Taking a friends dog for a week

[ilovetomatoes]

Excited to be taking my friends dog for a week while she is on holiday. Any tips for me? It’s a small dog. I’ve never had a dog before so seeing it as a bit of a trial run for potentially getting one.

Expect that even a really well house trained dog might have a few accidents in a new place. And may show unwanted behaviours that they don’t show in their home.

Leave them alone when they are eating/sleeping.

Try to stick to their routine as much as possible

I'd probably keep it on the lead. I looked after a dog for a friend who assured me he never ran off and had top notch recall and he bolted for home the second he got the chance.

Spend time with your friend to see what commands and signals they use so you can replicate them. Understand how they manage any behaviour, good (reinforcement and praise) and bad (do they ignore/tell off).

Think about your home and where the dog will be. Do you need to shut off any areas and how will you do that. Is it dog safe/proof?

Be prepared for unsettled sleep.

Think about walking routes and whether they are ok around other dogs and people or not. We are looking after dogs this week (we are familiar with them and have looked after them a lot) but we are finding it difficult as the weather has been bad and some of our walking routes are not usable and one of them is scared of other dogs so we are having to time our walks to help.

Don't let it off the lead on walks.
Expect accidents in the house - it's very common when dogs are in a new location and with new people.
Make sure you stick to the dogs' feeding, walking and toileting routine as much as you possibly can. Ask your friend to give you the right bowls etc.
Find out where the dog sleeps and stick with that - ask for a blanket from home that smells familiar to try and help the dog settle in as much as possible.
Enjoy! Dogs are amazing company.

Thanks all. Plenty of good walking routes close by as I live in a big city.

I’ll be home all day every day so hopefully accidents will be kept to a minimum. Think my husband will freak out if that happens.

noted re keeping it on the lead!

broken sleep will be interesting!

I’ll be home all day every day so hopefully accidents will be kept to a minimum. Think my husband will freak out if that happens.

If this is true, never, ever even consider getting a dog.

Please, please don't let your husband freak out or tell the dog off.

Just to clarify he’ll freak out with me not the dog!

Make sure you get the vet’s number. Put it in your phone.

Make sure you know feeding frequency and amounts.
Bring own food/water bowls.
Poo bags?
Can you pick up poo without urging?
Tell her to bring dog bed & bedding.
Favourite toys?
Your life will change immeasurably in that week.
Good luck OP.

My advice is to always have the dog for a day first, then 2 days including 1 night- and not just take on dog out of the blue for 1 week.

And? That's just as bad.

Just to warn you, I looked after my friend golden retriever for a couple of weeks and I loved it so much I ended up getting her sister a year later when her mum had pups again....
She had solid recall but I still was too scared and just did on lead walks.

Get a really detailed schedule from your friend and intersperse with lots of affection.

Depending on the breed, some are actually quite easy - some comforting might be required if you see neediness the first night or two.

Enjoy the excuses for cuddles, someone delighted to see you in the mornings and lots of walks in fresh air with a companion who really loves going too!

Is the dog familiar with you? If not I'd honestly prepare yourself for a nightmare of a week. If at all possible I'd be looking to go to her house to dog sit rather than take the dog to yours if it were me.

As you are in an urban area, I presume walks will be in parks / riverside / canal side etc? In which case it’s worth checking what the rules are re: dogs in those parts. For instance, approximately half the parks near us allow dogs, the others don’t. Of those that do, only one allows them off lead. Just worth being aware so you don’t accidentally take the dog somewhere you shouldn’t!

All of this, I look after friends dogs and when outside they are on a lead at all times even in my garden as it has a lowish fence and if she sees a squirrel she is off! don’t risk the dog being off lead no matter what the owner says. Yes to the accidents in the house, the dog will probably be bewildered and scared at it’s sudden change in circumstances, the smell of home will be a comfort so bring its bed and a jumper of the owner and some toys. If you can do a couple of trial runs beforehand as well to ease the dog in a bit that should help the dog settle more quickly.

You should not be looking after a dog if this is how your husband is going to react, the dog most likely than not, will have an accident, it won’t tell you it’s going to relieve itself, it doesn’t matter if you are home 24/7 the dog can’t control its stress response and you won’t be able to stop it. The last thing the dog needs in a strange environment with strange people, who thinks it’s been abandoned by its owner is some manchild ‘freaking out’ at either you or the dog, completely unfair. Dogs have accidents, they poo, wee and vomit, sometimes in the house, if your husband cannot cope with that then maybe you are not the right people to look after your friends dog.

This with bells on. I recently came across an elderly and rather immobile lady walking her friends dog who had bolted into oncoming traffic, wouldn't come back to her and just kept running into cars. I was walking my dog so could no nothing to help but we thought he was going to die.

Thanks all. Day 1 done and went really well. She is super sweet. No issues so far but expecting her to be unsettled overnight.

i have not let her off the lead let the advice here, thanks for that.

Absolutely this. It takes a good week for a new dog to settle.

Good luck!
I was going to say ask your friend to tell their vets you have authority to take the dog to the vets if necessary.
Some dogs are super easy to look after and I hope you have a nice visit.
Keep food out of reach - some everyday foods are toxic to dogs. Such as chocolate and especially raisins and grapes.

I’m glad it’s going well, OP. I was also going to ask whether the dog was familiar with you, as some dogs take time to adapt. Occasionally, a dog may only like one human…one of my neighbors has a dog like that, he’s horrible to anyone else, even her DH!