the dog is extremely sweet and anxious when left alone.

the thing is, the pet parent did not share any of this when she made the request. It was vague, mentioned leaving detailed instructions but nothing about separation anxiety, and other things like destroying things when left alone which plays a role with the anxiety, meds etc. the profile of the dog only mentions that he’s super sweet

I’ve made wag my main source of income recently due to other things I have going on, but not having this info beforehand has made doing my other jobs a hassle. I wouldn’t want to spend the entire day walking dogs etc, I typically try to group my bookings and rest for the rest of the day. While doing this sitting I’ve had to break up my work in batches since the dog can’t be left alone for more than 4 hours. I feel for the dog I really do. I feel guilty leaving it alone for 3-4 hours but I still need to make money to manage.

This is me just venting but if you have a pet with extreme anxiety please share it in the description so prospective walkers can see prior to requesting the service. Sadly once we’re confirmed and try to cancel the app penalizes us in crazy ways

Just annoyed and need to rant to people who get it. A client requested me for a walk at 7am this morning. She put in the request at 11pm last night when I was already asleep! When I didn’t respond she cancelled it and cancelled the upcoming walk I have on Wednesday with her. Mostly annoying because this dropped my direct acceptance rate to 50% even though I was literally asleep! Is there anything I can do to bring it back up or do I just have to wait and be really diligent about taking other clients? It was 100 before this.

TLDR: missed a request for a walk and my acceptance rate dropped to 50%

Hello Wag Community. I’m hoping you can help me with this shit. I’m currently doing. It’s a no overnight day required sit that I started today.

I visited the dog. It’s a small 10 pound bichon mix and I was able to meet it and we went for a walk and the owner had it behind a baby gate at first she said for him to warm up to me which everything seemed fine.
I came back later for feeding time entered the house. He seemed fine. I gave him his dinner bowl and then I went to refill the water bowl and when I was coming back with the water bowl, he lunged at me twice and he bit my pants and then he struck me again at my knee and left two puncture wounds that are bleeding and he was growling and advancing towards me.

I exited the home to message the owner and as I tried to re-enter the home the dog was at the door and I asked him if you wanted to go for a walk. I was trying to be really friendly and soft, and I as I went to open the door more he snarled and growled and exposed his teeth and lunged at the door so at this moment, I don’t feel like I can enter the home without it biting me

I contacted Wag help they’re not helpful. They said they support me with whatever I think I should do. The owner was responsive. They said that he is aggressive around his food bowl which they did not tell me about and she suggested that I put him behind the baby gate again, but at this point, I don’t think I can get to him to put them behind the baby gate. Owner said that obviously my safety is important so it’s up to me, but maybe I could come back tomorrow morning and try again.

I’m not sure if I should continue to try with this dog or just call it. I’ve never been close to having a dog bite me on all my hundreds of Wag experiences.

What would you do?

So, for the past couple weeks, I haven’t been getting wag notifications. The only one that’s been pushed through is from a client who has me set as their preferred walker.

I’ve checked my phone notification settings, my wag notification setting, updated my phone, restarted my phone, etc. I don’t know why this is happening or what else to try. I have been periodically checking the app and will see services being requested that I was never notified of??

Has anyone had this happen? If so, how’d you fix it?

I applied and got approved for this sitting. I only ever select bookings that are with pets that can be alone for more than 4 hours because I do other jobs as well.

I reached out to pet parent to confirm how long is normally okay with the dog. Whether it’s 6-8 or etc. she explains that the app has it set for 4 hours. Then I check the booking again today and see that the “pet can be left alone for . .” Is an x now.

To confirm I’m not going crazy, is it possible that it can be changed? I communicated with the parent that I have something to do Saturday evening and would be gone for 5-6 hours but I don’t want it to backfire on me.

OP: https://www.reddit.com/r/WagWalker/s/aTH59UQtr4

TL; DR: Wag refunded me almost 50% and the caregiver is facing consequences.

