Doggy Day Care #1

Hubby and I have been thinking about getting a dog but neither of us have ever really owned a pet. We've known people who get all excited and prepare for a puppy only to break down and give it away weeks later. I was afraid we might do that too because we have absolutely no clue how to handle pets. How do we make the call then? With a trial run!

Today, I am doggy-sitting for some friends of ours and it is the first time in my life that I have been left alone with a dog for more than 2-3 hours. I have to admit--when I woke up this morning, I was very apprehensive about it. I am a bit of a neat freak and I cannot abide dirt, germs, or messes. The very thought of my custom Ethan Allen sofa legs getting chewed up is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat. However, this was the best opportunity for a puppy trial run (with a well-trained puppy to boot), so we jumped at the opportunity.

The first thing I did after getting her was to take her out for a walk/run. I wanted her to walk next to me but I also felt bad for preventing her from nosing around so I wavered between staying firm or letting her wander. I did a bit of both, but I'm still not sure what is the best thing to do. She also started getting antsy so I broke out in a jog to get some of her energy out. I think that helped but I got winded before she did. I had a bit of trouble wiping her paws down coming in and she was also kind of sassy with me, so I took her to the backyard and played catch with her for a while. I also used treats to reinforce my authority and by the time she came in, I was able to teach her "Paw.", which means lifting her paws and letting me wipe them down with a warm, soapy, towel. She's such a smart dog! She really understood what I wanted from her! She got lots of doggy treats for that :)

All in all...it's much better and easier that I expected it to be. She's been napping under my desk for about an hour now and I won't need to walk/feed her until 3pm. I've really fallen in love with this friendly breed--she's smart and noble, pretty and friendly, fluffy, and hypoallergenic. Although she nipped/bit my hand a few times when I was feeding her, it didn't break skin. It was more my fault, I needed to calm her down before feeding her and not hold out my treat with my fingertips. We'll see how things go over the next few days :) If she's still as lovable, I might need to get a Samoyed after all!