You definitely need to educate yourself about reactive dogs. To expect a dog owner to guarantee 100% that their dog would never bite another sentient being is absurd. Although it is a fact that certain breeds are more prone to unpredictability which result in severe aggression or manageable reactivity, every reputable dog trainer, veterinary behaviorist and especially animal welfare attorneys who defend people being sued for a dog bite will tell you that any dog can become aggressive at any time, for any reason. All scholars books on canines reactivity emphasize this fact repeatedly. Until about 30 years ago, dog trainers would instruct owners to expose dogs to their triggers then punish the dog for expressing their discomfort with a situation, ie. growling or barking or stiffening, etc. Thank god reputable trainers now recognize that dog reactivity is not curable but it is very manageable with positive reinforcement techniques, and refraining from putting your dogs in situations that may trigger them, such as dog parks, beaches and off leash trails. And having a protocol for introducing new people to them, etc. Prozac helps. Reactive dogs may lead a more boring life but at least they will be safe. Canine reactivity is so common, I would like to think that most sitters know how to manage it in general and specifically with a particular dog with their owners. Dog aggression should not be conflated with canine reactivity. It is like conflating your spousing coming home and yelling because the plumber didn’t show up again and beating up their spouse for not making sure they did
Hi Huronbase, I would never sit any pit mixes or dangerous breads. I have sat reactive dogs and it would depend on the breed of dog, if I would sit or not. Definitely would not sit for a small terrier type cross that I continually though,t a slight wrong move and it would attack me. Mentioned on another thread but also every dog we met, it was let me get at them and straining and aggresively barking like mad. However I did sit for a black lab who was very reactive with other dogs but you soon learnt ways to evade mthe reactiveness, especially if walking over common land as you could take a much wider birth. However if on a path and another dog approaching took you unawares, it would be a huge strain on the leash and continual barking. I did find that I could sometimes nip the situation in the bud so to speak, when seeing another dog by looking straight at him and saying a foirm ‘no’ several times and continually saying it as we passed and this did seem to work, although not enough situations to know if this would always work. But otherwise he was a friendly dog who I felt perfectly safe around. And I would sit for him again if asked as did feel that I could just about control him. Even though I was warned the first time took me unawares and | was almost pulled over, as dragged a few paces. Knowing what to espect and it was fine. I have had various other dogs who have been a bit reactive, although being smaller and less strong, and as friendly to me it was OK.
Maybe it is because I lived in NYC, but just because they are pit mixes means they are reactive. I have known dozens of pit/pit mixes, totally friendly with other dogs. In the dog run every day, playing with other dogs. Some dogs are just innately alpha. Or it is my potty training….we got a pit puppy, right after we moved into a Trump building. My daughter was turning 5. The adoption agency called the building to OK it etc. But a month later, we were told we couldn’t have a pit mix. My husband said we just moved, it was 4 months, easy to adopt, so a well known actor did. We got a cattle dog mix. Turned out the pit was very alpha, saw it frequently. The actor and actress took the dog to LA and had it on their property, and then to their farm in CT, until death, but it was not around other dogs. But also, the puppy we got next was a cattle dog mix and it became very alpha. But mostly it liked to ignore other dogs. But I would never approach a puppy while she was on the leash. So it can be any kind of dog. Or my potty training.
I won’t.
My first dog sit turning out to be dangerously aggressive towards other dogs (not disclosed until arrival) put me off sitting for any other dogs for a long time. Luckily I was able to control him as he was just about knee high to me, but only just as he was bully type and pure muscle. I’m quite sure he would have done his best to kill another dog, this wasn’t simple barking at them.
This is not my idea of a fun time, and I don’t think I have the level of experience or strength (as a nearly 60 year old woman) to deal with this type of problem.
I did relent after about a year and found two lovely, sweet natured, dogs to sit for - but I now have very strong boundaries about the dog breeds I will consider, and a list of questions for owners. I’d been naive as the problematic one was one of my first sits and assumed owners would volunteer up that type of information at an early stage.
I know it can be any breed but it’s more likely to be some breeds than others, when it comes to dog/people aggression.
Well, I am a bit older than you. And I do prefer small, easy dogs. But have had some trying aggressive dogs. I had a sit in Atlanta, on my way back from Florida, and it was a large, (80 lb), reactive dog. No idea what mix he was. And I wanted to walk to the big park. I had to be very careful and watch to see any other dogs. And if I did, I wrapped my hand around the leash as close to his collar as possible. If he had any running room, he would have taken me down. And most people wouldn’t want to do this sit. I really like dogs. I knew I could manage. And I enjoyed when we go to a bench on the lake in the park and sat for a while. The dog was so happy to have real walks. It was an apartment in the heart of the city. So he actually got better through the sit, appreciative of the walks and started to behave better.
