Dog-sitting questions

[healthy11]

To make a long story short, I've never owned a dog. My 24-yr-old son was dating the same girl from his senior year in high school, through college, and for a year after he graduated. A few months ago she broke up with him, so he decided to get a dog as a companion, instead. He went to a shelter, and picked out a 1-yr-old male black lab/border collie mix, who supposedly had been given up by the prior owner because the dog was too aggressive with their young child. (I'm not sure why people would get a big puppy when they have a small child, anyway, but...)

Last week, our son found out he has to travel for business to Puerto Rico for 10 days, so of course, he asked his dad and I to "petsit." (Since our son lives 60 miles away, it's too far to go back and forth, so the dog is staying with us.) The good news is that he's trained as far as "doing his duty" when he goes outside, and he knows "sit" (although "stay" isn't always followed) but OMG, the dog reminds us of our son as far as being like a bright, hyperactive toddler with a mischievous personality. If you don't give him undivided attention, he goes and finds unattended shoes, things in the laundry basket, or other items (like the TV remote) that he knows he shouldn't have, but also correctly figures will force my husband or I to interact with him. We can't accomplish much without interruption, and the dog whimpers when he's not in the same area with us.

Anyway, among the questions we have are, "What's typical in terms of a dog's sleeping habits?" This 16-month-old puppy never naps (much like our ADHD son, at that age) and while he is fairly quiet at night (for about 8 hrs.) every so often, we'll hear a "yipping" (not a regular bark) and we wonder if the dog is dreaming, or what? Thanks in advance for any insights!

[bros]

The yipping could be the dog just being lonely - as it isn't in a familiar environment - does it have anything from your son's house to comfort it/assure it it is somewhere safe?

[michellea]

Border collies are extremely bright and active - they need a "job to do" in order to be happy and stay out of trouble. Labs are also active - tho slightly less than border collies. I'm not sure if you are able to fully exercise the dog - Going for a bike ride and having him run beside is one option. A dog park is another good options, a small lake where you could throw a tennis ball and have him swim out to catch is another good option.
When a young dog (think pre-teen) is bored, it will get into trouble and take out its energy on chewing and other unwanted behavior. Dogs do generally sleep on and off during the day - but often not a deep sleep. 8 hours at night is about right. And yes, they do yip in their sleep sometimes and I think it is dreaming.

If you have friends in the neighborhood with dogs - sometimes it is helpful to have a play date for 30 minutes or so to relieve boredom and burn off steam.

All puppies are active and prone to trouble if bored. Given your son's dog is a border collie/ lab mix - he is high need of stimulation and exercise. (Does he go to doggie day care when your son works?)

[healthy11]

Bros, our son did bring a number of "familiar" items, including the dog's cage, blankets, and several toys, but as Michellea says, it seems like he gets bored easily, and prefers constant stimulation, and "new experiences." (Don't they say pets often have the personalities of their owners? It figures that my bright, ADHD son got a similar hyperactive puppy!)

Prior owners had named the dog "Shadow," and the moniker "fits," because the dog really does like to follow him/us everywhere. When my son first got Shadow in January, he took it to a "obedience training," and the instructor guessed he'd been to a similar class with his previous owner, because he knows what he's supposed to do when there's a treat involved, but "he clearly has a mind of his own and doesn't always want to do it." My son also said that the vet and other people have told him Labs "chew until age 2, and shed until dead."

We have found one of this dog's "favorite" types of playthings are empty gallon plastic milk containers, especially if I put something inside to act as a rattle, because he will gnaw/wants us to play "tug of war" with it for extended periods of time. Unfortunately, it's been a rainy period of days, and that has limited the amount of time we've been able to go outside and throw balls, or meet up with neighbors who have dogs, etc. We don't live near any lakes, but Shadow loves to jump in every dirty puddle he can find, and washing him off afterwards has been "challenging." (I wish I hadn't paid to get our carpets cleaned last month, because they will need it again after he leaves.)

