I have pet-sitting jobs over the Thanksgiving weekend. One of them is for new clients. They are nice people, live in a nice house by the lake, and their dogs seemed very well-behaved when I met them....a black lab and a
golden lab who walk off-leash, come when you call them, and happily share their toys and give kisses. Their owners adore them and hired me to visit them four times a day. Unfortunately, this is the first time they haveleft them so I am getting to 'break them in' and they are really putting me to the test...
I went over for my 9 p.m. visit last night, and as I was unlocking the door I could see something chewed to shreds all over the living room rug. It was a book - one of those old school readers from the looks of what is left, probably valuable. I cleaned up the mess and set about putting away everything I saw that looked chewable - newspapers, magazines, games, fireplace matches, and all the other books I could find. I had to put everything in cupboards, because the dogs are big enough to get stuff off
the counters and tables. When I left I gave them Kongs with peanut butter in them, hoping that would keep them occupied for awhile.
HA. I went back this morning and discovered they had found the one chewable item I missed - a box of $500 snowboard bindings. They chewed right through the box and gnawed up the bindings themselves. Damn dogs,lol. I took them on a long walk to burn off some energy, and left them with peanut butter Kongs again.
When I went back at noon, there were no messes on the main floor. I went upstairs - no messes up there. I thought I was home free - then figured I'd better check the basement rec room. I found several DVD cases chewed up on the floor - and then noticed that the door to the husband's office was open. Holy Smut. It looked like a Chewed Up Paper Bomb went off in there. They upset the garbage and strung it all over the room. They got papers off his desk and tore them up. I had no idea which was garbage and which was important, so I just piled the less drooly papers on his desk.
But NO, it does not end there! After this I decided I was taking them out and walking them until they were exhausted. I walked them down to the lake and through the woods TWICE....took more than an hour. They were much less
energetic by the time we headed home and I was feeling pretty pleased with myself for wearing them out. We were coming down a dirt road in the woods that leads to a cabin that is usually vacant, but of course is rented this
weekend. The renters came down the road in their car - and the golden lab took off running alongside them barking like one of Satan's Hounds. She was so close to the side of it I thought she would get caught in the wheels. I was yelling for her and cursing her owners for not owning
leashes (they insisted that their Darling Babies did not need them). The people in the car stopped at the cabin and got out and didn't look too pleased - until I explained that I was pet-sitting for the Dogs From h*ll and they noticed my UofM sweatshirt and I noticed their Michigan tags and we had some good Maize and Blue Bonding, haha. I started chatting with them and then noticed the black lab was not next to me. I called for her and saw a dark streak race past me - and turned just in time to see the damn dog jump into the lake. It is 31 degrees today, snowing on and off and the wind blowing like heck, and this dog decides to do the Deep Creek Dunk. My fellow Michiganders laughed and offered me their condolences, and I dragged the dog out of the lake and headed for home again. A couple minutes later, the golden lab found something wonderfully stinky in the grass and rolled in it. By the time I got them back to the house 'Miss Lake Jumper' had icicles in her fur and 'Miss Stop, Drop and Roll' smelled like she was decomposing. I had to dry one, then wash and dry the other. Then I had to call their owner in Colorado and tell her about the destruction and warn her that she may not have a house left by the time she gets back. What a day!
I have to go back at 5:00....and I am half afraid to walk into the house. Then I go back at 9:00 and spend the night again....at least I'll have 10 hours of not worrying what they are destroying next, lol. The thing I am most thankful for this Turkey Day is that their owners are coming home on Monday! LOL!