The Uber-esque Alternative to Kenneling Your Dog Also Great for Sick Days

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I have a very energetic puppy–which is great for me because I’m also energetic.

That is, until I’m sick.  I came down with bronchitis, which has made walking Moxie much more difficult.  And small puppies need their energy!

I was tempted to put out a plea to come over and play with my dog when it suddenly occurred to me to check out Rover.

Rover matches up people interested in dog sitting with people who want dog sitters.  The people on the website range from couples interested in getting a dog in the future, stay at home parents, and retired folks.  Some people have dogs of their own, some don’t.  And each person has a set of credentials and verified reviews from other people who have booked them.

You can book people for day-sitting, overnights in their homes, overnights in your own home, and dog walking.  Rover recommends a meet up with the dog sitter ahead of time.  They also set up a text messaging line that allows you to text and call each other without knowing each other’s phone number.  (Once you book them, you’ll of course, want to exchange numbers).

I used Rover for dog sitting a few times.  I used it for longer trips and I’ve used it for overnight stays when I’m going to events/weddings.

You can also book regular dog-walking through it.  I logged on to see if you could book last-second dog walking.

Luckily, the dog-walking search feature lets you know if someone is immediately available.  I quickly found a girl with great reviews and put in a request, explaining the situation.

Within a half-hour, she wrote back confirmed she could fulfill my request and proposed a schedule.  I accepted the schedule, paid, and just like that–I had a dog walker.

I thought being able to order take out food online was the end-all-be-all technological breakthrough for being sick, but this just stepped things up a notch.  Without having to pick up a phone and without having to spend too much time researching, I got someone to come over my house and walk my dog.

If you want to try Rover out, you can use my link for $20 off your first purchase.  Depending on who you book, this can make your first set of dog walking free!