Anxious Pom

Smaller dogs tend to have more anxiety than others(not to say large dogs never have anxiety), I have found that especially with smaller dogs when you have them over for the meet and greet ask the owner to step outside for a moment to see if the dog gets anxious. If the dog shows signs of anxiety ask the owner to provide something to sooth the dog such as a blanket from home(I find the best thing is an unwashed pillowcase that smells like the owner) or maybe a thunder coat to help .Also try to find out as much as possible about where they normally sleep at home i.e in the bathroom/under a table or whatnot. Always keep in mind that just like us they each have their own personality and sometimes it just takes a day or two to adjust to the new place/people. Ive had a few like that in the past but the issue did not reappear the next time they came over. Hope that helps a bit.

I have found that most, not all dogs that are very agitated when they first come to my home have not been properly socialized and it causes a lot of problems during the stay. Some unsocialized dogs will run from you and hide under bushes or the bed if you don't have a dog door and will poop and pee in the house. Those dogs, especially the ones that are a few years old, will not change their habits without professional training and I will not accept a dog that is evasive towards me when it visits. Most owners are just too busy with work and etc. to properly socialize their dogs and it just make your job that much more difficult. It's better to turn them away than have to put up with messes in the house and fighting with the other dogs. If you do decide to accept them anyway, I would suggest that you explain to your client why you need to charge extra for the stay and if they do not agree then fine, no loss on your part. I typically charge an extra 15 to 20 dollars per night for uncooperative dogs.