Found a visual as to why a dog should not chew on wood. BIG Splinters = surgical removal: https://www.facebook.com/freecopypage/videos/1677047109252937/%3C/p%3E (https://www.facebook.com/freecopypage/videos/1677047109252937/)

This is a hard one because depression can be caused by a number of things and can have many levels. It can be psychological or physical. Did the dog possibly ingest or get stung or bit by something you didn't see? Is it a senior pet? Did they lose a companion recently?

Physical depression is the slowing of the animals bodily systems... heart rate, breathing, energy level, food consumption, etc. These symptoms can be caused by a loss of some sort, aging in a senior pet, ingesting a toxic substance, or an undiagnosed illness. These signs are ALWAYS a reason to have your dog checked out by a veterinarian.

Psychological depression is beyond the sadness of the pet owner leaving the house for the day. If this is the case, the dog perks right back up to his old self when you return. If it lasts longer than a day there could be another cause.

Many times the death of a pet companion, can cause psychological depression, much the same way it does in humans and it can continue for days or even months.

Rescue Remedy may help with the sadness accompanying the loss of a companion, but if you are seeing a change in the energy, feeding, or sleeping habits in a pet without any known cause it is best to see a veterinarian to get a checkup. Your pet may be in the early stages of disease or may have ingested something toxic. If they have ingested something toxic and that is slowing them down, call the veterinarian immediately! Time is of the essence.

In either case a trip to the vet is in order to get your best friend back to feeling like his happy-go-lucky self.

Without seeing your dog have an episode it is hard to tell what it might be for sure. There are several possibilities as to the cause of this behavior or symptom.

If this only happens once in a blue moon and sounds more like your dog is choking or gasping for air there is a chance your dog is subject to reverse sneezing. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3L4v0W2_Sw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3L4v...)). If it happens in the home an Adaptil diffuser may help the dog to be less stressed with strangers and maybe lessen these episodes.

On the other hand, if it sounds more like he is throwing up there is a chance he has ingested something and is trying to throw it up.

If the dog is lethargic, having trouble breathing, etc. it could be a case of heart worms or a heart condition.

If the coughing is accompanied by a runny nose or sneezing it might be a respiratory infection.

My guess is that if it just happens when the dog gets excited it may be pulling on his collar and closing off his trachea so he is having trouble breathing or he is having an episode of reverse sneezing. Let the owner know when this happens, if the dog was pulling on the collar (which is why I don't recommend collars to walk dogs but only to hold their "jewelry"), and what seemed to ease up the coughing.

Remember: A veterinarian is the ONLY person that can diagnose these issues. For the safety of the dog let the owner know when this happens so they can follow up with the symptoms to give their dog relief.

Dogs shaking or shivering can be caused by a variety of things. Is it when you are present or when a stranger, loud noise, or maybe at the veterinarian's office?

If the shaking occurs during the winter time and they are a short haired breed of dog they may be chilly and a dog sweater may help. Small dogs and nervous dogs often shake or shiver because of fear of strangers. Many Chihuahuas do this. You may want to try either giving Bach's Rescue Remedy and / or using a commercial dog pheromone called Adaptil in a spray or diffuser form. Adaptil is not to be put on the dog but used in his surroundings to make him feel more secure. Follow label directions on whatever you use.

Panting is a different story. I would probably have to see what is going on, but in general a dog panting is much better than one that is holding it's breath so to speak. Dogs naturally breathe through their mouths so panting is a good thing. If their mouth is closed the dog might be frightened. You can usually tell this is the case if you calmly wait for them to open their mouth to pant. If after a period of time you hear them sigh then you know something scared them and they are finally relaxing.

You can always check with your veterinarian if you think something else may be going on. A Fear Free Veterinarian works to call fear, stress, and anxiety in pets and may have the answer you need. Look up on in your area at http://www.fearfreepets.com/fear_free/directory.aspx (http://www.fearfreepets.com/fear_free...).

Shannon L. is correct. Dogs shed. In fact, if you haven't noticed, humans shed too!

Shedding times of the year and shedding amounts depend on the breed of dog, time of year, and health of the dog. Your best bet is to brush regularly to keep the shedding contained and off clothes, furniture, etc. Many people like a dog brush called the "Furminator" easily found at many large and local pet supply stores.

Brushing your dog will help contain the fur and for most dogs is very enjoyable. For pet sitters, be sure and ask the pet owner where they keep their dog's brush and ask if their dog likes brushing. Most of the times dogs love the attention and pet parents like that there is one less thing on their "to do" list and less hair in the house if the pet sitter helps with the brushing!

Option one: Some people like the top entry litter boxes like the Clevercat Top-Entry Litterbox if you dog is short. If you have a taller dog this might not work.

Option two: In a previous house I used a closet under the steps as the location for our cat boxes. You can put a kitty door on the closet to keep the dog out or make a wall entry (this may be cheaper to cover when you move or sell your home) and use any type of litter box that you choose.

Option three: If you have a smaller cat you can turn the door of a covered litter box to the wall with a wide enough distance from the wall to the door so your cat can shimmy in. I wouldn't suggest this for older or larger cats as it will be uncomfortable for the kitty to get in, but for smaller kitties it works like a charm.

Unless you have a very determined dog option three is the easiest and least expensive. Option two is my favorite as it keeps odors and the litter box safely out of view.

Your dog may suffer from pica, a medical issue referring to a dog's craving of a non-food item and the subsequent eating of said item. Some dogs just like to tear up wood and not eat it, like dogs who lay down and chew apart the stick you threw for them. Dogs who chew the stick apart seem to do it as a stress reliever. Those who eat it may suffer from pica or some other disorder. If your dog is ingesting non-edible items like wood talk this over with your veterinarian. Swallowing splintered wood can cause health issues. Swallowing something else non-edible may get lodged in the dogs airway or digestive system and cause a blockage.

Always supervise the dogs in your care whether they are your own or a client's pet. Dogs who like to chew can grab and object and swallow it in an instant. The problem is it may get stuck.

One other thing - avoid tug of war type games or any type of grabbing, pulling, or hitting, especially around the hear. As a puppy your dog may think this is the way you want to play and get confused thus setting him up to be aggressive to protect himself.

There are too many red flags here, but since you posted so long ago my advice may not help you. Unfortunately this sounds like a dog that requires a handler rather than a pet sitter and you are not the best match. More than likely he is not getting exercised enough to combat his energy and frustration at moving to a smaller home. The challenge is that the dog may be protective of the home or it may be protective of the owner, and unless you are an experienced dog handler you probably don't know what to look for when looking at the dog.

It is important when you go on your Meet and Greet to be sure you and the dog are a match. There is no reason to put yourself in a dangerous situation that at worst may lead to a bite for you or or at the very least risk you not being able to get in the home. At this point without being there to observe, I am not sure you will be able to get the walk accomplished.

I would suggest declining this pet for your safety and his. Let DogVacay know what you observe and maybe they can find a more suitable match for this dog and owner.