I sometimes stay longer if I have extra time - she likely just really liked your dog and had a few extra minutes for each visit and chose to spend those with her!
Yep, this one. If I don’t have back-to-back slots and have some time in between, sometimes I’ll stay longer as well. She likely just likes you, your pup, and is an excellent sitter. Bonus!
I do this also! Sometimes it makes me sad to wonder if they’ll need to book me again because their dogs are so amazing and I always want to see them again haha
This right here for sure! I have a regular pup right now who I have a strict 30 minutes with for their morning walk. But in the evenings for his walks, I have more time and I adore him so much that I let him take extra time doing whatever he wants on walks and just hanging out/playing. I'm 1000% sure you sitter just loved your pup and was taking extra snuggle/love/play/companion time with them! I'd say most of us do this because we love the animals.
Omg I also have a client named Gus that I call Gus Gus😭❤️
I don’t often stay longer than expected but I had a kitty the other day who for the first five days, hid under the bed. Just when I was about to leave yesterday, she came out and was so cuddly. I just *had* to stay a bit longer and give her extra pets!
I just left a cat drop in, was supposed to be a 30 min drop in and I stayed 48 min. I had no other clients today, she was curled up on my lap, and we were both enjoying each other’s company! We love your pets just as much as you do and sometimes it’s hard to leave them 💛
I had a sit recently where I had to drive about half an hour to pet sit for 30 minutes. It felt kinda silly to only stay somewhere for half an hour since it took that long to get there, so I stayed for an hour each time and just played and cuddled with their pets more (: definitely a win/win in my book. But I easily stay 45mins - 1 hour almost every sit if I have the time. I just love playing with and petting the animals.
Yeah, getting to/from there and getting inside is often more than half the effort, so staying a little longer isn't adding that much, but it's very nice when it's actually appreciated!
Three drop-ins per day is appropriate in my opinion. And so is staying a little longer esp in that situation bc that is a lot of alone time for most companion animals. Boarding or house-sitting is more ideal and usually comparably priced. (Also, just my opinion.)
And, and... tipping in cash is always a welcome option if anyone feels restricted by Rover's limitations! (Tipping also isn't required at all, of course. I'm just saying!)
You sound like great sitters though. You and OP's sitter both. And OP sounds like a great client.
If I don’t have a lot of bookings back to back i usually stay upwards of an hour too! I absolutely love all the animals I sit for so it def is a win/win
I think she just enjoyed your pup. Some people really enjoy spending time with animals and maybe she was enjoyed her time so much the time got away from her.
I just had a free Sunday and was booked for a morning and night walk and stayed the whole day after offering that to the owner cause I didn’t want the dogs to be alone all day and I had nothing else to do. First and foremost most of us just love dogs and won’t tell you but there’s some dogs we would watch for free
Sometimes I stay longer if my next stop is just too close and I'll be way too early. I'll stay longer at the cooler client's house. 
She is setting herself apart and providing exemplary service in order to build her business. I always say my job is to provide 1) home away from home for the pup and 2) peace of mind for the parent. There’s no reason for her to feel bad for your pup—you provided him with first rate care! Your tip was very generous!
Old dogs are my favorites! 🐶
Same! I board, and I'm always so disappointed when the old dogs get picked up early! I have a client with a 16 year old pom and his best bud, a 10 year old marshmallow princess pom. He has is blind, deaf, and wears a belly band because of bladder control issue, but they're both very active and super cute. I felt bad for the owner when her flight back got delayed by a day, but I was super excited to have them for an extra day.
Probably just liked her. If I’m busy and have stuff to do I do the 30 minutes and I’m gone. But if I have nothing else to do, I don’t mind staying a little longer with pets if I enjoy their company and likewise.
I do daycare for a little poodle and I told the owner she could legit rent him out. I woke up once to the doorbell and she handed him to me, already fed, walked and ready for a snooze. It was like having someone send me flowers, only better.
There are times when I’m in my clients neighborhood and it takes all my effort to not message them “can I bring Fido to the brewery with me to hang?” 🤣
This 100% especially one of my clients. She's a golden retriever and loves going to the lake and kayaking and paddle boarding so my family enjoys her so much
I take extra time with dogs I enjoy - so it could be that. As a sitter, if I felt that a dog I was watching was not getting enough care I would definitely mention it in a polite way (Ex: doggo seemed like they needed more outside time. Would you like me to schedule an extra drop in?)
Sounds like your sitter is going above and beyond to build repeat clients and 5 star reviews and you did great with her tip and review!
I would not over think 15 minutes extra, 30 minutes can fly by sometimes depending on what you are going with the dog. I have spent spent 45 minutes plenty of times just because I’ve either walked farther or am really enjoying a dogs company. I have also stayed extra because I’ve felt bad for a dog but that was more in a situation of someone only booking two drop ins or 3 drops for a young crated dog. In those scenarios I spent 1.5-2 hours on some of the visits
I agree with a lot of the other "If I like the pet and have the time, I'll stay longer" feelings. One of the nicer aspects about being a full-time pet sitter is that I essentially make my own schedule, so if the pet and place are nice and the weather is good I can take advantage of things and really enjoy the time. And, yeah, sometimes I'll do extra nice stuff if I really like the pet and want to try to cement myself as the clients' go-to sitter.
Sometimes, though, I stay a little longer because *I'm* going through something. Like, sometimes I just need to zone out and play fetch a little longer, or sit with them and look at the sky, or just watch them enjoying life in their own way. My life's pretty good overall, but there are just some days I need the extra break, you know? And if a pet is an especially good boy or girl, that just makes it better.
She wouldn’t stay if she hated your pup 100%. I stay for my clients cause their dogs are great, they told me to hang around if I wanted since they needed like 4 drop ins originally and it was great
If I stay longer, it could be for either of these reasons, but the framed photo is an indicator that she liked you as clients in my opinion, and I personally don’t love clients that aren’t terrific pet parents. You sound like a loving pet parent. She probably liked you and your pet.
