What you can do greatly depends on what state you live in and what the laws are surrounding neglect. In my state you can...

It's still a very legally grey area, I'm guessing Rover isn't doing that because they don't want to be sued. ...

Since the image doesn't want to show up, here's the link: http://www.petmate.com/product/Petmate-Giant-(48-)-Vari-Kennel/21700 (For some reason you'll have to copy/paste it.)

This is the type of crate I use for most of my boarding dogs. Admittedly, I gear myself more towards dogs who are likely to break crates, but in my experience of fostering and dog sitting I have had more than a couple be able to rip out of wire ones within minutes. One ate through the crate and then my bedroom door a few years back.

The plastic crate I linked here is the most sturdy crate you can find under $800. It costs about $200. My first one I bought 7 years ago and it's still standing after letting a rescue borrow it for a separation anxiety dog lol. It's called the Petmate Vari Kennel - XL. Only the XL size has the dial lock. It gives the crate extra strength because of that bar that runs side to side, as well as the bars that hold the door shut actually LOCK into place once closed. (The dog mentioned above can't break out of it!)

The behavior definitely sounds concerning! But without seeing it in person I can't say for sure. It does not sound like normal puppy behavior at all. It sounds like as he's maturing there is some fear aggression surfacing. Lots of things that were okay when he was younger are no longer okay.

I would try to video tape the behavior to show to the owners next time they come to visit. Ask them if they've seen this behavior before, and mention a trainer or behaviorist if they don't seem to know what to do about it. I suggest behaviorist because they are better able to figure out what the dog is going through.

I've been in that boat as well. I used to get really angry about it, but now I've taken the "Be prepared for anything" motto. I have crates set up in my home and the dogs area always crated if I cannot watch them (If I have to leave the house). I have belly bands/reusable diapers for the dogs who mark/have accidents often and baby gates to keep dogs separated that hump or bother the other dogs. I have a crate in my living room that's the "time out" crate, so if someone is getting too worked up they can hang out in there until they chill out. I always make sure to feed the dogs in their crates so there is no chance for a fight over food/stealing food. I test them with toys and food when they first get to me to see if they're a resource guarder.

It sounds like a lot, but now that it's all in place, it has made my life and the lives of the owners/dogs SO much easier. I only have a fraction of the problems I used to have, and with a solution handy I don't get so upset about a dog who marks :)

I do also feel like it's a 3-point problem as well. The dog, the sitter, the owner all have a hand in any problem. The dog may be a jerk, the owner may gloss over or hide issues, or the sitter may not be diligent. The dog may also exhibit behaviors in the sitter's home that they would never do in their home, so the owner honestly doesn't know that they are there. I see that a LOT with the dogs who have never been boarded before. They come to expect certain things, and when those certain things don't happen some dogs don't take it well. Or they want to see if they can push boundaries with a new person. Or they're just so convinced their owner is never coming back they are beside themselves and freaking out.

Hi everyone,

The last couple weeks, I've noticed something weird. My repeat clients were up to 34. Then one day I checked my profile and it said 33. I thought at first that maybe I thought wrong and it was 33, not 34. Now today I checked and it says 32.

Has anyone had that happen? What is causing it? Is it something I should be contacting Rover about? Is it something I've done?

I know your pain... I had a client dog who had KC during his stay. When he got here, no symptoms. A couple days after, the coughing started :( They are usually contagious for 10-14 days. Most vets won't even prescribe medication for it unless you're seeing green snot/runny eyes type stuff. Most dogs can fight it off on their own, but usually when the green snot comes out to play they will put the dog on antibiotics (The dog staying with me needed the antibiotics).

Your pups will most likely have a cough for a while after they are no longer contagious (Like after we get better from a cold, we are no longer contagious but have that annoying cough that doesn't seem to want to go away), so don't be too concerned if you see that.

Going forward, definitely "quarantine" your place for 3 weeks just to be safe. Don't bring your dogs out anywhere either. For me, I had stays already lined up when I discovered the dog was sick. I contacted rover support right away and afterwards I contacted each client that was going to be staying with me in the next 3 weeks to let them know what was going on. Most of them were extremely impressed with me being so up front about it, and were fine with their dog still staying here! I put myself as away so no new requests could come through, and opened back up once I had passed that 3 week mark with no one else coming down with it.

If it makes you feel better, you can request that any dog staying with you from now on needs to have the bordetella vaccine...but to be completely honest it does not work that well, lol. It's like trying to vaccinate for our people flu. It may help keep them from catching it, or it might help the symptoms be not as bad, or it could do nothing. They can even catch KC from the vaccine itself (That's how the dog I had visiting caught it), which is why if they don't get the vaccine 2-3 weeks before a stay it's usually better not to give it at all.

I've never had a dog catch KC twice, so after your dogs get better from this round I doubt they'll be at risk for catching it again unless they have a weak immune system.

Whew... sorry for the long winded answer! I hope that helps.

Edited to add: Sorry, I didn't see the date of this question before I answered. Hopefully this helps others in the future ^^;

Matt - the hypoallergenic/no shed is a gamble to be honest. The mixes are... well mixes. They'll sometimes have the traits of one parent, other times the other parent. Anything bred with a lab or retriever is going to shed, and I've found most of the "doodle" breeders are not honest about that :(

Thank you so much, I love that idea and I definitely will be trying that out!

Thank you! Yes, that's how it really feels some days. My set up makes people being on time crucial, as running late means everything gets pushed back later and later - not fun!

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.

Hi everyone,

I'm newer to rover.com, but I am noticing a trend with my customers that I'm really not liking. A lot of my customers (most, honestly) are late in dropping off/picking up their dogs. I don't mean 5-10 minutes, I'm talking 30-40 minutes late. None of them call/text/message to let me know and I always end up having to call them. It just happened again tonight and the owner strolled in without so much as an "I'm sorry" for being 40 minutes late. Does this happen to you? What do you say/do? Is there something on Rover that I can do (Charge a late fee if they are x late with no notice, etc)? It's getting extremely frustrating but I don't know what to say or how to say it.

Hi everyone,

When I first became a sitter I noticed a badge on other sitters' profiles that said "Rover Pack Member". When I looked into it, I was too new to fill the application out. Now that I meet the criteria, the survey is no longer open. Did they get rid of it? Move it?