Q and A with the Dog Lodge Queen

I tend to get many same or similar questions, so here they are along with the answers:

Q: What is a day like when you have a full roster of dogs?
A: Get up, let dogs out. Let dogs in. Let dogs out. Let dogs in.  I also sweep hair daily and wash the floor when the dogs let me.  OK, seriously, when I have more than one dog here it is a bit like human day care, you have to read the dogs and anticipate their needs.  Love them, play with them, make each one feel special.  When I work on the computer I talk to them as if they care what I am doing.  They kindly provide a "thump thump thump" of their tail on the floor.

Q: What do you do if dogs won't get along?
A: That rarely happens for more than the first 10 minutes, but if it should, it's the same thing you do with kids - separate them and bribe them to behave.

Q: Do dogs ever do anything you wish they wouldn't?
A: You mean besides smelling each other and licking places just because they can?

Q: Have you ever been bitten?
A: Never.
Peed on? Nope.
Full of dog hair? Always. ALWAYS! Always....

Q: Who scoops the brown stuff?
A: The most wonderful man in the world.....daily, through wind and snow or sleet and hail.

Q: What do dogs like the most?
A: When the most wonderful man in the world starts up the grill and throws any kind of meat on it.  Dogs just know what a grill is.

Q: Has he ever lost any meat to a dog?
A: That is something that only happens once.  It was amazing how fast Moses could down a steak and not choke.  A valuable lesson was learned - never underestimate the height of a small dog when the prize is in view.

Q: What happens when a dog arrives?
A: First they meet Moses and any other dog guests and are subjected to the sniff test, then we let them watch their family drive off without them. They're only sad for a minute - really. After the coast is clear we take them on a leashed walk around the front yard since this is their new home too not just the back, and to amuse ourselves count how many times the males mark a tree or bush. The record used to be 8 in 15 minutes, Congratulations Snicker, but the new reining champ is Chester.  So many I lost count.

Q: What is the funniest thing that has ever happened?
A: Inevitably it happens that somewhere, sometime, someone steps in dog doo. I always moan in agony for the person, but secretly I think it's funny only because it didn't happen to me.

Q.  What is meal time like when you have several dogs?
A.  We always separate dogs to eat.  They can be protective of their food and I don't take any chances of an argument breaking out over a morsel of kibble.  That and the fact if I didn't separate them I would never know who really ate their food because Moses would come along and eat every last bite of it.

Q.  How do you deal with barking?
A.  Anyone with kids at some time will hear a teacher say, you know your kids are not the same at school as they are at home.  (HA!)  So I feel a bit like a teacher when I say that barking dogs at home, don't really bark much here.  Sure they sometimes stare off into the woods and bark at distant noises, and even the mildest canine acts like a ferocious beast when the UPS or FedEx man pulls in the driveway,  and on a rare occasion there is a dog that just likes to hear himself bark.  But for the most part barking has never been a problem.

Q.  Tell me about treats?
A.   No table scraps.  You don't give candy to a baby right?  At night when it's lights out I line dogs up, say sit, and give them a dog biscuit.  Rocket science?  Maybe - with wagging tails as my paycheck.  We play games with the dogs, and after a good round of fetch has occurred they get a biscuit or just some love.  The famous Ittels Meat Market is located in Howard Lake and sometimes I go in and get safe butcher bones as a treat if it has been ok'd on the Dog Lodge form. 

Q.  What about dogs with separation anxiety?
A.  We have had some dogs who struggled with their family leaving them...... for a day maybe!  After that they turn their attention to the new routine and dogs seem to enjoy us and adopt us as their new pack while they are here.  They are always happy to see their people when they come back to get them because as much as they like us, there is no place like home and their own family.  My 11 year old son comes to the rescue of any dog who has trouble settling down the first night.  His goal is to bond with each new pooch and he helps me keep water fresh and is my right hand man.  He also corrects me if I call a dog by the wrong name.  Yeah it happens - I also get my kids names wrong once in a while too.

Q.  What is one advantage to caring for other peoples dogs?
A.  Since we started doing this my kids have quit asking for another dog.  They have new dogs and new breeds to meet every week.

Q.  Name something you love most about dogs?
A.  I would probably say ones that like to snuggle or look at me with puppy dog eyes.  My husband would probably say the ones who like to "go" in the woods.

Q.  Is there anything you are looking forward too?
A.  Yes, my kids have hoped for a wiener dog to be a guest since the beginning.  So $10 bucks to anyone who refers a dachshund to us!  And I am also looking forward to seeing the UPS man when he hops out of his truck to meet a great dane.  We used to have great danes, but that was before this UPS man, and he is afraid of dogs.  He really is comical to watch when he delivers to our house.  If the dogs are outside we all run to see his reaction.  He is even afraid of Moses.

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