Owners are billed at the time of booking. that's why you have to enter your payment information. Sitters are paid 2 days after the stay is over to make sure you're satisfied!

If you're dog has never been socialized at all I would introduce them slowly, a single dog first then, show them other dogs are friendly too and approachable. Then bring them to a doggy day or Dog park where it could initially be more intimidating for a young pup to leave your side.

Friends and family are the best to start since you know the dogs and owners.

Same reason you and I do. it may itch or there may be some gunk in there. a lot of dog breeds, particulary dogs with flappy ears have a much more open ear canal and allows different things to get in there and cause irritation. Allergies could easily be the cause as well. If your dog is scratching their ears or shaking their head (near violently) give them a sniff, if it's sour and there is obvious gunk in there it's most likely a yeast infection. This can be taken care of easily with some meds from the vet. if it doesn't smell and is gunky, you can get some OTC cleaning solution from any pet store or just use a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol.

This depends on the breed, some dogs like boxers or bulldogs have poor breathing in general. for the more common dogs, it's their body shape. 4 legged animals lungs act more like an accordion, when they are sitting the lungs are more compressed than if they were laying on a floor and they end up panting a bit to compensate for the restricted lung use. Humans are upright so our lungs do not compress this way.

Dogs eat bugs for a variety of reasons, the most common being protein consumption. Gross to you and I but they are dogs. similar to the reasons some dogs eat feces. They are seeking nutrients. If the dog starts to do it more increasingly you would want to take action, reevaluate their Diet and consult your vet if it persists or gets worse.