Anyone ever had to ask an owner to return?

Asking the owner to return should be your very last resort, and may impact your status on Rover.com. I think you should try to stick it out for the week, work with the owner to figure out the best solution, keep in touch with them and let them know what you've tried/what is working, and then at the end, talk about best next steps for them. Ending a stay early could lead to a poor review, and may look bad if you didn't have the determination to stick it through to the end. Trust me...I've had over 300 stays now and occasionally do get the bad apple which makes me want to pull my hair out. Just stick with it, I believe in you, and once it's over, you know what to look for/ask about with your next Rover dogs. YOU CAN DO IT!

Since he's small and manageable I'd try to stick it out. If it were me and walking in my neighborhood were that stressful, I might opt for driving to a quieter area with him to take walks somewhere where he won't be confronted with other dogs. If he were my dog, I'd get him out of the choke chain immediately, since it clearly isn't helping his behavior, and the tightening can cause bruising and tissue damage to his esophagus/trachea as well as increase his reactivity ("I get hurt every time I see a new dog! I really better watch out!"). I make it clear on my profile that I do not use choke chains, prong collars, ecollars, or other aversive tools/methods with my dogs or guest dogs, so while a couple of my clients have used these tools with their dogs, I was up front that I would not be using them while the dog was in my care. It's not really our job as sitters to work on problem behavior with the dogs we watch, but it is in our best interest to help the dogs succeed and form a trusting bond with them, and sometimes that involves a little bit of training, or educational games. I'd suggest trying the Watch the World game with him, just to help him be a little more comfortable with your surroundings. You may be able to try it from your own home, opening the curtains to let him see outside only in the context of the game. It will give him some good mental exercise as he starts to work out that seeing other dogs means he gets rewarded rather than hurt. And since serious mental exercise can be as exhausting as physical exercise, it can help take the pressure off you for getting him worn out. https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2012...

Since he's a small dog, do you have an area in your home (long hallway?) where you could repeatedly throw a ball or toy for him to retrieve in an effort to tire him out before going outside to potty? Maybe it's best to do inside play for the remainder of his stay? Also, have you tried walking him on a harness? When I have a dog misbehave during a walk, I just turn around and walk the opposite direction. When they settle down, we start back on our original path again. If he misbehaves, we turn around and walk the opposite direction again. I do this over and over if needed. It seems to distract their attention and they don't get to go where they want until they settle down...

I have a regular client, who is with me right now, who goes crazy at the sight of large dogs and many people, especially men, walking down the street. He starts barking and pulling the minute we walk down the front stairs. However, he is a small dog and I can handle him. The dog in your charge has never been socialized. Before you ask the owner to return, I suggest you call Rover Customer Support. Perhaps they can find another sitter in your area, who doesn't have a dog but does have a fenced-in yard.

I would definitely try to stick it out and stay in close contact with the owner. I love Laura's suggestion of playing "Watch the World" with the dog where you treat them any time they look at another dog (even briefly) without a negative reaction. For this stay I would avoid walks except for early am and late pm (when other dogs aren't being walked) or invest in dog puzzles and food feeding toys. It stimulates their mind to keep them busy and get rid of some of the energy when they can't be out on their regular walks.