We have been dog sitting for the past week. Tom Nelson's niece needed someone to watch her dog for a week while she and her husband were at a family activity, and while Tom and Suzan would have loved to do it, they have two old cats who weren't thrilled with the idea. So Tom asked us, and we're really nice, so we did it.
Bailee, along with her parents, came to meet us last week, and then arrived to stay last Friday evening. She came with crate, food, chew toys, and a hefty leash because she is a very large dog. She wasn't happy to be with us, stayed in her crate and growled at everyone, and even bit me when I tried to get her harness off her.
By the end of Saturday, however, she had warmed up, let us pet her, and began to make herself right at home. She loves to play with the children, she loves to dig in the yard, and she likes to go for walks which, for the children, are a challenge. Bailee weighs nearly as much as Blythe, and even for Brandt is a lot of dog to manage. I have walked her quite often, just because I can handle her pulling better than the kids.
While I haven't really minded having the furry beastie around, there have been a couple of issues. First, she doesn't like small children. Brick and Cora came over to play during the week, and Bailee not only barked at them, she growled threateningly and charged them, barking ferociously. Even after shutting her up in the crate, she still barked every time they walked by. I had to put her in the basement so Brick and Cora could be here comfortably. Bailee clearly is not acclimated to children.
The second issue has been the sleeping. Bailee sleeps in her crate which we put in family room, next to the couch; that way she was with us when we were around. The first night she slept there without an issue, but likely because she was traumatized and didn't want to be with us. The next night, however, Kent and I bid her goodnight and went upstairs. We hadn't been up there three minutes when she began howling. She did not want to be alone, and she was letting us know it. She howled and whined and barked, and finally, worried she was going to wake the children, we went down and got her. We brought her and the crate up to our bedroom and had her sleep with us there. How ridiculous is that?! She had to sleep in our room every night because she didn't want to be alone in the family room. I get up early to go bike, and she whined two mornings after I left, wanting to get out. Kent ignored her and she settled down again, but I felt ridiculously over-indulgent having her sleep in our room. She's used to a small apartment and her people with her, close by, during the night.
While it has been a fine week, I'm not sure we'll watch Bailee again.
Here is Kent, in his underwear, arranging the dog's bedding so she'll sleep well.
Her crate is at the foot of our bed.
Here are the children, giving Bailee one last belly rub as they wait for her people to pick her up.
They were sad to see her go.
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