I have criteria that a dog has to check to ensure it will be safe and comfortable in my home before we even get into anything else. Dogs must be house trained, leash trained, and always have a collar with their information on it. This alone, makes the experience more calm for owners and the sitter. My yard is fenced in and during the summer someone is almost always home. I do prefer clients home, just because I rent and when I initially started pet sitting it was for dogs who could not be boarded. I had a reactive dog and reactive owners know the work and stress that can come with that. I now have a senior dog who I could not want to board. In clients homes, I really just get the run down of their schedule and try to keep them on it to the best of my ability!