Dog-Sitting

I agreed to look after Rusty for the weekend whilst his family were away. I had an inkling beforehand that I should refuse. On Friday afternoon I took him for a long walk over the common then gave him his dinner. Whilst I was preparing my dinner, he asked to go out so I let him out in the garden. Unfortunately he found a dead bird I had no idea was there, which strangely held more appeal than the dog food supplied - but not for long. Once indoors, he sicked it back up. Not exactly something you want to be dealing with clearing up just before a guest arrives to share a meal, believe me!

Then this morning again I took him for a walk and he did his business so I felt safe leaving him for an hour or so whilst I went to the local church. Mistake. I came home to find a huge puddle, two piles of poo and more vomit. This time he ignored his bowl of dog food in favour of the soil from one of my house plants which evidently disagreed with him.

Sunday lunch doesn't hold much appeal right now!

Need any help there?

I bought a flat-pack 3-drawer unit and the instructions claimed it needed an 'expert' to put it together - cue Vic and Rusty!

House Guest

This is Rusty, my house guest for a week whilst his family are on holiday. He's a fine, sociable fellow, a joy to have around, and very biddable. He does a wonderful foot massage!

Goodbye Spencer

Spencer was a lovely great softy, thoroughly enjoying having his tummy rubbed, as you can see from this photo. He settled in and had a lovely week with us, but having thought the answer to the fecal incontinence query hanging over him was the presence or absence of suitable shrubs, as the week progressed it became clear there was something else going on. When we picked him up, I'd noticed that his left eye was drooping a little, although this wasn't mentioned in his medical notes. Three days into his stay and the eye was drooping even further, after a night when he'd been fretful and unsettled. I mentioned it to the Fostering manager and she asked us to bring him back for a brain scan. We took him back on the Saturday, and today learned the sad news that the scan showed he'd had a stroke, and they hadn't wakened him from the anaesthetic.

Welcome Spencer!

Today, 5th January 2008, we greet a new short-term addition to the family. Spencer is a large, elderly male labrador. He weighs around 45 kg and was picked up as a stray by Battersea Dogs' Home, London, early in December. He is somewhere between 7 - 10 years old with a few health problems. The Dogs' Home has a foster programme and Spencer is our first assignment. I was offered a choice (sight unseen) between Spencer and Jasper (a labrador cross, aged between 6 and 12 months). Jasper sounded very cute but possibly quite a demanding handful.

We were told Spencer was 'very clean in his kennel', but outside appeared to suffer from fecal incontinence as he wasn't stopping to squat, simply walking on apparently unaware of what was happening at the other end. It wasn't clear whether this was a behavioural issue, related to the stress of being in kennels, or if there could be some other explanation.

He jumped into the back of the estate car without hesitation, allowed me to harness him in and settled down happily for the ride. Once home, I walked him straight through into the garden and let him off the lead. After cocking his leg a few times, he began combing the shrubbery for the right place to squat, finally backing his butt onto (yes, in contact with) a prickly young holly bush. It didn't look the most comfortable place, but evidently it met his requirements and he proved that given the right circumstances, he would take the time to pause and reflect on the moment. I praised him.

We brought him indoors and showed him his lovely new doggy-duvet (all equipment, food, toys, medicine etc. is provided by the Dogs' Home). He was so excited, he immediately dug in, ripped the duvet from its cover and tore a hole in it before we could convince him to give it up. He'd only been in the house a matter of minutes and feathers were flying already! Not a good start! We removed the luxury feather duvet from its cover, replacing it with some old blankets and towels and checked his response - one sniff and he dismissed it as of no further interest..

I sewed up the hole in the duvet to prevent any further feather-loss and hoovered up the feathers. At this point we had confined Spencer to the kitchen, but I opened the door into the lounge to check out his reaction. He walked in to inspect ... and promptly decided the house-plants needed watering. I told him "NO!" very firmly (don't want the maid becoming upset that he's taken over her job). I took him outside again and praised him each time he cocked his leg out there, then brought him back inside to try again. Same result - although he does respond to the "NO!". Back outside again, plenty of praise when he cocks his leg out there, then back in again - to sniff the houseplants and cock his leg yet again. Stubborn old boy. Yet he's fine in the kitchen - no houseplants there.

After we'd had lunch and Spencer had had a chance to settle in (confined to the kitchen), I took him out for a walk. Originally I was intending to walk over the allotment and back, to check out his stamina. However, by the time we'd gone a quarter of a mile I realised I might not have the stamina - it was proving quite strenuous work walking him as he was pulling with all his weight. I replotted the walk to around the block (about a mile). Then we came to a place where he began to look purposeful, sniffing the shrubbery with excitement. Once again he squatted right in the shrubbery, with a bush up his backside, and produced a diarrhoea dump. Fortunately it was quite easy to scoop it up in the bag I'd taken for the purpose and drop it into the doggy-poop bin further along our walk. Once he'd done his business, his pace did settle down and he was more inclined to walk alongside me on a loose lead, and acknowledged the praise with a waggy tail.