Ironically, last night, we were trying to catch a fly that came into the house (probably from when the patio door was open, after letting Shadow out to "do his duty" - but at least the dog didn't run through the screen like he's done previously.) It was amazing to watch Shadow "track" the fly from room to room. We finally "cornered it" in the bathroom, and for whatever reason, Shadow jumped into the bathtub. We know he likes to drink fresh flowing water, so we turned the faucet on, and it was entertaining to see him attempt to "dig" the drain plug out of the bottom for the better part of 15 minutes. (At least we know he got a good bath then!)

Michellea, my son doesn't go to doggie day care when my son is home, but his workplace is only about 10 minutes away from his house, so he's able to come home for lunch to let the dog outside. He's got a big yard, and he's only about 1/2 mile from a dog park, where Shadow likes to interact with other puppies. Originally, my son's roommates were also agreeable to getting Shadow (one of the guys went with to the Shelter to pick him out) but they don't seem as "reliable." Shadow definitely "bonded" with our son right away, and we can only hope our son "comes home safely, and soon." (We love our son, and our son loves his dog, but it doesn't mean we love the dog quite the same...as my husband said, "I think we're too old for a big puppy!)

[Mayleng]

The yips are sounds a dog makes when he is "dreaming".
My 10 month old Havanese follows me everywhere. He also likes to steal shoes, take the soles out and chew on them. So we have put all our shoes where he cannot reach.Meet Boots.

[healthy11]

Mayleng, your dog is adorable! My son's is simply too large to be considered "cute," and he is too strong to "overpower" when he takes things he shouldn't. Shadow doesn't know his own strength, and even when he doesn't intentionally mean to cause harm, it seems to happen (ie, one of my fingernails was bent back and tore when he grabbed for a toy that I was holding above my head...When Shadow stands on his hind legs, his front paws reach my shoulders, and he can obviously jump up higher...) I'd post a picture of him, except I'm forgetting how

[Mayleng]

LOL! Healthy, one good reason why I chose a small dog. When my beloved dog Milo, a cockerpoo got sick the last few years before he passed away last year, I had to carry him out every day, a few times a day for him to do his business. He was 36 lbs, and almost killed me as I was not physically healthy myself. So I chose to have a toy dog instead this time.
Yes Boots is really really cute, and has the personality too.

[michellea]

How is the dog doing? How about you!? I am sure it has been an experience.

[healthy11]

Michellea, we're fortunate to live in a residential neighborhood where people are quite friendly. Earlier this week, after the rains let up, my husband was walking Shadow, and a woman about 1/2 mile away commented that she hadn't seen him out with the pup before. He told her we were temporarily pet-sitting. She mentioned having 2 middle-aged dogs, who used to have "that kind of boundless energy," but they've settled down. In fact, she said they no longer play with their toys much, so she generously gave my husband a couple of items to take. One of them was a "Jolly Ball Tug N' Toss" which Shadow fell in love with. My husband said it took ages to walk the rest of the way back to our house, because all Shadow wanted to do was run around with it and play "tug of war." It provided a much-needed distraction (and new experience) as Shadow seemed to be getting bored with most of the toys our son had brought us. (And he had chewed through several others, especially ones with "squeakers" inside...my son says it's like a "challenge" to Shadow, to see how fast he can get to the noise-maker.)

Shadow's reaction when our son arrived back from Puerto Rico late Tuesday night was heart-warming. Shadow had just discovered a whipped-cream coated cover to some kind of beverage cup that had been tossed by the curb in front of our house, when the taxi pulled into our driveway. While clutching the drink lid, Shadow tried to lunge at the taxi to "welcome" our son home. The dog didn't forget him, even though he was away for 10 days. Shadow then went and got his "Jolly Ball toy" and dropped it at our son's feet, and they played "toss and fetch" with it for several minutes, before our son came inside to gather all their belongings, and then they drove back to his house.

My husband and I decided we would wait until morning to vacuum. We were enjoying being able to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs on TV and eat a snack without interruption (aka, begging for handouts), but at 11:30 p.m. the phone rang, and our son asked "what did we do to his dog" because Shadow was throwing up. We wondered if the dog just got "overly excited" with the change in surroundings again, but my husband also recalled seeing Shadow digging in my garden area and eating some old vegetable peelings I was using as mulch, so who knows? Maybe it was even the whipped-cream covered lid he was licking?

