Tuesday: its just like this

http://www.staywell.co.uk/pages/small.php

Jim Dandy: Good idea!

I just got saddled with taking care of a couples 100+ lbs. dog for a day or so while they are away vacationing (until their relative gets here) & it's in a crate/cage. I've never put a dog in one so I'm new to this. After I walk him, I'm supposed to let him eat his food (and drink out of the toilet - gross - but that's what they said to do) & then put him back in his cage. My concern is that it's going to be a good twelve hours or so before I get back to their house again, and he's not going to have any food or water in his cage to tide him over till I get back. Is that normal to leave them in one of those things without anything to eat, drink, or do? I used to have to block my present shelter dog in the kitchen/bathroom/hallway area when I left for work (even tho she was an adult, she wasn't housetrained yet - she is now), but she had food and water dishes, toys, blankets, bones, music to listen to, whatever I could come up with to occupy her mind/time. All this poor guy has is a cage to lay in. Do other people do this too? I'd bring him to my house, but he's a REALLY big boy, he could do some damage to her if they went at it & I don't know if he'd damage my home. Any ideas/thoughts/comments on what to do?

srnity: Both my girls drink from the toilet,that's why we flush twice.They seem to like to do it right after it's been used,I have a feeling it is more ritual based than a thirst thing

Jim Dandy: I guess if cats do it, then it's okey. Even tho I'm not a cat person, I've always thought that cats are smarter than dogs (i.e. they don't do things like walk out into the road when there's a car moving on it, they can hunt for food if they're starving). My dog is so pampered that she gets filtered tap water, and if it's not really cold, she won't drink it...plus I put those bleach tab things in the toilets in my house, so it wouldn't be drinkable anyway

srnity: we have a brita water jug just for them,but they prefer the toilet.The same with toys,one of my girls has about 3 bottled water boxes scattered around our living room,they don't go for store bought jungle gyms or toys.We have some pics of both of them butt up face first in the toilet,my usual refrain as I see them is "hungover again"

Jim Dandy: LOL - how cute - anybody ever fall in? I had a friend that had a male cat who actually went potty in the toilet (but he couldn't flush it) & the same cat would play "fetch" with bottle caps. Even tho I was highly allergic to him, I'd watch him anytime, he was an awesome animal

srnity: So far neither have gone overboard,but we do now know why the kitty litter ended up in the bowl

srnity: Hi, you are very kind to look after your friends dog for them.
12 hours does sound like a long time for the dog to be left in the crate though.
My advise would be to leave a bowl of water & a couple of toys in there for him to play with. Preferably a toy to chew to keep him busy & stop him getting bored?
Do they usually leave him in there over night? If so atleast he is used to the crate for longer periods.
Hope thats a little bit of help.

My little dog got stones in her bladder and had to have surgery from drinking tap water. There are so many minerals etc. in tap water so mine get that Brita filtered water too!

Jim Dandy: LOL that's funny. My cat is the same way. She is OBSESSED with the plastic seal things on milk things. (LOL, horrible description, but I don't know if they have a name!.. You know? those things you pull off of gallons of milk?) She KNOWS when I'm opening a new one and comes RUNNING and will meow at me until I toss it in the air for her to jump and catch.

I was watching a report on the news last night, about people who flush used cat litter down the toilet. Please do not do this, as cats carry a parasite in their faeces (sp) , which actually ends up in the sea water through the sewage and is now starting to make ill and kill, dolphins , whales and porpoises.

Jim Dandy: I have 3 cats, and the 2 boys ( brothers) will only drink out of the tap in the bath, if i go to use the bathroom, they rush straight in there, jump in the bath adn wait for me to turn the tap on, and they queue up, so Dexter first with Oliver waiting behind him.......it is soooooooooo funny to watch.

rod03801: I feel sorry for people who invest in elaborate toys bought at pet stores only to find their pets prefer more simple items.Another favorite is the laser pointer a friend brought them a few years back.I can sit back and let them go nuts chasing it instead of risking hip replacement surgery running around the house with a bobble attached to a string

srnity: I don't think..espeacially at 100+ pounds that they should be in a crate for 12 hours at a time..when you go over,are they being walked at least an hour so they can strech their legs and get some excercise? I don't understand WHY people think it is OK to do this to animals instead of just bording them at a reputable place where they could be outside playing and just being dogs.How about if we put THEM in a crate for 12 hours at a time with no food,water,or toys to occupy their time.

