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The doghouse

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Original poster

Help! Looking after friends dog and they are distressed

28 replies

PrinceRogersNelson · 27/08/2021 23:17

Hi, we are looking after a friends dog. We don’t know the dog or friends well but we meet when dog walking and our dogs get on well. We have had him since 6pm and he is getting more and more upset. He is whining, barking, scratching at the door and will not settle at all.

I am not sure what we can do. We have brought him in to our bedroom but he is still very upset. Our dog is very calm and she’s here too but it’s not making a difference.

They are not picking him up until 5pm
Sunday and I am honestly not sure how to get him to even just stop moving let alone to actually sleep!

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 27/08/2021 23:42

Oh no, no advise but lots of sympathy.

toughdaay · 27/08/2021 23:47

I think you don't know the dog well and it's only been a few hours so he's bound to be a bit unsettled. Sadly I think you're probably in for a rough night if him crying but hopefully he'll feel more settled tomorrow. Can you take him to the park and tire him out tomorrow, he might settle better if he's worn out.

BrownOwlknowsbest · 27/08/2021 23:50

Oh dear! Poor dog and poor you. It's a bit difficult to know what to suggest at this time of night but would some sort of improvised 'thunder shirt' help to calm him down? Wrap him firmly in a blanket, or get him into a human jumper depending on how big he is. If you happen to have any rescue remedy in the house, that helps with some restless / scared dogs. Sending you all best wishes. I hope you do manage to get him to sleep. I found this website which has some ideas www.anxiouscanine.com/15-natural-calming-remedies-for-dogs/ May be something there you can use

ACloseMatch · 27/08/2021 23:51

I know it won't help tonight, but these worked brilliantly on our dog when he was stressed.

www.vetuk.co.uk/dog-behaviour-calming-vetuk-stress-anxiety-chews-c-837_2334/vetuk-stress-and-anxiety-chews-for-dogs-p-20452

TwooThirty · 27/08/2021 23:51

Oh that sounds so stressful for you all! What breed is it?

I don’t know what I would do. Maybe go out with him and on coming back again he might be more resigned to it. (But I’d be securing him to me multiple times and so bloody tight in case he tried to make a break for it!)

Or do you have any kind of rescue remedy/valerian compound he could take?

Or to help an overstimulated puppy sleep I was advised to rub his chest in circles and speak soothingly to him.

A few not very useful ideas (Definitely no expert here!) and as @Hellocatshome said; lots of sympathy!

ACloseMatch · 27/08/2021 23:52

Sorry just to add - we got them from our dog's breeder, who is a vet.

SnarkyBag · 27/08/2021 23:53

Oh poor thing must be very unsettled. I’d take him for a little sniff around the block and then just accept you’re probably in for a lousy nights sleep tonight and tomorrow!

Could you get one of those calming plug in things (can’t remember what they’re called?)

Original poster
PrinceRogersNelson · 28/08/2021 06:38

Thanks everyone. My lovely husband slept on the floor in front of the bedroom door to stop him scratching and actually once the room was dark he settled and slept next to me on the bed.
He has already peed on our bedroom floor though 😳

Plan for today is to tire him out and lights off once it’s bed time.

I’m sure his owners will be mortified but I should tell them right? When they are back not when they are away.

OP posts:
Mollymalone123 · 28/08/2021 06:43

Yes let them know once home as they’ll need to know for future.One if our dogs is always v unsettled when we go away and they come with us- he paces and is anxious and we always have a rough first night-but he is always fine by the next day.Hopefully this dog will be the same

Letthelightoflove · 28/08/2021 06:52

I’d want to know if it was my dog so yes I’d tell them.
They should be mortified tbh! I’m surprised they just left him with you when he doesn’t really know you. They don’t sound like they considered him in their weekend away plans.

summercupcake · 28/08/2021 07:00

Yes, they need to know how distressed he's been. It sounds like they need to only book holidays where they can take him with in the future.

notenoughcoffeeee · 28/08/2021 07:02

Can you give him some special food treats he wouldn't usually get and play with him? That will make sure he knows he's safe. Definitely mention to the friends, you could send them a message and say he didn't settle overnight is there anything they usually do at night for him?

icedcoffees · 28/08/2021 07:07

To be honest the whole thing sounds really poorly thought out - the dog has been left with someone who's basically a stranger to him - no wonder he's scared!

