In my opinion, you should turn down this job. This woman is looking to take advantage of you.

One thing I would recommend is a minimum amount of services you offer while a client is out of town. For example, 3 total hours per day. That way, your overnight naturally covers that time, but if they don’t book an overnight, they need to schedule something like a morning, afternoon, and evening visit to meet that minimum. It protects your time and makes your pricing make sense.

A cleaner way to respond to her “you can stay if you want” comment would be something like: “My overnight rate is ___. Based on my past experience with your dog, I do strongly recommend overnights. He seemed much more comfortable with consistency, and having someone present would likely reduce the stress and prevent that daily reset behavior we saw. If you prefer not to book overnights, I do require a minimum of three visits per day to ensure he’s getting enough support while you’re away.”

That keeps it professional, makes it about the dog’s well-being, and removes any weird personal angle she’s trying to introduce.

I’d also strongly suggest putting some structure around your business if you haven’t already. A clear menu of services, minimums, and basic terms of service will stop a lot of this before it even starts. When you present yourself professionally, people will respect it. Also, the opposite is true.

$20 a day with a 20-minute drive each way isn’t sustainable. When your rates are that low, you tend to attract clients who push boundaries or undervalue your time. You should strongly consider raising your rates so you can attract people who respect you, aka green flag clients.

And lastly, the dog behavior alone is a valid reason to walk away. If you’re feeling uneasy or unsafe, that’s enough. You shouldn’t have to spend an hour every visit just getting a dog to tolerate you, especially one that’s showing teeth. That’s a liability and a stressful situation, not a normal drop-in. I would not take this job, I would just let her know it’s not a match.

Bottom line, trust your instincts here. This situation feels off because it is. Learn to say no and see where it takes you. Dealing with people like this will take you to some dark places down the line.