We just started sitting for Rover and in our profile we say something like, "we're happy to watch your crate trained dog." But a few clients have had dogs that do not use kennels. We decided to give them a try and one was just fine but the other 2 have not been fine. One chewed up some furniture and one had quite a few accidents, even though the owners said he was housetrained. Do you insist on kennels?
Many sitter prefer to crate their clients when they cannot be supervised even for a short period of time, and many sitters let the dogs have free roam of their house, the choice is personal to you. Many sitters have invested in baby gates to keep their clients confined to only certain areas of their homes, and this can be a good option. Only accepting crate trained dogs can make it easier for you, but you may limit your potential clients, so there are trade offs to consider.
And finally house trained dogs in their home does not mean they are house trained in your home - pee and poop happen and may happen often - so invest in cleaning supplies and belly bands with disposable diapers, you will thank me. Best of luck
I don't insist on kennels. But I have a huge house and have two bedrooms that I use as dog bedrooms, so there is nothing they can chew up. I never leave dogs unattended in a room where they can cause damage or hurt themselves.
That's nice that you have the space to do that, but most people don't.
When I cared for dogs in my home I did require a crate if I didn't have enough or the size needed for a guest. The primary reason for requiring a crate per dog was not only due to insurance requirements but also in case animals needed to be transported in an emergency.
If you don't have an area where you can separate unsupervised dogs, crates are a great option when you happen to need to leave.
I had the same hesitation. We don't have too much room in our house to dedicate a specific area for the dog to go when I need to run errands or during the night. We've asked the owners many questions to ensure that their dog will not be destructive in our home if left unattended. It's difficult because I definitely prefer crate-trained dogs, but that doesn't seem to be very common! I would just ask as many questions as possible to ensure peace of mind, and maybe purchase a large crate or baby gates to block off certain areas of your home. Good luck!