Ask Amy: Dog parents bark at one another over sitter

Dear Amy: Several years ago, one of my neighbors asked if I would give her the name of my long-time (about 13 years at that point) dog sitter/walker.

This neighbor said that she and her husband never traveled, so she would use the dog sitter only for occasional walks.

I gave her the number.

Now the neighbor and her husband have begun traveling and have been booking my dog sitter for a week (or longer periods) sometimes a year in advance, so that I can no longer rely on the availability of the dog walker.

This neighbor has also given the name and number of the sitter to another neighbor.

I asked them, out of courtesy, to alert me a few weeks before they plan to use my dog sitter and to get a dog sitter of their own if I need my original sitter.

They both say they won’t do this. They won’t even allow me to use my dog sitter to walk my dog while they are using the sitter for week-long stays.

What is the etiquette in this situation?

– Dognapped Woman

Dear Dognapped: I understand how frustrating this is, but – a clarification: This person is not your dog sitter, but a dog sitter who makes their living walking dogs and dog sitting for clients. This is not an etiquette question, but one of how to get your own needs met.

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