Your friend asks you to spend the weekend helping them out and looking after their dogs.

Easy!

You love dogs! [I do] and you expect it to be much less work than looking after children!

Wrong!

3 things you don't expect when you dog sit:

1. The list

When you arrive at the house, there will be a list. The length of the list will vary, but it will for sure be bigger then you'd expected. Things you don't expect.

- Emergency numbers- Including vet, pet grandparents, 911, and the leading dog neuro surgeon just in case...

- Play time schedule - They have times and toys and however you play with dogs is not appropriate.

- Feeding - Put food in bowl? Ha! What are you? Some kind of savage? Hand fed while making airplane noises please! [Not just any airplane, a Boeing 747, the 737 is too scary]

 

2. They are way worse than you have been led to believe

I'm not saying that all dogs are terrors, but they are dogs. The owners will let you believe that they are perfect angels that will serve you cupcakes while you watch TV. This is not the case. I'm not sure if it's because the dogs can sense that they don't have to listen to you, or they just don't listen to begin with, but as soon as their owners walk out the door, the fun will begin.

 

3. You're not sleeping

You're not going to sleep. You have 2 options to your no sleep:

- Have the dogs sleep with you, cause that's what they are used to and they will keep you up all night with random movements, licks, and other strange noises you didn't know dogs could make.

- Or don't let the dogs sleep with you, and you will spend the night listening to them howl in their displeasure. You will swear that nothing so cruel has ever been inacted on them as not letting them sleep in the bed with you. This will go on all night, they might even take shifts.

 

I'm not saying don't help your friends out, and that you don't get your fair share of dog cuddles and good times. Just be prepared.

 

Mark Armstrong