you may be able to take what you’ve learned from developing your Rover profile and create your own independent business. I haven’t done this myself, but with a solid client base you could dodge the 20% withholding Rover keeps from each booking before you get paid. Patience is key when beginning your Rover business. Remember that your passion will carry you forward, and people will always need dog sitters!
