I'm watching a dog right now that has some *serious* anxiety issues. Thankfully, he's not damaging our house, but he will not calm down until it's time to go to bed. I can only play fetch for so long...any advice on getting him to chill out?

Peanut butter Kongs, bully sticks...you have to find out what will engage him. What exactly is he doing? Dogs that like to play fetch will play until YOU drop. I watch a dog that doesn't bark - but SCREAMS so loud when he's excited he's set off my burglar alarm (apparently he's the same frequency as glass breaking). I have thundershirts - I don't really think they work, but sometimes I'll try anything.

I watch mostly smaller dogs because of my cats, and you're on the opposite end of the spectrum, but I'm very familiar with the bigger ones, and they seem to have more anxiety. Pitties and GSD's are the biggest babies ever (I'm just guessing) - maybe he just needs cuddle time (I know, you're a guy, you can't admit that), but try!

Don't be afraid to ask the owner for ideas...I usually do it in a non threatening way, so they don't get worked up and think their dog is all stressed out.

I watched a shep mix for a friend before, and went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of stuffed animals because he liked to destroy them - it gave him something else to do (he didn't eat them, just ripped them to shreds), and everyone was happy. Get creative!

I would ask the owner if it would be okay to give the dog rescue remedy - it is an all natural supplement that helps curb anxiety. I would also ask his owners if this is a normal behavior.

When a dog is especially anxious after drop-off, I will take them for a good long walk. If they haven't calmed down after a walk and a few hours of being at my house, I will go run a short errand without them. Usually they are super happy to see me and will calm down. Special treats (bully stick, PB Kong) or a treat & training session ("Sit for little treats") sometimes work to.