Dogsitting 101

Linc, the Boxer

As a broke college student, I am always up for making a little extra cash; just recently an opportunity presented itself in the form of dogsitting! My co-worker at Whitney Management had to go visit her daughter who was having her second child (a beautiful baby girl!). Because my co-worker and her husband were both going to see their new grandchild, someone had to stay home and take care of Linc... and that's where I come in :) ! As you know, if you've read my "About Me" section, I love dogs; so I was more then happy to lend a helping hand, and earn some extra cash while doing it!

Though I have dog-sat in the past, I guess I forgot that dogsitting is not all fun and games. By dogsitting for my co-worker, I have agreed to live at her house for the next week. This has proven to be really inconvenient; I have to pack up all my clothes for the next week, their house is farther from my work then usual so I have to adjust my schedule accordingly, I had to buy extra groceries so I would have food to eat, and worst of all.... they don't have wi-fi. Scratch that, they don't have internet at all! I didn't know that there were still places without internet... but apparently there are... and I happen to be living in it for a week - yikes!

In addition to all of the logistical issues that come along with living in someone else's house... the actual dogsitting is not as much fun as I thought it would be. Please remember, I love dogs and Patch (my pup) is literally the light of my life; however when you live in someone else's house taking care of their dog, that dog is used to how their owner does things... and just because I'm there doesn't mean he's going to automatically adjust to my schedule or behavioral preferences. For example: my co-worker is one of those people who rises with the sun 7 days a week - needless to say, I am not. The fact that I like to sleep in on Saturdays & Sundays doesn't stop Linc from whining at 7:00 am in the morning because his parents normally would have fed him hours ago and he's hungry.

There are also behavioral issues with Linc that I am simply not used to and could really do without. Linc is a Boxer, and for those of you who are familiar with dogs or Boxers know that Boxers as a breed are very energetic and play a bit differently then other dogs. The reason Boxers were named as such, is because when they play they like to get up on their hind legs and "punch" with their front paws. This is how they play with other dogs, and unless trained otherwise, will play with humans. Also, because Linc is only 2 and still has some puppy-characteristics, he cannot control his excitement. When I show Linc even the slightest amount of attention he goes bezerk and starts jumping up and down and trying to lick my face. Not only is that completely GROSS, but Linc is about 20 pounds heavier then the dogs I'm used to playing with, and incredibly strong - and I have no doubt that he, in his excited stupor, he could definitely hurt me without meaning to.

After the first night with Linc, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do the whole week; however, the next day I decided to go buy some healthy dog treats to reward Linc when he's being very good, a marrow-bone to distract him when I just need him to leave me alone so I can concentrate on something, and a spray bottle for when he gets too excited and wont listen to me when I say "NO!"

So far those three tools have done wonders and it's only been two days. Linc is a really good dog, he is just easily excited and used to his parent's way of doing things. I hope he continues to get better over the upcoming week! I'll let you guys know of any other tips/tricks I come up with for dogsitting, so keep posted!

Have you ever dog-sat before? Do you have any tips or best practices to share with me? Let me know, I'm always open to new suggestions!