How does browsing local dogs work in the apps?

As a sitter, you can browse dogs in your local area and discover dogs that you would like to look after. This gives you an opportunity to show interest for specific dogs nearby.  

You can access the feature in the latest versions of the iPhone and Android apps by tapping on “Browse Local Dogs” in the home screen.

Each dog profile shows important information about the dog’s characteristics, behaviour and routines. Some have more information than others as it depends on what information the owner has provided. If the dog’s owner is actively looking for a sitter, we also highlight the service and dates the owner is looking for, and aim to only show you these dogs if you are available too.

Please browse responsibly

We all love our four-legged friends, and tapping on the heart for every pup is definitely tempting, but this isn’t how browsing dogs works.

• If you truly want to look after a dog you like, and decide it’s a good fit based on the information provided, then tap the heart to add them to your dog wish list. This will notify the owner so that they can consider booking with you when they next need a sitter.
  
  
• Some dogs will not be a good fit for you, and that’s OK. Maybe you can’t accommodate certain breeds, or sizes for a particular reason. Always ask yourself: if this owner wanted to book with me, would I be ready to accept the booking without hesitating? If you’re unsure, simply use the X to move onto the next dog. Don’t worry, we don’t notify the owner when you skip a dog, and there are thousands of other sitters who will be the perfect match for this pooch.
  
  

Some common questions:

• How do you choose the dogs you show me?
  We show you dogs within a three mile radius of your listing location. Some dogs may actively be looking for a sitter, others may not.
  When dog owners have sent booking requests to sitters for specific dates, we show you their dog if they’re looking for the same services that you offer (eg. boarding, day care, walking) for the dates you are available. 

• If a dog owner is not currently looking for a sitter, we show you their dogs anyway, so that you can express interest in caring for the dog and the owner can consider booking with you in the future.
  
  

The above means that we show you dogs that we believe you will have the highest chance of being interested in, leading to a higher chance of future booking requests.

• What happens when I tap the heart to “like” a dog? You’ve expressed interest in taking care of this dog and you are added to the owner’s Sitter Wish List, so that they can consider you when looking for a sitter in the future. We also notify the dog owner.
  

• What happens when I skip a dog using the ‘X’?  We simply skip the dog and will not show them to you again. Don’t worry, the owner doesn’t get notified.
  

• What happens when I remove a dog from my Dog Wish List? We remove you from their list but we don’t notify them. Your listing will still be visible to them in the search results though.
  

• Can I contact the owner of the dog I liked directly? If the owner has never contacted you before, then for privacy reasons you can’t contact them directly. However, as you are automatically added to the owner’s Wish List, they may choose to contact you the next time they need a sitter.
  

• I accidentally skipped a dog using the ‘X’ but I really wanted to take care of this dog. Can I change that? When browsing dogs, each dog is only shown to a sitter once. After  you’ve skipped a dog you won’t see the same dog again when browsing. Rest assured that the owner can still find you in the search results and contact you.

• Where can I find all the dogs that I have liked? All the dogs you’ve expressed interest in caring for are saved in the Dog Wish List section in the apps.

• Can I see the dogs I have liked on the website? No, the Dog Wish List is an app-only feature (both to browse dogs and to see the dogs you’ve liked).
  
  
• I’ve gone through all the dogs near me, when will you add more? It depends on your area and the new owners that join DogBuddy. We recommend that you check daily for new pooches!