How can I tell my client that their dog is no longer a good fit?

I've had this happen once. A dog who got comfortable started going at my cats aggressively. We spent the weekend with her tied to a leash around my ankle. I didn't mention it to the owners when they picked up. Two weeks later they wanted to book another stay and I had to come clean...she was too scary for my cats. The owners were embarrassed by it, but very understanding.

Like Amber's response in the post Deb linked, I'd emphasize that you want what is best for their dog, and that you're no longer sure you can provide the best environment for him. It sounds like he'd be best suited for a sitter who allows the dogs to sleep in their room with them. Since that's not something you can provide him, let the owners know what you've observed and what you think would make for the ideal sitter for him.

I feel for you. This is what I experienced. Trust me, dog owners know how their dogs act. She bought a shock collar because she knows her dog has a barking problem so you are not going to tell her anything she doesn't already know. I am assuming you are giving the owner updates on the dog. In one of those conversations you should have said something like, he is barking more than usual not sure what is going on..... so there the owner already knows there is an issue. Put in a positive with a negative as to not blame the dog too much. Such as, we are having a great time but he tends to bark a lot when its time to go to bed. When the owner picks him up she'll ask how it went and remain neutral. Now here is the advice...the next time she books with you tell her... I think Fido is more suited for someone who can stay with him in his home, such as a travel sitter because last time he stayed with me he didn't seem quite comfortable.

I had a similar situation, I referred them to a friend of mine who is a travel sitter and now everyone is happy. My ex-customers didn't know how to thank me enough. It was a relief for me and a relief for them because now the dogs stay home where they are comfortable. It was a win-win situation. If you don't have anyone to refer her to then tell her Rover will be more than happy to pair her up with a sitter that can fulfill her needs and give her their phone number. Hope this helps.

I searched "fit" and found many matches of sitters discussing how to tell a client their dog is not a match. Rover.com representative, Amber, provided a much well-liked response. Here's the link: https://www.rover.com/community/quest...

You could make a couple edits, (changing time away from home to sleeping away from us at bed time) and still referring them to Rover's customer support for help.