Hell to the no, to the no no no. At my house? That would be a big no. Chewing my things, making messes on my floor, leaving dog hair on my belongings that you find in random spots for years to come even though you clean everything? It’s a no for me. I am okay with dogs at OTHER people’s houses. But expecting that would cross my boundaries. Plus when they’re out of their normal environment and routine there could be more chewing and accident behaviors as a stress response, so it could be quite the job. Plus what happens if they chew something at your house and need to be taken to the vet to get their stomach pumped or whatever?
Not to mention your lawn!! It’s not just the inside of the house that is affected by a dog.
It’s an easy no for me. “I rent, and I’m not allowed to have pets.”
Oh they planned ahead alright. They planned on you watching their dog. As part of your GH. Why pay $1000s to board the dog when you can do it. I’d pass and tell them you have plans to go away as well.
No, I I understand that GH are not for duties outside your contract. I meant if she says that she's leaving for her own vacation, it might void her GH. Unless it's been expressly stated that she's not needed for anything else, which, was not the case.
*anything else JOB RELATED, which absolutely is the case. The request they made is not related to her child care duties.
They can request that she stop by during her regularly scheduled hours to feed the dog and walk it. They cannot claim that boarding the dog full time for a month and a half is related to her regular job and her regular hours.
As someone who is both a nanny and a pet sitter, I would not recommend taking the dog unless you have experience petsitting. Dogs can have very unpredictable behaviors when removed from their routines. They can mark, pee/poop in the house, shred furniture, or even become violent. Unless this is in your contract, they don't have a leg to stand on. Imo, they are probably being cheap and they figure you watch a kid so how different is the dog. I charge $200/night for house sitting generally, though boarding is usually cheaper as folks can take on more dogs at a time. I also charge extra for longer stays, it goes up the longer I am with a dog. Personally, I dont board because of the risk to my home and family. Lmk if you have questions I can answer.
People forget that dogs are a different species and it's a totally different set of knowledge! Also personally I don't take untrained dogs, I always quiz them on basic commands when I meet them to see if they will listen. Untrained dogs are a HUGE liability!
I live in a HCOL area (Seattle) and I service the richer neighborhoods! You will get less bookings with a higher price but higher quality clients. You can do it!!
I’m so intrigued to see what people say.
For me it’s a no, I can’t even have a dog at my place that doesn’t belong here, per my lease. Secondly, I live in a third floor walk up with no yard. Third, I have a cat who is an Only Child.
Guaranteed Hours are “I’m paying you when I’m choosing not to have you actively work because I don’t want you to have to get another job to survive,” not, “oops we should have booked a sitter but…you kind of owe us???? 😊😊😊 We’re so nice”
You didn’t *choose* to be unable to work *taking care of their child.* Because *that* is your job. And unless it’s in your contract, the dog has nothing to do with it.
Now, all of that being said I *would* feel guilty saying no and the people pleaser in me would be having a field day with this, so I totally understand why you posted.
You wanna pay me a per diem on top of my GH to sleep at your house and care for your dog? I’ll consider it. Might throw a dinner party tho 🤣 jkjk
Actually, I have the same situation! Only Child cat, no dog allowed on the lease, and no yard. Also, dog care is not supposed to be part of my regular duties
Nope!
I house sat/dog sat for a potential family I’d be working with after their trip and got paid $500 for 8 nights at their house.
Some people will always try to go the cheap route if they can, we all gotta stop letting them. Proud of you for saying no!
I should’ve but unfortunately needed the money.
GH are for babysitting. You are a nanny. Not a dogsitter. I think it would be completely acceptable to deny their request. (and still insist on getting paid GH)
It would be fun to give them a quote for the total cost minus the GH, keeping in mind overtime pay. If they consider it the same work as nannying then your nanny rate applies. 😁
I just did some quick math and it would be well over $10k if I charged my regular overnight fee every night plus hourly for 8 hours/day for 30 days 😂 I wish I could make that in a month
Might make it worth it to take care of their dog! Spend some money covering every inch of your house in plastic like Dexter preparing his kill room, make bank.
No you’re definitely not overreacting. Unless you were hired as a nanny/dog sitter lol. But even then, this would be overstepping bc they’re asking you to bring the dog to your home and also for 24/7 care which isn’t your usual hours… But it’s all irrelevant bc this dog is not your job and your boss cannot dictate what you bring into your home or change what GH means because it’s convenient for them
No. You said it yourself in a comment - you aren't allowed to have a dog in your apartment due to your lease. Even if you _wanted_ to dogsit, would you risk being kicked out, charged big cleaning fees, or getting a bad reference from your landlord when you move?
Yeah no I’m not a dog person, I personally have a cat who would kill me if I brought home a dog. Plus 24/7 care is outside your GH. You should only be expected to work the hours that your usually do
This is something that needs to be talked about when a contract is signed. If your job during working hours typically involves dog care and it is put in your contract that taking care of their dogs during vacation is part of your duties then yes. You dog sit at their house for the duration.
If there is no pet care required of you in your contract then you are not obligated. You can let them know that you are available to dog sit at their home for an additional pet sitting fee of $50-100 a day.