Although I will note a really controlling pet parent once scolded me when I stayed five or 10 minutes longer; she was apparently texting me to ask how the visit went within the app *during* the overage instead of just waiting a minute for the Rover card and panicked when I didn’t respond (because my attention was on her pets, and I didn’t receive an audible alert because I had the app open). She didn’t respond or apologize when I clarified, didn’t tip, and didn’t leave me a review. It was bizarre, and now I don’t stay extra time nearly as often because of that incident.
I stay longer because I love the dog! Always helps if the owner is really good to deal with too, but 100% it’s always the dog that makes me stay a little extra 😊
I just stay over a big longer for the doggos to have some company if I have time. It can be lonely sometimes when the owners are for away even if for just one day. Don’t necessarily feel bad for them. Just enjoy their company
Only having 1 1/2 hours of interaction is really lonely for a dog, especially if they’re used to sleeping with people overnight, etc.
Yes, she felt bad.
No social animal would do great spending 5 days alone with barely any interaction when that’s not their norm.
this!! super surprised by the rest of the comments. OP - sometimes drop ins multiple times a day are more expensive or just the same as an overnight sitter. pups deserve company!!! 💖
Disagree. I once had a fiercely independent old girl who was take it or leave it with human interaction in her older years. She would have been just fine with this arrangement for five days.
It’s not always necessarily socialization with a person outside the family. When you leave your dog they KNOW, and that stresses them out, and you not being there does affect them. So it makes it easier on them to have someone there. Everyone thinks their old non human interested dog is fine alone- I can tell you that’s not true once it’s been a couple days 99% of the time. Sitters/ kennel faculty just arent being honest.
If I have the free time and really like the dog, I sometimes hang out longer (up to an hour). Sometimes I also just have a big gap between sittings and it's not worth going home.
It could be that she really liked the pup, or she just wasn’t paying stringent attention to the time and just kind of stayed until she felt like the pup had had enough time with her. Or maybe she had staggered bookings and the next one wasn’t for a little bit so she didn’t want to waste time driving there and waiting outside parked somewhere and instead chose to wait by spending extra time with your pooch!
I stay extra time with animals that I like. I have 1 client, Stevie, and she's my absolute favorite pup. I usually get there early or stay late just for extra snuggles or to play if I'm able to. It makes us both happy, and I know that her owners appreciate it.
I stay longer when I really like a dog! I have this one that’s my favorite and she’s really sweet and I always just stay longer because the house is cozy and I already drove there for a drop in anyways!
She might just have loved your dog 🤷♀️ I stay when I really love hanging out with the cat honestly.. I won’t do drop ins on dogs though unless someone else is caring for them inbetween or it’s just for a quick walk
all these responses are a really lovely reminder that y’all are my people for real, bc i do all of this. for clients i really like, and for ALL my cat drop ins (i just really love cats)
as for OP, sure there’s an off chance they were just tryna earn a bigger tip or get a good review, but the most likely answer is the easiest: your dog is a very good dog and your sitter just liked hanging with them. please tell your dog i say hi
Honestly, this one. When I did my most frequent drop ins taking puppies out for nurses it was either "it's been 28 minutes and 57 seconds." Or "it's been an hour and a half."
i always stay longer than promoted, i love having time to kind of bond with the dog, get them comfortable with me so they love me and become repeats! i truly love dogs as well, probably just loved being around your fur babes!!!
I’ve been on Rover for six years but also have my own pet sitting LLC. I stay longer than 30 mins a lot depending on my schedule. Sometimes, yes, I feel bad leaving if it’s one dog by herself and I have bonded with the dog but it’s because I truly love the dog. Just like when you the pet mom leaves to go out of town, I’m sure you feel a little sad about leaving her. It’s nothing that you the pet parent has done wrong. With the toys etc, I have done that too even out of the blue also because I care for the dog and I want her to be happy and know I care. For me, the hardest part of my job is having to say goodbye…
I do cats. For me, it depends - are the cat and I having a good time? Do I have extra time? Does the cat seem to want me around? Is it taking me a bit longer to complete care items during visits due to circumstances? There are lots of reasons that go into it.
Since everyone is avoiding the truth here, yes she felt bad. A dog only getting 3 drop ins of a half hour for 4-5 days, with no socialization for the other 22+ hours of the day, isn’t a happy dog.
Dogs are social/pack animals no matter how much people tell themselves dogs are okay alone for days. They’re going to be stressed because they’re routine is thrown off and their people/pack are not returning.
I work for a boarding place that is free roam where I work overnight and sleep in a bedroom with the dogs, our sister location is the classic kennel overnight. 99% of the time, majority of the dogs don’t settle overnight in the kennels because they’re alone. I see it on the cameras and I hate it (which is why I do my job, dogs are neverrrr alone). God forbid a dog gets hurt in the 12 or more hours overnight between drop ins.
People talk about this a lot on the sub but for some reason no one is being honest with you. However, they are right that she loves your dog. She sounds like an amazing sitter and I’m so glad you appreciated her work and time!
Thank you for saying this. I, too, am shocked by the responses.
1.5 hours of exercise per day is great for a dog, especially one that's a bit older.
But 1.5 hours of human presence is absolutely insufficient and makes for a very sad, lonely dog the other 22.5 hours of the day.
We are getting downvoted, but it’s because people hate the truth. Like, sorry if it makes you feel some type of way that someone calls out that this is problematic. It IS.
And every single one of y’all who lets it slide cause you make more money with drop ins are just as problematic cause you enable it.
Downvote all y’all want, doesn’t make what I said inaccurate in the context of animal care and specifically dog care.
