So sick of dogs

Working at the boarding kennel has made me get so sick of dogs. There are so many that aren't well trained or socialized. So many that you take for a walk and they rip your arm off pulling or they try to eat the leash or take a bite of your hand. Yesterday I had to take a toy poodle out and I couldn't get close to putting the collar on. The thing went straight for me. It tooks a ten minute effort of four people to get the thing leashed. If it were my place I'd have left her inside and still charged for the walk. It's not our responsibility to train and socialize a person's dog. If you aren't going to train it, don't sign up to have it taken for a daily walk. Don't put us in danger just because you are an irresponsible owner. There are lots of aggressive dogs that come in. Then there are to dogs that are so fat they are practically dead. I wish there were more animal cruelty laws around here so I could write down the people's addresses and call the humane society from home (so as not to get the kennel involved). What also annoys me is the people that have the food measured out for each day and then they run out. They are so picky, but apparently have no ability to count. We have to look up the dog's allergies and figure out which pro pac (kennel's food of choice) to give them. Just a tip, bring extra food and don't portion it, give us instructions on how much to feed, we'll follow them without problem, I promise we can measure we aren't idiots.

It's so nice to come home to Autumn after putting up with these wild animals.

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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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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you took the words right out of my mouth.

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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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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.

yup I would be sick of the owners. why can't people just take care of there dogs? that is easier than not taking time to patiently train the dog. If we ever have to take snuggles to a kennel we dump more food than she needs in a bag get everything else she needs and we are on our way. I don't get why you have to portion it. :confused:

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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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I agree.

I work at a bording kennel to, the first thing I do before letting dogs out is make freinds with the new dogs, they are so afraid of me first and even bite, but with a little bit of treats and a calm voice they trust me and actually cry if I walk by there kennel without a little bit of petting. A kennel is a scary place and they think they are a vet, but once they relize we are all nice they make the day go by fast and sometimes don't like to leave.

i ditto both Kfamr and elizabethann

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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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I agree Kay. A couple of summers ago we had to leave Jada and Diamond in a kennel we went to a family reunion out of town. Anyway, they were only there for three nights but they were both so stressed out when they got home that they were sick. I thought we were going to have take them to the vets. It broke my heart. :( A lot of those dogs could very well be scared to death.

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Originally Posted by Jadapit

I agree Kay. A couple of summers ago we had to leave Jada and Diamond in a kennel we went to a family reunion out of town. Anyway, they were only there for three nights but they were both so stressed out when they got home that they were sick. I thought we were going to have take them to the vets. It broke my heart. :( A lot of those dogs could very well be scared to death.

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There are so many kennels that don't disinfect(sp), that only let the dogs out once or twise a day, hardly cleans, and there is fleas everywhere. I am so thankful I work at a clean sanitized kennel. I know there are tons of dogs that come home from kennels that are so sick.
1. because all they do is yell at dogs to stop barking
2. not cleaned
3. other dogs

I agree with what others have said.

Now I'm afraid to take Charlie. We are boarding him at Creature Comfort animal vet place that my vet recommended cus they were full. From this Thurs till Mon.

I hope he will be ok. And not be scared sick. I want to bring him with me. It's a 9 hour trip in a car.

don't worry to much about it. I would check the place out and make sure they are clean though

The Dog House is extremely picky about cleanliness to a point where I think it becomes a little too obsessive, but too much is better than not enough for all these dogs I guess. I know some are scared, but others are just impossible. One lady brought a lab in and her kids were with her and you could tell she was thrilled to be rid of the kids' dog for the weekend. I was less than thrilled to be receiving it though. Yes, its the owners' fault and its the owners I am mad at. I couldn't believe my own thoughts the other day when I was thinking that I could manage without getting another dog for a while. That's how exhausting the job is.

When my RB dog was a pup he was a terror from hell!! We had to board him for a couple days during a trip we took him on & we told them that hes hyper, will pull the leash & may bite hard. So its best to leave him in a large kennel. The kennel people were happy. Turnes out he was ok on the 2ed day & they took him out to play with him. He was only 6mth old, but he was big, strong & very protective for a pup. We also left ALL his food there, so ther was no worries, just incase he had to stay an extra day. He also had his own supply of water as he had a sensitive tummy...

Never had any complaints when boarding him. 1 place just loved when he was boarded & he was spoiled rotten & allowed in the house to play with their kids.

He also went to 1 bad place.. it was an emg. & we boarded him with the vet. They brought him to the farm & put him in a kennel there as the vets kennels are too small for a large dog. We drove to the farm to pick him up & EWWW.. I litterly had a cow!! He was in a caved in kennel (had to duck to walk), there was poo everywhere!! & HIS dish & Water pail was in another dogs kennel & he had country water in the nasty dish that was in his kennel!! My poor dog has the runs so bad, it was all over him!!! I checked to see if the other dog was friendly so I could get my things from its kennel.. He was good, but as soon as the lady came out of the house, I demanded my pail of food (which was WAY lower then it should have been as it was a full pail & there was no way in hell he ate 20p of dog kibble in 3 days!!!).. I was ugly that day & he never went to that vets again...

I do understand why your sick of dogs. Its the owners fault but you have to deal with the dogs not the owners, so your sick of dealing with dogs... Its ok, it'll take time to get use to the fact that people are stupid... Feel bad for those pups though, sheesh...

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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