I have my dogs - variously called Jasper, AKA BigHead/GoLayDown, and Jackson, AKA GetOfftheCouch.
My mom, who is in hospital, for an extended time, has asked me to care for her dogs. These dogs are much smaller than my dogs, much fatter than my dogs, and much more spoiled than my dogs.
They are:
Reba, the grand dame.
and her daughter. Tootsie:
Yesterday, K, daughter C's boyfriend, went with me to pick up my mom's dogs. The dogs never wear collars, let alone leashes or tie outs. My mom wanted me to get tie outs because she is very worried that the dogs will get loose and try to travel back to my mom's house (some 15 miles) to find her. So I had two tie outs and stakes in the car also.
I brought leashes and collars from home (luckily as part of my cleaning drawers and cabinets I had found several collars and some looked like they might fit). We took Tootsie and Reba outside and let them do their thing and then I put the collars and leashes on them.
Tootsie *freaked out* and pulled back and snaked around until she escaped from the collar! So, K picked her up and I used the leash for Reba and we put the dogs in the car. I took K back to his house and then I drove to our house, put the car in the garage, put the garage door down, and then let the dogs out. Our dogs were in the backyard.
Reba and Tootsie sniffed all around the house. My mom had told me to bring some of her clothes with her smell on them and also some blankets from their house for the dogs to lay on.
Then, I put the collars and leashes on so the dogs would pee in the front yard. My plan was to stake them out in the front yard and then bring our dogs on leashes to meet them- after my dh got home.
WELL.
Tootsie *freaked out* again and got out of the collar (don't tell my mom)- she didn't run away, just continued sniffing the lawn by Reba, so I put the collar and leash on her again, but DIDN'T pull, just encouraged Reba to go and called Tootsie so she followed along- they headed over to sniff noses with our dogs through the fence, and then I had to PICK TOOTSIE UP to take them inside.
I am definitely measuring Tootsie and buying a harness today. Maybe with the money I get back by returning the tie outs.
I came back in and spread clean sheets and throws on all the couches. There is NO WAY we will be able to train these bitches to stay off the couches!
Then I watched the end of the Tigers game - their 12th straight win!- and the dogs spent most of that time snuggling next to me on the couch.
My dh was home in time to watch the end of the Tiger's game. We talked about how to introduce the dogs to our dogs, but we had to wait until about 7:30 pm because Bob-with-a--beard came over to fix our leaky sink.
After Bob-with-a-beard left, we decided to take the little dogs in the basement, then get the big dogs on leashes, and introduce them all in the basement, which is *semi*neutral territory.
I'm sure it would have been an excellent plan had we been able to implement it!
As soon as we opened the sliding glass door, the little dogs went out and the big dogs in and the little ones came back in and the big ones went back out- anyway, no dog was on a leash once they were all butt sniffing and tail-wagging and stiff-legged with hackles up.
Except Jasper of course who was just grinning and oblivious.
There were no fights, just a couple of growls and the pack dominance order was quickly established. To absolutely no one's surprise, Reba is Queen of the Pack.
So we all settled in and watched TV. Our dogs were happy curled at our feet, and my mom's dogs were sometimes on the (sheets on the) couch and sometimes on the blankets brought from their home.
Bedtime was interesting.
We decided to put the little dogs in the side bedroom on the pile of clothes and blankets from their house.
Our dogs sleep in our bedroom ON THE FLOOR.
I gave the little dogs treats to go in the side bedroom and I closed the door.
We went to bed.
We would have ignored the whining. We would have ignored the yips. However, when the scrabbling/scratching sounded like it was starting to separate the bottom facing of the door from the door itself, we gave in to the inevitable and brought the pile of clothes into our room and brought the little dogs into our room. NO WAY are they coming in to our bed; if that happens, it's crate time.
We thought that the little dogs would lay on the clothes.
Jasper promptly laid down on the clothes.
After a couple of firm NOs when they looked up at our beds, and a few circles of the bedroom, the little dogs finally curled up on the dog mats on the floor and went to sleep.
I know my dh had some adventures trying to feed the dogs. That's going to take some work. I'm thinking maybe I will feed the little dogs after the big dogs go out, because today the little dogs did not eat their food when the dh tried feeding them in the side bedroom.
Of course, they are used to eating all day long and I am sure they are not hungry. However, living here, they will soon learn that "once in the morning does it" because Jasper will eat everything if they don't.
The little dogs scramble down our stairs just fine. They scramble up more slowly- especially Tootsie- but, you never know, they may soon lose weight at our house. All that exercise.
Such a tiny window of opportunity for food.
They are doing their business just fine outside. They don't seem to be searching for a way out of the back yard. So far, so good.
Later today, when I run some errands for my mom and then go visit her, will be their first time alone in our house. We will see how it goes. I figure I will put all garbage, etc. in the garage and close all the doors and hope for the best.
Keeping the big dogs outside in the backyard, of course.
Wish us luck!
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