“It’s ok, dogs like to be outside” “Hair gets all over my furniture” “I can’t take the drool” “I leave him outside while I’m gone to guard the house” “We have a baby now” “She isn’t potty trained so she needs to stay outside” “It’s ok, you don’t need to come twice a day, we’ll keep him outside the whole week we’re gone”
I’ve heard all these and more, and as a professional pet sitter and avid pet lover it seriously hurts my heart every time.
I wanted to highlight Remi and Tessa in this blog. They are gorgeous Brocco Italianos and their personalities are heartwarming. AND would have some believing they should be outside only dogs because of their large size and hunting abilities. Thankfully their parents don’t share this belief, they are considered part of the family and treated as such! Dogs are pack animals, separating them from the family even 50% of the time can cause behavioral and psychological issues. It’s also dangerous to keep pets outside, life threatening.
I’m not sure what’s going on with the police force and shooting dogs, and maybe we’ll tackle that in a different blog but it actually happened to a gentleman’s dog that was secured in his own backyard. The police was looking for a missing (but found at his home asleep) toddler and went into the backyard of a Weimaraner to search it and just shot the dog. A Weimaraner is considered a large breed dog with a beautiful physique and a mild mannered personality. (Kindof like Remi and Tessa) I don’t know the details but the owner claims his dog was not aggressive but may have tried to run up to the officer to greet him. And he was shot. In his own, secured backyard. This man lost his best friend, and my heart aches for him and hopefully he’ll get the justice deserved. I do wish we could turn back time and the owner could read this blog and take note. Leave the dog inside while you’re away. Not only because the police officer could shoot the dog, but if something spooks him he could jump the fence, or tear it down, a rattler bite, bee swarm…there are just too many open variables that can harm the dog. Read the story HERE.
In Pacific Beach of all places, bees swarm and kill a sweet Chihuahua. The owner was home and tried to save the family dogs and was able to save two. Now imagine if he wasn’t home and left them outside, all three could have been tortured and killed. I kept thinking how rare and isolated this event was, but believe it or not 80% of the bees in America are now Africanized. We need to keep our pets safe.
I’m part of a group online that connects all my neighbors and one posted for a dog sitter, her dog can be kept outside all the time so it would be easy to care for. And she posted the pic of this little dachshund. Here in Rancho Penasquitos the hawks, bobcats, coyotes can get into the yards and swoop that precious little baby up. And will. Small dogs, large dogs, all dogs and yes ALL cats should be kept inside while you’re away. I’ve even heard people leaving pet rabbits outside (those fencing and cages can be easily ripped open)
“It’s ok, dogs like to be outside” – Yes and No. Dogs are pack animals, they like to be with their family…you’re outside they want to be with you. You’re inside they want to be with you.
“Hair gets all over my furniture” – There are so many products out there to easily remove hair, check this one out HERE
“I can’t take the drool” – Invest in a lot of towels, and do your homework before you adopt and check out breeds and common traits to make sure they’re the right fit for your family.
“I leave him outside while I’m gone to guard the house” – Understandable, but do you really want your furry family member on the front line? We can learn from other’s mistakes.
“We have a baby now” – Who was the first baby? If you’re worried about germs, wash the pup once a month, keep poop picked up. Keep the house clutter free and brush the dogs teeth at least once a week. Baby’s are ok to live with dogs. If they’re healthy enough to leave the hospital and don’t have chronic health problems they’re ok. And heads up, your baby will probably eat some dirt along the way. LOL! I gave up in the toddler years 
“She isn’t potty trained so she needs to stay outside” – Crate training helps with this, if you need additional help contact your local pet sitter and dog walker ( I know of a really really good one if you’re in Rancho Penasquitos, Carmel Valley, Santaluz, Del Sur, 4S Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Scripps Ranch, Mira Mesa, and surrounding areas. Odds are I know of one outside these areas thanks to networking!)
“It’s ok, you don’t need to come twice a day, we’ll keep him outside the whole week we’re gone” – JenLovesPets’ policy will not pet sit outside only dogs. I did this for their safety and selfishly my sanity. I did this once when I first started the business and couldn’t sleep the whole week for fear something would happen. It’s my job as a professional pet sitter to keep the pet’s safety priority number one, and knowing how much danger it brings on it’s also my job to spread the word to my wonderful community.
We can’t forget about the kitties. Please understand how much they really are prey. Don’t let them out unleashed or if you aren’t monitoring their every move.
Have I missed anything? What are situations have you been in that may have changed your mind and brought your furry family member inside?
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