Monday, February 4, 2019

Back Up Plan

 People and their animal companions have extra relationships that families without pets don't have.
Veterinarians, obedience trainers, groomers, and pet sitters make up the pet care industry. Sometimes pet owners need to make alternate arrangements.
      Glory and Sandy were long time clients of another pet sitter.  I was called because she couldn't commit to days the owners needed to be away.  I knew that the dogs would be confused to have another person caring for them. All I could do was my best.
     At the interview, I was sniffed at and ignored. It's challenging to step into another sitter's routine.
The owner tried her best to explain what had ALWAYS been the routine.  Well, that was good to know. I was not the other sitter.  I was me and the dogs would treat me as such - a total stranger.
     The home was in the same neighborhood as another client, so streets were familiar. Walking after dark would be safe for us and I was relieved as managing two big dogs in unfamiliar surroundings
was not what I wanted to do.
     Sandy was well "sand" color and a golden retriever.  Glory was a white Labrador. Neither one would be considered a lap dog, but Sandy didn't understand that.  The family room had a pair of couches facing each other and separated by a long coffee table. The "leg room" was narrow between the table and the couch.  I don't think the furniture arrangement had been moved - ever.  Some homes are like that because the people are comfortable with the arrangement or the people who hired an interior decorator never questioned the floor plan.
     I soon learned that the dogs had dibs on the couches.  It was perfectly alright for me to sit with them, but stretching out was not possible.  A retriever laying down is four times the width of the same dog in a seated posture.  A Labrador is of similar configuration but has more girth.  There's just no people room. I wondered where the other sitter relaxed.  She was much taller than I was.
     There were other rooms to relax in. There was an office that resembled any movie set of a typical British library. The paneling was dark, the leather chairs were masculine and I believe the flooring was a complementary neutral shade. I didn't feel comfortable in that room. A formal living room with french doors connecting to a patio was available to relax in, but the dogs didn't go in there. It was off-limits to the casual house guest which left me guessing it was for cocktail parties.
     A very small eat-in kitchen was also downstairs. The rest of the house remains a secret as I never ascended the stairs.
     All I remember, this many years later is that after I fed them, I would go out of the kitchen door with them to the tennis court. There we could toss the ball around for some exercise. Walks followed that
activity and we would head to the street directly from the courts.
     I am in favor of symmetry.  The dogs were accustomed to walking TOGETHER. Sandy and Glory
had to teach me that my left hand was to hold both leashes and if one headed off, followed by her companion, I would soon be at the mercy of a combined one hundred pounds of stubborn dogs.
I tried to walk BETWEEN them. Nope, Glory would sit down and wait until I moved to the right. We went walking with curbs and driveways always on my left.  There was no way I was allowing them the middle of the street privileges.
     Our first walk was easy.  They showed off.  I took notes, "Sandy on the outside, Glory likes to sit down and watch for squirrels. "Sandy can jump on people. Glory barks at bicyclists." I felt ill-equipped and that's not like me. I have never been outmaneuvered by a dog. But these two were trying their best to train the new gal. I learned the rules and the next couple of days were uneventful.
     Once we got back to their home, everyone relaxed. Well, they relaxed. I washed the dog dishes, hung their leashes back up, wrote a few notes to the owner, and left. I was on duty every five to six hours at my leisure. On my second day, I thought to stack the deck and had Milkbone treats in my pockets.  Okay, I cheated. A pet sitter has to have a few tricks up her sleeve. Twice each day, we would walk and by the time I said my final goodbye, my confidence was back.
     I don't really remember anything unusual or anecdotal about the rest of that job except. . . I did stop in a few days later and met the other pet sitter.  Apparently, I had interrupted a nap. She thanked me for filling in and gave me her business card. As she turned to close the front door, I noticed her back was completely covered in dog hair. It looks like the dogs knew how to share after all.
 
 

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