So sick of dogs

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Originally Posted by elizabethann

Hmmmmm....your post distresses me. :(

But I think you just needed to get this off your chest. I don't really think you're sick of dogs, perhaps you're just sick of the owners? Anyhow, I hope you feel better.

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I agree

I work at a dog boarding "kennel" also and I can understand the feelings!

Some day's I go to work and deal with dog's who aren't potty trained who bite when you touch them, who pull your arm practically out of socket and many other things! I also can't stand the dog's who bark and bark and bark while in the play yards! It's obvious that at home no one stops them but when you are stuck in a room with that dog for 3 to 4 hours straight it becomes so annoying! We have a certain dog that comes into my work and pesters the other dogs. He will bark in there face, grab them by the ears etc. etc. The other dog’s get so fed up with him. Not only that but he thinks it is SO much fun to grab the water dish and dump it all over himself. If you try to touch him he bites you, playfully, but still! I personally do not want a German shepherd playfully biting me while I’m trying to gain control over him.

I have to admit though, even the Shepherd who is a pain in the butt, I love all the dog's who come to my work. I just think some of them need some serious obedience classes.

Sometimes when dealing with an extra bad dog, I just tell myself that hey, while I might have to deal with it for a week, at least I don't have to live with it all the time!

Ashley

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Originally Posted by Kfamr

Very well said.

Also, it's not the dogs fault they are uncontrollable. They need to be taught how to behave properly. I'd imagine being in a place away from home with strangers isn't their first choice to be, either.

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You took the words right out my mouth.
The one and only time I had to board RB Cody, he was so stressed, he sat in one position for hours, ears back, wouldn't eat or drink. My mom kept calling to double check until she told them to stay open until she arrived to get him. That was less than 12 hours. The only reason he was boarded while I was on a business trip was my dad was ill and mom was afraid she wouldn't be able to handle everything. She could and did. I already have neighbors coming over to stay/feed Logan if i'm away for a weekend.

I know the very fisrt thing I do when I take care of people dogs that they have not bothered with is I get to work, if they feed to much I feed then a more appropiate amount, if they dont get exersize usally then I wlk then 4 times a day, if they are not well behaved I start training. I dogsit in the people homes though, and when they come home I often get comments like "wow! what did you do? they always jump around and bark when we get home and when we got back they were quiet and polite!" <----an actuall comment I have gotten. I foger this is my chance to show then what their dog CAN be if they are willing to try, and once people get a taste of it, I have found then to try harder.

I wouldn't have worded it the same, but I can definitely empathize. :/ Caring for & trying to train dogs that are obviously given ZERO exercise or training at home is incredibly frustrating. I always think of how nice a lot of rowdy, crazy dogs could be if just given a bit of discipline and an Obedience course. It's usually these same people who act like every order has to be followed to the tee, and they THINK they're just spoiling & loving their dogs, but neglecting their real "dog" needs is abusive IMO.

My friend Christine spoils her Aussie and he is really great in the house, but he completely disrespects her if she gives him a command, 90% of the time he just gives her a blank stare. I went to the dog fair with them, and he was yanking her around barking loudly and snapping in other dogs faces. I had to handle him the whole time (she took Fozzie... because he is super easy) and after correcting him once we didn't hear a peep out of him for the rest of the day. I do think it's sad that some people feel dogs don't require discipline and training, people who cannot or will not take that responsibility don't deserve a dog... they're doing their dog and society an injustice. I don't think I'd be able to work at a kennel for that reason, it'd kill me to see so many people just dump off their out-of-control dogs for others to handle. I totally respect anyone who can work at a large-scale kennel, taking good care of the dogs and dealing with that daily! If it's starting to make you resent dogs and people, however, maybe start looking for a different animal-related job?

Your post has given me a lot to think about.

Hubby wants to kennel our two at some stage so we can go on holiday but having read this post there is no way I would inflict them on anyone at the moment. I love them to bits but even I can see that they are a handful!

Out of respect to the people who may be looking after my dogs I am going to make sure that they are not left in kennels until they are well trained and sociable.

Thank you for putting forward the other side of the story

I guess its not so bad. I mean, I understand the dogs and why they are a pain. I wish I were able to spend more time with them but we are so busy that we'd never get everything done. Some days when it is really busy we have to forgo certain things like mopping the kitchen and laundry room floors or cleaning windows out in the store section because there simply isn't time after the important kennel stuff is done. If it were my kennel though I'd spend a lot more time working with the dogs than cleaning though, I mean do we really need to sweep and mop and towel dry the entire indoor area daily, not really.

To be honest in my opinion you need either a break or a new job.

How would you feel if your parents or family left you in a strange place for a while? I'm sure you would be frightened too, We cant communicate with dogs like people do so they dont really have a clue what is happening to them! In my opinion its part of your job to comfort a scared dog not to just leave it in a cage and still charge for a walk as you said, Dogs react differently in different situations, They have a stranger walking them in a strange place I would expect at least a bit of playing up from them because its a totally new experience to them.. Do you always feel like this? I would seriously consider a change in jobs because it sounds like you dont have much give when it comes to them. Maybe the owners are trying to make your job easier? I think I would prefer to have a baged meal for the dog instead of having to measure them out making more work for myself, I very much doubt they want to make you look like an idiot I would assume it's to try and make your job easier for you.

Are you under alot of pressure at work? I think you should talk to your boss or superviser to try and sort something out