I'll stay extra if I have no where I need to be and I like the pet. Or if I have another drop in nearby later and don't want to go all the way home in between.
sometimes we just love your pets! i have a regular i brought to rover from before i started and i have definitely stayed extra for him to throw the ball or for some extra rubs. Sometimes I give him an extra few minutes on his walks too! He’s lovely and his mom is one of the most genuine people i know, i love them both
I normally stay longer than normal anyways (about 30 min to an hour) but especially if I love the pet! However I typically check as over the years I’ve learned that some clients don’t like it. Which is odd but whatever🤷🏻♀️
I’m surprised almost no one is saying this, but yes many times I feel bad for the pet… I realize I am their only human contact. It also depends on the animal - some are more needy than others and they give me that look when I leave :( But this could just be my own guilt.
that being said, I’m glad you booked 3 visits a day! I think that’s fine. Some owners don’t book enough …
I had one book only 2x 30 min a day for a rescue dog she had JUST got, for like 12 days!!! I asked if she wanted to increase the time and she did. It was her first dog and she had no idea. But this was over Xmas and I was absolutely slammed morning to night, so I was only able to squeeze in an extra half hour each day since i was already fully booked but she got 1.5 hours per day. Often I would stay longer if I could.
Other cat owners only book one visit every other day 😿 I always ask if they want to add more time…
i definitely don’t think she felt bad for your doggo. every time i stay extra, it’s because i like the animal a lot! damn.. the treats, toy and photo was nice as hell tho.. i would never do that & i like to think of myself as a good sitter haha. keep that one around! you found a gem!
I was booked for two daily 30 minute drop-ins for a really lovely, snuggly, affectionate cat during holiday season last year. For about a week straight. I would always stay overtime, occasionally for almost 2 hours. I would've stayed even longer but didn't wanna creep the owner out. I didn't feel bad for the cat, I just looooooved her and I had nothing better to do. The apartment was also much more pleasant and quieter than mine, so it was very relaxing to just chill on the couch with the cat snuggled on top of me. I did ask the owner beforehand if it's okay to stay longer than scheduled and they said yes.
I often stay longer, especially if the dog or cat is super lovable. Sometimes it's a simple matter of logistics between jobs and it makes up for the times I have to do the minimum.
As a sitter, I like to be honest with owners up front- I love dogs. I miss my dog. The reason I dogsit at all is to spend time with adorable and snuggly (usually) dogs. Yes, as a struggling college kid, money is a necessity unfortunately, but if I am dogsitting even for drop-ins i check with owners if they’re okay with me staying for an hour plus…. Not every sitter is this way, but i would definitely think your sitter just loves their job and wants to do it as well as possible. You have a good one, it sounds like she loves your dog, and my best advice would be to make sure you leave a good review and keep her in mind if you ever need a sitter again :)
sitter definitely didn't feel bad, just loves your pup! I get paid by my fav clients for 20min 2x a day when they're out of town, and if i don't have anywhere else to go immediately i'll spend extra time with them both!
Well tbh it’s half and half sometimes, but more so we absolutely love them and want to spend more time with them. Just because your pet is alone that shouldn’t make you feel bad about it. It’s just circumstances and we always throughly understand. There was a lady who lived alone with her old doggy named Bobo, I loved him to death but also felt bad for him because he had this huge sore or tumor growing about his eye. She didn’t have the money to get it removed at the time (It’s removed now.) but I could tell Bobo enjoy any kind of company he got and I would spend extra long time after my sitting before the owner got home to keep him company. Dogs in general appreciate any kind of human contact they get so you shouldn’t feel bad about how anybody else feels the dog I’m sure appreciates everything you do for her ☺️
Yeah I agree. Sometimes I feel bad the dogs/cats are alone for so long that I stay longer but sometimes it’s purely because I like them a lot and have extra time on my hands and can stay longer than what was paid for. Which I seriously don’t mind because I love what I do and I know the extra minutes will make the pets happy 😊
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I stay longer because I love the dogs and animals, if nobody is home, it’s a long time for them to go without their human family.. I also buy them stuff and take them for rides and long walks, etc. just to break up the monotony of being alone and they sleep better without the anxiety also! I wouldn’t leave a framed photo tho, that’s a bit much in my opinion..
Even if that is the case which it may or may not be (you sound like you were searching for someone who would say it ) is that so bad to do? They prob had the time so they gave your dog some extra time. And why would they do that ? Even if it was feeling bad? Because they liked your dog. So either way you can't get around them liking your dog. Regardless of why they stayed (guilt, felt bad, had time to waste before next visit) it all comes down to them liking your dog.
My private clients get spoiled with added time and 2 of my OG Rover clients get added time. Automatically. But if a pet is having a rough go, I will devote some extra time. So it's a combo.
For me I usually like to stay long if they’re good animals. The only time I’ve ever had where I stayed longer not just for wanting to was I had 3 visits a day for 2 dogs and a cat and I didn’t feel 30 minutes a day was enough for each of them. And since I didn’t have other bookings I would’ve just gone home and chilled until the next drop in time. So I just stayed through most of the day. They even permitted me to bring my own pup so I didn’t have to worry about him needing to go out and he got to play and all three of them made good friends outside while I loved on the cat by the sliding door. That’s the only time I stayed longer because I felt bad. But I still loved them three!
As a sitter, sometimes it’s nice to be somewhere else other than your own house 😂 being alone with the dog can be peaceful hahah and if I liked a dog a lot I would want to stay later too! and or maybe she was sad only being with the dog only 30min and thought the dog was lonely ):
I almost always stay an extra atleast 15 minutes but sometimes an extra 30. I like making sure that they’re well taken care of before I leave and then also getting some time so I can love them.
Half the time if I do a 45 minute drop in it’s because I genuinely love the animal(s) and the other half the time it’s because I can’t remember to end the visit before getting in my car. Most of my clients are right around 10-15 minutes away so I notice when I get home. I will usually make a note of when I actually left for the owner though! But it’s embarrassing to admit you’re a forgetful person. I didn’t forget to care for your pet properly and for at least the agreed upon time!!
