The Responsibility of having a dog

Have a positive attitude to receive new information and always act in the best interest of your dog.

In the beginning I was a person who would leave my dog with anybody who was willing to take care of them. I mean if they seemed OK then I would trust them. I would use boarding kennels, grooming facilities that boarded dogs, you name it. Anywhere that said that they were able to take care of my dog and seemed OK, I would leave my dog there. As you can imagine, that did not always work out okay. I found out that boarding facilities like veterinarians keep the dogs in a cage. Sometimes they came home smelling terrible. You don’t know what kinds of things they were exposed to because, think about it, they’re pretty much around sick animals. They didn’t get very much attention and, once, I knew a girl who worked at a vet that pretty much said that she went in on the weekends and let out the dogs but she told me later on that she really did not go. Now, that wasn’t my vet and it wasn’t my dogs but still, how many times does that happen? No one ever caught her or called her out on her dishonesty. Then, there is a well-intentioned neighbor or friend that takes care of your dog just to be helpful. I came home to foul-smelling homes where dogs had accidents because of not being let out. I’m so glad none of my dogs got sick or injured during that time because the people that were taking care of them were not very attentive. I think bare minimal care was done. One time, I came home to the fact that my dog had just been put out permanently while I was gone so the person did not have to come back. I will also say just because your friend has a dog does not mean they take good care of their dog or that they will take good care of your dog! When you start noticing, you realize how unfair people treat their dogs. You start thinking “poor dog”, and you never want them to take care of your dog. It’s very important to watch people with their own animals because that will show you how they will take care of yours. Diligent people are going to want good reviews so they’re going to try to stay on the up and up. There’s always a bad egg in every bunch so definitely check it out, but I’m just saying it seems like that’s the most accountable way to go. Another thing is, a professional pet sitter is going to be on their best behavior in your home for the most part and is going to really care about doing a good job. If the dog comes to their home, they’re gonna usually treat it like they do their own dogs and it’s going to get lots of love and attention. Like I said, there’s a bad egg in every bunch so be careful. I have had bad experiences with friends taking care of my dogs, of course, and I’ve had bad experiences with boarding kennels. It’s very hard for me to leave my dogs behind and I prefer traveling with them. That’s a choice that I choose to make. I really do enjoy my time away if my dogs are nearby and I’m the one taking care of them. I like staying in cabins or condos but not all dogs are good with that sort of situation. I have found with my smaller dogs if I’m going to be out of the cabin or condo a lot during the day, it is best for them to go somewhere else because they need more attention, potty breaks more often, and they tend to get into mischief. So, it’s best for them to stay wherever they can get the most one on one attention or supervision. For my shelties, they have anxiety and are a little less trusting so it’s best for them to be with me. They don’t care if I’m gone for six hours as long as they’re fed and have potty breaks. They’re more content to snuggle with me at night or to know that I’m coming back and be able to smell all my things. They don’t mind traveling and they usually do not get into mischief. So they’re happier in the cabin or condo and they enjoy the vacations. Something I consider when I take them with me is whether they need a crate with me or not. I like to take some of their blankets with me that smell like home. Of course I bring the normal things like food, bowls, leashes, things like that. I also have seatbelts for them to be fastened in the car so they’ll be safe.