<p>I agreed to keep my neighbor’s dog while they’re on vacation. Yes, I’m an idiot. It is only now occurring to me that though I may be happy to have the dog visit, the dog might not be so happy about it. Does anybody have any suggestions for making her feel comfortable and easing any anxiety while she’s here? She’s a middle-aged black lab, and she knows me and seems to like me, but she’s only been in our house for a few minutes here or there. </p>
<p>It might have been easier on both you and the dog if you took care of the dog in your neighbor’s house. The dog would be comfortable in its own surroundings.</p>
<p>Set up an area just for the dog to go to (blanket in a corner or under a desk). Dog’s like structure and understand it quickly. They pick up cues fast. Pick a time for walks, dinner and stay with it. My retrievers follow me around all day, room to room when I am home. A low authoritative voice should be used to assert who’s boss if needed. Labs love treats. Keep some near you at all times and reward with a little bit when good. Shows her who’s boss which actually makes them very happy. Good luck. Labs are a very nice breed.</p>
<p>laxmom, I disagree. Cats like to be in the same place and don’t care about the people. Dogs don’t care about the place but want to be near people. I think the dog would be very very lonely if he were home alone, with just a visit in the AM and the PM. He’ll be happier being with someone for most of the day.</p>
<p>Helenback, just talk to him from time to time and tell him what a goo’ boy he is. He’ll love you for it.</p>
<p>We have a pet sitter who keeps our dog at her house when we go out of town. </p>
<p>They should bring her bedding. Dogs are big on smells, and having something that’s she’s familiar with, will help in making her feel comfortable.</p>
<p>Be sure you have a list of numbers, including the vet. We left a letter with our vet giving so that if our dog ever needed care and were were unreachable, she could approve it. The vet will bill us when we return rather than asking her to pay upon treatment.</p>
<p>Bringing her own food will keep the risk of accidents down. You don’t want to upset their system. Don’t be tempted to feed her people treats because she’s a guest.</p>
<p>(My dog would be miserable home alone all day too. He’s a by your side people dog.)</p>
<p>Try to bring his bed over to your house. With dogs, smells from their home and owners will comfort them. This is going to sound weird but if you can grab a dirty shirt from his owner’s hamper and put it near or on his bed, the smell of his owner will help him feel a bit calmer. Weird, but it does help.</p>
<p>(cross posted with above post regarding smells)</p>
<p>Most middle-aged black labs are content to just hang out with you. If the dog likes to play ball, the owner will probably tell you and bring his favorite ball. A lot of labs like to go swimming, regardless of the weather, should you have a lake or clean pond handy.</p>
<p>Can the dog visit for an hour or so once or twice before it take up residence with you? Maybe once with the owner there, too, and once on its own.</p>
<p>I don’t think out lab would have a problem in a new space, especially if the bed and the food were familiar. She is sure every human has been placed on earth for the specific purpose of being her friend. Most labs I have known share that sentiment.</p>
<p>Do you have a dog or cat? If so, there could be territorial issues. Also, some dogs experience housetraining lapses in new environments. On the first day, I’d treat her almost like a puppy that’s being housetrained: take her out to the same spot on a leash every few hours, wait until she pees, then praise her lavishly. I’d think that for a dog of that age just a couple times ought to be enough to let her know where to go.</p>
<p>I agree that she should have her own bed, toys, bowls, and the same food she’s accustomed to.</p>
<p>I know each dog is different, but my dog is not happy at other homes. She goes with me for visits to my parents house 20 minutes away and doesn’t like to stay too long. For some reason she gets very cranky and starts barking to leave when she gets tired. To her, nap time needs to be at her own home, not grandma’s! This is not an unfamiliar home to her, we go over there often.</p>
<p>The dog also goes on day trips to visit my son’s home 2 1/2 hours away. We usually get there around noon and will stay until 9:00. As many times as we have have gone, she still can not settle down while there. She knows the house, but will not go to sleep there. At home she would be sleeping a good part of the day, but on visits, she does not sleep. We always take toys with her and her blanket; doesn’t make a differences in her behavior. This is not a little dog, but a big goldendoodle. She is the happiest just sitting in the car. I could leave her in the car the entire day and she would be in seventh heaven!!</p>
<p>You don’t have a weird dog, snowball, you just know your dog’s temperament. Our dogs all have their own idiosyncrasies, just like humans. For instance, your dog sounds exactly like my mom…lol</p>
<p>Ditto on all the smell comments. I would also suggest taking an old towel or blanket of yours with your house’s smell on it, and having neighbors put in near the dog’s bed. That way, he’ll have his own familiar smell, but already be familiar with your smell as well.</p>
<p>I have a friend with a mother with Alzheimer who really does love to sit in the car. The friend has a hard time getting her mother to get out when they go places; she will insist on sitting in the back seat and sleep. Fear of being arrested for elder abuse keeps my friend from allowing her mom to stay in the car unless she is in her own driveway.</p>
<p>There are three dogs from different homes in my neighborhood that I often take care of while their owners are away, one of them for as much as three weeks at a time, and sometimes all three dogs at the same time (in addition to my own dog!). Dogs often do better in non-home environments than their owners think they will, but the key is to give visiting dogs lots of affection, to talk to them often so they are used to your voice and your tones, to keep a regular schedule so they know when they can relieve themselves and when they will be fed, and to let them hang out near you as much as possible, including at night. If you have a house with no extraneous stress, most dogs will do fine. However, if a dog is likely to do mischief while you are away, it would be better for both your sakes to get a house key from the owner, to have the dog stay at home at night and when you have to be out, and to have it stay with you as often as you can when you are home. Other dogs can be trusted to not chew or leave messages when you leave them by themselves, and they may be happier staying full time at your own home, especially if you also have a dog to keep it company. </p>
<p>In short, lots of physical and vocal affection for the dog, plus firmness in making the dog understand your own rules, will help to make this a positive experience.</p>
<p>One final tip: If the dog hasn’t spent a lot of time with you, take DD out on DD’s usual walk soon after your neighbor drops DD off, and he/she will settle in to your house without as much separation anxiety.</p>
<p>She’s here now, and I think you’re all correct that all she wants is to be close to people. That’s why the owner said she didn’t want her left at home at night. She seems to be doing o.k. I took her for a really long walk. I thought it would relax her, but she seemed a little anxious with a lot of panting when we came home, so I spent a lot of time grooming and petting her, and now she’s sleeping next to me on the couch. I have a feeling she’ll be sleeping in my bed since that’s where she sleeps at home–which I did not know until I picked her up today. DH will not love that, but if it makes her happy then that’s where she’ll be. </p>
<p>I also learned that the last time she stayed at somebody’s house, it did not go well. Apparently this person wasn’t a dog lover but a family member doing a favor. There wasn’t a fenced yard, and she had a lot of trouble getting her to potty in the yard. After three days with no peeing or pooping, she drove the dog over to her own yard, in the hopes that this would relax her enough. Nothing. She took her back to her house, and she proceeded to pee and poop all over the house. Hmmm. Come to think of it, she did a lot of sniffing on her walk but nothing else. I’m hoping this will go better. </p>
<p>They did give me a bottle of doggy tranqulizers but I’m hoping not to use them. If she pees and poops all over my house I’ll be taking them myself. Luckily my carpet already looks like I’ve been training a litter of twelve puppies on it so there’s not much she can really damage. </p>
<p>So Pesto, do you get paid for your dog sitting?</p>