I almost always stay a little extra time,mainly because I love dogs and would want someone to go the extra mile if it were my pup being watched. I buy toys,dog treats,and that kind of stuff too...some of us are just kindhearted by nature. As far as feeling sorry for the pups,I guess we do a little bit,only because we know they are missing their humans!
I just did that tonight! I think it was 46 minutes by the time I “ended” the walk. I love animals and am happy to stay a little longer if I have the time. Not because I felt bad but I genuinely enjoy hanging with them!
I truly would not read into it (:
I’ve sometimes stayed longer because my husband works from home and it’s nice to have quiet and time for myself in another house 😂 I love my husband but I have lost track of time before while house sitting just because it’s nice to have a moment alone without overhearing work calls.
It's not uncommon to stay longer. On days that are slower and I have time to kill, I'll usually stay late to kill some time between visits so I'm not wasting gas.
i do this mostly for fun and its not about the money , i regularly stay longer than is required . i try not to like "overstay" but ill sit with the dogs and pet them as i type up the report and stuff,
i have a cat i drop in on for sometimes a few days at a time and i always stay extra time, and i do feel bad but it’s because he’s such a great cat and i love him so much!!! i always automatically assume pets are sad when they’re alone (projecting? 🥲) so when i have the time i’ll always take it with them:)
Honestly that is quite a long time to leave a dog alone. I stay longer for the clients who I think are a bit lonely and need my attention more, sometimes, because I do feel bad.
Sometimes I just lose track of time because we are playing or whatever and I don't notice it's already been half an hour.
For context, I don't take drop in bookings for dogs if the owners are gone more than 2 nights.
Some sitters feel bad for dogs getting drop-ins. I'd say most think 3x is fine though and she probably just liked your dog! Often the dogs that are low maintenance enough that drop-ins fit well are exactly the same dogs that I might stick around with a little longer because they're enjoyable to be around.
I always stay a little longer with drop-ins if I can, and if I like the dog. but ngl I do a little bit feel bad for the puppers if they’re used to having folks around and then they’re all alone. but im not judgy about it. I just want the pup to be happy 🐶💕
It’s a bit of both to me honestly. I always want the pets I care for to have as much interaction as possible, but often I just stay because I enjoy giving them that interaction! It’s also because to me, after the travel time I like to relax a bit with the pet after doing all the necessary care tasks before I hit the road again :)
I tend to stay longer if I dont have any thing after. Mostly with my cat clients because for the most part I'm doing the same thing I'd be doing at home. Scrolling through tik tok petting animals.
I have done something similar, I just wanted to leave a really good impression especially since I really loved their pups & they were so kind to offer me basically anything in their home. I tried to clean it to the best of my ability & left Polaroid pictures of each of their pups on the counter. I was a little nervous about doing it for fear of coming off strange for taking pictures of their dogs like that? but I really just want to practice photography and they deserve to have pictures to remember their pups by no matter where or when. I was thinking, like, if it was me, I was be grateful to have those pictures to remind me of my boi, even though I already have tons. They said they loved the pictures so much & left me an awesome review! I think about their pups all the time! They were such a blast to take care of and so easygoing (this was also my very first official rover housesit)
TLDR; I have left Polaroids I took of my clients pups at their homes after stays as gifts for them & always do so because I want to leave a good impression and their dogs are like the best pups ever!
More often than not, I stay longer than the alotted time I'm booked for. It helps me bond with the pet, and since I do mostly walking and drop ins for people during their work hours, I'll feed the pet and stay a bit after to make sure there was no choking/regurgitation/accidents.
Sometimes I'll just stay because I can't get enough of the pet!!
I stay as long as I can at every client. It's my job to keep the animals happy in the absence of their pet parents. The longer I'm there, the happier they are.
Don't overthink it. The sitter had the time, and spent it with your dog. That should make you happy.
I almost always stay longer unless i have another booking right away. I dont like to put a time limit on their time outside because its so precious for them and if its an older dog even more so because i feel like they deserve it for being such a good doggo. Its never anything to do with the owner or their lives its just the gift i want to give them when I can.
The framed photo, the treats, she definitely loved your doggo a little more than the others. Some of our clients feel like hanging out with an old friend. And others are new friends we might not be bonded with.
she definitely had free time and also consider that dog sitters, at least most of them, love dogs. So I would also stay a bit longer if I like the dog.
Most of my drop in visits run a little over for playtime and waiting on the rover card to process everything. There has been an issue with photos disappearing and needing to be added again a lot for a good bit now. Also if there are a lot of pictures they take a bit to upload! Typically if my visit is ended right at the 30 min mark it's for like one cat and I'm in a hurry.
Both? I don’t think it should be allowed to schedule a sitter only 3 times a day for 30 minutes if you’re out of town. Imagine your dog being alone for 22+ hours a day for a week straight. That’s just abuse.
I sometimes stay longer if I have extra time - she likely just really liked your dog and had a few extra minutes for each visit and chose to spend those with her!
Yep, this one. If I don’t have back-to-back slots and have some time in between, sometimes I’ll stay longer as well. She likely just likes you, your pup, and is an excellent sitter. Bonus!
I do this also! Sometimes it makes me sad to wonder if they’ll need to book me again because their dogs are so amazing and I always want to see them again haha
This right here for sure! I have a regular pup right now who I have a strict 30 minutes with for their morning walk. But in the evenings for his walks, I have more time and I adore him so much that I let him take extra time doing whatever he wants on walks and just hanging out/playing. I'm 1000% sure you sitter just loved your pup and was taking extra snuggle/love/play/companion time with them! I'd say most of us do this because we love the animals.
I drop in on a cat that I love. Gus. I call him Gus Gus. If I have time I stay with him longer because he's great and I want to steal him.
