@Highfive I’m with you. I feel like absolute royalty, or like the most interesting person on earth when a ‘sit’ dog watches my every move. How interesting can it be, me watching TV??? Either that, or I can’t be trusted 
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I’ve just done the handback and the dogs went crazy when the owner returned… in some way that’s lovely to see their exuberance but they were leaping up and clearly hurt the owner’s mouth as they jumped into her face … she was tired and jet lagged but accepted the treatment…
I suggested,” shall we sit down?” It may calm the dogs.
She readily agreed.
It did.
On the sit itself one walker on the group said what great control I had of the dogs, better than the owners”!
It’s hard for the owners ; the husband had a stroke out of the blue and is on a diet and has a personal trainer to get his strength back. The wife is gentle and slight so the dogs are taking advantage of both of them. It’s hard to watch as the dogs are powerful and determined.
On a walk on the lead they both pull like crazy passing cats. The wife told me to let go of the lead if necessary so I don’t fall over… that’s clearly what she does as she’s fallen before. I would resist letting go as the cat’s life is at stake. But I don’t want an injury especially as I have two dogs to care for for 2 weeks on my own!
It’s difficult. I would use a choker from the start. It worked with my Great Danes they never pulled.
What do others think? I know chokers aren’t a popular solution or collars what give a shock. I would hate to see a cat destroyed before my very eyes!
This happened to me once walking feral dogs. A cat fell from a wall into the public street they all pounced on it, getting out of their harnesses that I was told were brilliant! I was traumatized and only walked the dogs separately after that.
The Home owner sent some money as compensation to the cat owner who lived nearby.
it nearly put me off pet sitting for life!
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It sounds like a tough situation, but the hosts no longer seem capable of having these dogs. As hard psychologically and emotionally as it might be, the dogs probably should be rehomed with someone who can handle them, unless they can hire folks to walk them all the time.
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The home owner even said to me last night “ Do you think I should get a cat? Would that help? “
“ No I don’t think so! “
There’s a dog trainer from IK in the village here and she says Border Collies in her experience always have one issue or another! Ha ha!
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I came across a lovely huge black dog which was a cross Bernese Mountain Dog with a flat coated Labrador. A beautiful creature that got re homed because it kept on growing! Lovely placid nature but just enormous. Must have been very upsetting to part with.
It’s funny as this is their second Border Collie. The first one chased cyclists and runners ! They never cured it of that… and CARS!
You’d think that whilst a puppy you would iron out those problems early on for everyone’s sake.
Sounds risky for the pet parents, bystanders and other pets, maybe kids, and the dogs. If someone can’t handle them, they could get into various terrible situations. Like the dogs could hurt people or pets, get hit by cars or such.
Sometimes, I see children or petite people walking large or out-of-control dogs and cringe to think about something bad happening, because people didn’t give the risks enough (or any) thought.
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My brother had an English Mastiff and it was a soppy giant. It went to say hello to the postman one day. His bike was a write off!
Luckily my brother had insurance!
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A friend’s wife was walking their large dog and stopped to chat with someone. The dog must’ve seen a squirrel or such — pulled my friend’s wife off her feet so forcefully that she fell face first onto rocks. Knocked out all her front teeth.
I had a bad fall last year while walking a big Labrador on the leash. Saw a big Viszla l, wasn’t expecting that and this was it. 
I didn’t let go of the leash though. 
I usually don’t sit for people who want me to walk their dog on a leash.
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I misjudged the size of a dog from photos and ended up sitting one larger than I normally sit. It was fall weather and the ground was slippery with drizzle and moss and I took a spill when the dog pulled. I was lucky I didn’t wrench my knee.
I typically won’t sit dogs I can’t comfortably lift. That’s so I can control and get them away from aggressive dogs if needed, or if there’s an emergency and I need to take them to a vet.
My own dog turned out to be allergic to bees. I found out only after he’d been stung and went limp. I had to carry his dead weight to get him to care.
Separately, I was sitting an old and sickly dog who ended up having back-to-back seizures that incapacitated her. I had to rush her to emergency care. So relieved I could lift her, especially down stairs.
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I don’t like dogs to seep under the covers with me. I like one fur free place in the house. But i let them do it anyways because i love dogs.
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Maybe check dog breed characters before a sit
Beagles (I’ve had 2 over the years) are notorious for having no recall, being stubborn and extremely (EVERYTHING is) food focussed
But once you know what you’re getting yourself into they are extremely lovable 
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Sounds like our mixed breed rescue must have a little beagle living inside her 
@co_ri_na
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Often it is said that dogs look like their owners.
This dog’s annoying behaviour was that he would just refuse to go home after a walk. The owner assured me the dog could see where he was going!
Now I’m going bald I really appreciate an abundance of hair!
This dog is the ultimate shaggy dog story!
The owner was much less hairy!
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When you’ve got the whitest of Labs , called Lucy, and you’re on the home stretch now but as your back is turned she slips quietly into the muddy pond… ahhh!
Hose down it is then!
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Oh yes, that happened right in front of our eyes the other day. Luckily said dog didn’t belong to us, so we could laugh extra hard. And it was literally the only patch of mud on the walk.
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I sit for a cat who is an excellent mouse hunter and really likes to give me presents. She’s disappointed that I firmly close my bedroom door at night but I’m afraid I’ll wake up to a Godfather style pillow/mouse head otherwise.
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