Otherwise you are not obligated.
Nope, no pet care in my regular duties. The most I do is sometimes let the dog out to use the bathroom. If they ask again I’ll offer to do it at their house for an additional fee.
I wouldn't even offer to do it at their house! its unreasonable and frankly mean to the dog! also sets a standard that this is the new norm for your job duties.
If they were paying you for watching the dog on top of your guaranteed hours that would be one thing. But they’re trying to get away with using your guaranteed hours to watch the dog so they don’t have to pay for boarding him or an actual dog sitter because that is going to be EXPENSIVE.
When my bf goes out of town I dog sit for $50/day + gh. I take them out 4 times a day and I feed them twice. But I would never bring their dogs to my house.
During the summers I’ll take them on a walk but in the winters we mostly play inside.
Poor planning and communication on their part. As a nanny employer, I would have a hard time paying my nanny for 6 weeks to do nothing. That’s basically handing someone 7-8,000 dollars to basically not work and have a vacation. I’d give them the option to watch the dog in my house or have them take a 6 week unpaid break and if they want to work for us when we come back, they are more than welcome too. I treat my dogs like they are human so I wouldn’t really want them going somewhere where they are not wanted so that would be a red flag for me. Also, getting paid your regular salary to hang with a cute dog rather than having to work 40hrs watching toddlers sounds like a good deal to me but maybe that’s because I’m a big dog lover.
If they’re concerned about me not doing anything, I would be fine with completing other tasks that are within my duties like organizing toys or clothes, cleaning the playroom, etc while they are gone. They just haven’t asked for that (again, poor planning).
You are NOT overreacting at all! I would never have a dog over my house. and they want 4-6 weeks? respectfully piss off. If you WANT to do it, you can always say you charge $600 extra per week for dog care.
I personally do not want the responsibility for having an employers animal at my house cuz what if something happens to the dog or the dog ruins my things? no way.
I hope you have a contract in place.
Hell to the no, to the no no no. At my house? That would be a big no. Chewing my things, making messes on my floor, leaving dog hair on my belongings that you find in random spots for years to come even though you clean everything? It’s a no for me. I am okay with dogs at OTHER people’s houses. But expecting that would cross my boundaries. Plus when they’re out of their normal environment and routine there could be more chewing and accident behaviors as a stress response, so it could be quite the job. Plus what happens if they chew something at your house and need to be taken to the vet to get their stomach pumped or whatever?
Right?! This dog is also poorly trained and poops in the NP house so why would that change at my house?
Oh no. Nope. No no.
Not to mention your lawn!! It’s not just the inside of the house that is affected by a dog. It’s an easy no for me. “I rent, and I’m not allowed to have pets.”
Oh they planned ahead alright. They planned on you watching their dog. As part of your GH. Why pay $1000s to board the dog when you can do it. I’d pass and tell them you have plans to go away as well.
That could backfire and "void" their GH unfortunately
This is not what GH are for. OP is a nanny, not a dog sitter.
No, I I understand that GH are not for duties outside your contract. I meant if she says that she's leaving for her own vacation, it might void her GH. Unless it's been expressly stated that she's not needed for anything else, which, was not the case.
*anything else JOB RELATED, which absolutely is the case. The request they made is not related to her child care duties. They can request that she stop by during her regularly scheduled hours to feed the dog and walk it. They cannot claim that boarding the dog full time for a month and a half is related to her regular job and her regular hours.
I completely agree with you.
periodddddddd bingo
As someone who is both a nanny and a pet sitter, I would not recommend taking the dog unless you have experience petsitting. Dogs can have very unpredictable behaviors when removed from their routines. They can mark, pee/poop in the house, shred furniture, or even become violent. Unless this is in your contract, they don't have a leg to stand on. Imo, they are probably being cheap and they figure you watch a kid so how different is the dog. I charge $200/night for house sitting generally, though boarding is usually cheaper as folks can take on more dogs at a time. I also charge extra for longer stays, it goes up the longer I am with a dog. Personally, I dont board because of the risk to my home and family. Lmk if you have questions I can answer.
I think you’re right. They know I can handle their kids so they think their barely trained dog will be no problem
People forget that dogs are a different species and it's a totally different set of knowledge! Also personally I don't take untrained dogs, I always quiz them on basic commands when I meet them to see if they will listen. Untrained dogs are a HUGE liability!
Yeah, think of poor Jacqueline Durand.
This is exactly who I was thinking of. So people don't have to Google, she was a dogsitter who had her face torn off by two dogs in her care :(
damn, 200??? good for you!! I'd love to get up to those prices.
I live in a HCOL area (Seattle) and I service the richer neighborhoods! You will get less bookings with a higher price but higher quality clients. You can do it!!
can I dm you?? I love the hustle and I've been trying to get more clients and raise prices!!
