친구의 개를 펫시팅하시나요? 재미, 안전, 성공을 위한 상위 10가지 팁 #216

So, but point number one is don't let this be a bad experience for anybody in your family. So, plan what that will look like. And that plan might be finding out how is your dog with other dogs? Or you might know, well, I've got a 15-year-old dog who's not really fond of other dogs. So, I'll just arrange for that, my older fella to be somewhere else. Okay. Point number two, try to spend some time ahead of time with the dog and owner. So, the dog gets a chance to get to know you. I find one of three things is super easy. A nice game of tug, a game of retrieve, or just some easy trick training. Just teach the dog something so that you are building a bond with that dog, ideally more than once. Now with the Golden Doodle, my friends came in and stayed the night. So, the Doodle got a chance to hear the hubbub in the house and get to know what life was like around Crazy Down. Number three, this is the 14.1. I don't know. Could be more, could be less. And that is learn about the dog. Number one, who's the regular veterinarian? Where do they go for emergency veterinarian? And who's an emergency contact? You need to know, does the dog have any fears? And ask. If they say, oh, he's not afraid of anything. What about Thunder? Oh yeah, he's really afraid of that. So, don't just take, oh, he doesn't, they might not, oh yeah, I forgot because it's winter. Yeah, we don't really have Thunder. But yeah, he is afraid of Thunder or gunshots or whatever it is. Find out what the dog's afraid of him, what the dog loves. What are the dog's cues? So, do they have cues for pottying? Does the dog know how to go to the bathroom on leash? These are things you want to know because you may not have a fenced-in yard that you feel secure enough for a dog who might go over the top. So, when it's a new dog, I want them to go to the bathroom on leash. So, that will come out later in one of our upcoming points. So, things like, what are the list of the cues that the dog knows, behaviors the dog knows? Is the dog dog friendly? Hello, I have dogs here. What are the quirks? Does the dog have quirks? Like momentum loves to suck on beds. That's a bit of a quirk. And so, if they see momentum, if she was ever being looked after by somebody else, grab a bed, they might think, oh my, she's going to shred the bed. No, the nine-year-old dog just likes sucking on beds. So, find out are there quirks or are there behavior issues that you need to know about ahead of time? Find out what the dog loves because we want to provide the dog with what he loves. What are the normal feeding times, walking times, exercise? What is a normal

way that the dog gets exercise? So, just find out about the way the dog lives in their home. And if the dog is crate trained, if the dog will stay in an X-pen, is there separation anxiety? Like just generally get a list of those things so you can be prepared way ahead of time. So, for example, with the Beagle, I know there was a little bit of separation anxiety the first time I brought him in. So, when I was setting up his X-pen, I set up a remote feeder in there. So, as soon as he was in there, we could start reinforcing him, conditioning him that this is a good place. You're in a good place. Number four is homework I would give the people. So, if it's family or friends, I'm going to say, I will take your dog. However, you need to teach it these few basic things. Now they may already have them. They may not. Number one, the dog needs to potty, go to the bathroom, both number one and number two on leash for at least a week before it comes to you. The dog has to be comfortable with that. Number two, they need to be crate trained. So, I'll put a link in the show notes to crate games. You can send them this link. Hey, just sign up. It's not that expensive. Play this game. Your dog will love it. And your dog's going to be more comfortable when they come to my place. Number three, the dog needs it's your choice, right? We don't want to fight that. And it gives you the opportunity to start growing behaviors with the dog when you have them. I'll put a link to the it's your choice summit that you can join for free and send that on to the people who own the dog. Number four, the dog needs a sit or a down. You need some way to control them. And if it's taught in a fun way, even better. So, I'll put a link to the two podcasts that will teach them how to teach their dog in a super fun way, how to teach a sit or a down. All right. So, that's homework. I would send that off a couple of weeks at the minimum ahead of when I get that dog. Number five, I want to set this dog up for psychological safety. So, when they come in the home, again, it might be the first time they've ever been in my house. So, I want the X-Pen somewhere where the dog can feel secure, maybe up against the wall. Does the dog like to be in the middle of everything? So, maybe the X-Pen should be in the kitchen. Or do they don't like all other dogs around? So, it should be somewhere where they can maybe see you, but not be right in the middle of everything. So, set the dog up for psychological safety because the dog is going to be triggered into their rear brain,

