Dog sitting and going out of my mind. Help.

[Jody]

I have been dog sitting for my friends who went on a motorcycle trip from Chicago to California for a cancer fund raiser. I offered to sit for their yorkshire terrier for the three weeks. Big mistake, but they are great friends and the very nicest people.

I am the one that showed them a picture of this terrier that came from an alert that it needed to be adopted, they immediately fell in love with her and made her a part of their family. I was so excited that I was a part of them giving Dixie a home. She told me she didn't think she'd be able to adopt her because they were going on this trip. I knew she wanted her so I offered, plus they had waited to find a yorkie and would be great dog parents to a dog. He's retired and home during the day, both are very loving, and they have a nice fenced in yard for her to play in. I love dogs so, it was a win win for everyone.

They will be back on the 25th. They left on the third. It has been an absolute nightmare. My good natured Broady is extremely irritated with her yapping. She feels a train coming two miles down the road and it sets her off before the train gets anywhere close to the house. I got a crate for her so that I could give Broady some alone time, so he wouldn't get jealous. Okay she gets mad, anxious and deficates in the crate. What a stinking mess. I am dry heaving and vomiting while trying to clean that one up, all the while difficult child is laughing hysterically between bouts of gagging. Disgusting. Everytime she gets excited about something she urinates. She left urine on my bed this morning. It's only a small amount but I don't know how to get it out of my mattress. Any ideas???? It smells.

I keep having these dreams that they come home early and get this dog. They really have become attached to Dixie. I would like to stick a large tennis ball in her mouth to keep her from yipping. I love dogs but this one has gotten on my last nerves. Still I am kind and rub it's belly and make it feel welcome, but omg, can't take much more. Thank the Lord I have hardwood and linoleum floors, or I would have one smelling house.

I will feel good next week when I have made it thru the three weeks for my friend, right now I am livid that the dog ****** in my bed. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK.

I just needed to vent and maybe get some ideas on what to do with the pee odor in my bed.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Well, I must say you are braver than I am.
This is a... newly adopted dog? (you didn't say how old, that might be an additional factor).
This dog is stressed out trying to figure out life.
The owners have not had the dog around enough to know its routines or to establish some.
NOT an easy dog-sit situation. Ever.

And... on top of that, the dog is not crate-trained. THAT would have been my first red flag.
If the dog is properly crate trained, then they LOVE their crate. That is their very own little room (den). When they are stressed or whatever else... that is where they go hide. And once they see the crate this way, they do not mess up the crate - unless they are very sick. This would have made things MUCH easier.

But... how to get through the next X days?
And how to undo the "damages"?

There's gotta be answers out there - just that I haven't had to go there (cross my fingers and toes!)

I feel for you.

 

[hearts and roses]

Okay, Yorkie expert here!!! (waves white flag)

First, DO NOT CRATE THIS DOG. Second, get a fence or gate and give her a room she will have free rein, such as the kitchen. Do not confine her. She will need LOTS of attention. Do NOT allow her on the beds or other furniture. She's not your dog, she doesn't get it, she's anxious, she's needy, all those things. You will not be able to make her conform her to you in this short time period. Instead, YOU need to adapt. You've committed to take her in, now you have to roll with it. If she has a small bed that's hers put it in a corner with some toys and chew toys (mine loves old TP rolls and raggity toys with tiny squeakers). She is little, everything and everyone appears GIANT SIZED to her, keep that in mind. When I'm having my morning coffee, mine sits on a special pillow in front of the window - I barricade her to that spot and she just chills. If we're eating, her and her pillow are on the seat next to me. At night she does sleep in my bed, but if I was dog sitting and that was not something she was used to, I'd make up her bed in my bedroom on the floor and gate the doorway.

When you're watching tv, let her lie on your lap for comfort and love. Take her out very often when you're home, say every two hours. When we're at work, mine can go about 4-5 hours between pees. If we are home, it's every two hours. The activity makes them have to pee more.

