dog walker

senior software engineer

software engineer

data scientist

business analyst

Rover.com

I spent nearly 4 years at Rover on various teams on the operations side of the business. Here's a few things to note before applying to a position at Rover: 

You will be in a VERY distracting work environment. There are a lot of dogs in the office. While the dogs are generally well behaved, dogs will be dogs. They'll play around constantly, steal your chairs (lol), and have accidents in your area. It takes a lot effort to stay focused with so many distractions in your immediate area. 

Rover changes A LOT. It is essential that you can work independently and provide your own autonomously. You may not be able to rely on support of your manager, as you could be reporting to a new person before your project needs to be delivered. 

The pay structure is not as rewarding as it should be. However, they have a good benefits package to supplement. 

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If you are interviewing for a position at Rover, please expect for a longer interview process that still manages to move quickly. When initially contacted back by Rover, I was proved a written exam to test your customer focus and your ability to research solutions for customer problems (bonus points from my experience if you are able to look at their current process/policies and provide constructive feedback). After my exam was submitted, I heard back from someone within 24 hours to schedule my first phone screen with the hiring manager. This phone screen wasn't a formal interview, rather, they were getting to know me as a person. Once this phone screen was completed, I was invited to come into their office for an in-person interview loop. 

My in-person interview loop lasted roughly 6-7 hours. The start of your loop will likely be a tour of the office (you'll get to meet some cool dogs, I promise). After the tour, I had an interview with all supervisors that were in my department (three people at the time). Additionally, I was interviewed by three of potential peers and one additional person which is referred internally as a "bar raiser." Each of these conversations lasted roughly 20-30 minutes, and you'll usually be meeting with two people at once. Depending on how your interview goes, you will be asked to sit with a member of the team and observe the work you'll be doing directly for about 30-60 minutes and you're done with your in-person interview. After you've completed your in-person interview, there may be a few days until you hear back from your recruiter. Once you hear back, you will likely have at least two more phone screens. In my experience, this was individuals in senior and director level positions. Usually once you've reached that stage, you should be hearing back with an offer (my offer was the same day as my last phone screen). While the interview process can be a bit longer than usual, it's worth it as Rover has the knack of hiring exceptionally talented and caring people.

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Rover is a company that is very action orientated, so you should expect to adapt very quickly to changes in policy and procedure on how the live service functions. They are always running some sort of test to drive new product features. On the operations side of things, especially if you're in Trust and Safety, you'll be tasked to constantly think outside of the box to resolve customer problems. You're also going to need to be very strong,  this job will be extremely taxing emotionally when dealing with customers. More often than not you not be solving simple transaction or app issues, instead you will be handling a lot interpersonal issues between users.

The management structure has changed a lot since I've started. To give some context, I have been moved between supervisors/ managers 9 times within 2 and a half years. This was before I transferred to a new department, however, I still reported to three different managers within a year in my new role. This happens to every single person at Rover on the operations teams as Rover is constantly changing the structure of their organization. Management will say that Rover is still very much a start up, and we're making these changes to meet customers needs. However, these constant changes hinder career development for highly talented people. With that said, Rover's management is making significant progress in limiting the amount of change that happens organizationally and reinvesting their effort in the employees development goals. 

As a whole, you'll be treated with a ton of respect at Rover. You will work with some amazingly talented and compassionate people. Meet some wonderful furry friends. If you see a job posting that you're interested at Rover, I highly recommend applying and giving them a shot.

Getting paid to hang out with dogs sounds like a total dream come true. It's as simple as downloading an app, right? Ehhh not exactly. Upon signing up, you are forced to pay $25 for a "background check", which is never mentioned up until its time to pay. Never in any of my other work experiences have I needed to pay for a background check, but who knows, maybe it's just so the app can make a little bit of extra profit.

