Dogsitter complaining about normal dog behaviour

I once used a dog walker that I found in a hurry (I had moved somewhere new and was restarting work within 2 weeks, so had to find one quickly). My dog was quite subdued and not very happy when I got home. Dogwalker told me dog walked too slowly and she and the other dogs kept having to wait for her. I hadn't really found the dogwalker terribly friendly or polite either. After 3 weeks, I had a text to say my dog had bitten her and was being taken back to my home in a muzzle and she would not walk her again. I was horrified, apologised profusely and sent flowers. I thought it very unlike my dog to bite a human. Eventually the dogwalker confessed that she had had my dog and her smaller dog with her, both on leads. She had overbalanced and fallen on top of my dog (she was a heavy woman) and my dog had reacted by going for her dog. She then put her hand down to separate them and accidentally got bitten. I found another walker, who was relaxed, friendly and sensible and my dog was happy to be taken out by her and much happier overall. First dogwalker seemed to go out of business in less than a year. I don't think she was in the right job.

Anyone can set up a business, even if they know nothing about dog psychology and hav zero experience with dogs. Does she have ANY independent reviews online. I'd be checking before I left my dog with anyone. The same as I would with my children. Remember they can't tell you how awful someone is to them. Your dog will always be really happy to see you. It doesn't mean your dog had a great time.

Now way in hell I'd be leaving my dog with her.

She sounds like a right pain. We expect dogs to be unwell at times, it's all part of looking after them. Why was she trying to get grass out of his mouth 🙄 I'd find someone else.

All of the dogs that I look after sleep on my bed. There's nothing yuck about it

I have two poodle crosses and they are lovely dogs. Use Trustedhousesitters.

You don’t expect perfection as a pet sitter. You expect a pet. Very few animals are really that well trained and often an issue for you is not an issue for their owner. You’re not unreasonable OP.

she likes the money, not the work. I wouldn’t use her again. Sounds miserable.

£28 is a bargain. You'll struggle to find anyone else that cheap. Not the point, but just saying.

Just to be clear, I’ve absolutely nothing against poodle crosses, or poodles. I had a poodle myself until earlier this year. Absolutely adored him. Snappy little fucker tho’. He was a toy poodle weighing in at 5kg. My 40kg bull lurcher was scared of him! 🤣

Id get another poodle in a heartbeat.

Find someone else. She should have informed you of the rate increases.
Also, she should be giving you a list in advance of what she wants you to bring - eg. the bed.
She just doesn't sound very professional.

@ShouldhavebeencalledAppollo - yep, they're absolutely both at fault here.

Yes, which is why in my original post I comment that she wasn’t appropriate to be looking after the dog.

However, ultimately the dog is ops responsibility. Op seems offended on behalf of her dog. Makes out because it’s a poodle cross it also couldn’t be aggressive and talks about its behaviour being great.Oh except for the snapping. Op is working on it which is great, but it’s not clearly not something the Op is surprised about. The Op knew she never signed T&Cs. Op didn’t want to know the ins and outs of how her dog was going to be cared for or her rights or responsibilities.

Op, overall, seems to not be aware that poodle crossers often display aggressive and negative behaviour.

If the dog needs a muzzle, that’s Ops responsibility. You don’t just slap a muzzle on a dog. Especially if that dog is not yours. Muzzle training needs to be done. It’s not just, oh let’s muzzle the dog and that’s it.

The boarder wasn’t deciding between vomit or a bite, because she wasn’t expecting the dog to snap. That would suggest she didn’t know the dog has a history of snapping.

Op didn’t know her dog was going to start being sick due to medication. So neither did the boarder. Do any boarders have such detailed records such as ‘do you let your dog eat grass?’ The boarder was making a snap decision there and then based on the dog vomitting. It’s not what I would have done but I can understand the thought process.

That’s why I said, this is on both of them. At no point have I said there’s no issue with woman looking after ops dog.

I have 2 dogs, one of which is a mastiff x greyhound. I can take anything out of either of their mouths without a grumble. Personally I think it’s really important that you can do this for the times they pick up things they shouldn’t have.

And no, I don’t use it physical punishment on my dogs so I haven’t beaten them into submission 🙄. I don’t believe that snapping is a “normal dog behaviour”

But to answer the post. Cancel her, you don’t need to give a reason, find someone more professional, less chaotic who doesn’t allow your dog to sleep on their bed. Im fine with my dogs sleeping on my bed but you do it differently and she should respect that.

When I did dog training with our dog we were advised as far as possible not to take things from their mouths as it encourages resource guarding.

Some dog trainers don’t recommend taking things from a dogs mouth
https://www.busybeedogtraining.co.uk/blog/dont-take-things-out-of-your-dogs-mouth

thoughts on this?

Poor doggins. I wouldn’t trust her anymore.

Why are you assuming the dog has a reliable drop command? If op has never trained that into the dog, how would the person looking after the dog be able to achieve it?

Any responsible professional working with animals should have a contract in place with information about commands and what kind of training the dog does or doesn't have.

and they often can’t just drop grass because sticks in their mouths.its not a ball that will fall out

Which is why the dog needs to wear a muzzle or have a reliable "leave it" command in place if it's not allowed to eat grass and can't have it removed safely.

I don’t think this woman sounds great. But can understand why she tried to get the dog not to eat the grass given it was sick.

What's preferable - a bit of vomit or a dog bite?

Text the owner, wait for the owner to reply? By the time the dog has already ate it?

No, it's something the boarder should know about in advance. Proving (again) that she's completely unprofessional and doesn't have a clue about working with dogs 🙈

£28 is incredibly cheap, you'll find it difficult to find someone who charges less than that. I charge £35 a night directly, and £40 on Rover because of their charges, and that's the same price as putting your dog in kennels.

No need to take grass out of a dogs mouth you are right my dog is like a cow sometimes and a dogsitter should know this and not be wrestling with a dog to get it out of its mouth.

Anyway this person sounds unprofessional and not the best person to care for your dog.

Why are you assuming the dog has a reliable drop command? If op has never trained that into the dog, how would the person looking after the dog be able to achieve it?

and they often can’t just drop grass because sticks in their mouths.its not a ball that will fall out,

I don’t think this woman sounds great. But can understand why she tried to get the dog not to eat the grass given it was sick.

Text the owner, wait for the owner to reply? By the time the dog has already ate it?

You're buying a service from her, you're don't like what she's offering so stop buying it.

Sounds like the feeling is mutual.

I would never moan about a dog being sick - they can't help it!

What are her new rates?

You might be able to find a new boarder on The Good Dog Guide.