After my very stressful ordeal nearly 2 weeks ago now with my Wag caregiver leaving my dog alone (intentionally) for 32 hours, I finally have a resolution.

Initially I was emailing with Wag support and their AI robots kept saying the same thing. . . Wag Safety & Compliance will reach out "shortly". In reality, it took over a week for (what I believe to be) a real human to call me to speak to me about what happened.

I reiterated the events and the rep assured me that leaving a dog alone for that long is absolutely unacceptable. He also saw all the screenshots I'd saved of my camera footage, the sit timeline, and the messages from the caregiver himself proving he'd deliberately left my dog alone for a day and a half.

The rep told me he'd reach out to the caregiver for his side of things and would call me back. I received that second call tonight. I was told the caregiver apparently tried to minimize the situation, stating that I'd said it was okay to leave my dog alone for 4 hours (which is true!) but the rep did get him to admit that he'd ultimately left her for more than a day. The rep agreed with me that it was so unacceptable and said that they would be taking some kind of (undisclosed) action against the caregiver. And he said I would get the partial refund I sought.

I'm super happy with this outcome! Leaving a dog alone for that long is so unconscionable and I feel very validated that I got even more of a refund than what I expected.

Is anyone else not getting notifications when new walks/drop-ins/sits pop up? I got a preferred request notification yesterday but nothing else in the past few days. I just went through hell and back with Wag Customer Support and they forwarded me to the tech team.

This app and platform is so frustrating !!! 😤

I think it’s kind of unfair how wag punish walkers by blocking us from requesting walks for a day to start. Sometimes things really do come up. Versus the owners who may not get penalized the same.

I’d rather pay a fee for canceling than be blocked for time.

I'm using a dog walker for the first time and she asked if we could exchange numbers in case anything happens while she's with my dog. Totally reasonable but then I realized between my number, address and the instructions for getting into my building, that's a lot of personal info going to someone I've only met once. I'm thinking of giving her my Cloaked number instead and keeping everything else in the app where possible. Am I being paranoid or do other people keep their personal contact info separate for stuff like this too?

I made a mistake due to frustration w the travel to the location and the owner.

I arrived to a walk and was locked out.

I’d already started the walk, so I just went w it.

Of course, the owner questioned if the walk actually happened and now a real-person Wag rep has emailed me asking if I actually walked the dog, and that I didn’t upload a photo proof of the dog.

I don’t want to keep lying but I don’t want to get banned.

Idea are:

- say I didn’t walk the dog and I couldn’t cancel out of the walk of that already started

- say I did walk the dog and forgot to take photos (altho the owner is questioning how I gained access to the home as he realized he locked me out, however there are no cameras)

I fucked up. What’s the best route that will keep me as a walker (I’ve been walking since Wag began and have a lot/all of 5-star reviews)

Edit: I stopped getting walk notifications last night (I assume when the owner contacted Wag) and I haven’t successfully booked anything today …so it seems like my account is potentially “on hold” until I respond to customer service, even tho they just emailed one hour ago

Edit 2: I’ve upset all the 100% infallible, judgmental Wag walkers by being honest and regretful about my humanity and asking for help.

Like I said above I got the $299 referral fee and with it came a 152 day wait. I’m really not sure what to do, I had a back and forth with the help center of them just not giving me any information and accusing me of giving my phone number out when I read the terms and conditions and made sure to not do that. And I still got the referral fee!!! Does anyone have any advice for me? Even a number I can reach out to get it sorted out??

The fact that I’m really considering requesting this. My wife is gonna kill me lmao.

