Update on my Puppy Sitting Experience!
Wow. What a wild and crazy weekend at my sister's house! If you didn't know, I was puppysitting (and cat sitting) for my sister. My sister owns three, (yes three) cats and a now 10 week old German Shepard Puppy. It was a crazy, crazy weekend.
I'll give you a rundown on my week - maybe you can offer suggestions as to what I could have done instead of what I did so I know not to do that when I get my dog.
Thursday: I left for work at 2:30 - I was supposed to be home by 11 - but wound up getting home at 1am because of certain things. I let the puppy out of her crate. She piddled as we were walking along (which was fine, she was too excited to see me). We stayed outside for about 15 minutes so I could make sure she went number 1 and number 2; she did.
Friday: Woke up from my hour and a half "nap" slightly irritated. The dog never went to bed and barked the entire night. Took her outside, she did her thing. I fed her and gave her water, only to have her spill the entire thing onto the floor and pee on my shoe. I went to work, wound up coming home from work with an upset stomach (it was going around). Let the dog out, she did her thing. The dog was good until I lost the battle with my eyes and fell asleep for all of two mintues. I opened them hearing her chew on her toy - but when I turned around she had chewed through the carpet!!!!! I hollered no (I would say that my voice was probably at a level 5 out of 10 for sheer volume) and kept her near me until we went to bed.
Early SatMorning: I wake up in between one of my many trips to the porcelain throne to hear the lovely sound of gagging on the bed. I get up thinking it's one of the three cats but no, it's the dog. And she's scared. So she cuddles next to me - and vomits. On me. I was calm. I petted her - but the porcelain throne was the object of my desire - so after my trip I cleaned it up; only to step in dog poo. Yum.
Sat: Feeling better, so I went to work. Crated the puppy. Come home at 1am again and let the dog outside. Does her thing. Have been working with her to not try to swim in her water dish and knock over her food dish. I pull her next to me, make her sit and wait until I have the food and water on the floor before she's allowed to get it. She does it - but still manages to knock the water all over. *Grumble*
Sun: Had off. Played with the dog all day. Noticed that she's a very bitey kind of dog. Not play bites either. They are full out "Give me my toy or else" kinda bites. I didn't let her win at tug of war. Played fetch. Got my arm gnawed on when I tried to brush her. Changed the cats litter box only to find all of the cat poop has been eaten. Again....yum.
Monday (today; this is the best one yet.): I get up at 5:45 to get ready for work. I now have a respitory infection from the wretched stink of the cat's litter box and am slightly less than amused when the dog pees on my foot. I take her outside and wait 15 minutes for her to go. She doesn't. So I go back inside and put my makeup on. The dog starts laying smack on the biggest cat so I make her stay in the bathroom with me. She eats a maxi pad out of the garbage and gets a firm "NO NO NO". I let her back out so I could feed the cats. I take her outside again. She pees. Good girl. I go back inside, only to realize the cats have let themselves into the garage. I round them up and go into the den. Not one pile. Not two piles. But three piles of dog poo lay on the den floor. Pick up the fresh steaming piles and throw them outside after I tell the dog "NO NO NO" again and make her come outside with me. I go back inside and find the cats, yet again, in the garage. I round up two of them, can't find the third. *getting frustrated by this point* and I go into the living room and step in, you guessed it, another pile of fresh steaming doggy poo.
So I grumbled and glanced at the clock. Crap it was 6:45 and I had wanted to leave by 6:30, so I could stop at McDonalds on my way and pick up breakfast. I stick the dog in her crate (after I take her outside ONE MORE TIME) and she doesn't go. I get to work late, didn't clock in until after I had my breakfast.
I come back to my sister's house and let the dog out. She pees on my shoe again. Heck I was used to it, didn't care anymore. Take the dog outside and wait a HALF HOUR for her to go to the bathroom. She doesn't. Go back inside, get my things ready and I take her with me to the car and then back into the house. I finally find the cat who stayed in the garage (poor thing, it was over 90 today) and go back inside to STEP IN A PILE OF DOG POO.
So by this point I'm really aggrevated and tell the dog "NO" again and take her outside. Then I go back inside and clean it up the best I can. I go home. Three hours later, my sister calls and starts screaming at me that "DIDN'T YOU PAY ATTENTION TO HER AT ALL?!"
ARGH!!!!!!!!! What could I have done differently? *Hacks from chest* I really think she needs to change her cat litter...I know this is a "dog" forum - but most of you have cats too. She has three cats, two litter boxes, with fine, find "dusty" kind of kitty litter, that clumps and she cleans the clumps out once every three days. The smell permeates through the walls and you can smell it before you even enter the house. How do I tactfully tell her to CLEAN THE CATS BOXES?
