HELP, am unexpectedly going to be looking after a staff for a while. What do i need to know ?

[TheOriginalNutcracker]

It's my brothers dog. She is currently in £10 a day kennels because his relationship with his gf is over, but the kennels want him to fetch her tomorrow.

She is about 18mths old and quite over excited normally. I don't know how long she will be with me for, but it was the only solution we could find.

I have two cats, one which hates dog, but luckily spends more time out than in, and one which stays in and has never met a dog lol.

I need to know things that i should and shouldn't do really.

[TheOriginalNutcracker]

Anyone ?? Any major do's and dont's ?

My brother will be coming round ever afternoon to see her and take her out etc, and i will also walk her so thats fine.

[AllergicToNutters]

hope someone comes along soon to help you TONC

[frankenonsense]

Umm, have 2 nutty staffs but no dog expert here.

Suggest a dog cage re cats and place to chill if overexcited. May be quite easy to introduce if used to kennels.

Staffs love games with really tough toys. Footballs and regular dog toys wont last 5 mins. They want to be closely involved in everything you do so you might want to enforce rules re where they are allowed to go from day 1.

She is young and excitable, staffs dont actually need tons of walking but at her age you'll probably need to do another short walk if brother is doing big one. Walking on a harness if she is a puller. They are very eager to please and mine anyway will do anything for food so should be easy to train with a bit of persistence if there are any behaviour issues. I know the theory of training them not to jump up if you want to know, but can't say I've got the practice!

Be very careful with your cats and any other animal including other dogs. Staffs are prone to dog aggression.

[Scuttlebutter]

Some very practical issues for you to consider. Vets - is your brother willing to authorise you to be responsible for vet treatment in the case of an emergency? Is the dog insured? If so, he needs to provide you with the relevant details (policy number, contact details etc) as in some cases insurers have to be informed/consulted BEFORE treatment can proceed. This is really important, and if God forbid there was an emergency this is not an issue that should hold you up.

Vet contact details - depending on how close you live, will you be attending the same vet, or do you need to find and register with one near you?

Basic health care - find out from brother when dog was last wormed (and with what) and the dates/details of vax and flea treatments. Find out when they are due for renewal, and check with DB about his willingness to pay. Make sure you have poo bags in every pocket when you go out, in the car, and at home. Do a regular poo patrol in the garden. Also useful to keep in the car - wet wipes, spare bowl and water for hot days, spare lead,towel and spare treats. Think also about how dog is being transported - safety is paramount. You have various options including a little harness that clips into seat belts, or a crate in the boot. Depends very much on your vehicle/preferences.

ID - dog should legally wear a collar and tag stating name and contact details of owner. If dog is resident with you, it would make more sense for the details to be updated, so that if woof does get lost, she is not returned to the wrong address/a dead end. Microchip - if she isn't chipped, she should be. If she is chipped, then chip company need to be told of updated address and contact details. This is vital. As a staffie, she is vulnerable if she enters a pound. Legally, she has seven days before the Council can kill her or give her away. Be under no illusions, most Council dog pounds are overflowing with staffies - she would be the first in the queue for the needle. One Council near me kills one in three of the dogs that go past their seven days without being claimed.

Dog training - most areas have dog training classes where you can learn basic obedience and improve leash walking, basic commands like Sit, stay and recall. You will both benefit hugely from the lessons - it helps bonding enormously and you will find a nicely behaved dog is just so much easier and more fun to live with.

Food - find out from your brother what she is fed and stick with that for the time being, at least until she is settled in. Presumably she will come with a food bowl, water bowl, dog bed and grooming stuff?

Other family members - be very clear with other family members about how they should behave. Key points include things like respecting her boundaries by not poking, prodding, grabbing or pulling her, not feeding her scraps, not leaving food down where she could eat it (especially if potentially poisonous like raisins or chocolate)and being very careful about open doors and gates. I would also look carefully at your garden fences and if possible make sure they are strong and safe for her.

Good luck!

[bumpybecky]

as for cat - dog introductions...

keep the dog on the lead as you've (hopefully!) got better control then
allow them to get close and have a look / sniff of each other
treats for both of them
stroke one and let the other smell your hand, repeat with the other animal
lots of calm voice and praise

try to let the cats have somewhere the dog can't get to - use a baby gate to restrict dog access to a room / floor of the house if you can

good luck :)

[TheOriginalNutcracker]

Thank's so much for all of that info. I am going to reread it all properly in the morning before she arrives.

I don't know if she is insured, si i need to ask that. She will need to change vets, and have her microchip info updated.

She is used to having use of a crate and luckily we have one, so that will be ok.

[frankenonsense]

Saw your other thread

A good dog walk can be a great stress buster but I sincerely hope you can get some extra support yourself

Glad to see you got loads more sensible advice than I could offer.


Take care x

[higgle]

God luck - Staffies are fantastic dogs and love their families - make it very clear from day 1 if she is now allowed on beds, sofa etc as she will soon persuade you otherwise if you are not firm....they only do it to be close to you and love you all the more !