I've never done drop-in visits because I know dogs can be protective of their homes and I'm not sure how I would handle being met at the door by an aggressive dog.
I love doing drop in visits, but ONLY after at least one meet & greet. If I notice any signs of aggression I schedule more visits with both the owner and dog together. If after that the dog is still aggressive towards me and I am uncomfortable in any way, I decline the booking.
You need to do a meet and greet first so you can see the dog's reaction to you. It's very different to visit a dachshund vs let's say a dogo argentino. That's why a meet and greet is so important. Exactly as Deb says - always carefully consider everything she mentions above. Do not accept a job if you feel you are not comfortable with the dog.
Firstly, I agree with what's been said above. Always do the m&g first, determine if you are comfortable with that dog, and ask the owner to go in detail about what situations the dog has shown aggression in. While you're asking these questions you should be making a list of all potential triggers for this dog to avoid. However, some triggers are unavoidable; The front door for example is something most dogs are triggered by, but you can't avoid it, you gotta get into the house somehow!
So, my top solutions for dogs with front door-aggression have been:
Ask if their owners can keep them in a kennel when you arrive. This way you may be able to greet the dog without causing them to fear that you'll hurt them of their family (Most dogs feel safer and less threatened because they're enclosed)
Avoid strong eye contact. You can still look at the dog, just not directly into their eyes. It's actually best to not look away too much for your own safety. Keep eyes on them to make sure you can anticipate if they're about to lunge at you, but also watch their body language and look for signs of fear or aggression.
Always greet them with your body to the side, lower yourself to the ground, don't lean over them, and MOST IMPORTANTLY: never reach your arm out for them to smell; keep your arm at your side with your wrist bent so they can approach you and smell your hand on their own terms.
I highly suggest that every dog sitter reviews the Fear Free Program's "FAS (Fear/Anxiety/Stress) Scale". You can find it by searching 'FAS Scale' in google. I think its an amazing resource to help you determine when a dog's fear might turn into aggression. Always keep in mind the risks you're taking to fulfill this job. This is serious, depending on the dog's size and level of aggression you could be risking your life. Never feel bad for telling an owner that you're uncomfortable and potentially not a good fit for their dog's needs. Hope this helps :)
I’ve been met by excited dogs but never aggressive dogs. (Of course, that is largely the result of the types/breeds of dogs I choose to provide care for). I’d suggest that walks and drop in visits require the same careful consideration and meet&greet with pet owner present, followed by a service visit when the pet owner is around, but busy tending to other things, so you can test the waters. I also would consider carefully the breed of dog, age, temperament, past experiences, triggers, and ask lots of questions before booking to avoid negative surprises.
I only do drop ins/house sitting and walks. I have done numerous sittings with numerous dogs. I have had 2 experiences with aggressive dogs. On both occasions I did a meet and greet with the owner and dog beforehand and on both occasions the dog was fine with me while the owner was present. The first experience with an aggressive dog I had was for a client that wanted daily walks every day duringthe work week. I got to the house and the dog was fine. I get the dog's harness on and we go for a walk. The owner asked that I walk to the neighborhood dog park and let the dog run around and then walk back home. We get to the dog park and once I let her leash everything went wrong. She immediately started to get aggressive with me. First barking from a distant away and then getting closer and closer. I had brought treats with me and one of her toys to play with. I got behind a bench and lowered my body so my eyes were level with the dog. I didn't look her in the eye but I kept looking at her. I got out some treats and put some on the ground in front of the bench. She eventually came and sniffed them and then sniffed me. Once she ate the treats on the ground I got more out and eventually she took one from me. I was able to get the leash back on her and got her home without issue. I told the client what happened and that until I established a better relationship with the dog, I wouldn't be taking her to the dog park again. Eventually we had a good relationship and had no more issues. The second experience I had with an aggressive dog I was doing drop in visits for a client. We did the meet and greet and everything was fine. I show up for my first drop in visit and I get in the door and immediately the dog is acting aggressive. I tried to put food in the dog's bowl and he lunged at me but didn't attack me. Just let me know he didn't like that. I get the back door open and the dog goes in the back yard to use the bathroom. I close the door so I can fill the food bowl and water. When I tried to get the dog back inside he wouldn't come in, he barked at me. So I left the door open and hid in the bathroom until I heard the dog eating. I then went and closed the back door. The dog started barking at me again. I got some of his treats and threw them away from the front door so he had to walk away to get them. Whole he was eating the treats I left the house. I had called the client during this incident because I wasn't comfortable staying ...