Thanks for all the input & they aren't really friends of mine, just work acquaintances - if they were friends, I'd tell em off.....He made it thru the day, but I feel SO BAD leaving him like that. Not only is he stuck in a lay-down position (he's BIG, a shepherd), but it was very warm in their place when I went in after work (they have two cats, who are fine, but they are also not in cages). I gave him a good thirty minute or so walk after work, took him off-leash to run a bit in a nearby field, but then had to put him back in his crate. I did give him some treats from home when I left, but I still feel terrible leaving him like that. I wanted to stay and keep him company longer, but my own doggie was waiting at home to go pee. Hopefully tomorrow their relative will get here, I really don't want to do this all weekend, it just doesn't seem right.

Jim Dandy: I couldn't agree more.  The  here seem to have more fun with plain boxes and paper bags than with most of their designed toys--and they've got plenty of those.  I might be their favorite plaything of all, though.

wetware: I think toys and especially pet food is marketed to people not animals.You look at some of the titles of some of the choices like "grilled beef" or "salmon pate" "thanksgiving dinner" "london broil" I'm not making these up,it's so silly

Tuesday: They are home now (Thank Goodness) & I know exactly what you mean about the "Set them free!" - I've been tempted to myself plenty of times (including this past weekend, it took alot to just not take him WAY into the forest, and hope for the best for him, but I didn't)

Tuesday: I'm not the type to put "domesticated" animals into the wild, exact opposite actually(besides we've got black bears in the woods here), people bring me animals that were once someone's "pet" and ask me to take em in all the time But I do feed quite a few "once-owned" cats all through the winter, I've seen too many dead from being left like that to fend for themselves I don't get why some people bother to get a pet if all they do is wind up throwing it outdoors and make it homeless - not EVERY shelter is a "kill" shelter

Tuesday: I'm also amazed by how much abuse some animals will take at the hands of a human. The people who's dog I watched (?) also hit him all the time. This dog could literally fit my entire forearm in his mouth, yet he lets them beat on him. My present shelter-dog doesn't even take being yelled at, she comes right at me, without a second thought. I guess she had too, too many of those beatings at somebody's hands But I still love her, just like one of my kids, she's got her own quirks

Tuesday: I'm trying to let them know how wrong I think it is to hit on him like they do (he's young, really young), but they think it's gonna make him tougher in the long run.....I tried telling them what a "special adoption" dog (like mine) is like, but I don't think they get it. I believe my dog will probably never trust me fully (she's got real issues), but at least I know that she'll never let a human hurt her again. Other than a phone call or two? .....

Tuesday: Nooo, more like whacking him full-force with a stick kind of hitting
(or kicking him in the side, or smacking him with his leash, or smacking him in the face area...) - I feel like we should trade dogs for a day and see how many times mine drawls blood on them in return, maybe then they'd get a clue

Tuesday: Me too, it's sad, just really sad

Tuesday: I agree with Tuesday..if you KNOW that abuse IS going on then you are contributing to it by NOT calling somebody to report these people.This dog can't look up the ASPCA and place the call himself and ya know darned well that the owners won't call up and say hey..I beat my dog,come take him...he NEEDS you to step in and help...you can report anonymously..PLEASE CALL!

srnity: I agree,that's why as much as I encourage adoption,I try to steer people from giving animals as Christmas or Birthday gifts.I would rather they didn't adopt at all rather than return it like some shirt they don't want.

anastasia: ................wasn't easy, but I did...............will let y'all know

Jim Dandy: Awwww, how cute For anybody who might need to give their animal "meds" orally, (been there, with a ferret and a friend's bird), if you get a thin syringe (5ml), and squirt past their tongue, they don't mind as much (don't have to taste it that way) & give em a chaser of water or whatever to get the taste out of their mouth

srnity: The expressions were so human,it was almost scary

srnity: Firstly can I say...WELL DONE to you! Im so glad to hear you have called, after what I have just read those owners need a good beating!!!
You have done the right thing in informing the correct authorites. I hope that dog finds a good home he deserves

Tuesday: Wow! If that applies to cats too, then mine is nearly 80!! Old age pensioner!

It isnt rare for cats to live to be 21 or older now days. I have one that is 14 that still acts like a kitten at times. I keep waiting for him to start to slow down but not yet he isnt!

Tuesday: Oh for sure.. just liking losing one of your own.. Ive been lucky to have only lost one so far.. That was brutal.. She had lung cancer ( and I dont even smoke!!!) poor thing.. she went quick tho and wasnt in pain. But as mine get older I keep worrying about THE day.. going to be hard for sure.. but hopefully thats years from now!