how to deal with an out of control dog while pet sitting?
I recently offered to pet sit my friends puppy Miniature Pincher (not exactly sure how old it is but she has had it since November of last year). I was GROSLY misinformed about the care and status of this dog. I was under the impression is was pee pad friendly and just has a few accidents when in reality it just pees and poops every and anywhere. Its not leash trained or knows how to go outside to go potty because the owners never took it out because apparently "it was too cold". The dog is also incredibly untrained and can’t go any extended time with out constant attention. We had a spot blocked off with baby gates with its bed, water, food, and a pee pad (useless as it is) and it SCREAMS. Literally, screams for hours if no one acknowledges it there and last night when we went to bed it yelped, whined and screamed so much it actually threw up its food. The owners said that the dog will sleep with us (which we did not want) so it was put in a "quarantine" spot so it wouldn’t get hurt or poop in mysterious places.
I only have the dog for 2 more nights/three more days but I can’t handle this peeing/poo situation and the constant screaming/crying of the dog. For those of you wondering no I do not have kids nor plan on having kids…and I have fish… fish poop in their own water and are silent.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this? Training is pointless because of the length of time I am with the dog. Does anyone have any suggestions or tricks to help with this insane dog? Its stressing both me and my husband out.
For the person suggesting reprimand… I am absolutely not above that. The dog has already been swatted several times. The owners "forgot" to bring me its crate so I ended up buying one today and they will have the delight of paying me back when they get home.
As for "screaming" yes…this dog sounds like a small human child screaming at the top of its lungs. It may be whining or yelping in dog terms but its ear piercing and nerve racking.
I have attempted the whole "take it out every hour or so" to go to the bathroom and as soon as I bring it back in it just lets loose where ever it wants. I even spent an hour outside with the stupid thing with a treat in my pocket in hopes it would go and I could reward it.
5 Comments on “how to deal with an out of control dog while pet sitting?”
Hi, sounds like a nightmare!
I have experience with dog training and handling. Firstly, tire this dog out! Run with it on the leash, try and keep ahead of it. Once it is tired, training is easier. Taking it outside once an hour and consistently associating one kind of praise (higher-pitched, your choice of words) with when it urinates and another with defecating. For instance, my 11-year old repeats ‘pee-pee’, ‘pee-pee’ to her little dog. Then cutting going outside down to every two hours and giving the praise to prompt bladder/bowl activity. When it is tired-out, use the crate, put it away from where you are and let it out when you are ready to take it to pee/poop. The way to show a dog you’re boss is to ignore it, that means no eye-contact, voice-contact or physical contact unless it’s on your terms. There’s a lot more but I am guessing your friend will be back by then. Good luck!
sorry but it needs to be trained and yes 2-3 days can train it to be quiet and start taking outside.
next time know the dog before offering to take care of.
take it out on leash and tell potty, praise and reward when it does.
every hour until you can tell when it is ready to go.
tell quiet when it carries on. ignore, praise when quiet.
I think you are pretty well stuck. Have you tried giving it a blanket? These people were very unfair to leave you with a dog like this. Make sure you tell them you will never do it again.
LOL – sorry….I’ve have been in your shoes…
Charming as this dear little creature is, put it in a crate and resign it to a place you cannot hear it, but it is safe – if the weather is warm enough, the car is always a good spot. Even a basement or a bathroom will do, sometimes – just put a radio playing loud enough to drown out the dog.
Honestly, if you think you have permission to give the dog anything to calm it down, there is a wonderful product clled Content-Um that is not dangerous, and will calm the dog down – it’s over the counter, and a veterinary compounding pharmacist friend of mine looked it over – nothing harmful, everything in it occurs naturally in the dog, and it will get peed out of the dog. Just try 1/2 suggested dose first, since the little darling is so little. It’s cheap, even though I know you’d probably bribe anyone at this point.
If you don’t dare do that, take the dog to its vet, and ask for help – they will give you a sedative.
Stress is bad for a dog, and God forbid the thing has any underlying problems, they will come to the surface fast with all this happening. You don’t want that – it’s a legitimate concern for a vet to look into, and they can help you – just make sure the bill is under the owner’s name – they owe you, and it is likely that you are one of a hundred pet sitters this thing has made life a living hell for.
Dogs are differrent with their owners, but there is NO excuse for any dog to potty all over. For the moment, though – just aks to borrow a crate, and stuff it somewhere safe. It’s one thing if it’s going to scream, it’s nother if you’re going to hear it.
Your friends owe you, big time. Let them know that – they DO know their dog is hell. That’s why you have it.
What you SHOULD have done, was as soon as you discovered the animal was an untrained devil dog was call the owners and tell them they had misled you and that you were leaving the dog some food and water and shutting it inside their home and that you would not be back. That way, they would have had to interrupt their trip and return home to care for their dog and this just may have convinced them to train the animal
You could stop the yelping — dogs don’t scream — by cutting a small switch and using it on the hellion, but you are probably one of those people — like the owners of this 4-legged demon — who do not believe in physical discipline. And since you won’t resort to physical discipline and there are just 2 more nights of hell, you’ll just have to grin and bear it and learn from your mistake. In case you’re wondering what your mistake was: Never, ever agree to look after a DOG for anyone!
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