So once you cough up $25 and make your account, it should be as easy as setting up your schedule, pay rates, and profile description. My favorite thing about the app by far is how customizable everything is. When you're available, how much you get paid, how many walks a day you can do, what kind of dogs you prefer, is all completely up to you. You can tailor your schedule around any other existing engagements you may have, and you can set your prices as low or as high as you wish, which is a total luxury compared to most other jobs.

However,
I have yet to receive a single appointment from a dog owner. And this is because of how the app is set up. I've got my entire profile filled out with my experience and preferences, mentioning my volunteering for rescues and 10+ years living with dogs. The radius I was willing to drive was about 12 miles out, and my availability was wide open every day of the week. My pay rates were lower than any of the top results for my area, and yet, I've had the app since January and haven't been contacted once. I realize this may sound like I'm just bitter that no one wants me to watch their dogs, but even if it sounds like I'm shifting the blame, I assure you the app is at fault.

Searching for someone to watch your dogs only yields results containing the dogsitters with the most previous appointments in your area, which makes sense, right? Clearly, you'd want someone with plenty of experience already. But think about the vicious cycle this creates. If you need past appointments to be reccomended to people, how do you get your very first appointments? The only people getting advertised in the area are people who have done it a hundred times, which sounds fair, but makes it virtually impossible to get recognized if you're a newcomer, regardless of your pre-app experience. How long you've had dogs in your family, how low your rates are, how open your schedule is, none of it matters when the app only displays the people who have owned the app longer than you. The app constantly reminds you to plug your Rover page to your Facebook friends, but that hardly makes any difference if you don't have a Facebook page, and none of your friends on other social media have dogs.

TL;DR: It costs $25 to sign up, and unless you already have a dozen dog owner friends willing to pay you through the app to walk their dogs for them, it's basically impossible to move up and get job requests from new customers. You'd have better luck just shouting "PAY ME TO DOGSIT" into the void.

You are able to make your own schedule, as in saying yes to families or no if you are busy or already have dogs you are watching. You also make your own rates, this means you are able to decide how much a night or day you make, sadly you need to stay at competitive prices with the other dog sitters on Rover otherwise you won't get any requests. The average pay per night is 30, anything more than that you won't have any dogs to watch. The online management is very helpful and is there for a phone call or text 24 hours a day. It's a super relaxed work environment you are either walking a dog in the owner's neighborhood, visiting dogs or cats at the owners home for about 30 minutes to an hour, staying at the owner's home for the amount of night you are watching the animal, or having the animal stay at your home. I would say the hardest part of the job is having to give the dogs back to their owner, you tend to fall in love with every dog's little personality and I always feel sad and like my house is empty after they leave. Every part of the job is enjoyable for me getting to cuddle up with dogs and play with them is how I like to spend my time. Working with people's dogs also forces you to get out of the house and bring them to fun places whether that's the dog park if the owner says they are allowed to go there, or the beach, or whatever is around you that is a dog-friendly place. You must realize the amount of responsibility you are taking on as well as having fun with them, you also need to remember that these are not your own dogs so you cannot feed them whatever you want, you cannot take them places without the owner's permission, and you do need to keep your eye on them at all times. Some dogs have very sensitive stomachs so no pup cups from Starbucks because you don't want to give the dog back to their owners with diarrhea. Some dogs I have watched have many allergies so you need to be comfortable giving them medication as well as making sure they aren't eating or getting into something they're allergic to. The reason for keeping an eye on them at all times even if they are fully potty trained is because you do not want them finding something and getting into it that could lead to sickness or choking. Pets are like people's babies and you must take good care of them and make them feel welcome in your home. Pet owners love to see pictures of what their babies ​are doing during the ​day it helps them feel relaxed that their pet is comfortable and well taken care of.

