I want the best outcome for the dog and the owner. This is a group with great expertise to tap into, as I often do. I’m so grateful for all the help and moral support.
Maybe in a discussion of how it went I could offer your positive ideas for enrichment of the dog’s life here?
That’s all I want Happy dogs and happy owner!
If my visit made a difference, short though it is, it will pay dividends to others facing these difficulties as well as help settle the dog. Isn’t that what we are all about here?
I’m really worried as I fear I will get a bad review because of feedback from the fellow walkers who suggested I leave lights on overnight to make the property look more occupied? Also they don’t think I’m campetent at getting the dogs back on leads quickly enough. On a “road” we walk on a car suddenly appeared. We were all taken by surprise. Only one dog, a puller that is never let off was on a lead at that point.
On my watch all dogs are fine. No injuries, no losses, I’m proud of my record to date!
On day one I fell crossing the dry river bed with the dogs on leads.. luckily I had a thick coat on but I bruised a knee and elbow. No one has asked since how I am.
I feel out on a limb. Such a shame as the Home Owner has done so much to prepare her home and covering notes.
You can imagine the negative feedback is the final straw! why do I put myself through this still? I should have heeded the advice from
my wife and many in the group.. walk away.
I like a challenge but.. all this for a poor review?
Feeling gutted.
Update
Home Owner and I have had time to sit down and discuss how the sit went and how we could tweak some things to improve the experience for both parties and also help the dogs enjoy their time more. We shared ideas and experiences over food and wine. Something that hadn’t been possible earlier. We both learnt a good deal about ourselves and each other in a non threatening way. This took place after we walked the dogs together and unwound in surroundings that couldn’t have been improved on.
We learnt so much in this exchange.
We were a good fit, in spite of some difficult moments we overcame together.
We both worked on improvements for the benefit of future sitters.
We discussed maximizing a pre sit visit’s usefulness.
We both agreed on mistakes each side and misunderstandings, arising.
We talked and laughed and shared and learned so much.
I couldn’t have had a better resolution to my time here. I was listened to, appreciated and felt my input was helpful and timely. We worked together, seeing each other’s point of view and acknowledging ways to enhance what was achieved here.
I’ve never felt happier about this exchange before. We devoted time and energy to improvements, tweaking here and there.
Teaching and learning and enriching mutually. That’s powerful. That’s positive. That’s truly trusted. A total wow for me.
So much was learnt in so short a time!
We both agreed, for example, that me jumping from one sit to the next and arriving after the Home Owner had left and letting myself into the kitchen to start my sit with the dogs had been somewhat risky!
Alls well that ends well. Things can only get better when this approach is adopted by both parties. Job done!