I think we may have solved the question about the fecal incontinence - the Dogs' Home has some outside dog runs where the dogs are exercised, but these are all tarmac with no greenery, and Spencer does seem to prefer to hide in the bushes to perform.

Puppy Parenting: Running Free

Thursday 24 May

A glorious day. After much fumbling, David and I managed to work out how to put the car harness back on (I should have paid more attention when the trainers did it for me on Tuesday when I picked Doyle up). Big as he is, Doyle hasn't yet worked out that he could quite happily manage to jump into the car on his own. At the command 'Car, In', he puts his forefeet up and waits for me to lift his rear end in. The charity's policy is to be ultra-careful not to over-stress the puppy's joints whilst he is young to try and avoid inducing hip dysplasia. He is as good as gold on car journies, settling down quietly.

Fifteen minutes later we arrive at our destination, a wooded recreation area which I guessed would be pretty much deserted today. Sure enough as we walk through the woods, we are completely alone apart from the wildlife. I let Doyle off the lead and give him the 'release' command. Tail up, he trots off happily to investigate all those exciting smells. It is a lovely place to walk with the warm sunlight filtering through the trees, and a warm pine needle smell. Doyle flushes a squirrel and chases it with big gambolling puppy bounces and ears flapping. He is in seventh heaven. I try the recall command, and instantly he's bouncing towards me, tail waving wildly. Excellent - and his reward is a small handful of chicken.

We climb a hill together, and on the way down Doyle pounces on the pine cones that roll away from him, dislodged by his enormous paws. It looks very cute! Unexpectedly as we round a corner, we meet another walker with his dog. Doyle bounds up to greet the new dog, who looks nervous and intimidated by this huge adolescent. I call him and obediently he trots back to my side, to receive another chicken treat.

Thursday evening marks a new experience - Vic and I go out for a meal with some friends, leaving Doyle at home with David. Through the evening my thoughts stray back, wondering how things are at home. The feelings are reminiscent of when the children were young and leaving them with a babysitter for the first time. Of course I needn't have worried, and David is more than equal to the task of keeping Doyle entertained.

Friday 25th May

Today is another milestone in our relationship - Doyle accompanied me to a meeting. I'd arranged in advance that it would be ok to bring him. We were a few minutes late as we got stuck in the lift, but Doyle coped with the experience very well (no doubt consoled by the odd chicken treat he received). Once in the meeting I sat at the table with a cup of coffee and expected Doyle to settle quietly beside me as he does at home, so I was taken aback when he gave voice to a few barks - I wasn't quite sure whether it was to do with me giving my attention to other people rather than him. I frowned at him and told him "No! Quiet" a couple of times, and praised him and rewarded him when he was quiet, and he soon got the message and settled down quietly. What a pro he is!

Postscript

Doyle was with us for a week but during that time I realised that I wasn't coping very well with the additional pressures - particularly the fact that he wouldn't settle at night unless I was close at hand - and so reluctantly I returned him to the charity rather than risk undoing the excellent training he had received to date.

Such a Charmer!

Wednesday 23rd May

'I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me' (Robert Louis Stevenson) ... or not so little, in this case. Doyle seems determined not to let me out of his sight, stretching out at my feet wherever I happen to be working. This bonding will be a very useful attribute in his nature ultimately when he is paired with a disabled partner, but for me it takes some getting used to. Brown eyes gaze soulfully at me when I shut the bathroom door and leave him on the other side, and no matter how long I'm in there, he's lying faithfully in wait for me to emerge.

Meanwhile life goes on. At the allotments the site agent observed recently that I'm running out of space on my starter plot and when an unexpected vacancy came up, she offered me first refusal. The plan is that I will take on an additional half-plot for the rest of the season, then when I've had the benefit of all the crops I've planted on plot 10, I'll give that up in favour of taking on the whole of this new plot (which is in a far more advantageous position). Vic came with Doyle and me to have a look at the new plot, and what a pleasant walk it was. Doyle trotted prettily in between us, tail high. "Oh, what a lovely dog!" we heard from passers by. He smiles at everyone and accepts the attention to the manner born.

Puppy Parenting: The fun begins!

It was an early start as puppy classes were being held at a farm near Chichester, followed by a walk and a picnic. Just before I set off, I checked my emails and learned there was a 99% chance I would be able to bring a dog home today. Yesterday's cold front had moved on and left glorious sunshine. The drive down was very pleasant as I managed to choose a route without too many roadworks or traffic jams. I found the farm without too much difficulty and was given a 12 month old golden retriever called Beano to work. His regular handler owned the farm and was in charge of bringing the farm animals into the field so that the dogs could become used to them and learn not to pay any attention to them. That was all old hat to Beano, but he was a bit confused at first to discover that his regular handler wasn't paying HIM any attention. Once he cottoned on to the fact that I was the one giving him rewards for good behaviour he responded well, even coming back to me when I recalled him during his off-lead romping in the corn with the other dogs.