In any case, our son called the next morning, and said Shadow seemed fine again health-wise, but now our son was complaining that we "spoiled his dog," because instead of being happy going out in the backyard, Shadow keeps grabbing his leash and bringing it over to our son, begging to go on long walks instead! When our son tried to take Shadow to his "street-hockey" game, Shadow wouldn't sit, but kept wanting to chase the ball they use for a puck. We simply told our son that the next time he goes out of town, he either needs to find a different sitter, or be prepared for us to "ruin" his dog again!

(I can't recall how to post photos here, so I'll send you a p.m. instead.)

[dw]

Nice story, healthy11.
Esp nice to know, sort of by implication, how well your son is doing in his engineering career.
Perhaps engineering is a good career for those with EF issues, due to the structure imposed by the work?
Anyway, so happy to know things are going well.
Dogs are nice, too. We lost our dog a year ago, a friendly springer spaniel that we had gotten as a "sibling" for our dd when she was 10 yo. It was my first dog. I had not realized I would feel so much for a dog when he became ill, but now its been a year, and I still miss him. when my husband was very ill with a horrid neurologic illness, good old Swirley was his constant and faithful companion.  (no worries, husband is 1000% better, amazingly.)

[healthy11]

dw, I'm so glad to hear that your husband is better. I've been dealing with my elderly aunt's health concerns for years, but over the past several months it's been a continual decline, and earlier today she became a Hospice patient. It's not easy, even though I knew the time would eventually come. Maybe as a nurse you're more tolerant?

In general, I'm not sure I'd say engineering is a great job for those with EF issues (my son still hates the "sitting still in front of a computer" aspects of his job, even though they got him a stand-up desk) but there are a number of "quirky" engineers, and at least at the "entry level" he doesn't have too many management or planning responsibilities for anyone besides himself. When someone tells my son what needs to be accomplished, engineering-wise, he seems to know how to do it. I also think he's fortunate to be working in the lower-volume aviation field, rather that something like commercial cell phones (ie, like when my husband was at Motorola) because commercial product lines tend to change designs more often, making for a more stressful and cut-throat environment. Hopefully, my son will continue to do well, although by his own admission, he hates working for big businesses, because CEOs salaries and bonuses never seem to filter down to the lower level employees who are "in the trenches." Sometimes I wonder if to offset the "boring aspects" of his desk job, my son continues to engage in "high intensity" activities, like motorcycle racing, and having an energetic puppy to wrestle with?

[healthy11]

Dog sitting, round 2: Our son is now in Phoenix, AZ for work, and of course, he just assumed we would dog-sit again. He was told to plan for 7-8 days to complete the job, but he's apparently decided to add a couple of vacation days at the end...His new girlfriend is going to fly out there to meet him and they want to "sight-see" in the area, because she's never been there before. (His birthday is also next week, while he'll be out of town, so I guess that's his idea of a belated celebration.) For us, it just means more "crazy puppy chaos."

Question for those who do give their dogs actual bones to chew on: how long does it typically last?
With almost daily rain in Chicago the past week, and the dog, Shadow, just loving to jump into every muddy puddle it can find, my husband and I decided to give him a thorough bath. Fortunately, Shadow is easily distracted by food and things to chew on, so we gave him a pet-store-bought beef bone, and it kept him occupied while we washed him. I was just surprised that within 1/2 hour, Shadow had cracked it into several pieces, eaten the marrow, and it was no longer interested in it, consequently Shadow did not sit still long enough to be brushed. (At that point, Shadow kept trying to bite the brush instead.) At $5/bone, it seems very expensive, although I guess it's still cheaper than paying someone else to wash the dog.

[bros]

I believe if you give the dog an actual bone, you should take it away when it is around half of its original size, so the dog does not digest shards - but I believe it is usually recommended not to give them actual bones

[michellea]

We give our dog beef marrow bones (on occasion) - raw or frozen. Sometimes the fat can cause loose stools - keep an eye. By keeping the BEEF bones (not pork or chicken) raw, they tend not to splinter. We have many old, chewed bones w/o the marrow that he chews on when bored. I have found that the pre-packaged bones in the pet aisle often splinter and break - I think that they are cooked and processed some how and become brittle. The raw ones from the butcher are much more sturdy.

