What does it take to care well for dogs who are fearful, reactive, or slow to trust new people? In this episode, Collin talks with Susan Aceti, owner of Challenging Dogs Pet Care, about building a thoughtful, patient process for dogs who need more than a standard meet and greet. Susan shares how her own dog Molly shaped her approach to empathy, client communication, and practical behavior support. They discuss the importance of going slowly, reading body language, using safety tools, and creating predictability for both dogs and staff. This conversation is a reminder that challenging dogs are not problems to conquer, but individuals to understand.

Main topics:

Caring for reactive dogs
Going slow with trust
Client shame and empathy
Safety tools and predictability
Team training for consistency

Main takeaway: "Go slow. And if you think you're going too slow, go even slower."

That simple reminder from Susan Aceti is at the heart of working with challenging dogs. In pet care, it can be tempting to rush trust, push for progress, or make petting the goal. But for fearful, reactive, or anxious dogs, success often looks like peaceful coexistence, predictability, and small steps forward. Susan reminds us that our job is not to force a relationship, but to create the conditions where safety and trust can grow. When we slow down, we give the dog, the client, and ourselves the best chance to succeed.

About our guest:

Susan Aceti is the owner of Challenging Dogs Pet Care. Her own challenging dog, Molly, was Susan's most profound teacher for 15 years in how to care for a dog with behavior challenges. After Molly died, Susan spent four years on Rover providing services primarily for other anxious, stressed dogs. She founded Challenging Dogs in 2021 to expand the pet care capacity in the Baltimore/DC area for dogs with behavior challenges. Susan has an instructional design background that strongly influences the materials she has developed to provide training to other pet sitters around the country. Her approach recognizes the experience and skill all pet sitters bring and how to learn in a collaborative, respectful way.

Links:

Her email: saceti@challengingdogs.com

Her course: https://www.challengingdogs.com/learning

Her website: https://www.challengingdogs.com

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Full show notes and transcript

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Pet Sitter Confessional, its hosts, or sponsors. We interview individuals based on their experience and expertise within the pet care industry. Any statements made outside of this platform, or unrelated to the topic discussed, are solely the responsibility of the guest.