We have been dog sitting for our friend who had a lot going on (she lost her job, she had a house fire and more)...any way she needed to get away and regroup....
My husband feels the dog has over-stayed his welcome (he's been here since June 25th)...he is SUPPOSED to be house trained but almost every day he poops on our floor....urgh....I don't want to be rude to my friend...she is still in temporary housing and while I love the dog - I'm not liking cleaning up after him every day....
What would you do?
Thanks!! i will call my girlfriend today and talk with her...
her home has been condemned since the fire...so she's in temporary housing...she actually was having a VERY tough time and went to a facility to regroup...so I want to ensure she's good....
i will find out if someone else can take care of the dog - he's a 5 year old un-neutered Chihuahua (my husband calls him a Cha-who-a-who-a) and he DOES like him...but is NOT liking (nor do I) the pooping....I did talk to her about it and she was appalled that he was doing it...I'd like to think it's because of the chaos and changes....in the last 4 months....
THANK YOU!!!
That's a long time! If you aren't comfortable it's ok to speak up. When we do things we aren't really wanting to do as favor because we don't want to say anything, resentments develop. Be upfront. Tell her it's just too much work and you aren't able to do it much longer. Give her a week to find a new person.
Hi Cheryl,
I understand you completely! I would talk with your friend and ask her what her plans are. What her timeframe is for getting the dog etc. A month with no plan is too long to me, I would see what she says. If she doesn't have a clue-then tell her she needs to find another arrangement by the end of the week. I would get tired of cleaning up dog poop on my floor too!!! GL
M
Talk to your girlfriend and ask her if this is normal for him or if it's because of all the changes.....
if she's your friend, you'll be able to talk with her!
Well, from your post I'm assuming that your friend has absolutely no idea what is going on and she assumes all is well. It's all about honesty and expectations. I do agree that you need to let her know this is happening--it could be anxiety, colitis, stress-induced and she needs to know that.
Otherwise, if you are just "done", then I guess you also just need to tell her that as well. Really what other options do you have? If there is no medical issue, you can either continue watching him or tell her to find another place for him. It's when and how you tell her that is important.
I would talk to my friend to see if this is normal behavior for the dog. I would also ask what the dog's schedule used to be when he was home. Did she feed him at a certain time, did she walk him at a certain time, etc. and then I would try to stick to that schedule. Hopefully he's eating the same food as always, too. Most dogs go poop at the same time every day if they are on a pretty good schedule. So you can plan a walk or yard time during this time. Also note, that if the dog is pooping during the night that might mean that he has to be in a relaxed state and he's not relaxing until night time sleeping. In which case, a little pumpkin or sweet potato along with some exercise might help. So I guess I said all that because I'm a crazy dog lover and would work with the dog a little bit before I put him through another transition. But if you guys are uncomfortable, then you should discuss that with your friend.
I'm doing that more or less. My aunt passed away and I gained her dog. Separation anxiety is what I'm thinking. Yes, it's almost a year since we took the dog in but you'd think she'd know by now. Our dog is house trained but will have accidents now because the other dog is doing it. I'm thinking about asking my cousins to take the dog back. Plus we might be downsizing soon and can only handle one dog if we move.
How old is the dog? I wonder if this dog is showing how unhappy she is in this new situation. Has the owner come to visit her??
(When my friend moved, he took his 1 yr old dog with him. The dog went from a big backyard to run free all day to a small 10x10 bedroom for 8 hours a day. The dog was NOT happy, and showed his owner so by pooping and peeing everywhere in that 10x10 bedroom. He was house-trained fine, but was not happy being so confined and this was his only way to show his owner his unhappiness. I ended up getting to keep the dog as my own and I am so happy. My dog turned 11 just a few weeks ago). But consider it -- that this dog just misses her owner and is acting out accordingly.
So what would I do? Call your friend, tell her it's been a month, ask if she has another friend who could house sit for a month and possibly you could take the dog for the 3rd month ...... Or tell your friend about the poop and the cleanliness of your house and the health of your kiddos. I dunno, you may have to exaggerate the problem to get her attention.
Its understandable your friend cant take her dog back yet if shes in housing that wont alow it. But maybe tell her you need to have a break and ask if she can find another friend to take her dog for a while. A month is a long time to pet sit, but its really not long when you see whats happening in her life. Just tell her you would like to have her find someone else to care for the dog starting the first of August.
