Someone asks you to dog-sit and you totally think it is a great idea. I mean, you love dogs and you already have one so why not give your pup a week-long play date. It all sounds like a good idea until it’s day one and the dog won’t come near you because he/she does not recognize you. Then, next thing you know it is ten days later and you changed the dog’s name, bought her a new collar, and made her your own (kidding). But really, you become attached and might end up making your way to your local animal shelter to adopt a new dog that you can actually call yours. With this said, let's not forget all of the events that happened in between.
1. Is it too late to back out?
It is day one and the dog was just dropped off at your house. You are so excited until the dog won’t come anywhere near you. You approach her and she starts growling. This is gonna be a long week.
2. Everyone loves food.
You think things are finally going to turn around when it is time to feed the dog. Everyone bonds over food, right? You think that maybe if you eat a meal together, everything will be fine. Too bad the dog still does not love you and you are basically still on stage one except the dog does not have an empty stomach anymore.
3. If you're a dog, I'm a dog?
Is this not how it works? I mean it sounds about right, until the dog is staring at you like you are crazy (which you might be).
4. What would Cesar Millan do?
The dog still barks at you every time you go near it so you look for your inner dog whisperer and plan out how you are going to get this dog to like you. All of those years of watching dog whisperer are finally going to pay off.
5. Lets be friends.
Who knew a couple of hours of playing fetch would make a dog like you? Now that you are friends, you can pet the dog without the fear of being barked at. Oh and don’t forget your new cuddle buddy!
6. Goodbyes.
Goodbyes are hard, especially when you have built a strong bond. You are no longer going to have an extra dog in your house, following you around, watching your every move (okay this makes it sound like a relief). Anyway, try not to cry as the real owner drives away with your new pal.
So, basically I realized that you can learn a lot from a dog, like food does not actually solve everything and the best way to know if someone is desperate for you to like them, just make them do things for you before admitting that you never hated them (totally kidding). Anyway, I recommend dog sitting if you have nothing better to do because after the first couple of days, it is easy and sometimes you even earn extra money. But remember, when in doubt, think about what Cesar Millan would do.