or: Dog sitting

I have been dog and house sitting for the past five or so days. I’ve lost track of the time. All I know is the fur-kid’s family is due back this evening so the time itself doesn’t really matter as long as he’s been well looked after.

In most ways, this fur kid is nothing how mine was. 

He’s a he.

He’s a poodle. I’m pretty sure you can’t get further from a Rhodesian Ridgeback than that except perhaps a chiahuahua .

I have to bend to pat him and he thinks nothing of climbing into my lap regardless if I’m sitting on the floor or a chair. If my dog had done that, I wouldn’t have been able to see over her head.

He’s allowed on the furniture and the bed. He tried it when I took him to my place too for a night however this is one that he has followed my rules instead.

He eats a cupful of biscuits over the entire day. So tiny compared to then four cups mine had with her kangaroo meat, yoghurt and vegemite gravy (mine is an Australian household). He also eats his biscuits by taking them one at a time from his bowl, onto a rug and nibbling before going back for another. He rarely eats all his food in one go which makes me wonder if he really is a dog  

He is not fussed where he goes to the toilet and seems to like to sit until he’s decided where he does want to go . With a low cemtre  of gravity, this makes for some interesting walking / negotiations . He will go at any time during a walk though I have him now going mostly at the start since it’s easier to predict and I can have him in a good spot to pick up / wash down whatever he has done. It’s all so tiny too!

He returns the toys thrown for him and is keen to have it happen again and again. And again. His boredom threshold for this game is a lot higher than what I’m accustomed to. As a result, I have improved my throwing technique.

He gets very excited. I pick up his lead and he comes close to doing backflips. It takes him a little while to calm himself down and sir so I can put on his lead. Doing a morning downward dog seems to help with this part of the exercise.

He doesn’t wake me up in the morning. He seems to be quite content to laze around until I’m ready to move. This is probably the biggest novelty for me after alll my forced 6am wake ups to take mine to the toilet and for a walk or run.

Living with him has reminded me of the joys of pet ownership and also the changes to my lifestyle that it brings. It’s reminded me that I’m fine to continue pet sitting yet not ready for the responsibilities of full time care again. Being unable to travel so easily or change my plans at the last minute is not a freedom I’m ready to swap at the moment and I’m not willing to hire someone ro help for this at this stage either.

He’s an affectionate little thing and I’m happy to have spent so much time with him. 

Next week, I’ll be posting from another country!

 

* Thanks to  Baha Men for the title to this post.