Yes - you should tell the owner but in future please don't agree to having a strange dog come and stay, especially when you have a dog of your own. It could potentially go very very wrong.

Good luck with the rest of the weekend.

Original poster
PrinceRogersNelson · 28/08/2021 07:08

I know they went away without him recently. Is it us do you think?

I might send a message saying he seems a bit stressed and unsettled and is there anything that they know works.

All he wants is for us to throw a ball for him.

Our dog is so chilled this is a bit of a shock to the system to be honest.

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 28/08/2021 07:09

@PrinceRogersNelson

I know they went away without him recently. Is it us do you think?

I might send a message saying he seems a bit stressed and unsettled and is there anything that they know works.

All he wants is for us to throw a ball for him.

Our dog is so chilled this is a bit of a shock to the system to be honest.

I suspect the people they left him with before had similar issues and that's why they asked you to step in.
scochran · 28/08/2021 07:11

I'd tell them but I bet the dog settles more before they get home, especially if you have a good walk and come back a bit tired today. It's probably a dog who would really struggle with kennels / boarding so you've done a really nice thing.

mintich · 28/08/2021 07:13

Are you sure he wasn't scratching to get out because he needed a wee?

Malin52 · 28/08/2021 07:16

We looked after a friends dog recently and although she knows us she was very very whiny. Pacing the house looking for her humans. Scratching at the door and the worst crying I've heard. She was awful the first night but slept on the bed and was fine the next day. We made sure she was very distracted with lots of walks, new toys, a beer garden, different beaches.
She was fine from the next day.

She know us very well now and has stayed several times but always cries and gets very restless and anxious when she first gets here but as soon as we've done a 'link breaking activity' she's cool.

GeorgiaGirl52 · 28/08/2021 07:34

Tell them. Also suggest whenever they leave the dog again (with someone else, NOT you) they leave a well used blanket or take his dog bed with him - something carrying the scent of home. I keep my goddaughter's dog about twice a year and she usually spends the first day huddled on the comforter they send with her. She is usually fine and playing with my pack by the end of the week, but is on the comforter every night.

Singinginshower · 28/08/2021 11:56

Yes, I was going to suggest he was scratching to go out for a wee.

Original poster
PrinceRogersNelson · 28/08/2021 12:52

We had already taken him out for a pee to be fair. He peed again mid morning ion the living room rug so think it’s a stress thing.

He is now more settled and is sitting on my knee so here’s hoping it carries on tonight.

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 28/08/2021 13:00

I very much suspect this was an issue with the previous sitter, hence why they asked you (a virtual stranger) to have him.

Hopefully he settles but the whole thing sounds very unfair on him.

Hoppinggreen · 28/08/2021 13:02

We looked after a neighbours dog while they went away to get married. The poor thing spent the first 2 hours curled up in a corner of the patio terrified but I eventually lured it out with ham. Then it decided it was petrified of our docile and slightly puzzled dog but that I was probably ok. It was also terrified of DS. It sat on me most of the time but did settle at night in its crate
It was a long weekend but I didn’t tell them at the time and while I will avoid doing it again (for the dogs sake rather than ours) we all survived

Hellocatshome · 28/08/2021 13:09

Yes I agree who ever had him last time presumably had similar issues so refused to do it again. I'm suprised they asked a virtual stranger and even more suprised you agreed. Lesson learned I think.

Newfluff · 28/08/2021 13:16

I know that many people frown on them and want home from home but this is why I use kennels. Not only is there no worry about what your dog is doing in someone else's house but I think it is easier for the dog to distinguish the difference. In this situation you see the dog with the owner, so the dog thinks the owner is nearby and can't understand why you are there and owner isn't. Kennels is completely different (and I never take my dogs to the kennels I hand over to the kennel hand at the door.

Sorry op, no help to you, least its only a weekend. Good luck tonight.