I know most sitters do not want to deal with this, especially people as old as I am, but that is why there are sits for everyone. And this dog had a nice vacation with me, seeing nature in the park, while his owner was away on business.
Since there is no TH requirement on the type of house/dog sit that you do, it is up to you to evaluate and assess what you can/will do and what you can’t/won’t. Every sitter is different in their comfort levels and experience. So, what you agree to is YOUR business. Be free to be you and don’t apologize for it.
Maybe a year ago, I started including a friendly heads up in my sitter profile about THS dealbreakers, for the benefit of hosts who are new and unfamiliar, because they’ve not read up on terms before posting sits.
I try to pick hosts carefully and would rather that hosts self-select and avoid me as a sitter if they have deal-breaking sits. That heads up mentions no aggressive dogs and no third parties staying at the sit home, for example.
It seems to be working, because I get transparent hosts for example, who ask about potential dealbreakers, including when circumstances fall into gray areas. Like in one case, a host had a terrier who nips under certain circumstances, as well as spends most of his waking hours sitting in a large bay window, barking at pedestrians, dogs, bicycles, scooters, delivery people and such. I understood the dog’s behavior before accepting the sit and we got along well. I’ve since been asked to repeat sit there and would accept if timing worked out.
Communicating well mutually helps lead to good matches.
@Huronbase It is a very good question and thank you for posting.
I did a sitting with a dog very reactive to food. I thought I had magic powers and that I would be able to inundate her with calmness and tranquility, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. No matter how much I’d work on that, she would still be very aggressive when food was let down.
I was aware of this issue before and all sitters wrote about it.
However, I thought after the sitting of working on it and perhaps doing some course to understand more about dog’s personality.
For the moment I don’t want to incur into other similar experiences and prefer calmer dogs, but always wonder what is the best approach no matter if dogs are reactive or not.
It all depends if you are a dog whisperer….seriously. I am great with animals, not so much with people. I am fine socially but really don’t like a lot of people. I remember going to visit someone and they had a guard dog. Didn’t know, walked around the house, made friends with the dog and then knocked on the back door. The person was shocked I made it past the dog. So good with dogs.
I’ve cared for many reactive dogs, both on and off the site. I’ve been fortunate not to have experienced any problems, but I do know that’s always a danger. My main approach is to try to keep the stimulation level low. Can be especially tough with young dogs.
Hi UKSITTET1,
I can well uderstand your first sit with and aggressive dog putting you off for a long time. But it isn’t just large doigs as the one |I was most scared of and felt could attack me at any time was a small terrior/cross type dog. Although unlike a large aggerssikve dog I did feel that I would at least be able to keep it from my face and Neck and could have grabbed a broom or something to defend myself with. A large poweful dog and you would have no chance. Hence I also have strong boundaries with breeds I will choose. Amnd like ytou I am a lone fermale although a few years older. I am quite happy with some larger dogs and do like English Irish setters and Lurcher type breads, and Golden Retrievers are big softies and never been a problem. But big powerful built agresive looking ones are definitely out, as can be more prone to aggesion than others. But I would still sit for some reactive dogs if they were friedly and a good temperament towards humans, such as the Lab I mentioned previously, who was lovely, just a changed persona;lity when coming across other dogs. I could just about manage him but did need both hands on the lead, if he did choose to be extremely reactive.
Not sure if this was to me, but you are younger than me. You said nearly 60, so I am much older actually.
I guess there are many types of reactivity as well. I’m actually very fond of feisty terriers, owned one as a teenager who was reactive towards men she didn’t know. I know my parents saw that as a bit of a benefit when their 14 year old daughter was off wandering round farms and fields all day 
This is risky on the face of it. Red flag.
When I agree to sit a reactive dog, I want to know when and how it’s reactive. If it snaps in X circumstances, I then consider whether it’s reasonable for me to avoid such circumstances / avoid being bitten. If not, then forget about that sit.
Since it wouldn’t be possible for me to avoid feeding a dog or having food around a dog, I’d never sit a food reactive dog at all.
My approach is not to think or kid myself that I can retrain a sit dog. 1. I’m not a dog trainer. 2. I sit for only maybe a couple of weeks at a time, which is not enough to retrain an aggressive / reactive dog.
I consider whether — even in worst case scenario — only whether I could keep the dog healthy and safe (without harm to myself), if they turned out to be reactive.
And if I turned out to be at serious risk of being bitten because a host misled me, I’d give 24 hours’ notice and leave. And the 24 hours’ is simply courtesy, so they could arrange alternative care. There’s no reason any volunteer sitter should have to risk getting bitten because its humans are selfish enough to leave a dangerous dog so they can take a trip. There are professionals for that. And if the humans can’t afford them, too bad. Stay home then.