My dog hates to be brushed - luckily he has very short hair, no undercoat and doesn't shed much. We usually "bathe" him with the hose and bucket outside - he doesn't like it much, either!

[healthy11]

Thanks for the info! I knew beef bones were supposed to be okay, as opposed to chicken or other bones, but I didn't think about getting an unprocessed one from a butcher, rather than buying a packaged one from the pet store. If we keep being called upon to "pet-sit," and Shadow insists on playing in the mud so we have to give frequent baths, I will have to explore the meat market option. (Our son did give us a reusable Nyla-bone to stuff full of peanut butter, but that's Shadow's "bedtime treat," and as soon as the food is licked out of it, he quickly ignores it.)

[michellea]

Healthy - who knew you'd become such a dog expert! Too bad we aren't closer - my dog Brody would love to hang around with shadow! They could wear each other out and give us some peace and quiet.

[healthy11]

Michellea, truer words were never said! It's funny because when my son was younger, we developed a reputation as "neighborhood pet-sitters," but it was usually when people went on vacation and we watched their guinea pigs, gerbils, cats, rats, hamsters, birds, and fish. (All smaller critters.) Only once do I recall checking in on a dog for a day, and we didn't have it staying at our house, so being with Shadow 24/7 has been a real learning experience!

I know I mentioned it earlier, but Shadow really is an appropriate name, because he wants to be around us constantly (unless he spots a squirrel and tries to chase it.) It's nearly impossible for me to go into our attached garage and get stuff from my car, or walk out to our mailbox, without Shadow trying to "tag along." When I REALLY have to go somewhere, like to work, there's only one way to distract Shadow, and that's with food. (Just like our son, I swear Shadow wants to eat constantly, but is so hyperactive, he doesn't gain weight.) Fortunately, I found a clever "hide and seek" dog game in the "Discount Rack" at the local Petco, and it slows Shadow down just long enough for me to leave the house...It's a bit like an IQ test, except there are 6 compartments in a plastic tray where you can hide treats. Some of the compartments are exposed by lifting "cups" out, while other covers can only be opened after the cups are removed, and the doors swing open by nudging with the dog's nose or paws. Shadow definitely has overcome the "learning curve," and can now get to all the treats in about 1/2 minute total. He uses his mouth and paws in tandem better than almost any other dog I've ever seen. (In fact, several of our neighbors have also commented about how well Shadow uses his paws like hands, to hold on to things.) Our son claims he read something about how dogs, like people, usually have a "hand preference," and when they're ambidextrous, like Shadow, they do tend to experience more emotional response to stimuli. Maybe that's why Shadow is so clingy? dogtime.com/are-dogs-right-handed-or-left-handed.html

[Mayleng]

Healthy, Boots follows me everywhere too. I always have to be within sight. If I move, he moves. Same with my previous beloved dog Milo.

[healthy11]

While it's nice to know we're "loved," I'm thinking I'd appreciate it more if Shadow weren't so big...For example, this morning, before work, I went outside to collect a bunch of twigs that had blown down from trees in our yard during last night's rainstorms. Of course, Shadow followed, and he kept jumping up to grab branches out of my hand. Even holding the bundle over my head didn't help, because he just jumped up on me, and now I need to change my clothes, because they've got muddy paw prints up to my shoulders... With Boots, I suspect only your pants cuffs get dirty, and few people look that low, anyway!

[michellea]

Yes, Brody is under my chair as I type and he follows me around most of the day! In fact, I almost stepped on his head when I got up. Frisco, my older dog stopped following me once she began aging. She would sit on the sofa all day long, sleeping. I sure miss her.

[Mayleng]

Boots loves branches and twigs too. I have been clearing all the fallen branches, we have many and also alot of fallen trees. He will try and steal them from my hands as well, even branches that are way bigger and longer than him. He loves chewing on them for some reason.