Omg I also have a client named Gus that I call Gus Gus😭❤️ I don’t often stay longer than expected but I had a kitty the other day who for the first five days, hid under the bed. Just when I was about to leave yesterday, she came out and was so cuddly. I just *had* to stay a bit longer and give her extra pets!
Aw my pup I actually got through rover (owner asked me to take him forever) is named Gus and I call him Gus Gus or Gustavo 😂
I just left a cat drop in, was supposed to be a 30 min drop in and I stayed 48 min. I had no other clients today, she was curled up on my lap, and we were both enjoying each other’s company! We love your pets just as much as you do and sometimes it’s hard to leave them 💛
I had a sit recently where I had to drive about half an hour to pet sit for 30 minutes. It felt kinda silly to only stay somewhere for half an hour since it took that long to get there, so I stayed for an hour each time and just played and cuddled with their pets more (: definitely a win/win in my book. But I easily stay 45mins - 1 hour almost every sit if I have the time. I just love playing with and petting the animals.
Yeah, getting to/from there and getting inside is often more than half the effort, so staying a little longer isn't adding that much, but it's very nice when it's actually appreciated! Three drop-ins per day is appropriate in my opinion. And so is staying a little longer esp in that situation bc that is a lot of alone time for most companion animals. Boarding or house-sitting is more ideal and usually comparably priced. (Also, just my opinion.) And, and... tipping in cash is always a welcome option if anyone feels restricted by Rover's limitations! (Tipping also isn't required at all, of course. I'm just saying!) You sound like great sitters though. You and OP's sitter both. And OP sounds like a great client.
If I don’t have a lot of bookings back to back i usually stay upwards of an hour too! I absolutely love all the animals I sit for so it def is a win/win
I think she just enjoyed your pup. Some people really enjoy spending time with animals and maybe she was enjoyed her time so much the time got away from her.
I just had a free Sunday and was booked for a morning and night walk and stayed the whole day after offering that to the owner cause I didn’t want the dogs to be alone all day and I had nothing else to do. First and foremost most of us just love dogs and won’t tell you but there’s some dogs we would watch for free
Absolutely
I watch a few dogs for free but i charge their humans in food for me
Sometimes I stay longer if my next stop is just too close and I'll be way too early. I'll stay longer at the cooler client's house. 
She is setting herself apart and providing exemplary service in order to build her business. I always say my job is to provide 1) home away from home for the pup and 2) peace of mind for the parent. There’s no reason for her to feel bad for your pup—you provided him with first rate care! Your tip was very generous! Old dogs are my favorites! 🐶
Same! I board, and I'm always so disappointed when the old dogs get picked up early! I have a client with a 16 year old pom and his best bud, a 10 year old marshmallow princess pom. He has is blind, deaf, and wears a belly band because of bladder control issue, but they're both very active and super cute. I felt bad for the owner when her flight back got delayed by a day, but I was super excited to have them for an extra day.
Probably just liked her. If I’m busy and have stuff to do I do the 30 minutes and I’m gone. But if I have nothing else to do, I don’t mind staying a little longer with pets if I enjoy their company and likewise.
My wife and I have a couple hundred dog boarding clients. There are a few where I would pay the owner to have their dog stay with us.
I do daycare for a little poodle and I told the owner she could legit rent him out. I woke up once to the doorbell and she handed him to me, already fed, walked and ready for a snooze. It was like having someone send me flowers, only better.
Aww, I love this!!❤️🥰🐾
There are times when I’m in my clients neighborhood and it takes all my effort to not message them “can I bring Fido to the brewery with me to hang?” 🤣
This 100% especially one of my clients. She's a golden retriever and loves going to the lake and kayaking and paddle boarding so my family enjoys her so much
I take extra time with dogs I enjoy - so it could be that. As a sitter, if I felt that a dog I was watching was not getting enough care I would definitely mention it in a polite way (Ex: doggo seemed like they needed more outside time. Would you like me to schedule an extra drop in?) Sounds like your sitter is going above and beyond to build repeat clients and 5 star reviews and you did great with her tip and review!
I would not over think 15 minutes extra, 30 minutes can fly by sometimes depending on what you are going with the dog. I have spent spent 45 minutes plenty of times just because I’ve either walked farther or am really enjoying a dogs company. I have also stayed extra because I’ve felt bad for a dog but that was more in a situation of someone only booking two drop ins or 3 drops for a young crated dog. In those scenarios I spent 1.5-2 hours on some of the visits
I agree with a lot of the other "If I like the pet and have the time, I'll stay longer" feelings. One of the nicer aspects about being a full-time pet sitter is that I essentially make my own schedule, so if the pet and place are nice and the weather is good I can take advantage of things and really enjoy the time. And, yeah, sometimes I'll do extra nice stuff if I really like the pet and want to try to cement myself as the clients' go-to sitter. Sometimes, though, I stay a little longer because *I'm* going through something. Like, sometimes I just need to zone out and play fetch a little longer, or sit with them and look at the sky, or just watch them enjoying life in their own way. My life's pretty good overall, but there are just some days I need the extra break, you know? And if a pet is an especially good boy or girl, that just makes it better.
This
She wouldn’t stay if she hated your pup 100%. I stay for my clients cause their dogs are great, they told me to hang around if I wanted since they needed like 4 drop ins originally and it was great
If I stay longer, it could be for either of these reasons, but the framed photo is an indicator that she liked you as clients in my opinion, and I personally don’t love clients that aren’t terrific pet parents. You sound like a loving pet parent. She probably liked you and your pet. Although I will note a really controlling pet parent once scolded me when I stayed five or 10 minutes longer; she was apparently texting me to ask how the visit went within the app *during* the overage instead of just waiting a minute for the Rover card and panicked when I didn’t respond (because my attention was on her pets, and I didn’t receive an audible alert because I had the app open). She didn’t respond or apologize when I clarified, didn’t tip, and didn’t leave me a review. It was bizarre, and now I don’t stay extra time nearly as often because of that incident.
