We’re all bound to encounter it at some point. A friend or family member is going to be out of town for a week and they need someone to watch their dog. That someone is you. But what do you do? You’re not a dog expert. Heck, you haven’t had a pet since that goldfish you had in sixth grade, and it died because you forgot to feed it for two weeks. How are you supposed to watch someone’s dog?
The truth is, it’s easy. With these simple dog sitting tips, even Snooki could run her own NJ dog daycare. Follow this advice and your dog watching days will be smooth and easy.
Maintain A Safe Environment – It’s great that you enjoy keeping the house at 101 degrees during the summer and like a yard full of sticky burrs, but a dog will like neither. Too much heat is bad for Rover, so keep the A/C on in the summer, and make sure your yard is free of foliage or debris that might hurt a dog. If you’re sitting the dog at the dog’s own home, great. You’re already halfway there.
Have A Sleeping Place For Them – If the dog is staying home and you’re just checking in on it, you have it made. Fido will already have his favorite spot to sleep. If Fido is staying with you, make sure they have a place that can be their spot. A crate or even just a soft old blanket in the corner should work great.
Get Some Doggy Toys – You can’t play with the dog 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but Rusty is going to want to. You can help keep Rusty busy with some doggy toys. You don’t have to go crazy with squeaky alligators and four-foot chew bones with leather holding straps and titanium mounts. A bouncy blue ball will do the trick.
That Dog Needs Exercise! – Don’t think you can just put Buddy in the yard and have that be that. Buddy needs to get some exercise! This is important for the dog’s health and happiness. If you’re playing at being a NJ dog daycare kind of guy, taking the dog out for a nice walk is great. So is a run in the park (many New Jersey towns now have dog parks made especially for our furry friends). But even something simple will do. Remember that bouncy blue ball? Go out into the yard and throw it around! Buddy will love you for it.
They Get Just As Thirsty As You Do – You already know that Spot can eat three times his own weight in chow every day, most of it ending up as giant stinky piles for you to clean up, but don’t skimp on the water. Dogs need to drink plenty, especially active dogs (you ARE keeping Spot active, aren’t you?), so be sure to keep their bowl filled with fresh, clean water.
It all seems like good common sense, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. With these tips in mind you’ll see that there is no reason to be intimidated by the prospect of playing NJ dog daycare for your friend or family member, because you’ve got it covered.