what dog breed is the worst to sit for?

Daniela is correct. While this is a great concern to have, it's not as easy as being a breed issue. While there may be stereotypes for each breed, the more you dog sit...the more you realize that few dogs actually conform to these.

Meet and Greets are essential. I do not take new clients unless I have done a meet and greet in their home. The "in THEIR home" is essential when house sitting. If a dog has any aggression/dominant/protective behaviors, it will most likely come out in the environment in which they're familiar. This is the process I use for house sitting meet and greets:

1. Have the owner meet me outside with the dog LEASHED, as if for a walk. This way, I can introduce myself to the dog in a situation where it is under the control of the owner.

2. We go inside and I have the owner enter the home first, with the dog still leashed. Even the nicest dogs can get territorial when a stranger enters the home for the first time. If the dog has a tendency to be aggressive at the door, it will usually show up here.

3. We unleash the dog and I give it a lot of high energy praise. This is usually where the dog will jump up on me for affection, treats, etc. This lets the dog know that when I come into the home, they can expect a lot of praise and attention right off the bat. If the dog seems standoffish, I sit on the ground, with the owner, and call its name to show that the owner trusts me (so they can too!).

4. I talk to the owner about the routine, normal M&G information, etc.

5. If everything seems good, I'll have the owner and I step out of the house. Then, I will enter the home WITHOUT the owner. This is where any signs of aggression that will limit your ability to enter the home will show up. If it goes well, LOTS of praise and attention.

Use the meet and greet as an opportunity to assess the dog, as well as build a relationship with it that it can use as the basis for trust once the stay begins. If it doesn't seem like it's going to work out, let the owner know that it's not a good fit so they can find a different sitter or change their travel plans.

It's honestly rarely by the breed. Instead its the "type" of dog. High energy. Separation Anxiety. Compulsive chewers. Non housebroken/ adverse to kennels. Not Dog friendly. Not kid friendly. Not people friendly. Questions help but meeting in person gives you best and most honest answers.

Dogs who are more likely to be a challenge are the more "high energy" breeds. Huskies, Pointers, Vizlas, and other hunting breeds who are high, high energy take more time and work to care for.

Aggression can happen in any dog, regardless of breed. That isn't something that you can point to a certain breed for. When handling a dog, watch body language very closely. Most often, dogs bite out of fear rather than true aggression. If a dog seems to cringe away from you or seems jumpy when you grab their collar, etc. then try to draw the dog out of his/her shell and give lots of praise and petting to help the dog feel more comfortable. To avoid bites, try your best not to physically forcing a dog to go into his crate or to physically move him anywhere he does not want to go. Dogs can freak out if they are nervous and then someone grabs them.
Just use treats as a lure, or pet them and get them to relax when giving a command.

The worst dog breed? Humans. Far and away. There's no such thing as a bad dog breed IMHO. I've only "fired" a couple of clients for their dogs' bad behavior and it has ALWAYS been due to the human's laziness in bringing up a good social citizen 🐕

There are two factors I look at when gauging how difficult it will be to watch a dog:

1. How nervous they are generally; and
2. How aggressive they are with other dogs or humans

Shane is right in that certain breeds are associated with incorrect stereotypes. For example, Pit Bulls, in my experience, are the sweetest, happiest dogs around. I have a Jack Russell Terrier (very high energy!) and she's the easiest dog in the world to take care of.

You really have to deal with dogs on an individual, case-by-case basis instead of just avoiding dogs based on their breed. The best way to do this is by:

1. Reading the dog's profile on Rover; and
2. Meeting the dog in person at the Meet & Greet

I wish I could give more generalized advice.. Hope this helps!

It's not as easy as avoiding certain breeds. It comes down to their individual personality, background, and training. You can have an aggressive dog that, in the right situation with the right person, is an awesome dog. (Someone that knows the dog's triggers and can pre-empt the situation.) There are certain types of aggression that I can handle and others that I cannot. Food/toy aggression is easily managed for me. Aggression towards kids or small dogs, cannot be accommodated at my house.

Dogs that I take extra cautions with caring for are nervous dogs and fear-biters. It is hard to predict what will trigger them when. A dog that did great a Meet & Greet can still decide that you're a stranger....or maybe has a fear of boots that you didn't know about (on a snowy day).

No dog or breed is just out-and-out aggressive. Ban that preconception. Aggression is a symptom of a larger problem. Usually fear/nervousness/overexcitement (yes, overexcitement can lead to aggression)/ territoriality. It depends on how the owner or past owners treat their pet. Dogs don't have episodic memory like we do. They have associative memory. Like when you see 1+1 and automatically think 2. Objects or situations can trigger a reaction. Thus it is important to learn from the owner any behavioral issues the dog has, and you understanding what you are comfortable working with.

It mostly depends upon the Owners and how they have trained or NOT trained their dogs. I have had big dogs that I loved and little dogs that were not so great! Really just need to ask a lot of questions and meet the dog to find out whether they are good or not.

Chihuahuas, or other small breeds known for being possessive. I mostly sit smaller dogs, and chihuahuas have been my biggest problem, almost to the point where I don't want to accept that breed anymore. The only other dog I had issues with was a Jack Russell, which I found out their breed is known for being jealous/possessive. I used to adore chihuahuas until I started sitting for rover, and I have gotten so many requests from chihuahua owners it is ridiculous. I wish my apartment was bigger (OR THAT THERE WAS AN OPTION TO CHARGE MORE FOR LARGER BREEDS BECAUSE I TOTALLY SECOND THAT IDEA) because I have never had aggression problems with the larger dogs I have watched.