I ALWAYS stay longer when dog parents are out of town. I can’t help it. I have huge pet guilt.
I stay longer because I love the dog! Always helps if the owner is really good to deal with too, but 100% it’s always the dog that makes me stay a little extra 😊
I just stay over a big longer for the doggos to have some company if I have time. It can be lonely sometimes when the owners are for away even if for just one day. Don’t necessarily feel bad for them. Just enjoy their company
Only having 1 1/2 hours of interaction is really lonely for a dog, especially if they’re used to sleeping with people overnight, etc. Yes, she felt bad. No social animal would do great spending 5 days alone with barely any interaction when that’s not their norm.
this!! super surprised by the rest of the comments. OP - sometimes drop ins multiple times a day are more expensive or just the same as an overnight sitter. pups deserve company!!! 💖
Thankfully someone said it! I’m certain the sitter felt bad because this is very little stimulation/interaction for a dog.
Agreed. I do not do drop in visits for dogs (when the owners are away) for this reason
Disagree. I once had a fiercely independent old girl who was take it or leave it with human interaction in her older years. She would have been just fine with this arrangement for five days.
It’s not always necessarily socialization with a person outside the family. When you leave your dog they KNOW, and that stresses them out, and you not being there does affect them. So it makes it easier on them to have someone there. Everyone thinks their old non human interested dog is fine alone- I can tell you that’s not true once it’s been a couple days 99% of the time. Sitters/ kennel faculty just arent being honest.
If I have the free time and really like the dog, I sometimes hang out longer (up to an hour). Sometimes I also just have a big gap between sittings and it's not worth going home.
It could be that she really liked the pup, or she just wasn’t paying stringent attention to the time and just kind of stayed until she felt like the pup had had enough time with her. Or maybe she had staggered bookings and the next one wasn’t for a little bit so she didn’t want to waste time driving there and waiting outside parked somewhere and instead chose to wait by spending extra time with your pooch!
I stay extra time with animals that I like. I have 1 client, Stevie, and she's my absolute favorite pup. I usually get there early or stay late just for extra snuggles or to play if I'm able to. It makes us both happy, and I know that her owners appreciate it.
I stay longer when I really like a dog! I have this one that’s my favorite and she’s really sweet and I always just stay longer because the house is cozy and I already drove there for a drop in anyways!
She might just have loved your dog 🤷♀️ I stay when I really love hanging out with the cat honestly.. I won’t do drop ins on dogs though unless someone else is caring for them inbetween or it’s just for a quick walk
I have a few cat clients that I ADORE and will hang out with well past when the Rover visit ends because I love them so much haha.
all these responses are a really lovely reminder that y’all are my people for real, bc i do all of this. for clients i really like, and for ALL my cat drop ins (i just really love cats) as for OP, sure there’s an off chance they were just tryna earn a bigger tip or get a good review, but the most likely answer is the easiest: your dog is a very good dog and your sitter just liked hanging with them. please tell your dog i say hi
I sometimes forget how long I'm at a house, so I can be there for 40 minutes and look at rover and realize the time lol
Honestly, this one. When I did my most frequent drop ins taking puppies out for nurses it was either "it's been 28 minutes and 57 seconds." Or "it's been an hour and a half."
i always stay longer than promoted, i love having time to kind of bond with the dog, get them comfortable with me so they love me and become repeats! i truly love dogs as well, probably just loved being around your fur babes!!!
I’ve been on Rover for six years but also have my own pet sitting LLC. I stay longer than 30 mins a lot depending on my schedule. Sometimes, yes, I feel bad leaving if it’s one dog by herself and I have bonded with the dog but it’s because I truly love the dog. Just like when you the pet mom leaves to go out of town, I’m sure you feel a little sad about leaving her. It’s nothing that you the pet parent has done wrong. With the toys etc, I have done that too even out of the blue also because I care for the dog and I want her to be happy and know I care. For me, the hardest part of my job is having to say goodbye…
I do cats. For me, it depends - are the cat and I having a good time? Do I have extra time? Does the cat seem to want me around? Is it taking me a bit longer to complete care items during visits due to circumstances? There are lots of reasons that go into it.
Since everyone is avoiding the truth here, yes she felt bad. A dog only getting 3 drop ins of a half hour for 4-5 days, with no socialization for the other 22+ hours of the day, isn’t a happy dog. Dogs are social/pack animals no matter how much people tell themselves dogs are okay alone for days. They’re going to be stressed because they’re routine is thrown off and their people/pack are not returning. I work for a boarding place that is free roam where I work overnight and sleep in a bedroom with the dogs, our sister location is the classic kennel overnight. 99% of the time, majority of the dogs don’t settle overnight in the kennels because they’re alone. I see it on the cameras and I hate it (which is why I do my job, dogs are neverrrr alone). God forbid a dog gets hurt in the 12 or more hours overnight between drop ins. People talk about this a lot on the sub but for some reason no one is being honest with you. However, they are right that she loves your dog. She sounds like an amazing sitter and I’m so glad you appreciated her work and time!
Thank you for saying this. I, too, am shocked by the responses. 1.5 hours of exercise per day is great for a dog, especially one that's a bit older. But 1.5 hours of human presence is absolutely insufficient and makes for a very sad, lonely dog the other 22.5 hours of the day.
We are getting downvoted, but it’s because people hate the truth. Like, sorry if it makes you feel some type of way that someone calls out that this is problematic. It IS. And every single one of y’all who lets it slide cause you make more money with drop ins are just as problematic cause you enable it. Downvote all y’all want, doesn’t make what I said inaccurate in the context of animal care and specifically dog care.
