I’ve been a Dachshund sitter for 10 years. Whereas I often watch different small canine, I select to specialize on this particular breed.
Why?
Effectively, there are various causes, however it’s primarily as a result of:
- I’ve been a Dachshund proprietor for over 20 years and I’m obsessive about the breed
- Dachshunds and have distinctive behaviors and traits that I perceive and cater to willingly
- I perceive that Dachshund house owners usually deal with their canine like their “infants” and anticipate an virtually human degree of care.
Dachshund house owners are sometimes very apprehensive about leaving their canine with a sitter and are nervous that their canine is doing okay with out them whereas they’re gone.
I get it. I’ve needed to go away my Dachshunds with a canine sitter now and again after I journey.
Frankly, it’s excruciating.
I waffle between worrying they’re having a horrible expertise and inflicting quite a lot of frustration and envisioning them blissful, frolicking, and having fun with each minute of their “sleepover”.
The fact is someplace in between. I do know this as a result of I’ve watched round 100 Dachshunds through the years.
I wish to assume mine are particular. That they’re higher adjusted than most. That they’re completely behaved and don’t let a unique state of affairs throw off their routine.
However I do know that could be a bit delusional.
I’ve had canine sitters report that “they had been nice” after I know my canine.
Actually, they don’t seem to be even nice all the time at my very own home with me. Ha, ha.
Whereas I completely get the need of canine sitters to provide house owners the impression that their Dachshund had a good time and a seamless expertise – as a result of who desires to depart their canine the place that they had a nasty expertise final time? – I additionally assume it’s crucial to be sincere and set real looking expectations.
So there’s a actuality verify on some issues that your Dachshund will doubtless expertise at a canine sitter’s home that your canine sitter could also be leaving out of the dialog (doubtless omission, not deception).
Sure, Your Dachshund is Careworn When You Go away
Whereas some Dachshunds are solely anxious for about quarter-hour, most are harassed for the primary few hours, and even the primary day, they’re away from you.
That’s regular, particularly in case you spend nearly all of your time with them, make money working from home, take them with you wherever you go, or they’ve separation anxiousness.
The worst case I’ve skilled lasted virtually every week. However the Dachshund regularly grew to become much less harassed every day.
It wasn’t that the Dachshund was a nervous basket case the entire time, he simply didn’t utterly settle till about 7 days in.
Your Dachshund Might Not Be Taking part in With Others
I get it – I wish to envision my Dachshunds taking part in and having a grand ol’ time with the brand new buddies they meet on the canine sitters.
Or perhaps you’ve seen movies of canine taking part in with one another at your canine sitters home, so that you assume that your individual canine has “joined the occasion”.
The factor is, the inclination of a canine to play is exclusive to their character.
Some canine don’t play with different canine in any respect, some will play provided that the opposite canine’s play type matches theirs, some gained’t play with one other canine till they’ve been in the identical home with them for at the least every week.
As a result of sitters solely watch a canine for every week at a time, many Dachshunds are individuals oriented and aren’t inclined to play with different canine, the possibility that your canine is taking part in whilst you’re away is lower than 50%.
In my expertise, solely about 20% of the canine that I watch usually interact in play.
Your Dachshund Might Not Eat For the First Day or Two
When a canine is harassed, they’re unlikely to eat. Even when they’re extraordinarily meals motivated.
About 30% of the Dachshunds I’ve watched flip their nostril up on the first meal that I supply them.
As a result of there are a number of canine in the home, I can’t go away the dish of meals down for them to graze so I choose it up and supply it to them once more later.
If a canine nonetheless isn’t excited about consuming the second time that the meal is obtainable, I attempt to make it extra attention-grabbing.
I could attempt to hand feed them.
It’s stunning what number of canine will take meals from my hand however not eat it from the dish.
I could add some sprinkles of dried lung, liver, or meat-based canine treats that their dad and mom despatched with them.
In the event that they nonetheless gained’t eat their meals, I supply real-meat treats all through the day in order that they at the least have one thing of their abdomen.
Nearly all canine will eat on the second day they’re right here as a result of they’re hungry.
Your Dachshund Might Change Their Potty Habits
Whether or not it’s because of stress, or confusion a couple of new home format or yard, some Dachshunds gained’t go potty for the primary day, even after I know they should go, or they could have an accident in the home.
It could sound gross – and I’ve been requested by house owners how I’d really feel if their canine peed in the home – however I don’t care if a Dachshund has an accident in our home.
I imply, in fact I do however I’ve additionally accepted that it’ll occur. It’s not an enormous deal and I simply clear it up.
Generally, it’s partially my fault anyway.
The indicators a Dachshund offers when they should exit might be very delicate. And they are often very distinctive.
Till I’ve spent a while with a canine, I could miss their cues that they should exit.
And since my home is new to them, they could not perceive the place the precise” door to “sign” at is positioned.
We Can’t Observe Your Precise Routine
One in all my “specialties” is following a Dachshund’s regular residence routine as intently as potential.
However that isn’t 100% potential.
My home is completely different. My routine is completely different.
As a result of I’ve 3 Dachshunds of my very own, I’m managing 4-5 Dachshund personalities at a time.
I can’t level out each element that can differ however some frequent ones are:
- In case your Dachshund free-feeds at residence, that gained’t be potential at my home as a result of I can’t go away meals down all the time.
- When you ship your Dachshund’s favourite toy, they could not get to play with it as a result of 1) I don’t need any fights over it and a pair of) I don’t need the opposite canine to destroy it.
- Their regular time for supper could change, as a result of I’ve to strike a stability between my schedule, when my very own canine anticipate their meals, and while you usually feed your canine.
Whereas it’s doubtless that your canine sitter will do every part they will to maintain your pup’s routine the identical, particularly since that can make their job simpler, do know that every part can’t go precisely the way in which that you simply do it… and your canine will probably be okay.
Remaining Ideas
Like I stated, your Dachshund sitter doubtless isn’t leaving this stuff out to be misleading.
It’s simply that there are various causes these subjects could not come up or that the sitter desires you to really feel like your canine’s keep was straightforward and gratifying.
I get that. I at all times lean in direction of a “good report” after I speak to house owners after their Dachshund stays with me.
Nevertheless, I additionally assume it’s vital to be sincere and clear a couple of canine’s expertise in order that an proprietor could make a extra knowledgeable choice sooner or later or handle any points that got here up.
In the long run although, there’s in all probability nothing {that a} educated, skilled Dachshund sitter can’t handle in order that your pup has an excellent expertise.
In different phrases, know that there will probably be an adjustment interval on your canine and the sitter, however that your canine will probably be completely superb while you’re on trip.
