Observations While On The Job

  Posted on November 26, 2012  by Joy of Living  No comments

As a pet care provider, I meet all kinds of people and pets.  This last week or so I’ve had some interesting experiences and thought I’d share:

From The Thoughtless Comment File

• This morning, while walking with a dog client, a lady approached and Kita, the dog I was walking, went up to greet her.  The lady bent down to pet Kita and made the comment, “looks like you haven’t missed any meals.”  Hmm, was that necessary?  Probably not.  Many pet owners consider pets as a family member, try to keep that in mind before making comments.
• A few days ago, I was walking with my dog Jessie.  A lady and her dog approached from the opposite direction.  We stopped so the dogs could greet each other and the lady made the comment, “how old is your dog?  She looks really old.”  Jessie is 13, a senior by dog standards, but she’s still very alert, lively and a great companion.  Again, was the comment necessary, or welcome?  Umm, nope on both counts!

Recoil From Retractable Leashes

I’m not a fan of retractable leashes and these two instances from this past weekend help illustrate why:

• A man Jessie and I see often was walking his rather active Miniature Pinscher.  We stopped to say hello and the man explained the latch that retracts the leash broke.  He had to wind the leash around the handle several times to keep it at a safe length.
• Jessie and I met a lady walking her two dogs yesterday.  When we stopped to say hello, the lady explained she’d had to go in search of one of her dogs after dropping the handle.  The dog began running but was thankfully stopped before getting on the busy street.  The handle on retractable leashes can be difficult to hold, especially if you have small hands.  I prefer the nylon leashes with a loop on the end that I put on my wrist, works well and there’s not the danger of dropping it that exists with the retractable leash handle.

Food Storage Faux Pas

I see this often, open pet food bags stored in garages, utility rooms or other locations around the house.  Storing food in open bags allows bugs to get into it, and exposing the food to the air will make it stale and may even turn the food rancid.  Yuck!  When storing kibble, keep it in a cool, dark place in a airtight container.  This will keep the food fresh and prevent it from turning rancid.