I’ve encountered my fair share of cuddly critters, but these two dogs took the cake; they were practically stuck to me like glue! But after many months of social distancing and little-to-no human contact, I was happy to provide them with the cuddles they demanded.
While they required much attention, these two pups were a lovely distraction from the monotony that the Coronavirus pandemic caused.
One dog was an older (somewhat moody) miniature Pinscher Chihuahua mix breed, called a Chipin, and the other was a Silky Terrier. This was my first time caring for them and I was looking forward to taking them for many walks and overall spending a good deal of time outdoors enjoying the last month of Summer. Unfortunately, just like my last sit, the weather was too hot to spend much time outside. Additionally, nearby forest fires caused the air quality to reach extremely unhealthy levels so I did not feel comfortable taking the dogs on many walks either.
So sadly, most of the 3 weeks we spent together included a lot of time indoors, just cuddling or playing tug of war with a piece of cloth or whatever makeshift toy we could create. We certainly made do.
Happily, I plan on watching these two cuddle bugs again very soon and plan on taking them to some of my favorite hiking spots now that summer/fire season is over – the Chipin and I could use some outdoor activity to lose a bit of that Covid-weight 😉
Duties:
–Â Care for 2 dogs
–Â Bathe the dogs weekly
– Take them on daily walks (when temp and air quality allowed)
Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:
– Given how stressful 2020 has been, it was nice to have these sweet pups upon which to shower and receive affection when I needed a break from work or other “adulting” activities. I could feel the stress leaving my body every time I had one of these doggies in my arms. Dogs really are good for your health!
Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:
– As often happens when dogs get nervous being separated from their owners, the Chipin had a couple bouts of nausea and vomiting during the first week or so. Needless to say, I had to clean the carpet a couple times. But it was okay – I just gave her extra love and affection and towards the end of the sit, she was a calm and happy girl.