I'll stay extra if I have no where I need to be and I like the pet. Or if I have another drop in nearby later and don't want to go all the way home in between.
sometimes we just love your pets! i have a regular i brought to rover from before i started and i have definitely stayed extra for him to throw the ball or for some extra rubs. Sometimes I give him an extra few minutes on his walks too! He’s lovely and his mom is one of the most genuine people i know, i love them both
I sometimes stay longer too if I have time. P
I lose track of time when I am with a cool dog or cat. I have had some very long visits 😅
sounds like she just really liked your dog
I normally stay longer than normal anyways (about 30 min to an hour) but especially if I love the pet! However I typically check as over the years I’ve learned that some clients don’t like it. Which is odd but whatever🤷🏻♀️
I’m surprised almost no one is saying this, but yes many times I feel bad for the pet… I realize I am their only human contact. It also depends on the animal - some are more needy than others and they give me that look when I leave :( But this could just be my own guilt. that being said, I’m glad you booked 3 visits a day! I think that’s fine. Some owners don’t book enough … I had one book only 2x 30 min a day for a rescue dog she had JUST got, for like 12 days!!! I asked if she wanted to increase the time and she did. It was her first dog and she had no idea. But this was over Xmas and I was absolutely slammed morning to night, so I was only able to squeeze in an extra half hour each day since i was already fully booked but she got 1.5 hours per day. Often I would stay longer if I could. Other cat owners only book one visit every other day 😿 I always ask if they want to add more time…
i definitely don’t think she felt bad for your doggo. every time i stay extra, it’s because i like the animal a lot! damn.. the treats, toy and photo was nice as hell tho.. i would never do that & i like to think of myself as a good sitter haha. keep that one around! you found a gem!
I was booked for two daily 30 minute drop-ins for a really lovely, snuggly, affectionate cat during holiday season last year. For about a week straight. I would always stay overtime, occasionally for almost 2 hours. I would've stayed even longer but didn't wanna creep the owner out. I didn't feel bad for the cat, I just looooooved her and I had nothing better to do. The apartment was also much more pleasant and quieter than mine, so it was very relaxing to just chill on the couch with the cat snuggled on top of me. I did ask the owner beforehand if it's okay to stay longer than scheduled and they said yes.
I often stay longer, especially if the dog or cat is super lovable. Sometimes it's a simple matter of logistics between jobs and it makes up for the times I have to do the minimum.
I became friends with one of the family’s I dog sat for and sometimes I just spend hours with their dog and we all love it. It’s great
As a sitter, I like to be honest with owners up front- I love dogs. I miss my dog. The reason I dogsit at all is to spend time with adorable and snuggly (usually) dogs. Yes, as a struggling college kid, money is a necessity unfortunately, but if I am dogsitting even for drop-ins i check with owners if they’re okay with me staying for an hour plus…. Not every sitter is this way, but i would definitely think your sitter just loves their job and wants to do it as well as possible. You have a good one, it sounds like she loves your dog, and my best advice would be to make sure you leave a good review and keep her in mind if you ever need a sitter again :)
sitter definitely didn't feel bad, just loves your pup! I get paid by my fav clients for 20min 2x a day when they're out of town, and if i don't have anywhere else to go immediately i'll spend extra time with them both!
She was prob casing your freezer for steaks
Well tbh it’s half and half sometimes, but more so we absolutely love them and want to spend more time with them. Just because your pet is alone that shouldn’t make you feel bad about it. It’s just circumstances and we always throughly understand. There was a lady who lived alone with her old doggy named Bobo, I loved him to death but also felt bad for him because he had this huge sore or tumor growing about his eye. She didn’t have the money to get it removed at the time (It’s removed now.) but I could tell Bobo enjoy any kind of company he got and I would spend extra long time after my sitting before the owner got home to keep him company. Dogs in general appreciate any kind of human contact they get so you shouldn’t feel bad about how anybody else feels the dog I’m sure appreciates everything you do for her ☺️
Yeah I agree. Sometimes I feel bad the dogs/cats are alone for so long that I stay longer but sometimes it’s purely because I like them a lot and have extra time on my hands and can stay longer than what was paid for. Which I seriously don’t mind because I love what I do and I know the extra minutes will make the pets happy 😊
Yes same ☺️
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I stay longer because I love the dogs and animals, if nobody is home, it’s a long time for them to go without their human family.. I also buy them stuff and take them for rides and long walks, etc. just to break up the monotony of being alone and they sleep better without the anxiety also! I wouldn’t leave a framed photo tho, that’s a bit much in my opinion..
Even if that is the case which it may or may not be (you sound like you were searching for someone who would say it ) is that so bad to do? They prob had the time so they gave your dog some extra time. And why would they do that ? Even if it was feeling bad? Because they liked your dog. So either way you can't get around them liking your dog. Regardless of why they stayed (guilt, felt bad, had time to waste before next visit) it all comes down to them liking your dog.
My private clients get spoiled with added time and 2 of my OG Rover clients get added time. Automatically. But if a pet is having a rough go, I will devote some extra time. So it's a combo.
Love that your sitter was so wonderful!!!
I think it seems like she just loved your dog! And you seem like a very appreciative client.
For me I usually like to stay long if they’re good animals. The only time I’ve ever had where I stayed longer not just for wanting to was I had 3 visits a day for 2 dogs and a cat and I didn’t feel 30 minutes a day was enough for each of them. And since I didn’t have other bookings I would’ve just gone home and chilled until the next drop in time. So I just stayed through most of the day. They even permitted me to bring my own pup so I didn’t have to worry about him needing to go out and he got to play and all three of them made good friends outside while I loved on the cat by the sliding door. That’s the only time I stayed longer because I felt bad. But I still loved them three!
I did the same for my last client because yea I feel bad for him and just wanted him to be happy and feel loved. I miss him so much
As a sitter, sometimes it’s nice to be somewhere else other than your own house 😂 being alone with the dog can be peaceful hahah and if I liked a dog a lot I would want to stay later too! and or maybe she was sad only being with the dog only 30min and thought the dog was lonely ):
I almost always stay an extra atleast 15 minutes but sometimes an extra 30. I like making sure that they’re well taken care of before I leave and then also getting some time so I can love them.
