Mutt_Lady Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 Lately, things have been getting a little slow so we are taking on a couple of new clients here and there. There is a very strange woman whom found her way to our residence and we'll call her [b]Liz[/b]. She is persistent, whiny and angry. Boy, is she ever angry. :o I've heard some pretty weird things in my time in this business and from friends about how some dog owners treat their dogs. However, these methods are all about treating their dogs [i]better[/i] and all sorts of positive things that are coupled with that. Liz has a 10-month-old Shepherd cross that she says she "found in the forest near her house". When I asked her the dog's name, she said that every member of the family calls her something different. :-? There are four other members in her family. Her husband (whom I've also met), we'll call him [b]Roger[/b]. She then has two sons, ages 6 and 12. Then a daughter who is 8 I believe. They are also looking to adopt another little girl. (Mind you, the first three are theirs biologically) Now hubby Roge calls this dog "Get outta my face". LITERALLY!! Liz says that he thought it would be "funny" so he got the dog used to that name. Umm...no buddy. Just no. The two boys call the sweetie little [i]female[/i] Shepherd mix "Spike". The daughter calls her "Princess" and Liz calls her "Maggie". This dog must be getting a complex, or at least an [i]identity crisis[/i]... When she told me about this, I asked which name she responded to. Liz responds, "None. Stupid dog won't come or stay. Sometimes she won't even sit." Uh, duh...she probably doesn't even know you're talking to HER. :x So I always ask of the dog's favorite things to do and least favorite so that we can do the fun things and leave out the bad. Liz didn't know her dogs favorite thing to do... "Her least favorite?" Liz knows is, "The hose. Once my sun sprayed her right in the eyes with it as a pup of about 8 weeks old. She hasn't been the same around them since." I wouldn't touch that subject with a ten-foot pole so I move on. How long would the dog be staying? I tell her the days we offer (Monday to Saturday now), anyday for actual petsitting, and I tell her when drop-off and pick-up is. Liz asks if there are exceptions. Our drop-off is at 7:30 in the morning because 5 out of 15 clients wanted it that way. I'm NOT a morning person. Then, the others that weren't getting up super early were arriving home late. So pick-up went from 6 to 7:30. Basically it's 7:30 to 7:30. Liz wants to drop her dog off at 6 AM and pick her up at 9 PM. Ummm, what is it that you are doing for SO LONG? She said that first she's at work, then she takes her kids to various activities. Basically, she has no time for the dog. She said that if the dog were to go home at 7:30. It would be crated from then until when she dropped her off in the morning. :( I think that's pushing it for how long a dog can be in a crate... She also confessed that her dog would be spending most of its Sundays in the crate. Yes, almost a whole day in the crate because they are all so busy. I was going to freak out!! I told her I couldn't work Sundays too, it's already hard enough not having Saturdays...so she just mumbled off about how the dog would be fine in the crate for that amount of time anyway. :evil: This is from like 9 am until like 10:30 pm. God only knows what they do for so long!! Anyway, I haven't taken her on as a client officially yet because I'm not sure how to deal with this. Liz basically confessed to me that after the dog got past 6 months, she was no longer wanted. :cry: What idiots...I don't know what to do. Argh. I'm meeting the dog without a name tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how that goes. I've been guilt tripped into things before, so I'm stuck here...eee... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mutts4Me Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 This is going to sound really bad, but it may be in your best interest to not even take the lady and her dog on... Merely because you're going to get attached to the dog, and you're going to feel worse and worse every time you send her home to go into her crate, and then you're going to feel incredibly bad when they decide to get rid of the dog in a few months. Of course, you could always take the dog on and try to work with it the best you can and get her ready to be adoptable -- so when that time comes, you can help find her a new, better home. But then you're still going to have to send it home every day to people you know don't like her, and to a fairly miserable experience. You'd be making a difference in the pup's life in the time she spent with you, but personally, I don't know that I could handle it. Best of luck in making a difficult decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
