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Old 12-23-2012, 10:02 AM   #8
bobohyde
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: c
Posts: 427
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In 1999, when my husband and I first moved here, I was still a stay at home mom, but I got bored when the kids were in school. So for 6 months, I worked for a service that walked dogs. This service did exactly what you are looking for. I had a key to the house and went at a certain time on the days the family wanted and walked their dog. It was a lot of fun, but I am a huge dog lover, so I was really concerned that the dog got lots of lovin' and exercise while I was there. I think you could find someone like that, but I would recommend interviewing them (and the actual person that will come to your house) because that kind of job could also attract less than desirable people, kind of like babysitting - some people do it because they really love children and others are just lazy or shady. I think you can pay for the time you want. Most people just paid for 1/2 an hour. I'd walk them, make sure they peed (and pooped, if possible), played with them, gave them treats or fed them, then put them back in the house. Whatever the owner's instructions were. Some were puppies and were still kept in crates. The only scare I ever had was once when a young, energetic dog "backed out" of his collar on a busy road. I had to get creative quick as he was running away and used the fur collar on my winter coat to get his attention and make him think I had a toy. He came running back to get it and I grabbed the scruff of his neck and put his collar back on. My Columbo only wears a harness and I would recommend that you have a snug one on your pup if you hire a service. You can find these services in the phone book or by word of mouth. If you don't totally trust your dog with potty training yet, I would recommend an x-pen for him to be in the rest of the day. That way, he doesn't have the run of the house, but he has room to move around, play with toys, get a drink, or take a nap. A baby gate in the kitchen or a room were he can't get into trouble, do any damage, or ruin the floor will also work.
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