Dog sitting - what can I expect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for all the great suggestions.

I could also use advice on how to handle interactions with other dogs as I’m quite nervous about this. My in laws live in area where they don’t come across other dogs occasionally. However we live in area where it will be impossible to go for a walk without running into lots of dogs on every walk. Their dog gets very jumpy and excited and starts barking when sighting another dog across the street- so much so that he will nip at the person holding him.

You need to take high value treats on your walk (little pieces of hot dog, pea size pcs of chicken) and when there is another dog coming, have the dog sit and give multiple treats in succession facing you and facing away from the other dog until it passes. You can also walk behind a tree or a car so it doesn’t have to walk directly past the other dog. Your dog will eventually associate seeing another dog with happiness/treats rather than getting reactive.

+1 Teach the “look at me” command so the puppy focuses on you and treats. Praise dog when he gets it right. Praise all good behavior.

[Anonymous]

This dog needs not only a lot of walks, but also off leash exercise and socialization with other dogs. Husband should take dog on log walk before work that includes 30 minutes of off leash running/play. Also suggest hiring a skilled walker to do an afternoon walk with other dogs so the dog can start to get some socialization.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This dog needs not only a lot of walks, but also off leash exercise and socialization with other dogs. Husband should take dog on log walk before work that includes 30 minutes of off leash running/play. Also suggest hiring a skilled walker to do an afternoon walk with other dogs so the dog can start to get some socialization.

Op here. That will be one of the main challenges I think- to socialize the dog with other dogs. He hasn’t really been exposed to other dogs, except the north or dog and they are not allowed to interact because he gets so crazy around him.

Just read up a little about breaking up dog fights and while it was definitely helpful information to have, I have to admit it also gives me a bit of anxiety about walking him. There are a lot of aggressive dogs in our neighborhood, I hear them all the time as they walk past our house. And unfortunately there is no off leash area for us.

The closest off leash dog park is only a 7 minute drive away, but he doesn’t handle car rides well and I’d be nervous to let him off leash in an area that is not fenced off. It’s an open area with a creek. I’ll do some research to see if there are other dog friendly parks in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This dog needs not only a lot of walks, but also off leash exercise and socialization with other dogs. Husband should take dog on log walk before work that includes 30 minutes of off leash running/play. Also suggest hiring a skilled walker to do an afternoon walk with other dogs so the dog can start to get some socialization.

Op here. That will be one of the main challenges I think- to socialize the dog with other dogs. He hasn’t really been exposed to other dogs, except the north or dog and they are not allowed to interact because he gets so crazy around him.

Just read up a little about breaking up dog fights and while it was definitely helpful information to have, I have to admit it also gives me a bit of anxiety about walking him. There are a lot of aggressive dogs in our neighborhood, I hear them all the time as they walk past our house. And unfortunately there is no off leash area for us.

The closest off leash dog park is only a 7 minute drive away, but he doesn’t handle car rides well and I’d be nervous to let him off leash in an area that is not fenced off. It’s an open area with a creek. I’ll do some research to see if there are other dog friendly parks in the area.

*neighbor dog* not north er dog

[Anonymous]

OP, regarding walking: make sure you have a sturdy 6-foot dog leash (NOT a retractable leash). My dog walker swears by the "easy walk harness" to keep dogs from pulling on the leash.

And when you are walking the dog, in addition to high value treats, don't hesitate to "choke up" on the leash (make it shorter) to ensure that the dog is under your control.

[Anonymous]

Border collies need hours of running every day. Walks and yard time alone are not enough. Definitely do a search for off leash spots - or for gigantic fenced in areas that you pay to use via Sniffspot.

Sign up the dog for advanced obedience or agility training if that's available in your area. Otherwise the dog will be climbing the walls at home and chewing or otherwise being destructive or anxious out of boredom and frustration.

[Anonymous]

first of all, the poster with all the practical tips is dead on. You can do this!

I think the reason this dog is such a nightmare is that it's being under-exercised by your inlaws. Follow the advice to stake/fence and walk/exercise a ton and crate while you're out and it should be tons better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for all the great suggestions.

I could also use advice on how to handle interactions with other dogs as I’m quite nervous about this. My in laws live in area where they don’t come across other dogs occasionally. However we live in area where it will be impossible to go for a walk without running into lots of dogs on every walk. Their dog gets very jumpy and excited and starts barking when sighting another dog across the street- so much so that he will nip at the person holding him.

