It's your first mow at a new customer's house. Halfway across the backyard you find out they have a dog. Now it's in the deck, on your shoes, and riding in the truck to the next stop. Nobody mentioned a dog when they signed up. Do you charge for it, put up with it, or drop the account? How do you settle that before it ever happens?
Make it part of signing up. Do you have a dog? Does a neighbor's dog get into the yard? Ask everyone the same way, even customers you'd guess don't have pets. It's a normal question when it's on the list, and an awkward one when you bring it up after the fact.
Then tell them how you handle it. The yard gets picked up before you arrive, or you pick it up for an extra charge. They get to choose before any work starts, and nobody is surprised later.
Ask about the dog before the first mow, not after you've found out the hard way.
Whatever they choose, write it down with that property's notes so your crew knows before they open the gate. "Owner picks up before Tuesday." "We pick up, add the charge." A rule that lives only in your head doesn't help the crew member mowing that yard next month. Keep it wherever your crew already checks for gate codes and notes, whether that's a binder, a shared list, or an app.
Picking up after a dog is extra work. It takes time, it means cleaning your equipment, and it can stink up the truck and the trailer. One owner pointed out that a local pet waste service in his area charges about what he gets for a mow. If a customer wants you to handle it, price it as its own service and put it on the invoice like any other extra.
If a customer won't pick up and won't pay for you to do it, that's a stop you can let go. Your time, your equipment, and your crew are worth more than one lawn.
Settling the pet question at the start keeps your crew clean, your equipment running, and your pricing honest.