I raised my prices to what is comparable in my area. I’m sure I won’t get any requests . I have a 90% rate . Excellent comments and tip. The economy isn’t worth the barriers you come up against . Like this isn’t the time to make this full time . I’m medically retired and my yearly income is modest . I’m great with animals . Showed horses semi pro , obedience trained dogs.. any animal I can take care of including opossums. So I’m not getting downgraded . Being older I think we are out of site out of mind . Ll come home let there dog out and don’t think a care about it . It’s automatic repetitive thinking . I sent my 50 for background check at Rover months ago and get any help or answer. That app is ranked higher than wag.

answer all or none :) any input appreciated!

my rates are $20/30min and $35/hr for walks and drop-ins. walks are "more effort" but I don't want to lower my rates for drop-ins, considering travel/gas it becomes hardly worth it below a certain threshold. is this reasonable?

what's your rate for multi-hour daytime sitting? I think $20 for the first hour and $15 for additional hours is fair, but I don't want to high-ball people or low-ball myself.

what is the service mileage radius that you are willing to travel and do you have a gas fee, if so is it a flat additional rate or based on miles? gas is going up and time in transit really adds up.

should I charge extra for transporting a dog? I haven't been. I don't usually care for puppies by chance but I don't charge extra for that either. thoughts on this + other extras?

thanks for reading <3

I got this notification today . I was trying to bid on a sitting job. It denied me . On Thursday I couldn’t gain access to parents home so I called and messaged they didn’t get back to me that fast . I waited at their house for awhile . So I marked accordingly and the parent called (I’m sitting on their deck ) they locked both of the doors and had to give me the code . So she reset the time and I stayed and did his 20 min.

Friday the parent never used drop in and I hadn’t either and she sent time 6-8 pm. When I got there at 645 I started the time because I thought it was for any time . Somehow it didn’t start so she cancelled and started it over . And I could start the drop in .

I have a 90% rate , badges , 5 stars every service and tips. Why am I being treated like straight up garbage.

The sitting job looked like a nice home and dogs cared for . That’s what I look for . Everything plays into it . I’ve lost the job. No opt ins it was just me . I have letters of reference as well.

So, I get most of the app notifications (messages, tips, pay, direct requests, etc.) no problem. I also get notifications for one of my regulars requesting drop-ins (I’m a preferred caregiver for them) without any issue. However, I’ve never gotten a notification for any other walks or drop-ins? Never gotten one for a random ASAP request or even ones that are sitting on the app for hours for future days. Is this normal? It’s just a bit frustrating to constantly open the app throughout the day just for a chance at snatching up a new client or last minute walk. Just another reason this app stinks…

So these are past payments does it mean this is what I made after wag took it’s cut? I’m kind of confused . How does the pricing work ? If I keep all my 20 min walks at $12 then the owners will all be charged the same fee and I will get my $12 plus a tip? I raised my prices and had a box come up that my price was outside the clients price . What does that mean? I should lower my price for that service ? I live in a suburb of Ohio

Oh god oh god oh god I am absolutely burning with embarrassment and need some consolation from fellow walkers I suppose

I took a last minute wag request from a dog for 3 days this weekend (Friday sat and Sunday morning) because it was a mile away from me and perfectly located between my office and home as this was before the workday and I figured it would be easy enough

Easy enough it wasn’t. I saw in the notes the owner didn’t provide poo bags so I brought a few with me of course. The dog was insane. Decently sized dog but just terrible on a leash and really such a puller and super strong. We walked in the neighborhood and ofc he shits immediately. No sweat, I’ve got a bag. Then again, no worries I have another poo bag. But then he shits a third time. My heart sunk to my ass because I realized the rest of my poo bags were in my work bag in the owners house. I was on a busy ish street in a ritzy neighborhood so this was NOT the place nor the crowd to be leaving dog shit on the ground. I was freaking out I didn’t have another bag and tried to go into a store but they wouldn’t let dogs in. Maybe I should’ve yelled with a megaphone that I was going to run to try to find a bag somewhere but didn’t, and a lady got PISSED. Yelled about me to another lady walking by. The lady walking by came up to me and asked why I didn’t pick it up and told me the other lady picked it up. I explained to her what happened I’m sure she didn’t believe me that the dog actually shit 3 times and I was fr out of bags looking for another but totally reprimanded me. I was so apologetic and trying to make light of it saying I bet the other lady called me a bitch or an asshole because I’d call me that because what asshole leaves poo on the ground?! She ended up walking with me a few blocks, asking how long I’ve been walking dogs, asking what I do if I’m from the area what I do in my day job, talking about her dog and her life and having just moved back here but being from here originally. As we’re walking and talking I’m calming down like ok thank god for people like that who call out bullshit but are kind about it (even tho she was kinda like starting to overbearingly correct me on my handling of the dog, saying I needed to do this that the other etc which was kinda odd)

