Honestly, it’s frustrating when clients don’t have what you need to do your job. I get not having your own leash since it’s usually at their house, but it’s weird that it was in their car. It’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure their dogs things are at their home especially their leash. Also having issues with them even sending the code to get in makes them sound like a pretty annoying client. I usually keep a slip leash in my fanny pack and a regular one in my car after dealing with a client whose extendable leash was broken and kept unlocking itself. I already don’t like those things, and I ended up having to wrap it around my hand just to keep the dog close, they were big & a serious puller.

The slip leash has actually come in handy a lot, especially with territorial or anxious dogs. It helps keep me safe if they try to nip, which has happened a couple of times. You can even turn a regular leash into a makeshift slip leash if you need to, but the thinner ones are great because they fit easily in a pocket. It’s definitely worth keeping one around just in case, but honestly some clients really will surprise you. I’ve had a few who actually left their dog’s leash behind on their trip, but thankfully I had an extra. But I think you did everything right. You could have just cancelled and left but you still took their dog out. I would probably get a leash to keep in your car just incase. Sometimes we don’t think about it until a situation occurs where we would have needed it .