Just wondering: How have you handled undesirable behaviors of meet&greet guest dogs once invited inside your home, such as marking property, furniture, walls, floors (after first allowing an opportunity to pee outside and having the owner confirm in advance that the dog doesn't mark!)
If it were me, I would be gracious at the Meet and Greet and, yes, chase around with paper towels.
I would move the M&G outside as soon as possible, then calmly tell the owner I don't think my home is the right match.
This question has given me the incentive to prepare a list of local boarding facilities to have on hand, especially for those rare moments when I don't think a dog would be a good guest for ANY Rover sitter.
That's a good idea to mention boarding facilities, designed & built for that type of behavior, rather than a home! I suggested a sitter w/ a home w/dog door to provide the same in&out, but that's even better because the unspoken word = This is Not Acceptable in a sitter home, while being gracious.
Since marking has nothing to do with having to potty, but is territorial, you can only clean up after it, restrict the dog's access, or invest in belly bands. Some owners don't know their dog marks because the dog is rarely taken to other people's homes and dogs have no need to mark in their own homes.
Awhile back, I posted a link to Brandon McMillan's technique to stop dogs from marking, but it essentially consists of tethering the dog very close to where it has marked, The dog will have enough slack to sit or lie down but cannot get away from that area. Then the dog has a timeout of about 20 minutes. Unfortunately, you need to do this immediately afterward. I have tried it a couple of times on one dog who has been staying with me for years, but it isn't enough to train him. For the longest time, the owner was surprised about the behavior but eventually admitted he did it at her parents home. Now, after they've had a baby, the dog is doing it in his own home, so they've begun to crate him.
Thanks 4 info. I'd like tips used during the m&g while the owners are present, as there's no compensation for damage. I asked beforehand if the dogs mark, was told no. Met outside&then dogs marked inside my home, I was running around cleaning, but kinda' speechless.Not ok.I turned down stay request.
Would you put on belly band or tether during a meet&greet? Would you do/say anything to the owners who were there?
If a dog marked during the M&G, there's not much you can do but G&BI (grin and bear it). No, I wouldn't put on a belly band or tether the dog during a M&G., How else are you going to find out if the dog marks? As I said, many owners may be unaware that their dog marks in other environments. What did your owner say when the dog marked?
Yeah G&BI and race around with paper towels were the tactics I used. The owner really didn't say much. It led to my asking about belly bands, which she'd bring for their stay. Their behavior upset my calm dog. Within 24 hours, I told her a few option that may be a better solution, which she choose.
If a dog was marking during the M&G, I wouldn't even offer solutions. The M&G would end. I just had a M&G where the female dog peed twice while in my home. The owner was terribly embarrassed. I asked if they used pee pads and they said their dog goes outside, but they do leave them out just in case. The M&G was over.
Yeah, I wish I ended it sooner than I did. The use a dog door at home and had not shared that when before the m&g I described that all walks are leashed and a path must be taken before reaching an appropriate area outdoors.
Then the dog wasn't marking. It needed to go outside but didn't know how to get there. Not a good situation if a dog isn't used to being walked for that purpose.
Something I wrote must not be clear. We met outside. The dogs peed both while we stood chatting & walked landscaped path to my place. Owner had 1 belly band (not w/her) so she knew issue. Before m&g she said no to marking? She didn't tell me she had dog door.Dogs Marked my patio, furniture, shoes.
I feel like I'm the only one who marking isn't a deal breaker for, lol. Homes that have dogs coming and going are different than their home. Dogs who won't normally mark might still mark in a setting like ours. I watch closely and give them a "Nah uh!" if they try it. They get the hint pretty quick.