### Review of Working for Rover as a Dog Sitter

Working for Rover as a dog sitter has been an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience, especially since im a college student. Here are some highlights of my journey:
One of the biggest advantages of working with Rover is the flexibility it offers. I can set my own schedule and choose the jobs that fit best with my lifestyle. This independence allows me to balance my work with personal commitments, making it an ideal job for those who need a flexible work arrangement.
Rover provides an excellent platform that is user-friendly and intuitive. The app and website make it easy to manage bookings, communicate with pet owners, and receive payments. Additionally, Rover offers support and resources for sitters, including tips for providing the best care and handling any issues that might arise.
Working with Rover has allowed me to connect with numerous pets and their owners, which has been the most rewarding part of the job. Building relationships with regular clients and their furry friends has been a joy. Each pet has its own personality and needs, making every job unique and enjoyable.
Through my work with Rover, I've gained valuable skills in pet care, communication, and customer service. Handling various situations, from administering medication to dealing with pet anxiety, has helped me grow professionally. Rover's rating and review system also motivates me to maintain high standards of care and service.
The earnings from Rover are fair, especially considering the flexibility of the job. While it's not a full-time income for me, it provides a good supplementary income. Additionally, the platform's insurance coverage for sitters offers peace of mind, knowing that I'm protected while working.

#### Challenges
Like any job, dog sitting through Rover comes with its challenges. Managing multiple pets with different needs and temperaments requires patience and adaptability. Occasionally, there may be last-minute cancellations or unexpected issues, but these are manageable with good communication and problem-solving skills.
Working for Rover has been a positive and enriching experience. It offers the perfect balance of flexibility, independence, and the joy of caring for animals. I highly recommend Rover to anyone who loves pets and is looking for a flexible and rewarding job.

If you're passionate about animals and enjoy a job that allows you to make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners, Rover is a fantastic platform to work with.

   Working with Rover does has a great many benefits, but depending on where you live, business may be slow.

   As a host, I own my own business that is separate from Rover itself.  All business can be done either through their website and/or their app.  I can choose independently, how much I can get paid per dog, per *night* (example: I can charge $20 for an small dog per night, for 5 nights, while charging $35 for an large dog per night, for 3 nights). Rover advertises all of the services that I have, while taking an small percentage of each transaction I have.  I can work on my own schedule, and mark on an calendar in the app, whether I am available or not.

   Some of the downsides are that depending on where you live and your living conditions, you may have a lot of business, or you could have very little, and it changes based on the time of year.  Living where I am currently, I get a lot of business for smaller dogs, and very few medium and large dogs.  I get the most care requests closer to holidays, and most of these occur last minute.  Also, since I have family living with me, I have to (sadly) keep the number of dogs I care for at a time, down to a max of 3 to 4, which limits how much money I can make.  Because of this, this line of work, for me, is mostly an side job.

   Another downside is that, while they have insurance for the dogs, there is no insurance or reimbursement for any damages to your property.  I once had an dog I was caring for over Halloween that managed to sneak into the room where we were keeping all of the chocolate in, and eaten *two entire bags of chocolate candy*, before she was caught it in the act.  I had to drive the dog to an overnight clinic, and pay for pumping that dog's stomach, out of *my own wallet*.  I called the Rover Emergency Hotline, and they informed me that, while they would alert the dog's owner to what had happened, that I would not be reimbursed for what the dog had done.  Later though, I did manage to work out with the dog's owner, that there would be an additional charge for this instance.

   All in all, there are a lot of benefits to working *with* Rover, with only a couple of downsides to it.  I believe that they are a great company, but your income will mostly be determined by how much you charge, where you live, and how many dogs you can care for at any given time.  It is also important to note that Rover *will not* reimburse you for any damages or loss of property due to an dog's actions.

I was a long-time Rover walker who had built up a large client base over a long period of time. I was highly-rated (40+  5-star reviews), reliable, hard-working, and successful,  and - as long as they skimmed 20% of my income each week - the company was very happy with me. However, lately, because of the continued loss of income due to Rover's cuts, I decided to try working independently as a walker while keeping my Rover profile active for pet sitting only. My clients offered to stay with me when I told them I was no longer doing walks (only sits) through Rover. When Rover saw that a few of my clients were not booking through them any longer (they are like Big Brother, monitoring all of your messages with clients), they immediately terminated my account without any advance notice, stating I would never be allowed to work for them ever again... Their email was startling in its threatening, retaliatory tone - quite a transformation from their friendly, supportive, bubbly facade while you're working/making money for them. Extremely cold and unfeeling. I was speechless, just shocked. 