After the walk and picnic, I drove back to the charity headquarters and waited for 'my' dog to arrive from Southampton. Doyle is a handsome 9 month old Retriever x Poodle. He is VERY tall - table height even when sitting. Unfortunately there was a bit of a mix-up in that he arrived without any equipment. Normally all the paraphernalia the dog needs follows him from one placement to another, but all Doyle had was his collar and tags. It took a while for the Puppy Operations Director to locate all the essential equipment, and then Doyle was harnessed safely for the journey home. We arrived at 5 pm - time for his dinner, according to his Transfer Info. Sheet.

I measured it out, mixed it with a little water as per the instructions, then asked Doyle to sit whilst I put the bowl down. He waited obediently until the 'OK' command, ate it with gusto then picked up the bowl when I asked him to 'get it' and handed it to me obediently.

The trainers had impressed upon me that the most important behaviour I should be working on initially is the toileting on cue in the place I designate. After his meal I took him into the garden on the lead, introduced him to the toilet area and gave the command. He sat down and looked at me. I led him out of the toilet area then back in and tried again. Again he sat down and looked at me. I waited, not looking at him - it's supposed to encourage the dog to think, to try and work out what behaviour is required. Doyle whined a little. In the brief chat I'd had with his previous handler, she had commented on this. Toileting has been a bit of a problem area since he was neutered.

Apart from that, he seemed extremely well-mannered and biddable, and a most charming fellow.

When it came to bedtime, he went in his kennel crate without any problem and I gave him a kong stuffed with little bits of chicken to keep him occupied, but once everyone went upstairs to bed and he discovered he was alone, he became very upset, whining and barking. After a while I decided to spend the night on the settee nearby and eventually he did settle down to sleep.

Puppy Parenting: Disappointment

Monday May 14th

Disappointment. Received an email today to say Buffy has been very lame over the weekend and it's affecting her behaviour, so they don't want to give her any more changes in her life to cope with whilst she's feeling poorly.

Tuesday May 15th

Above are Saffy and Yarrow, two adorable Labradoodles, waiting for puppy class to begin. Today I had a very enjoyable time working Yarrow who was extremely focussed and quick to respond, with a bright-eyed waggy tail eagerness. Great fun! It wasn't just the dog who basked in the praise the trainers heaped on us. I really like those poodle cross breeds.

Puppy Parenting: False Start

Monday May 7th

Bank Holiday Monday brought typical Bank Holiday weather. Vicky had managed to find space for 4 visitors to sleep over, with the plan that we would all be up early and out for a ramble Monday morning. The weather was wet and very windy, and the prospect of walking in it was most unappealing. Instead we settled down to watch the snooker (or in my case, to read a book).
Lunch took some discussion, but eventually we reached a consensus - to go and eat at The Globe pub, known to serve most excellent food. We weren't disappointed. By the time we had finished and driven back to Vicky's, Dave & Jacky were home from Weymouth so came to join us for an hour, then we had the drive home. Fortunately although the traffic was heavy, it was free-flowing and we made good time. Excitement when I checked my emails - it appeared I would be bringing a dog home from puppy class tomorrow!


Tuesday May 8th

It's a 35 mile trip to Heyshott where the charity has its headquarters, but last time the journey took much longer than anticipated due to roadworks, so this week I left at 8.15 am, and arrived in good time at 9.25 with the first class not due to start until 10 am.

There were two 8 week old labrador pups in the first class, plus an 18 week old blond German Shepherd who was extremely well-behaved and intelligent.

Besides myself, there were three other prospective puppy parents watching. We compared notes - two were at the same stage as me, having had home visits and having been told yesterday to be prepared to bring a dog home today. One of these ladies seemed to have a lot of reservations. Her own dog had died not long ago, and I formed the impression she had perhaps rushed into this puppy parenting business and was beginning to have second thoughts.

The dogs were led in - four golden retrievers: three bitches and one dog, all with names beginning with 'B'. I was assigned to Buffy and given a bum-bag full of chicken treats, and invited to put her through some simple paces. Buffy was obedient to 'sit' and 'down' commands, but her tail was almost between her legs and it was entirely apparent she is not a very happy dog at the moment, unlike the other three. Apparently she has been trained at one of the satellite training centres, and has come back with hip dysplasia. She is undergoing a course of treatment and as I'm so far away, it was decided to keep her local until she has finished her current treatment with the local Vet. As she had worked well for me, I've been approved to take her but not until next Tuesday. Meanwhile I'm to try and find a local Veterinary hyrdrotherapy unit, so that she can build some muscle around the joint to support it.