We have sat reactive dogs. Honestly most dogs will react—sometimes the reason unknown to us. Many rescues seem to fall in the category. One such case we knew of we saw another dog coming our way to move over and off street/trail. Yet, I had an incident where in a neighborhood with many pet owners. It was impossible to navigate the other dogs and etc. IThe scariest was when the dog I was caring jumped up and scratched a little boy who was running towards us. I was avoiding a dog and honestly thought the child was playing with friends . I held the boy and talked to him until the dad came to see what had happened. At first I thought the boy was bitten but turns out it was the paws that caught the boys back. I knew all shots were up to date, I provided everyone the information needed—I text the father and checked on the boy—and after that I left the information for HO and suggested they call too. For us— the neighborhood was the issue. Everyone had at least one dog. Our first dog — the area was quiet and we were able to walk off the trail. I always talk to the pet, use their name— it isn’t the most pleasant walk that is for sure and I do believe these pets need professionals to help train them so they can be walked without all the issues,
This is an example of why it’s important for hosts and sitters to discuss specifics of how and when a dog is reactive. Like if I heard that a dog was reactive on walks and their neighborhood has plenty of dogs, I’d be considering whether I’d be willing to drive the dog for walks elsewhere. If not, then I’d avoid the sit, because it would be a danger to other pets, kids, bystanders, the sit dog and me.
I sat a reactive dog who barked like crazy from a bay window every day, because he saw it as protecting his territory. Yet he walked fine in his neighborhood, which was full of dogs — because he didn’t see it as his territory to guard. And his humans told me when he’d snap at home, like if you tried to soothe him while he was barking at people from his bay window. So I just let him bark and never tried to get near him to try to soothe. (The barking didn’t bother me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken the sit.)
The hosts and I had a clear, direct discussion about all the above before I accepted the sit. They knew their dog well and were specific and didn’t try to mislead. Meanwhile, I have for years had a highly reactive terrier mix who’s a rescue and I know how to deal with such circumstances. I didn’t kid myself that I was going to (re)train their dog during a couple of weeks of sitting. I don’t pretend to have magical powers or be a dog whisperer.
BTW, one of the reasons I value an overlap with hosts:
I try to walk the dog and/or walk the dog with the host ASAP after I arrive. That’s so I can get a sense of how the dog walks/how reactive it might be. If for instance the dog turned out to be a dangerous hellion and the hosts had misled me about that, I’d leave straight off, before the hosts even left town. That way, I wouldn’t get stuck with a sit that I’d been tricked into.
Not anymore no. I have done but it is a lot of work. Too much. I mean maybe if it was a gorgeous villa on an ocean cliff side in Spain and only the one dog. Then maybe.
I got attacked by a 90lb Doberman on a sit. It was terrifying.
I’d spent 4 days with the owners before the sit, and we went over EVERYTHING in great detail, except they forgot to mention the dog had bitten the owner ON THE FACE two months prior. 
The dog had also attacked another sitter, so I was the third known attack. He got me on the arm a few times, until I was able to get him outside. I was ok, but left the sit early to get medical attention/tetanus shot. I was also not willing to risk my life for a housesit. 
The shock of it is what stays with me, because it was Day 2 and we’d been hanging out together all day. He’d been fed and cared for, and had spent the evening at my feet. The attack felt like it came out of nowhere.
Unfortunately, the owners are still on the platform, at TH’s discretion since the dog has since been put down and they have other pets. It’s disappointing, but not my decision.
It’s been over a year and I’m able to have some perspective .
My takeaways are:
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I always ask the owners DIRECTLY in the interview if the dog has ever bitten another dog or human (technically, they shouldn’t be on TH, as it’s a violation of TH’s policies, but some owners are not truthful). Watch and listen carefully for how they answer the question
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no aggressive breeds. (sadly, bc I love pitties. But I just can’t take that chance again)
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if the worst happens, and the owners knowingly withhold a crucial piece of safety information, you don’t have to finish the sit. Your safety is the most important thing and you don’t owe them anything.
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after an attack, you may feel fearful of any dog. I’d already committed to my next sit, and was actually a little wary/frightened of a sweet, tiny spaniel, but over the 3-week sit, she helped rehab me back into loving and trusting dogs again.
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I was angry at the homeowners for awhile, but then realized I needed to move on and just trust that karma will do its thing.
Stay safe out there, friends!!
Did THS allow the host to stay on the platform with that vicious dog even after the other sitter had been attacked? If I found out what you had, I’d sue the host and THS for everything possible, to teach them a lesson if they allowed such.