In addition, they refused to allow me access to a substantial library of photos I'd taken of my clients' dogs ( which I really wanted to keep) which I'd uploaded onto my profile. I begged them to at least give me my photos (as I had no backups of them) and they flatly refused, saying they were not my property and I had no rights to them. My profile that I worked so hard to build up suddenly, without warning, disappeared.

Everything was taken away - all the great reviews from clients, photos, all of my wonderful experiences... Just gone. No notice whatsoever. They were essentially punishing me. I could have continued working through them for house/pet sitting (and they could have continued to skim their 20%), but they did not offer to discuss anything at all. I was banished for all eternity. I am just stunned - Rover management is basically a dangerous Jekyll and Hyde operation. 

Beware, future and present walkers: Back up your profile photos. Screenshot all your good reviews. Talk to your clients in person rather than through the website. You're an independent contractor and not Rover's slave.  Clients: Be mindful that Rover takes up to 25% of your dog walker's income so be kind and tip them if you like them at all.  Rover cares only about their dollars.That's it. This was a chilling experience and I would NEVER recommend working for them to anyone.

There was little to gain working for Rover, customer service does not care about you and will be condescending in their correspondence. Despite, following their protocols my fees were deducted a substantial 80% from my earnings, leaving me with $10 for a week of dog sitting two stubborn Pomeranian dogs with limited manners and discipline. Not only that, you may have to deal with unreasonable, demanding pet parents with no manners, compassion or respect for your time, property or well-being. You as a sitter have to compete in a over-saturated market and have to set your rates low because everyone does it too. Despite, being told you have the opportunity and right to set your own rates, the free market dictates your fees, it's about supply and demand. In addition, as a sitter you are not expected to buy insurance, but have to anyway if you want to attract clients. Rover is a bait and switch game, one not worth playing.

I had the displeasure of having my legs scratch up, my  floors being defecated on twice by a stubborn dog that refuses to relieve itself on walks and bathroom breaks. You will lose sleep, you will slave away and receive no compassion from Rover or the dog owners. I never received my payment in full for the work I did in good faith and Rover.com does not care. The insurance plan does not cover anything and you will not be reimburse for any damages done to property, or any bodily damages a dog inflicts on you, it comes out of your paycheck. 

You can be compassionate and kind but that won't get you very far, you will only be taken advantage of. 

Too much loss and nothing to gain from Rover. There is no way to screen out underwhelming pet owners as there is no rating system, often times you will end up in a situation with no means for mitigation, and if you get stuck with a narcissist, high maintenance owner you are at a loss. 

Rover's management will ignore you and fail to pay your wages, they will erase your account immediately after you voice any grievances.

I was the top sitter in my area and worked for Rover around 3 years. Everything went well during all that time. Then one day someone booked an overnight stay for 4 nights. The guy came to my house to meet and greet and brought his dog, the owner was pleased and I met the dog, she was a rescued pitbull who at that moment seemed to be okay, just like a normal dog. Then the day of the stay came and I was watching the dog, and I realised that she was very, very  nervous and anxious, she was shaking and I tried to calm her talking and hugging her, after like 10 minutes  she was a little better. . I was watching other dogs at my home and she looked to be more comfortable around the dogs than around people so I decided to take her to a friend's home, to play with other dogs because my friend has a huge fenced backyard, that was bigger than the local dog's park. I had the authorization of the owner to take her dog to dogs parks and runs. At the moment I arrived and I opened the car's door, the dog jumped and ran away so scared. The owner never told me that his dog was so extremely anxious and scared of people. Sadly the dog got lost and I looked for her over 14 hours straight, I didn't even went home to eat or anything, I was so worried about the dog, but I couldn't find her. The owner told me after that , that his dog was very shy and anxious, that he knew it was not my fault that it happened because he knew his dog, he even contacted Rover and explained to them that it was not my fault, that he should have told me to be more aware of how his dog behaved and all her problems around people. The next day the local animal police found the dog, she was dead, hit by a car. At all times I contacted Rover and updated them about everything. Then like a month after Rover decided to closed my account without a warning or anything. I had over 90 reviews of 5 stars, I always did a good job , and like in any job, accidents can happen. I regret all that happened that day, but my intention was just taking her to a nice fenced backyard to play and release her stress, but it all turned gray because of lack of information. So just like that I lost my full time job and couldn't work for Rover anymore.

