If you’re anything like us, you absolutely love animals. When there’s an opportunity to help out a friend and look after their pet, many of you probably jump at the chance. However, it’s incredibly important that owners are completely open and honest about their adorable lovebugs’ medical needs. The person taking care of your pet needs to know what they’re in for.
Redditor u/emileemilee went viral on the AmIOverreacting online community after she asked the internet for help regarding a sensitive situation. She revealed how she was pet-sitting for a friend. However, the doggo turned out to be very stressed and anxious and required nothing less than 24/7 supervision. Keep scrolling for the full story, including a lot of twists, and the advice folks rushed to share with the sitter. Bored Panda reached out to the author of the story, u/emileemilee, and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions. You'll find our interview with her below.
Looking after such a wonderful doggo is a dream come true for many people. However, some animals are incredibly stressed and require extra care
Image credits: emileemilee
A woman begged the internet for advice after agreeing to look after her friend's pet. She found herself in the midst of a nightmarish situation
The doggo was very anxious and started destroying the owner's home
Image credits: emileemilee
Image credits: emileemilee
Image credits: emileemilee
Image credits: emileemilee
Image credits: emileemilee
Image credits: emileemilee
The dog-sitter shared a few more details about what happened to give everyone more context
Dog anxiety is fairly common. There are lots of signs to look out for that your puppy is super stressed
As per PetMD, between a fifth to a quarter of dogs are scared of new situations, people, and dogs. “This anticipation of a perceived threat or situation is called dog anxiety. You can help your dog feel safer and cope with new or frightening situations in many ways, including through positive reinforcement, training, and over-the-counter natural supplements.”
It’s not just new situations that can lead to dog anxiety. The animal may develop it if it has any underlying diseases, chronic pain, or inflammation, too.
Some basic signs that your doggo may have mild anxiety include licking its lips, yawning, avoiding eye contact, and turning its head away.
Meanwhile, signs of moderate anxiety also include putting its ears back, furrowing its brow, fidgeting, panting, and refusing treats.
On top of all the previously mentioned signs, some of the red flags of severe anxiety in dogs include the following:
- Tucking its tail
- Slinking
- Running away
- Widening eyes, with the whites showing
- Dilating pupils
- Trembling
- Staring
- Showing teeth
Other stress-induced unwanted behaviors include things like a loss of interest in previously beloved activities, regressing in terms of training, destructive behavior, barking, whining, shaking, potty accidents, drooling, restlessness, loss of appetite, repetitive behavior, growling, lunging, and biting.
As a sitter, it's helpful to meet the dog upfront so it becomes familiar with you. On top of that, you can see how the owner interacts with their pet
Pet Business Insurance points out that even though dog-sitting is “one of the best jobs on the planet,” you still need to prepare for it. For one, you should do your best to meet the dog ahead of time.
“Dogs are pack animals, and they have a social hierarchy, with their special human at the top. Because of this, you cannot expect to step in cold and run their pack without some resistance or confusion from the dog.”
So, you should strive to arrange a meeting with the dog ASAP. That way, you can also see how the owner interacts with and reassures their pet.
On top of that, if you happen to be dog-sitting at your own home, you should make sure that the property is puppy-proof. Meanwhile, do a bit of research about the breed you’ll be looking after so you know its needs.
And ensure that you’ve checked what food and possible medication the doggo may need. Do your due diligence about their medical conditions, as well as any allergies they might have. If you can, take the time to learn some basic dog first aid so you can take care of the pet until you get to a vet.
Good communication, honesty, and transparency are vital. They help everyone, from the owner and sitter to the pet, avoid added stress
To put it bluntly, both the owner and the sitter need to be on the same page. There has to be a match between their expectations. If your pet requires very specific, round-the-clock care, the person you’re hiring needs to know all the details.
On top of that, the compensation has to match not only the hours worked but also the intensity of the work itself. If what at first seems to be a regular dog-sitting job turns out to be a top-tier challenge, there’s bound to be tension. This can also put a dent in the relationship if both people are friends.
Sure, the sitter will do everything they can to take care of the animal, but there’s bound to be lots of tension. At the end of the day, when there isn’t enough transparency, everyone ends up losing: from the sitter and the owner to the poor pet itself. There’s no real alternative to good communication, whether you’re talking about pet-sitting or any other part of your life.
"It's important to realize that behavioral issues aren't something to be angry with the pet about"
The author shared some of the most recent developments about the tense situation. "I have had no contact from the owner since I dropped the dog off at her uncle's house. Even upon her returning to work this week, she hasn't spoken a word to me," u/emileemilee shared with Bored Panda.
"However, she did try to badmouth me to our current and former supervisor, both of whom I'd already informed of the situation before she returned. It was disheartening to hear from them how she'd lied in multiple ways to try to make me look bad," she said.
She added that things are better now and she is "much less stressed."
The internet user was also happy to share some practical advice for anyone hoping to become a pet-sitter in the future.
"I would recommend going through a company like Meowtel or Rover that has protections in place for everyone involved. It's also a job that takes a lot of patience and love because not every pet is as easy as another," she suggested.
"I've had cats that absolutely hated me before, and this dog that ate holes through the wall. It's important to realize that behavioral issues aren't something to be angry with the pet about; a lot of times, their bad habits are rooted in improper training/handling," u/emileemilee told Bored Panda.
What do you think, Pandas? How would you have handled the situation? What advice would you give the author of the post? Have you ever found yourself in a similarly stressful spot of trouble when looking after a friend’s pet? Let us know in the comments below.
As the story started going viral, more and more people poured into the comments, sharing their perspectives and advice
Later, the dog-sitter shared the first of many updates about the incredibly sensitive situation
She added even more details as she got in touch with the doggo's owner
Image credits: emileemilee
Image credits: emileemilee
And here is the final update from the author of the viral story