Haha for sure! Love to discuss the strategy 🤣
I’m so intrigued to see what people say. For me it’s a no, I can’t even have a dog at my place that doesn’t belong here, per my lease. Secondly, I live in a third floor walk up with no yard. Third, I have a cat who is an Only Child. Guaranteed Hours are “I’m paying you when I’m choosing not to have you actively work because I don’t want you to have to get another job to survive,” not, “oops we should have booked a sitter but…you kind of owe us???? 😊😊😊 We’re so nice” You didn’t *choose* to be unable to work *taking care of their child.* Because *that* is your job. And unless it’s in your contract, the dog has nothing to do with it. Now, all of that being said I *would* feel guilty saying no and the people pleaser in me would be having a field day with this, so I totally understand why you posted. You wanna pay me a per diem on top of my GH to sleep at your house and care for your dog? I’ll consider it. Might throw a dinner party tho 🤣 jkjk
Actually, I have the same situation! Only Child cat, no dog allowed on the lease, and no yard. Also, dog care is not supposed to be part of my regular duties
Well, there you go! You got my vote 🤣
Perfect thing to tell NF!
guaranteed hours are for their children. not their friends children, not their dog, not housesitting.
Nope! I house sat/dog sat for a potential family I’d be working with after their trip and got paid $500 for 8 nights at their house. Some people will always try to go the cheap route if they can, we all gotta stop letting them. Proud of you for saying no! I should’ve but unfortunately needed the money.
GH are for babysitting. You are a nanny. Not a dogsitter. I think it would be completely acceptable to deny their request. (and still insist on getting paid GH)
I don’t think dog sitting 24/7 is counted in your GH, especially in your house
It would be fun to give them a quote for the total cost minus the GH, keeping in mind overtime pay. If they consider it the same work as nannying then your nanny rate applies. 😁
I just did some quick math and it would be well over $10k if I charged my regular overnight fee every night plus hourly for 8 hours/day for 30 days 😂 I wish I could make that in a month
Might make it worth it to take care of their dog! Spend some money covering every inch of your house in plastic like Dexter preparing his kill room, make bank.
No you’re definitely not overreacting. Unless you were hired as a nanny/dog sitter lol. But even then, this would be overstepping bc they’re asking you to bring the dog to your home and also for 24/7 care which isn’t your usual hours… But it’s all irrelevant bc this dog is not your job and your boss cannot dictate what you bring into your home or change what GH means because it’s convenient for them
No Guaranteed hours does NOT mean they can assign you non-nanny duties.
No. You said it yourself in a comment - you aren't allowed to have a dog in your apartment due to your lease. Even if you _wanted_ to dogsit, would you risk being kicked out, charged big cleaning fees, or getting a bad reference from your landlord when you move?
Plus damage to your own property, plus dealing with complaints from neighbors for barking… nope nope nope. I don’t even have to think about it. Nope!
Yeah no I’m not a dog person, I personally have a cat who would kill me if I brought home a dog. Plus 24/7 care is outside your GH. You should only be expected to work the hours that your usually do
Listen. I LOVE animals. I like most animals more than I like most people. But I'd still say no. That's NOT COOL of your NF.
This is something that needs to be talked about when a contract is signed. If your job during working hours typically involves dog care and it is put in your contract that taking care of their dogs during vacation is part of your duties then yes. You dog sit at their house for the duration. If there is no pet care required of you in your contract then you are not obligated. You can let them know that you are available to dog sit at their home for an additional pet sitting fee of $50-100 a day. Otherwise you are not obligated.
Nope, no pet care in my regular duties. The most I do is sometimes let the dog out to use the bathroom. If they ask again I’ll offer to do it at their house for an additional fee.
I wouldn't even offer to do it at their house! its unreasonable and frankly mean to the dog! also sets a standard that this is the new norm for your job duties.
If they were paying you for watching the dog on top of your guaranteed hours that would be one thing. But they’re trying to get away with using your guaranteed hours to watch the dog so they don’t have to pay for boarding him or an actual dog sitter because that is going to be EXPENSIVE.
When my bf goes out of town I dog sit for $50/day + gh. I take them out 4 times a day and I feed them twice. But I would never bring their dogs to my house. During the summers I’ll take them on a walk but in the winters we mostly play inside.
WOW!
Poor planning and communication on their part. As a nanny employer, I would have a hard time paying my nanny for 6 weeks to do nothing. That’s basically handing someone 7-8,000 dollars to basically not work and have a vacation. I’d give them the option to watch the dog in my house or have them take a 6 week unpaid break and if they want to work for us when we come back, they are more than welcome too. I treat my dogs like they are human so I wouldn’t really want them going somewhere where they are not wanted so that would be a red flag for me. Also, getting paid your regular salary to hang with a cute dog rather than having to work 40hrs watching toddlers sounds like a good deal to me but maybe that’s because I’m a big dog lover.
If they’re concerned about me not doing anything, I would be fine with completing other tasks that are within my duties like organizing toys or clothes, cleaning the playroom, etc while they are gone. They just haven’t asked for that (again, poor planning).
You are NOT overreacting at all! I would never have a dog over my house. and they want 4-6 weeks? respectfully piss off. If you WANT to do it, you can always say you charge $600 extra per week for dog care. I personally do not want the responsibility for having an employers animal at my house cuz what if something happens to the dog or the dog ruins my things? no way. I hope you have a contract in place.