I am house sitting for about a week, for a very nice man with a lovely dog who is essentially his "fur baby."
Olivia, (aka Livy) is a sweet, sweet girl about 9 years old, and just full of love. She is also well-trained, which is truly a wonderful thing for a house sitter.
So many times when I house sit the dogs are just kind of "there" in the household. Someone feeds them sure, but they have little to no training, and they are terrors - which the family never seems to understand. "Oh, they're sweet, except this one doesn't like men." (No history of abuse, so why aren't you training him out of that instead of the exasperated sigh you're currently giving him while he barks and carries on?) Or, my favorite: "He's mostly potty-trained." (Come on lady, he's not a puppy, he's at least 4 years old. Get with the program - if he's not potty trained at that age it's only because you are too lazy!)
But Livy is a real joy. She has a schedule, sure, and she wants to go outside to potty as soon as I walk in, but that's the whole point of potty training, isn't it? She's so well behaved I can actually go on a walk with her, and she heels! And sits! Like she's supposed to! She also lays down on command, and is very responsive to your words, like "Go get your toy" or "Get that frizz" (Frisbee). No tricks, though I am trying to teach her to shake hands. Not going too well.
splorp! usually stays at home while I'm off house sitting. We do have a bird to take care of, after all, and some of the places I house sit just do not have comfortable beds (one in particular is a rock). But he will come and visit me tonight, and we will go out house hunting with our Realtor, and then he will take me out to dinner.
Normally I would cook, but (and this is a first in my many years of house sitting) this man has NO pots and pans in the house.
Olivia, (aka Livy) is a sweet, sweet girl about 9 years old, and just full of love. She is also well-trained, which is truly a wonderful thing for a house sitter.
So many times when I house sit the dogs are just kind of "there" in the household. Someone feeds them sure, but they have little to no training, and they are terrors - which the family never seems to understand. "Oh, they're sweet, except this one doesn't like men." (No history of abuse, so why aren't you training him out of that instead of the exasperated sigh you're currently giving him while he barks and carries on?) Or, my favorite: "He's mostly potty-trained." (Come on lady, he's not a puppy, he's at least 4 years old. Get with the program - if he's not potty trained at that age it's only because you are too lazy!)
But Livy is a real joy. She has a schedule, sure, and she wants to go outside to potty as soon as I walk in, but that's the whole point of potty training, isn't it? She's so well behaved I can actually go on a walk with her, and she heels! And sits! Like she's supposed to! She also lays down on command, and is very responsive to your words, like "Go get your toy" or "Get that frizz" (Frisbee). No tricks, though I am trying to teach her to shake hands. Not going too well.
splorp! usually stays at home while I'm off house sitting. We do have a bird to take care of, after all, and some of the places I house sit just do not have comfortable beds (one in particular is a rock). But he will come and visit me tonight, and we will go out house hunting with our Realtor, and then he will take me out to dinner.
Normally I would cook, but (and this is a first in my many years of house sitting) this man has NO pots and pans in the house.
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