I am back from Florida and found Jeter with a bruised muzzle. Either side of his nose looks like he bruised it by trying to use it to get out of his crate or something like that.

As some of you recall I chose to leave him and Dakota home and have a sitter come by 4 times per day to let them out and feed them.

I could not find anyone on short notice (I decided to leave them home instead of boarding them at the last minute) to stay at the house. I have to say that I think I wont go anywhere anymore unless I have someone me and the dogs know that will stay with them over night from now on.

I called the sitter several times the first couple of days and she told me everything was fine and they were very good and obedient for her. My dogs are crated when I'm not home and they are perfectly comfortable with that. I didn't want to keep calling like some maniac (I expect to get beaten up a little about this from you guys). I shouldn't care what the dog sitter thinks. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway except that I might have found out about the bruises sooner.



I didn't like the idea of them being alone so much and just having someone stop in 4 times per day but it was the best I could do. Now jeter looks like he got his nose in something and he got hurt.

My sons girlfriend (too young to stay at my house alone with the dogs for 5 days) was stopping in to spend a little time with them here and there and she told me that the black tray at the bottom of Jeters crate was pushed almost all the way out of his crate and she had to fix it.

So what do my Leerburg friends make of all this?

Alec, I would chalk it up to a lesson learned. Jeter was probably more stressed than usual, and coupled with lack of real exercise it's easy to see how it could happen.

Next time you'll have a better idea of how you want to handle things if you need to go away. Might be worth it to find someone now who will spend the night when needed, and have them meet the dogs and you. Then you've got a backup plan if a trip comes up unexpectedly...

Also... have a neighbour watch for the sitter - a lot of the time people who charge for 4 times might come by twice or once - or miss a day. If the neighbour notices something odd they can call you, or you could call them.

Right now I'm in the US and I'm calling or emailing my mum (who is dog sitting) every day. Maybe I'm crazy but I don't care if I am.

I'm with Lynne.

Next time, find someone to stay at your house. Or somebody that'll let them stay at their house.

OR bring them to me.

 Quote: Tanith Wheeler

... a lot of the time people who charge for 4 times might come by twice or once - or miss a day...

Ask the pet sitter to take pictures of everybody every time they visit and email them to you. Make sure to check the time stamps of the image files.

Lynn is in South Florida. Next time I go to visit mom will bring them to her.

Poor jeter. he is so attached to me that this is what I can expect when I leave him?

How do I get him to be more adjusted> Less stressful?

Baby steps - comings and goings that become habituated. It sounds like he was stressed and the sitter did not report it (if the sitter did not detect this level of stress do not call this sitter again). Daily check ins for detailed reports so you can stay on top of things - what if jeter had gotten sick? If you suspect separation anxiety, now is the time to start building his tolerance for extended absence. It is possible it was pure frustration at being under exercised.

he rubbed his muzzle against the crate to the point of bruising it or maybe scratched it to that extent?

I'm so sorry Alec -we know how you were stressing about this trip -did the sitter offer any explanation? And does it actually look like a classic hematoma discoloring seen through the white fur around his nose there? But no damage at all to his actual nose?? Not trying to be overly clinical just trying to fathom how a pet care professional could not notice this...

Picture?