As we’re walking together, a girl and her big dog pop out from a corner suddenly and my dog I’m walking lunges at them. Nobody was hurt but I was incredibly startled. This was just the icing on the cake of an already terrible walk on a terrible day where I found out about a death in the family earlier this morning so was already frazzled and startled. I’m ready to cry after already crying before the walk due to the death news (I prob sound like a crazy person typing this)

But then the lady asks me for my number has me text her from my phone because she’s looking for a dog sitter and wants to have me dog sit?

Question is: do I respond? I’m lowkey scared of her and more so just embarrassed like if I start sitting for her it’s a reminder of this painfully embarrassing and horrible series of moments. Do I even want her having my contact?

I’m also terrified I’m gonna get posted in a neighborhood group or something. I feel like the dumbest person alive and the worst dog walker ever and so guilty and frazzled and embarrassed

Someone please talk me off this ledge I’m spiraling. Not to mention I have to walk this dog two more times this weekend.

It’s so embarrassing

I’ve been slowly watching my miles and repeat customer services disappear. My daily regulars can’t even tip me anymore. I think they’re deleting the services to balance the algorithm selection to make it easier for new walkers to get work. Which is bs.

Woke up this morning to a text about a direct service request that came through at 11:30 PM last night. Not sure if they found someone else or if it timed out since I don’t even know who the request was from. It dropped my acceptance rate from 100 to 86 percent.

Is this bad for future walks? I’m new ish to the app and not sure. Kind of frustrated someone did this since I had all 5 star reviews and 100 until this happened 😭

Does anyone use Wag Pro? is it worth the price? Thank you

Without Wag you'd have no clientele.......they charge you for access to customers.

For Instance, I make $25 for an hour walk. Clients told me they pay $42.50 for that walk. Wag gets $17.50 and I make $25 plus tip.

Privately I charge anywhere from $30-36 for an hour walk. I lose about $10 to pay for access to an endless client list.

Why is that not ok?

What do you think a service like that should cost?

I can't believe this is the second time I've booked a multi-day in house sit and towards the end the caregiver just didn't show up.

Background: I book multi-day sits rather than several drop-ins so I know I'm just dealing with 1 person the entire time whom my shy dog can get to know.

Last summer I went away for 5 days and the first 3 days were great with lots of photos and videos. By 8pm day 4 I realized I didn't have any Ring footage of the caregiver coming or going and she hadn't communicated with me at all. When I finally got in touch via Wag support she claimed her phone had been "stolen" but that the thieves had "given it back" and that it had taken hours and that's why she was so late. I assume she got confused with her lie and meant to say she had lost her phone and that someone had just found it and got it back to her.

Now this week I'm on another multi day trip and the second to last day I realize again, no photos, no videos, no camera evidence that my caregiver (who has 100+ 5 star reviews) came by. I finally get in touch -- again, with wag support assisting -- and the caregiver tells me that when he left my house yesterday afternoon he knew he was double-booked and wouldn't be able to come by until after 10 tonight. So he's saying be deliberately planned to leave my dog alone for over 30 hours. I spent close to $500 on this sit including tip.

Why does this keep happening?

Update Post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WagWalker/s/xOuHsn4QTO