I have been a sitter on Rover for a while now and I have to say, the company really doesn’t care about their sitters. 
I have had multiple instances where they blame me for basically “not knowing” something instead of offering to help.
One of my instances with Rover was when a couple I was sitting for had a cancelled flight so they asked me to stay an extra night at their place. I agreed and assumed that they would take care of the extra night of payment through Rover but when I didn’t get compensated, I reached out to Rover. They told me that since I didn’t contact them before agreeing to stay an extra night, I am at a loss and basically have to look at this as a learning mistake. They also sent me this long “Not to do” list and I felt like a child being scolded.
I get that I should have contacted Rover to ensure payment but the fault shouldn’t just be on me. The fault should be on the dog parents for not following the rules as well. A company that cares about both parties would reach out to the owners and ask them to pay for the extra night. If they didn’t respond or said no, then at least they tried on my behalf. 
I recommend that if you start using them to be a dog sitter, you read every single last thing on their website and FAQs or else they will blame you for “not knowing”.
I also think the fees are a bit high. For a company that is just a middle person, they take a lot out of the pay of the sitter. Sometimes I decline jobs because I think it’s just not worth the time and effort. There needs to be a better way to set up rates or less fees taken out because dog sitting is a round the clock job. When you average out a 3 night stay, your pay is only really $4 an hour and that is way below minimum wage.
I also think there needs to be an area where dog sitters can give ratings about dogs they have sat and notes. It could be notes to potential clients that are only made public to them once they are requested so they could see how the dog is. I have sat for more than 30 dogs and I can say that some are nothing like how their owners described them. Having an outside persons opinion might help others before confirming to sit.

This is great for anyone with another job that is looking for a fun way to make a little extra money. You can create your own schedule, and decline any clients that you aren’t comfortable with. If you just want 1-2 occasional clients in addition to working a regular job, by all means work for Rover (but get your own insurance, don’t rely on their Guarantee). If you want to do this full time... keep reading.

If you are looking to be a full time dog walker and pet sitter, start out on Rover. Rover is commonly one of the first places owners go to search for pet care, so having a profile is a great way for people to find you when you’re just starting out. Once you have a solid group of clients that you can depend on for a fairly consistent income, I’d highly recommend going independent. There is really no incentive to working with Rover once you have your steady clients. Rover takes 20% of your rate, and charges the client an extra 5-7% on top of your rate. This supposedly covers the Rover Guarantee, 24/7 Emergency Hotline, and ongoing pet care education. The Guarantee is essentially useless- surprise, it’s the initial responsibility of *you*, the pet care provider, to pay for any damages first before it goes to Rover. And even then they only cover up to $25k, and have a laundry list of ridiculous exceptions that they won’t pay anything towards at all. PLEASE get your own insurance while working with Rover because they will not protect you in the event anything goes wrong. As far as the hotline - if there’s an emergency, I’m immediately calling the owner while getting their pet to a vet, not calling Rover (for them to do what?). I’ve honestly never even seen an education section on the site so I can’t speak to that.

So: your clients are charged extra fees, you’re charged extra fees, and neither of you are getting anything out of it. If you’re doing this full time, you’re better off paying a couple hundred dollars to form your own LLC. Your clients will save money and you’ll receive your full rate. 

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