Bumping this request…

I am one of the dog owners who answered above. I think it would be helpful to get a couple sessions with a trainer so that the trainer an demonstrate what to do and correct how you are doing it. But some personal feedback (I have a very smart nervous dog, too, different breed). My others have been more mellow in but we alw always do a variant of this. Generally when we leave the house, they are FULL of energy and a bit reactive. If I run into a dog at the beginning, I do a whole routine: make the dog sit (looking away from other dog), talk to her in a soothing voice, and give her small treats, constantly redirecting her attention to me. If it's later on in the walk , she is already much calmer. I might only have to do the soothing talk and she won't react at all. Or if it's a friendly dog , we could even go say hello.

I mentioned earlier that border collies love and need to work. Mine is a totally different breed and not a working dog but mental stimulation is very satisfying and calming to her. She picks up tricks really quickly and obviously enjoys them. I don't mean to anthropomorphize but she not only looks proud after a doing her tricks she is calmer and better behaved . So I did have one of my kids practice doing them with her and, at first I thought of it as almost therapy for the dog, but of course the kid loves it too.

[Anonymous]

Op here, we are picking up the dog tonight so wish us luck! Thank you for all the very helpful advice!

[Anonymous]

Interested in hearing how Day 1 goes. Wishing you the best.

[Anonymous]

Why are you planning to take him to a dog park when you admit that he is not well-behaved around other dogs and is excitable and unpredictable? Don't take him to a dog park. Get a hardness for walks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I think I'll be ok with taking the dog out multiple times a day. I'm outside almost every day taking care of the garden and yard anyway. The hardest part for me, I think, will be not being able to leave the house. They haven't left him alone in the house for longer than a couple hours, and only during his nap time which is in the early afternoon. Logistically, this will be the most challenging, since I need to be out for something every day.

So you're going to be the one to teach him to be alone more. You will need to crate him when you go out (which in your OP you made sound like a problem but is totally normal for an 8 month old puppy still).

Start from day 1 with short periods and keep working up. He's going to bark and whine at first. Let it happen.

[Anonymous]

Day 1 was a success! Exhausting but a success. He has been so good. There was a steady improvement from morning to evening. The advice about walks and other dogs was effective, not the first time around, but by the end of the day, he wasn’t even reacting to other dogs which seemed miraculous. He went on 5 walks yesterday.

The kids and I also taught him a few new tricks on his first day, he is such a clever dog and seemed to be excited about doing them. Or maybe he just wanted the treats, ha.

He also started coming to us when called and just listening better. He still gets very easily overexcited, and jumps on people to greet them. Working on that.

But boy, dogs are a lot of work! I can see why my in laws were tired. He is super sweet and overall a really good dog though and seems to have adjusted pretty easily to our house and family. We even were able to leave him home in his cage for a little while we went out for something. He didn’t seem to thrilled but it was a good sign that he wasn’t still making a fuss when we returned. He does have a very loud bark!

He lunged for a hiding cat on one of our walks, and will often lunge and bark like crazy at other critters he sights. But this is getting better too. Thanks again for all the helpful advice!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Day 1 was a success! Exhausting but a success. He has been so good. There was a steady improvement from morning to evening. The advice about walks and other dogs was effective, not the first time around, but by the end of the day, he wasn’t even reacting to other dogs which seemed miraculous. He went on 5 walks yesterday.

The kids and I also taught him a few new tricks on his first day, he is such a clever dog and seemed to be excited about doing them. Or maybe he just wanted the treats, ha.

He also started coming to us when called and just listening better. He still gets very easily overexcited, and jumps on people to greet them. Working on that.

But boy, dogs are a lot of work! I can see why my in laws were tired. He is super sweet and overall a really good dog though and seems to have adjusted pretty easily to our house and family. We even were able to leave him home in his cage for a little while we went out for something. He didn’t seem to thrilled but it was a good sign that he wasn’t still making a fuss when we returned. He does have a very loud bark!

He lunged for a hiding cat on one of our walks, and will often lunge and bark like crazy at other critters he sights. But this is getting better too. Thanks again for all the helpful advice!

5 walks *today* not yesterday

[Anonymous]

Good for you, OP. Yes, a LOT of work to do it right, but it's also extremely rewarding to see the progress you can make it even a short amount of time.