You cannot give her complete roam over the house - she will find a place to pee. Her bladder is less than a quarter of a cup and gets full fast. Also, only give her water with meals and midday. Is she eating twice a day? I suggest twice a day because these dogs are prone to hypoglycemic episodes if they go too long without food. No more than two treats a day (I break them up so it's four times, but only two very small treats-and we give baby carrots).

These dogs are tiny and cute, loveable and needy, they tend to get spoiled, which ruins it for every one else - definitely! I won't deny that. They can be a downright pita a lot of the time, especially if you're not used to them and their special needs. I just consider mine to be lifelong difficult children.

 

[keista]

Cleaning a mattress is a PITA. However, I'm pretty good at it since "accidents" are common in my house.

First time of attack is to sop up as much as you can. We use clean old towels and apply pressure. Then I use hot water and Oxyclean to do the actual cleaning. Use more clean towels applying pressure to soak that up. Then, if necessary use Febreeze. If the smell returns, get 'Urine Gone' an As seen on TV product you can find in most drug stores.

LOVE the stuff. I had to use it in my hallway when I pulled up the carpets. Whatever was there was old, and not necessarily from my cats - might have been the previous owner's puppy. Anyway it was soaked into the sub floor. Used the Urine Gone, and it was indeed gone.

 

[hearts and roses]

For cleanup, I forgot that was a major point of your post, lol.

For pee on your matress use a solution of white vinegar and water AFTER you've soaked up as much as you could. It will smell vinegary at first, but as it dries the odor will neutralize. You can use a small fan to assist in the drying.

Any protein stain/smell (poop) comes out very well with peroxide. First clean up with dry cloths, etc. Then, make a strong mixture of the peroxide and water - or straight peroxide for really bad stains - and cover the area, let soak, then mop/dab up, repeat if necessary. I usually follow this up with dishsoap and water and a clean rag with gentle rubbing. Try the fabric for colorfastness first, but it should be okay. Then wash linens/bedspreads as usual.

 

[Jody]

Oh she is quite adorable, when she's quiet and not peeing and pooping everywhere. My dog Broady is a 70 lb dog. He is and has been the calmest dog ever. I have never met a dog like him. I adore him as you already know from earlier posts. But seriously he goes out twice a day 6 am and 6 pm. Been like this forever and he's just getting ready to turn 2. Dixie is 10 months old. She urinates even after going out and going potty. Everytime she gets anxious or scared, mad. I let her sit on my lap while I watch tv, and she slept with Jean and Jim when she was at home. She doesn't listen to anything. When she doesn't do what she's told Broady gets up and thumps her on the head gently. He will also do that as soon as she starts the yipping and yapping and running like a nut through the house. LOL, I am breaking him of correcting her also. Don't want him thinking he's the boss now.

Maybe I am not as much a dog lover as I thought, maybe I just really love my dog a lot. I have been putting up the baby gate in the bathroom and leaving her there in the daytime. She barks and whines for so long. If we are home and I put her in there so Broady can play with his toys without issues, she barks forever and never stops. After raising a difficult child I also have a very low tolerance for noise and a lot of craziness irritates me. This little yorkie reminda me of a poodle my grandmom had named Pierre. It would run through the house like a locomotive and ruffruffruff through the house until you just wanted to duct tape it's mouth shut. LOL. I can just imagine Dixie with duct tape going around her snout and the top of her head, and then some more around her back end, to keep anything from coming out. They have duct tape in the prettiest colors now. She would be fashionable and quiet and pee and poop free. Only 9 more days to go!!!!!!!

