Interested on your views on what happened at dog sitters today..

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CL66

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I took my 2 gsp's to a potential new dog sitters this afternoon to check our her set up, see what she was like etc and so she could meet my boys. she said she was looking after a dog, but that was fine. My 2 have always been fine with other dogs in their home and other homes.

She has her own dog, but obviously he's good with other dogs else she wouldn't dog sit for a living. She's insured and runs it as a legit business.

My younger dog was a bit wary in her house, I guess all the smells of different dogs. He and her dog were having a sniff and then they went for each other. Totally out of character but these things happen.

She was very apologetic, as was I, and said he'd been to the vets today and was maybe a bit grumpy. Her dog took himself off upstairs.

Anyway, I get a text this evening saying she found a puncture wound on her dog and took him to the vet and it was cleaned and he had a jab of antibiotics and would I contribute to the vets bill.

I would have thought things like this would come as part of the territory if you're inviting dogs into your home and this is your business? What do you think?

I have agreed to pay £25 as it was only £50 but it still annoyed me.
 
I'd be a bit miffed tbh. You said in your post that she's insured. £50 is probably below her excess, but then if it's business insurance she can write off excess against tax...... Guess she won't be sitting your dogs!
 
If it were me I would just pay tbh, both dogs went for each other, half and half fair enough...esp as you told her yours might be a bit grumpy after the vets....

These things just happen when you own animals, I would just pay and move on...life's too short! :)
 
I home board dogs and if MY dog was bitten off another I took in to board then "my problem" not yours, I take all dogs, all behaviours and I want owners to feel at ease that I am more then compitent to handle their dogs and anything that arises from dealing with theirs and my own dogs, including scuffles/fights/injury whatever.

She sounds like a poor sitter to me and clueless at that, sorry just my opinion:p
I personally would not pay:p and would not use the service again:p
Did the dogs meet before your took them to her home? did she mention walking her dogs and yours? if not then that to is poor practice.
 
Tbh i think if she knew what she was doing she would have suggested meeting nearby for a quick walk so dogs could meet. Even the calmest dog can take offence to someone being on theirground!
 
Yes, I was the one who had to pull them off each other which worried me greatly seeing as she was meant to be the one in charge, and me the client. I don't think she'd have coped with my 2 anyway. She suggested a dog walk after the event. But my husband and I decided that we'd leave it seeing as it was so out of character for our dog - he's fine at our other dog sitter who has a staffie and a rottie, and our friends who has a crossbreed.

Thanks for your input, my hubby thought I was overreacting getting so cross. If it hadn't been such a small amount I wouldn't have paid.
 
If your dog had been seen to start it then yes I would pay, if it was a mutual tussle then hell no- these things happen when dogs get together, if she thought hers may be grumpy after a vets visit then she should have locked it away.
 
Mmm, my feeling is that SHE's the one running the business - and presumably wishing to gain clients, and this isn't exactly a good way of going about it??

I'd be very unimpressed: she took the risk of taking another dog (yours) into her home, knowing that her own dog was probably feeling a bit vulnerable having been to the vets, and surely that was HER decision? If she's running this as a business, then she should either remove her own dog before others come in (and invade its territory), OR act sweet and shut up & claim on her business insurance surely.

Yes appreciate dogs can get very territorial, BUT you are the customer, and if putting your dog with her for any length of time you would have trusted her basically to look after your dog in your absence wouldn't you? And there might well have been a problem when you weren't there, and it could have been YOUR dog shredded to ribbons.

I think she's got a damned cheek asking you to pay TBH - FFS all she had to do was claim on her business insurance and keep the customer sweet; however I think it may reverberate on her coz word will get around.
 
I used to do dog sitting and whenever I had a new client I would always suggest the first meeting on neutral ground so we could walk the dogs together and I could assess how they were interacting then invite them into our home and it worked really well. This woman does sound a bit clueless especially if she didn't jump in to separate them! She should have settled the vets bill herself as it was her own fault for not assessing the risk in the first place! Plus now she has really shot herself in the foot because bad word of mouth is the kiss of death for a business!.
 
I think she's trying it on. I wouldn't believe her dog had a puncture wound from your dog until I saw receipts with dates and times on. The cynic in me thinks she's trying to get some money to pay whatever vet bill she incurred that morning.
 
CAYLA said:
I home board dogs and if MY dog was bitten off another I took in to board then "my problem" not yours, I take all dogs, all behaviours and I want owners to feel at ease that I am more then compitent to handle their dogs and anything that arises from dealing with theirs and my own dogs, including scuffles/fights/injury whatever.
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Didn't my dog break one of your dogs when he came to stay? :o:(
 
Trouble is she's a friend of my neighbours, and they let my dogs out for me occasionally and have a key, so I don't want to be bad mouthed to them. Tricky situation. Normally I'd never pay as its ridiculous! I have decided to drop in a cheque with a note saying I'm paying as a goodwill gesture as her total bill is small, but had it been anymore I wouldn't and that it's her risk, her business, her responsibility etc. like you've said on here. I'll leave it to her conscience whether she pays the cheque in or not, and I don't end up looking the bad guy :)
 
I don't know how much dog sitting costs really, but she must know you won't be using her services after asking you for the cash! She would have been better off accepting it as a risk of the business she's in and not damaging her reputation..
 
Dear god I'm neither a dog sitter or a dog behaviorist, yet even I when invited to a friends house who had several new dogs Ozzie had never met, suggested we met for a walk before heading back to their house.............basic common sense one would think.
 
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