True_Pits Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 Wow that is really crazy, I don't understand why people like that even have a dog. If they have no time for it and don't want it. Whats the point. They want you to have it for 15 hours a day and then take it home and put it in the crate without attention or any interaction with the family. I don't understand, they should give her to someone who wants her or put her up for adoption. Thats really sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 If you take this lady on, be aware that there is a good chance you'll end up with this dog as a foster AT LEAST. I think it would be a great thing for the dog though. Her life right now sucks. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pollysmith Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 Thats too bad! Why do they even want a dog if they are going to treat it like that! Boy would I like to give em a punch in the nose!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crystal Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 You might as well offer to take the dog off her hands and find her a good home. She may dump her on you anyways. Gently explain to her that dogs need love and attention and that if her life is that busy she does not need the stress of a dog. I feel bad for that poor dog, sounds like she has had it rough. Way to common of a story though. :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMaya Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 Grrrr, that just makes me so mad! Yet another idiot who figured it would be cool to have a dog, and then found out that they didn't have time for a dog, or the dog wasn't trained, or cost too much, or is too young, etc. Poor Pooh Bear was adopted out twice and returned. The first guy returned him because he lost his job and couldn't afford to keep him. And the second one returned him because they decided they wanted a lap dog! HELLO! If you want a lap dog, adopt a frickin lap dog! I'm with the others, this poor dog needs a new family. Maybe you can either foster the dog or find a rescue that will take him and foster him until he finds a family who REALLY wants him! I just hate people sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nadooshkinz Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 I agree with the others-that dog cannot stay with that family. First of all, identity crisis indeed! Who the hell calls their dog "stay outa my face"!? :evil: And its obvious this dog is not a companion to them, and that it has become a burden. The only time their thinking of him, is when they wan't to get rid of him temporarily. That's not right, at all, and no dog deserves that. You should talk to her about giving the dog up for adoption, or at least giving him to someone who WANTS him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincoandDahlilasgirl Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 [quote name='JackieMaya']Grrrr, that just makes me so mad! Yet another idiot who figured it would be cool to have a dog, and then found out that they didn't have time for a dog, or the dog wasn't trained, or cost too much, or is too young, etc. Poor Pooh Bear was adopted out twice and returned. The first guy returned him because he lost his job and couldn't afford to keep him. And the second one returned him because they decided they wanted a lap dog! HELLO! If you want a lap dog, adopt a frickin lap dog! I'm with the others, this poor dog needs a new family. Maybe you can either foster the dog or find a rescue that will take him and foster him until he finds a family who REALLY wants him! I just hate people sometimes![/quote] diddo! Cinco was adopted out as a puppy brought back cuz he destroyed things and adopted out again then brought back cuz he constantly ran off...um hello the idiots either crated him all day wouldn't let him out to pee or I also heard they left him alone outside off a leash while at work and he'd dig under the fence and get out. On the same note my neighbor is trying to tell his family they can't afford to keep their dog. I heard him yell at the kids that if the dog takes off again he's gone. um hello why would u get a dog if u know u won't have time for it? This dog won't be like the dogs u had as a kid! :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mutt_Lady Posted April 24, 2005 Author Share Posted April 24, 2005 I met the "no name" dog. I think I'm in love with her...LOL. She is the cutest little darling. It's strange how dogs and people that grow up in bad environments tend to be very well-behaved and loving. This chick is the second dog I always wanted. Stupid Kevin not letting me have another dog. Why doesn't he just break my heart?! :P I figured that I was going to get this dog permanently at least to foster eventually. Right now, her owner claims they are going on a "trip" (she later admitted that they were still going to be in town, but needed a break from the dog) and so the little sweetie will be staying with us for the next two weeks. At one point, I'll have three dogs living with me 24/7 (Elmer isn't gone yet). :o I decided that since she'll be living with me and I'll be training her, I'm going to name her something and if she goes back to those horrid people, they are using that name whether they like it or not. But I doubt she's going back...Liz asked me about shelters the other day. :-? I wonder why... :x I'll post a picture of her soon that I managed to snap at our first meeting. She's a doodlebug that one. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 26, 2005 Share Posted April 26, 2005 "Liz basically confessed to me that after the dog got past 6 months, she was no longer wanted." That scare's me the most. It makes me feel like they only want the puppy cause it's cute, then want to adopt/buy another puppy to keep the cuteness. On one hand it seems like you should probe a little further into the situation, on the other I'm afraid of what there is to find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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