 

[hearts and roses]

Jody, they really like to be the center of attention, perhaps the kitchen would be better in terms of less yapping. By nature, these little yorkies need to be around people and hearing the buzz from the other room will drive her insane. If it's only for 9 more days, perhaps you could keep Broady (since he's mellow) out of the kitchen for his personal playtime elsewhere while she's with you in the kitchen, etc. Just a thought. Also, at 10 months? She's no where near completed her housebreaking/training at all. Terriers by nature tend to be obstinate and stubborn so they can be challenging little dogs to train anyway. It took us 6 months to break Sophie from pooping in the house and almost 18 months for the peeing to stop - now she would explode before going in the house! And Nala, well it was February when she was being trained and we got her at 5 months, of which she spent all her time in a dog pound crate, so she trained very fast. Nowadays, as an old lady, she will only go in the house if it's a dire emergency or if she is ill - and only then in front of the toilet. Smart dog. We do not have any rugs whatsoever because of the dogs and we won't until the last one is GONE. Labs and Goldens and such are much easier than the little tiny ones. I feel for you. Our Yorkie is easy child's dog (yah, right!). I fell in love with her and because of that I'm partially blind to her badness!

 

[Jody]

H&R, I can take it for another 9 days. I'll be okay. I will definately try the kitchen though. My difficult child really likes her and when she is home, Dixie follows her around, and sleeps with her just fine, which gives me a little break and time to give Broady his one-on-one that he is used too. This has been a great experience for me however because it has reinforced that I do not want another dog. Sometimes I would think that Broady might like to have another dog brother or sister at home. Not doing it. I like spoiling only him and he likes me all to himself. He's never gotten on my nerves. I can say that I must love him so much I am blind to some of his badness too. He gets far to excited when people come over. Jumps up and down (not on guests, but will if invited too), rolls over at their feet as soon as they come in the door. He wants a belly rub from everyone. Very submissive and trusting. Definately not a guard dog. My grandmother had three yorkies at once, they were cute and had little bows on the top of their head. I think Pierre took everyone's mind off their yipping, because I don't remember one of the three acting like Dixie.

 

[muttmeister]

Whenever things get really bad, just remember to be thankful that you are babysitting their dog and not their kids. It could always be worse. LOL

 

[Jody]

oh yeah, I am never baby-sitting anyones kids!!! easy child's or not, nope. I like to talk to the little nextdoor neighbor's kids they are 6,5,4,3 but that's about it, or the little kids from church. Definately the dog is better!!!!

 

[InsaneCdn]

Hmmm.... maybe we should re-ask that question in 5 to 10 years... because you "might" end up babysitting the grandkids someday...

<smile>

 

[Malika]

Only another 10 days...

 

[KTMom91]

We ended up getting one of those Bissell little green things to shampoo our mattress after Onyx panther had crystals in his bladder and peed bloody urine all over our bed. Miss KT used it when an unidentified panther peed on her bed. Worked great.

 

[Jody]

InsaneCDn,

I hope it's more like 15-20 years. I definately don't know about the babysitting though. Not on a daily basis that's for sure. For a night out, I am sure that I could handle that, I think.

 

[AnnieO]

As for not being a dog person so much as you thought?

I adore BIG dogs.

I do NOT like small ones.

So it's probably not that.

But - I agree with the suggestions... And vinegar is great. I usually use it full strength - LIGHTLY - then diluted - again lightly - then just water.

Nature's Miracle is sold at PetSmart and works really well, for smells.

 

[DammitJanet]

Never can tell when those grandbabies will come...lol.

And trust me...I was the mother who swore up and down that I was never going to have much to do with my kids when they grew up. Are you snickering yet? I was sure they were going to leave home the minute they turned 18 and never come back or call more than two or three times a year. Anyone doubled over in laughter yet?

I was absolutely certain I never, ever wanted anything to do with grandchildren. Heavens NO! I didnt like my own kids that well...lol.

Okay..feel free to laugh completely at me now...lmao. As anyone who was here when Keyana completely stole my heart knows, I didnt stick to that at all. We also swore we werent going to babysit McKenzie. Well, Im not going to place any bets on that one...lmao.

Call me a sucker...I love em all. Yeah...even the rotten two.

 

[Steely]

I haven't read everything - except I want to just add I UNDERSTAND. I am dog-sitting and I just 'lost' the dog (found it thank god). I thought I might stroke out.
Dog, kids - nope - can't do it. I already had enough drama/trauma in my life - don't need more.
Hugs - hope others have helped more.