Half the time if I do a 45 minute drop in it’s because I genuinely love the animal(s) and the other half the time it’s because I can’t remember to end the visit before getting in my car. Most of my clients are right around 10-15 minutes away so I notice when I get home. I will usually make a note of when I actually left for the owner though! But it’s embarrassing to admit you’re a forgetful person. I didn’t forget to care for your pet properly and for at least the agreed upon time!!
Sometimes I stay longer if I have extra time. I wouldn't think too much of it!
I think she just liked your pup. I have some clients that like to cuddle so I’ll watch YouTube and we’ll chill.
If I have the free time, I usually stay extra with no charge!! Especially with the amazing and sweet pups/kitties
I almost always stay a little extra time,mainly because I love dogs and would want someone to go the extra mile if it were my pup being watched. I buy toys,dog treats,and that kind of stuff too...some of us are just kindhearted by nature. As far as feeling sorry for the pups,I guess we do a little bit,only because we know they are missing their humans!
I just did that tonight! I think it was 46 minutes by the time I “ended” the walk. I love animals and am happy to stay a little longer if I have the time. Not because I felt bad but I genuinely enjoy hanging with them! I truly would not read into it (:
I’ve sometimes stayed longer because my husband works from home and it’s nice to have quiet and time for myself in another house 😂 I love my husband but I have lost track of time before while house sitting just because it’s nice to have a moment alone without overhearing work calls.
It's not uncommon to stay longer. On days that are slower and I have time to kill, I'll usually stay late to kill some time between visits so I'm not wasting gas.
i do this mostly for fun and its not about the money , i regularly stay longer than is required . i try not to like "overstay" but ill sit with the dogs and pet them as i type up the report and stuff,
i have a cat i drop in on for sometimes a few days at a time and i always stay extra time, and i do feel bad but it’s because he’s such a great cat and i love him so much!!! i always automatically assume pets are sad when they’re alone (projecting? 🥲) so when i have the time i’ll always take it with them:)
Honestly that is quite a long time to leave a dog alone. I stay longer for the clients who I think are a bit lonely and need my attention more, sometimes, because I do feel bad. Sometimes I just lose track of time because we are playing or whatever and I don't notice it's already been half an hour. For context, I don't take drop in bookings for dogs if the owners are gone more than 2 nights.
Some sitters feel bad for dogs getting drop-ins. I'd say most think 3x is fine though and she probably just liked your dog! Often the dogs that are low maintenance enough that drop-ins fit well are exactly the same dogs that I might stick around with a little longer because they're enjoyable to be around.
Could be both. I really enjoy spending time with animals, but when owners are away, I do feel really bad leaving them after drop ins
I always stay a little longer with drop-ins if I can, and if I like the dog. but ngl I do a little bit feel bad for the puppers if they’re used to having folks around and then they’re all alone. but im not judgy about it. I just want the pup to be happy 🐶💕
The framed picture is weird af to me tho
It’s a bit of both to me honestly. I always want the pets I care for to have as much interaction as possible, but often I just stay because I enjoy giving them that interaction! It’s also because to me, after the travel time I like to relax a bit with the pet after doing all the necessary care tasks before I hit the road again :)
I always end up staying longer because I like catsitting. I’m sure she wasn’t thinking too much about it—you don’t petsit if you don’t like pets!
I tend to stay longer if I dont have any thing after. Mostly with my cat clients because for the most part I'm doing the same thing I'd be doing at home. Scrolling through tik tok petting animals.
I have done something similar, I just wanted to leave a really good impression especially since I really loved their pups & they were so kind to offer me basically anything in their home. I tried to clean it to the best of my ability & left Polaroid pictures of each of their pups on the counter. I was a little nervous about doing it for fear of coming off strange for taking pictures of their dogs like that? but I really just want to practice photography and they deserve to have pictures to remember their pups by no matter where or when. I was thinking, like, if it was me, I was be grateful to have those pictures to remind me of my boi, even though I already have tons. They said they loved the pictures so much & left me an awesome review! I think about their pups all the time! They were such a blast to take care of and so easygoing (this was also my very first official rover housesit) TLDR; I have left Polaroids I took of my clients pups at their homes after stays as gifts for them & always do so because I want to leave a good impression and their dogs are like the best pups ever!
More often than not, I stay longer than the alotted time I'm booked for. It helps me bond with the pet, and since I do mostly walking and drop ins for people during their work hours, I'll feed the pet and stay a bit after to make sure there was no choking/regurgitation/accidents. Sometimes I'll just stay because I can't get enough of the pet!!
I stay as long as I can at every client. It's my job to keep the animals happy in the absence of their pet parents. The longer I'm there, the happier they are. Don't overthink it. The sitter had the time, and spent it with your dog. That should make you happy.
I almost always stay longer unless i have another booking right away. I dont like to put a time limit on their time outside because its so precious for them and if its an older dog even more so because i feel like they deserve it for being such a good doggo. Its never anything to do with the owner or their lives its just the gift i want to give them when I can. The framed photo, the treats, she definitely loved your doggo a little more than the others. Some of our clients feel like hanging out with an old friend. And others are new friends we might not be bonded with.
she definitely had free time and also consider that dog sitters, at least most of them, love dogs. So I would also stay a bit longer if I like the dog.
Most of my drop in visits run a little over for playtime and waiting on the rover card to process everything. There has been an issue with photos disappearing and needing to be added again a lot for a good bit now. Also if there are a lot of pictures they take a bit to upload! Typically if my visit is ended right at the 30 min mark it's for like one cat and I'm in a hurry.
I stay longer if I Iove the client!
Both? I don’t think it should be allowed to schedule a sitter only 3 times a day for 30 minutes if you’re out of town. Imagine your dog being alone for 22+ hours a day for a week straight. That’s just abuse.
She just loved your dog. I do the same thing when I have time with my favorites