Looking after other peoples' dogs
Keeping a dog for a friend or a friend-of-a-friend is nothing short of an eye opener. I've helped friends in the past to look after their dogs when they were out of town, I've done Board & Train services for clients and I've fostered two very special little dogs. There are a lot of things in the "background" that most people don't think of, so here is a little insight to living with a 'temporary' dog.
Taking in a dog for the first time effects my entire family and routines. I keep the new dog separated from my dogs between 2days or for the entire stay. My decision process is to let the new dog settle in and to get to 'meet' my dogs by sight, sound and smell before being in the same space together. This means that I have to separate my house using baby-gates and exercise pens. Sometimes I create 'air-locks' to prevent nose to nose encounters. After a couple of days, I can judge how all the dogs are doing by reading their body language and if they are seeking to investigate and be near each other with affiliative behaviors.
If all is well, then I will prepare my Safety Kit and get ready to let the new dog access to Isabella. I choose Isabella first because she has a calmer demeanor and is more accepting of most dogs. Based on her responses, that will let me know whether or not to introduce Gunner to the new dog. Gunner is a lot more selective in the dogs he 'likes'.
So what's a Safety Kit? This is something I learnt while interning at the SF/SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers. When it was time to introduce a new intake dog to other dogs for play-time, we were always ready with equipment to break up scuffles/fights and always had a plan of action before the introduction. So, I will have some or all of the following tools: air horn, water hose turned on, welding gloves (or bite gloves), extra leashes, swine sorting panel or paddle (basically something solid that you can place between dogs), citronella spray, pepper spray, and towels. So depending on the behaviors and the environment - I'll have some of those things ready - just in case.
Most all newcomers get integrated into my family within a week, meaning that the baby-gates and exercise pens come down. Most all newcomers learn really quickly to 'read' Gunner's behavior and leave him alone. Gunner has really played with and enjoyed a few dogs which takes me by surprise. He has a high energy play-style so he did well with Kirby, a large Carolina Dog and Brooklyn, a high energy lab.
Sleeping behavior is another big hurdle to overcome. Some of these dogs have never been away from home and/or their owner. So some have a bit of separation distress for the first few nights. They either sleep in our bathroom on-suite, in their own crate or use one of our two large crates we have in our bedroom for Gunner and Isabella. It sometimes makes for a very disruptive few nights until they habituate to the new arrangement or I figure out what helps them relax and sleep. So far, knock on wood, we've had very few difficult dogs at night.
If the dogs don't get along, then that means that the baby-gates and exercise pens stay up with added 'air-locks' in place with sheets covering them to limit visual access. It also means a lot of rotations of which dogs have access to the dog yard/potty area. The separation also effects my husband. It's not an easy thing to live through.
We've have many, many dogs come and go. Taking care of that one extra dog changes your day. Some are really easy to look after while others require a little more attention.
Sometimes being in a new environment for some dogs can be upsetting resulting in some loose stool or diarrhea. Some dogs are just 'normally' soft in that department. This is a topic that needs to be discussed with the owner. Soft stool or diarrhea usually means some sort of inflammation in the gastro-intenstical area. So a bland diet is called for. I would need to know at what point they would consider it concerning enough to take the to vet. Diarrhea can be very dehydrating. If a bland diet doesn't help after a day or two then a vet visit is necessary. It's especially concerning when then is some blood in the stool. This could either be a rupture blood capsule from the dog forcing to something more critical. So as a pet-keeper, I need to have some basic knowledge on pet vital signs and reading health conditions. That is why I took a PeTTech First Aid and CPR course. Not only is it an important thing as a pet owner to have knowledge of but reassuring to someone leaving their pet with me. 
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| Isabella my Ridgeback with Tori my client |
Taking in a dog for the first time effects my entire family and routines. I keep the new dog separated from my dogs between 2days or for the entire stay. My decision process is to let the new dog settle in and to get to 'meet' my dogs by sight, sound and smell before being in the same space together. This means that I have to separate my house using baby-gates and exercise pens. Sometimes I create 'air-locks' to prevent nose to nose encounters. After a couple of days, I can judge how all the dogs are doing by reading their body language and if they are seeking to investigate and be near each other with affiliative behaviors.
If all is well, then I will prepare my Safety Kit and get ready to let the new dog access to Isabella. I choose Isabella first because she has a calmer demeanor and is more accepting of most dogs. Based on her responses, that will let me know whether or not to introduce Gunner to the new dog. Gunner is a lot more selective in the dogs he 'likes'.
So what's a Safety Kit? This is something I learnt while interning at the SF/SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers. When it was time to introduce a new intake dog to other dogs for play-time, we were always ready with equipment to break up scuffles/fights and always had a plan of action before the introduction. So, I will have some or all of the following tools: air horn, water hose turned on, welding gloves (or bite gloves), extra leashes, swine sorting panel or paddle (basically something solid that you can place between dogs), citronella spray, pepper spray, and towels. So depending on the behaviors and the environment - I'll have some of those things ready - just in case.
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| I'm in bed with Isabella, Kirby and Gunner |
Sleeping behavior is another big hurdle to overcome. Some of these dogs have never been away from home and/or their owner. So some have a bit of separation distress for the first few nights. They either sleep in our bathroom on-suite, in their own crate or use one of our two large crates we have in our bedroom for Gunner and Isabella. It sometimes makes for a very disruptive few nights until they habituate to the new arrangement or I figure out what helps them relax and sleep. So far, knock on wood, we've had very few difficult dogs at night.
If the dogs don't get along, then that means that the baby-gates and exercise pens stay up with added 'air-locks' in place with sheets covering them to limit visual access. It also means a lot of rotations of which dogs have access to the dog yard/potty area. The separation also effects my husband. It's not an easy thing to live through.
We've have many, many dogs come and go. Taking care of that one extra dog changes your day. Some are really easy to look after while others require a little more attention. Another thing to consider is health requirements. Without properly screening the new dog's health history, you run the risk of exposing your dogs to parasites/illnesses not to mention bringing in those things into my home. Some dog kudies can be transmitted to people. So it's important to have any incoming dog fully vaccinated or show titers results, have a negative fecal result (or constantly be on a monthly parasite prevention pill), flea and tick treatment (holistic or otherwise or bring in a certified letter from your vet to state that your pet is flea/tick free), bordetella vaccine - I think that's it.
Sometimes being in a new environment for some dogs can be upsetting resulting in some loose stool or diarrhea. Some dogs are just 'normally' soft in that department. This is a topic that needs to be discussed with the owner. Soft stool or diarrhea usually means some sort of inflammation in the gastro-intenstical area. So a bland diet is called for. I would need to know at what point they would consider it concerning enough to take the to vet. Diarrhea can be very dehydrating. If a bland diet doesn't help after a day or two then a vet visit is necessary. It's especially concerning when then is some blood in the stool. This could either be a rupture blood capsule from the dog forcing to something more critical. So as a pet-keeper, I need to have some basic knowledge on pet vital signs and reading health conditions. That is why I took a PeTTech First Aid and CPR course. Not only is it an important thing as a pet owner to have knowledge of but reassuring to someone leaving their pet with me. 
Once the dog is picked up and gone home there's a sense of 'stillness' that is felt. Then things to back to the way they were with just me, my husband and my dogs. It's not as easy at it seems taking on another dog. It's more then providing a roof, food, play, attention, and walks. They get integrated into your lifestyle. I'm totally responsible for the health and well-being of this 'guest' and the stability/happiness of my family.
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