Do you give your guests baths?

As a sitter I have never given a dog a bath, but I have spot-cleaned - 'ahem' - trouble areas.

As a pet owner I would be THRILLED to find my dogs had been bathed before my return and can't imagine anyone being upset by it.

That said, it wouldn't hurt to say something like, "I sometimes bathe my clients before they go home. If I have time to do that, would it be all right with you?" No commitment, but a heads-up.

Wish I lived closer! My dogs would stay with YOU!

This should definitely be discussed at the meet & greet. Personally I would love it if I were an owner, but there are pet owners out there who are very particular about their pets. That's very thoughtful of you, but make sure the owner is okay with it first.

I haven't bathed a dog, and I'd definitely want to clear any products I use with an owner, since I have a couple dogs I watch who have some allergy issues. Maybe at the M&G you can mention that the dogs often get dirty playing in the yard, so if there's a special product their dog requires for grooming they should send it with them just in case.

Otherwise, I'd probably stick to a warm damp rag to wipe them down.

I expect the dustiness is due to being in a drought. I think it is great that you're so customer service oriented and don't want to return the dog in a dirty state to its owner. Moreover, I wouldn't want the dirty dog in my home after rolling around in the dust. So I would probably let owners know it is a possibility.

I've never given any of my guest dogs a bath. My guests are usually small dogs, many of which are the type that have to be groomed professionally. Some of my regulars actually take their dogs to the groomer right before a stay with me. Most are not highly active outdoor dogs either. While out on walks, one of my guest dogs loves to dive into newly mulched areas and needs spot cleaning and a comb-out. However, all go out in the rain and snow and, if they get particularly dirty from their walks, then I will give them paw and "undercarriage" shampoos. I doubt any of my clients would mind if I took it upon myself to give their dog a bath if needed, but I certainly would let them know and ask in case there are behavioral or allergy issues.

I would make sure the dogs didn't have allergies to certain shampoo's, ear cleaning products, or fragrances first. If they don't, I wouldn't see why a owner would be upset unless the pet wasn't completely dry by the time they came. Most owners like to know they had a blast while they were away and the fact that you washed them too, I would book with you again if I were one of the owners.

I personally would not bathe a dog, actually that would be an extra charge but what I have done is this; I bought an awesome waterless shampoo that smells great and I spot clean. I had a dog that has white fur and it was raining and she got a bit dirty so I took the waterless shampoo, applied it on her fur and brushed her and she looked brand new. So it wasn't an actual bath it was just a cleaning as needed. I bought this waterless shampoo because I have a repeat client who's tear ducts smells awful so whenever he stays with me I wipe his face with it and it makes it bearable to stay with him. Some people might love that they come back from vacation and their dogs are bathe but others might not like it. Some people are funny like that. I have a shih-Tzu who is extremely shy and very cautious of strangers. She only gets groomed by a mobile pet groomer who comes to my house, so if I left her with someone and they bathed her I would not be upset but I would probably tell the sitter to ask me before she tried to bathe her again just because I know her better than anyone and I know how she would react. You have great intentions but be careful, your repeat customers might expect a bathe every time they stay with you :)