fright, flight, or freeze. If they're worried about overwhelmed with the environment and all the noise, and I don't feel comfortable in this X-Pen, and ooh, this is weird. So, you want them to bring things that are comfortable. If they have their own X-Pen, their own crate, dog beds, provided the dog doesn't shred dog beds, things like that. Their own toys, their own treats. Those are things that they can bring ahead of time as well. So, psychological safety, biggie. And number six, physical safety. So, you've got to know if that dog's got a great recall. And I got to tell you, even though I live in 28 acres and there really is no major roads very close to me, the dog actually has to go through a marsh and a bog to get to a road at the very end of the 28 acres. I really don't like to take dogs off leash that aren't mine. Now, the doodle puppy, she was a puppy. I had her chasing my dogs. I knew that she was just going to stay around chasing the dogs. The beagle, not taking a chance. So, you want to make sure that everything you do with that dog keeps that dog physically safe, including where they're sleeping at night, where they're hanging out during the day, what bones you give them to chew on are these things that they normally have. So, it's super important that you don't want to break their dog while you have it. Number seven, you need to plan out and know how you're going to fit in exercising that dog every day, giving them enrichment. So, brain games and some mental stimulation. So, just train them two or three times a day, play a little game. If you're watching this podcast, you know, there's all kinds of games that you can find right here on the podcast. Check out the playlist here on the podcast. Number eight, early as possible, do a sleep test, aka where will that dog be sleeping? And you will have known that be one of the questions you asked. Do they sleep in your bedroom? Do they sleep in a crate? I would get them sleeping in a crate ahead of time if you plan to have them sleeping in a crate. So, get their owners, if they normally sleep loose, say, can you just get them to sleep in a crate for the last few days before you bring them to my house? So, where is that crate going to be? Is it going to be in your bedroom? Some dogs actually don't feel comfortable in your bedroom if you have other dogs there. So, I would do a sleep test. Put the dog where you plan on them sleeping for the night, put that crate in that location. I like it either in my bedroom or just outside my bedroom. And then take all your dogs and go in your bedroom if that's where your dogs sleep.

Now, Momentum and Tater, they kind of sleep all over the house. So, if I have a dog visiting, they will have friends because Tater and Momentum, they just move around during the night. The other two sleep in my bedroom. But if a dog is sleeping outside my bedroom, they'll have a couple of dogs. They won't be overwhelmed with dogs. But do that sleep test so you aren't tired and, you know, really needing your sleep. And then now you have a dog that's not happy in their crate. Find that out ahead of time and then bring that remote feeder over, start training them to be happy in the crate. You can also just let them sleep in an X-pen if you have an X-pen that is secure that the dog can't get hurt trying to climb out of. Each of the two dogs who were here with me over the last month both slept in their X-pen during the night. Number nine, daily communication with the owner. So, send them a text, send them, we call them proof of joy pictures, you know, aka the proof of life pictures, or little video clips so that they can have some relief when they're away that their dog is well taken care of, that their dog's having a great time so that they can just be busy doing the thing that they're doing when they're away. So, daily communication to give them updates is a great, great thing to do. And finally, number 10, make that dog feel special every day that they're with you. You've got to remember they're going to feel a little bit of anxiety because they're in a strange place with different smells, different dogs, their people aren't there. So, try to make a point of making them feel special every day. Time alone with you, doing something with you. Now at first, when these dogs don't know me, it's really just, you know, things that involve food because high, high value rewards, high value rewards, and we just play some games. But very quickly by the second day, you know, I could just be out playing games with them, training them a new trick. Whatever it is, just take a little moment to make that dog's life special. There you go. 10 things you can do to make sure babysitting a family or friend's dog is a win-win-win. Dog has a good time. You aren't too stressed. Your dogs aren't too stressed. And the people who own the dog are grateful that they have a friend in you. I'll see you next time right here on Shaved by Dog.