Hello,
My own dog, A Jack Russell Terrier, died last year aged nearly 18. Since then I did a lot of dog sitting and dog walking for neighbours and through an agency.
One dog, a four year old Miniature Schnauzer, is my favourite. I have him quite often, every six weeks for a week or so and twice had him for six weeks in a row.
The owners have now asked me if I want to keep him as they think he has a better life with me. They have three children and don't have much time for the dog, who is
alone very day until 3pm. I work from home and have enough time to go on long walks with him twice a day and he is never alone for a long time.
But my husband has been diagnosed with cancer and my job is not the safest one. I need to spend quite a lot of time to go with my husband to hospital appointments etc and also if I lose my job and need to find another one where I can't work form home, what do I do?
I love that dog so much but I think this is to much responsibility at the moment as I have no idea which way things will go.
I suggested the family to "share" the dog, by which I mean coming to an arrangement where I would have him every month for a week or so but his home would still be theirs. They think it might be too confusing for the dog. But I had him quite often anyway and he is totally fine. I am also not sure about sharing vet bills, insurance etc. Right now I buy his food when he is with me.
What do people think, would it be too confusing for the dog?
Kind regards
Claudia, by email
Dogs are very adaptable, and get used to the life they are given. I'm a dog walker/boarder and many of my clients also have their dogs stay with me for odd days here and there, or go away so frequently that the dogs slip into the routine here with no problems. One dog I look after is here so much he's got his own drawer with toys, blanket and food, and I often find myself making up his dinner, or checking where he is on walk swhen he's not here. He is always happy to come here, and always happy to go home (slightly happier to go home because he's the only dog there and gets more attention and of course it is his home). So it's not confusing for dogs - they can love lots of people, and be happy moving between places. They are even clever enough to learn two sets of rules.
ReplyDeleteI took on a client's dog in June, as she couldn't cope with some aggression issues he has. They also played the 'better life with you' card, and your clients think it will be too confusing because perhaps they don't want to dog share him, because they don't want the responsibility at all. That they asked you to take him says it all really - if they really don't want him anymore you are an easy way to rehome their dog without any guilt.
Having looked after Scamp (was Max) since he was 9 weeks old I couldn't bear to lose him and took him in. It does change your life, even staying in the same job he has made things more difficult, and with his aggression he's not the best advert for me! Of course I love all the dogs I look after and couldn't possibly take in every dog that a client wants to rehome, but like you, he was one of my favourites (the other now lives in Buckinghamshire). Even then, I still had plenty of 'what have I done' moments.
None of us really know what will happen in the future, we just cope with what life throws at us and our dogs, so I would either take the dog on as yours, or say no thank you and accept he might move to another home where you might not see him.
In this job we lose dogs we love, it's something we have to accept.
The above post has hit the nail on the head really. I suspect this dog will be rehomed so you have the chance to take on a dog you know well and adore or let him be rehomed elsewhere as the owners cleary do not cherish him.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot depends on the dog. I train and run in agility a Cavalier belonging to somebody else; I train him twice a week, he stays over at least one night a week and most weekends over the summer; he also stayed with me for nine months when his owner had to move into temporary accommodation while her house was being extended. He has no problems with this at all - he's always delighted to see me, and ditto to go home. But he is a happy-go-lucky little chap and takes pretty much everything in his stride. If you came to this arrangement, you would have to make it clear they were responsible for all vet bills etc.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound however as though his family really don't want to keep him. If you can't imagine him no longer being part of your life, take him on and let the future take care of itself. If not, maybe you can help find him a new permanent home.
Christine
Hi
ReplyDeleteI have to say my view is partisan and biased here, but as a result I am walking the talk when it comes to dog sharing, because I set up a website to facilitate just this. Find a Dog Share (http://dog.findashare.com ) is a site for matching dog 'haves' with dog 'have nots'. In other words it puts together people whose life styles compliment each other to the benefit of the dog (and both parties) and allow them to share the care of the animal. We see people making use of this facility in every shade from simple walks to providing a second home, and everything in between. The feedback is that it works very well. No reports of distressed animals or anything nagative; on the contrary, the dogs are less at risk of neglect and happier of the additional company. DOgs are pack animals after all, so we shouldn't be surprised to find they have a 'more the merrier' approach to finding more people in their lives. Really, it's the quality of their care that matters, not the quantity of carers.